Knowledge vs. Action

I'm a sucker for knowledge. I enjoy learning new things about topics I love or at least have an elevated interested in.

I have endless sports statistics, players and games in my head. I know music lyrics that I don't even WANT to know - just turn on any Will Smith song and it will automatically start coming out of my mouth. I went to two men's conferences on back-to-back Saturdays this last month and enjoy reading books on how to be a good leader and husband. And I also read endless websites, articles and blogs on running, losing weight, training schedules and whatever else I think I can use to further my journey to 199 pounds.

But my problem comes whenever I try to APPLY all of this information.

Why does this happen? Why can't I follow the simple process of learning and then doing? Does the hard work and dedication scare me off? Do I feel like I need to finish other things before focusing on this? Do I just love fast food and soda that much?

It's tough having all these questions and not knowing what the answers are.

All I know today is that I have two, great days under my belt and I'm feeling confident. And I think that's the important thing for me - confidence. If I don't believe that I can actually lose all this weight, then I never will. If I get down on myself for having a bad food day and therefore skip the gym and get all down on myself, I'll just keep yo-yoing like I have been for the last three years.

Even though my actions don't always communicate it, losing this weight is very important to me - probably too much, to be honest. I get very hard on myself when I slip up which, instead of motivating me and getting me to the gym, actually sends me to the fridge or to the grocery store. I need to learn how to take small failures and turn them into positive actions.

And I promise not just to KNOW that, but to DO it as well!

Are my mindless wanderings getting annoying yet? :)

The Secret to Success

Efficiency

It's something that I used to spend WAY too much energy on (and still do, to a point). I make checklists, make plans, make schedules, make spreadsheets only to end up remaking plans, remaking schedules, etc. This goes for work, for chores around the house and especially for setting a plan to lose weight.

But should I be focusing on being the most EFFICIENT I can be? 

Instead of trying to be perfectly efficient and not waste any time, I think it may just be more important to be perfectly consistent instead. If you consistently keep the same routine and discipline yourself to get to the gym in the morning, make it to work on time, have your meals at similar times of the day and get enough sleep every night, the efficiency will come as a result of your consistency.

If you form good habits, only good results can come from it. This has been an issue for me over the past year or so. I can have spurts of greatness, but can't hold myself to a consistent schedule and plan for more than a couple of weeks.

So that's my goal. One day at a time, one meal at a time, one decision at a time. Get enough sleep every night and get to the gym on time in the morning. Eat a good breakfast before work and keep the snacking at bay while sitting at my desk all day. (The latter point is my biggest downfall.) But I'm also going to be putting together a plan of sorts so I know what I'm supposed to be doing at the gym every morning.

What kind of routine actions do you do every day to make sure 

you're as healthy and fit as you can be?

Why I Want to Do This

When you're in a rut when trying to lose weight (or in my case, a 3-year rut), it's important to sometimes revisit the reasons that you're trying to slim down. Are they valid reasons? Are they logical reasons? Are they selfish reasons?

I was spitballing with a fellow YouTube Weight Loss Community member about the motivations and reasons behind our desire to lose the weight. While some may sound selfish, there are others complementing them which are completely unselfish. While some seem illogical and stupid, there are plenty others that make complete sense.

I feel that you need a variety of motivators in your journey to keep you looking where you need to look. If you only had one reason to hang your hat on, it may be easier to eventually put it on the back burner because it's "only that one reason" and go back to your semi-destructive habits. But if you're constantly reminded of your motivators, it's hard to shake off the feeling and ditch your goals.

So that being said, here is a list of some of the motivators and goals that I have corresponding to my weight loss:

• To gain self-confidence
• To have to buy all new clothes
• To dress in nice clothes rather than big jeans and sweatshirts
• To run a marathon
• To look (and feel) good
• To not have to worry about genetic heart disease
• To live a healthy and active lifestyle
• To be able to have a story I can share to inspire others
• To be able to say "I did it!"
• To attempt some level of triathlon 
• To feel comfortable and have fun playing team sports again
• I'll add more as I think of them

What are YOUR reasons for your goals? And your goals definitely don't have to be just to lose weight - I mean ANYTHING!