Sorry to disappoint, but there is no magic pill, no special elixir, no magic ceremony and if there was, we would all be skinny.

You can’t pay anyone to do your squats; then again, you probably could but they would reap the benefits, not you.

Truth be told, I had no idea when it was happening. After the decision had been made, it only crossed my mind again when I had lost weight and people were cornering me for “the secret.”

Simply put, you have to be willing to do the work—implement a holistic approach and develop the mindset which facilitates the type of change you say you want. The final step is getting out of your own way.

On making the decision and setting the intention to achieve my ideal weight; I got into action and then everything seemed to be functioning on autopilot. The thing is, one morning I got on the scale and I was much lighter than my goal weight.

Of course I was excited but it also dawned on me how easy it was. I had not been doing any additional exercise and I certainly wasn’t skipping meals or eating two lettuce leaves and drinking a glass of water for lunch.

I’m a foodie at heart and also enjoy the occasional indulgence (think chocolate, tiramisu, wine and a few other things which call my name in the night).

When I really took the time to analyse what had happened, I realised that I was sufficiently distracted from losing weight because I had been working on enjoyable projects, spending time with people I love, enjoying my life and living in the now that the weight was released without resistance.

This weight loss was noticeable, but the only thing I could say when people asked about it was that I wasn’t really trying—“I just woke up skinny.”

The problem is, people believe that getting what they want has to be “hard” or “difficult” and if it comes “too easily” or the process is “too simple,” they have not understood how powerful their words and actions are in creating the life they want.

There really is no need for you to waste any more time getting to where you know you are meant to be. If you’re telling yourself:

I have no idea what to do.
I want to lose the baby fat (and your baby is now seven years old).
Getting in shape is so frustrating.
I am so confused.
I have done everything I could possibly do (and we both know that this one isn’t true).
I give up.

Here’s what I recommend you do:

1. Decide what you want. Nothing happens unless you make a definite decision (not to be confused with a wish) and set an intention to have what it is that you say you want.

Do you want to release the weight, reduce your body fat, build lean muscle, fit into your little black dress, be able to find your size on the rack and improve your confidence? Until you make a commitment to what you want, nothing will change.

2. Write your goal(s) out in clear, vivid detail and create some affirmations to support your desired outcome. Repeat your affirmations on a daily basis and experience the emotion you would feel if your goal had already been achieved.

Staying positive is great but it goes much deeper than being positive; it really is a question of your belief system and the paradigms that are keeping you stuck.

3. Implement a no excuses policy. As the policy suggests—leave the excuses at the door because you can either have the excuses or you can have what you want but you can’t have both.

This policy comes with a built in “I will do whatever it takes clause,” implied discipline and sacrifice which will keep you on track to achieving your goals.

4. Eat “right” (keeping in mind that “right” varies). I’m certainly not into quick fixes and fads as these are unsustainable and unhealthy.

A nutrition plan which is in sync with your desired outcome will work wonders. Apart from having the correct mindset, nutrition is at least 90 percent of the equation. Eat “right” and see the body you want appear before your eyes; however, you need to be 100 percent dedicated to your desired outcome.

5. Move your body. Not only will you release those good feeling hormones, you can actually sculpt a shapely body depending on what form of movement you choose. Basically, your choice of movement will depend on your goal and all movement is certainly beneficial. Plus, I don’t believe that there’s only one correct way to move your body in order to achieve the results you desire.

6. Release your attachment to the outcome. Please do yourself a favor and step away from the scale—there’s really no need to weigh yourself every hour on the hour.

You are so much more than the number that appears and there are so many other factors to consider such as your body fat percentage, how your clothes actually fit, your waist-to-hip ratio—you get the idea.

Once you know you’ve done all you can and you’ve given it 100 percent, what you want is already there, and fixating on the outcome only distracts you from enjoying the journey.

My wish for you is that you take yourself off the hook, love yourself off the chains, and you live your life in a body you absolutely love.

Relephant:

My Food Secrets to Losing Weight Naturally (From someone who lost over 60 pounds).

Author: Paula Jane

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Dplanet/Flickr