On the road to weight loss, fitness,

and health, you can easily become

discouraged. In fact, discouragement

is what leads many people to give-up

when they may have been near a point

of significant progress and encouragement

in their program.

I've put together my "top 10" points of

encouragement to help keep your spirits

high on your road to weight loss,

fitness, and health..

1. It does get better - and often very

quickly! Many people that are

significantly overweight or that have

been sedentary for a long time, find any

activity, even walking a few hundred

feet, to be very difficult and

uncomfortable. Be encouraged, many

physiological changes happen very quickly

once you start moving. Walking, for

example, starts getting easier and more

comfortable within a couple of weeks.

Keep moving - every day will be a little

better! Be encouraged!

2. I love this lady's story. It just

makes you want to cheer for her while

sitting at your computer. Margie from

Madison, Wisconsin weighed 296 pounds

when she started walking in her

neighborhood. She says she started by

walking about half a block twice a day

and that it was incredibly difficult at

first.

After the second day she had decided to

quit but a neighbor encouraged her to

continue. Every day she walked the same

route but added a little distance each

week. She says there were many days when

she wanted to quit, but she wanted very

badly to lose weight and be healthy.

After several months the people in her

neighborhood started noticing her

consistency and her progress and started

giving her compliments and words of

encouragement. She said that after a

few months of walking, it went from

painful to enjoyable.

About ten months into her walking program,

she began her morning walk as usual, but

she noticed people out in their yards. As

she passed each yard they were clapping

and cheering for her, "go Margie", "we're

proud of you Margie", "congratulations

Margie!" She said tears of happiness

flowed through her entire walk that

morning as over a hundred people cheered

her on all along her route! Be encouraged!

3. The visible signs of progress in a

weight loss program are often very slow

to come. Healthy weight loss takes time,

but that can be very discouraging. Be

encouraged to know that for each day that

you exercise and eat healthy foods in

moderate quantities, you have made

progress. It might not be measurable that

day, but you have made progress and it

will be measurable over a period of weeks

and months. Be encouraged!

4. Katherine was 43 years-old and had

been sedentary for 20 years. The scale

had not changed in those 20 years - she

still weighed 136 pounds, but she knew

she had lost muscle and gained fat. Her

waist was bigger and she couldn't fit

into the same size clothes that she did

20 years earlier. What bothered her

most was that she was always tired and

never had energy.

She decided to start walking and weight

training but quit after a week. She said,

"it's too uncomfortable, I can't keep

doing this." I encouraged her to continue

and told her that it would get better.

She "quit" three times during the next

two weeks. We talked frequently.

Six weeks later she started to notice

some muscle tone and she noticed that

her endurance and energy level had

increased dramatically. She said,

"I'm very encouraged!"

Eight months later she had gained two

pounds on the scale but lost three

inches in her waist - and she walked

a marathon! Yeeeeeeesss! Be encouraged!

5. The whole idea behind physical

training is that you push your body to

do a little more than it's comfortable

with and it responds by making physical

and physiological changes. These changes

make you capable of doing a little more

with less discomfort. Be encouraged!

6. Gerald in New Orleans, Louisiana

lost 85 pounds after he started walking

and weight training. Once he had lost

the weight, he decided to do something

that would allow him to fully appreciate

his weight loss. For an entire day, he

carried around a sack that contained 85

pounds of metal weights.

Getting around during that day was a

struggle and very tiring. At the end of

the day he was exhausted! Life without

the weight is great! Be encouraged!

7. Keep records of your progress. Every

day write down the positive changes

you've noticed and also keep a record

of the exercise you do every day. Write

down what you did, how long you did it,

and any thoughts about your exercise

that day. Keep a running total of your

minutes. You can look back at what

you've done with a great sense of

accomplishment and you'll be motivated

to do more. Be encouraged!

8. Daily exercise will change your life!

I believe God designed humans to be

active on a daily basis. Why? because

when you are, lots of good things happen..

- you are healthier

- you feel better and have more energy

- you are less likely to develop cancer,

heart disease, stroke, etc.

- you sleep better

- you have a better outlook on life

- your relationships with people are

enhanced

- your skin looks healthier

- you are sick less often

- your immune system is stronger

- you lose fat

- you gain toned, lean muscle

- you look healthier

Be encouraged!

9. Betty Jo in Tuscaloosa, Alabama wrote

to me.. "Greg, After 24 years of being

married to a grouchy, pessimistic man

who didn't enjoy life, I saw all that

change over a period of about a year.

Harold was the classic 70 pound

overweight couch potato when he was

scared into exercising and healthier

eating habits by the death of his 46

year-old friend."

Harold's doctor recommended that he

start walking every morning and after

a couple of weeks Harold told Betty Jo

that he wanted to start eating better.

Harold really took-off with this "health

thing" and lost 72 pounds and become a

new man - inside and out. In Betty Jo's

words, "I have a new husband. He walks

for an hour every morning and he is a joy

to be around. His enthusiasm for life

makes our marriage fun." Be encouraged!

10. Progress and improvement generate

encouragement. YOU can progress and

improve and be encouraged to do more.

Tomorrow morning, put on your walking

shoes and take a walk, even if it's just

a few minutes. The next day, do it

again - progress and improve.

Be encouraged!

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,

offers a variety of unique weight loss and fitness

programs at his site, such as the "Weight Loss and

Fitness Insiders Club!" Visit his site at..

http://www.Landry.com

copyright 2001 by Greg Landry, M.S.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,

offers free weight loss and fitness success stories

and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs

for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with

slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism..

http://www.Landry.com