When it comes to achieving your weight loss goals, one word is going to make the difference in whether you succeed or not: persistence. Persistence is simply promising yourself that you will never give up.
When I made up my mind that last time that I was going to lose weight no matter what, it seemed that everything fell into place. I'm not saying that it was always easy, but I had confidence that I was not going to give up on myself no matter how many times I stumbled.
As long as I gave myself an "out" and treated my health casually, then my mind became pre-occupied with going back to my old habits. I'd tell myself that it was too hard, that I didn't like vegetables, I didn't like to exercise, etc. Pretty soon, I was headed towards "quitsville."
But once I made my mind up that I wasn't going to quit, then I felt relief. I knew even if I felt like quitting, I wasn't going to. Then, my mind became pre-occupied with finding ways to ensure that I wouldn't quit. It was all a matter of focus. I started looking for healthy foods that I enjoyed, activities that were fun, and pleasurable ways to reward myself. I created a cycle of joy. Once I committed to enjoying the process, then sticking with it became easy.
Today, make up your mind that you will never surrender on your way to better health. Don't be double-minded. Once you decide that you want to live life in a body that is a blessing to you, not a burden then start looking for ways to make your desire real. Make it fun. If you do that, then you will achieve that desire sooner than you think.
Kimberly Taylor is an author and Christian life coach with a heart to help others struggling with emotional eating and weight loss. Once 240 pounds and a size 22, she can testify of God’s goodness and healing power to overcome. She lost 85 pounds as a result of implementing techniques to overcome emotional eating and binge eating disorder.
Kim is the author of "The Take Back Your Temple Program," which teaches Christians how to take control of their weight God's way and the books "The Weight Loss Scriptures" and "The Weight Loss Prayers."
Kim has been featured in Prevention Magazine, Charisma Magazine and on CBN’s 'The 700 Club' television program.