You start each morning with the promise to be "good" today.

 You'll refuse the baked goods at the office. You'll speed past that fast food place at lunch. You'll turn a blind eye to the vending machine in the mid-afternoon. And you'll pass on the ice cream after dinner. 

But… you hadn't counted on the fact that a box of your favorite donuts would be sitting in the break room. Or that co-workers would invite you to join them for fast food place at lunch. Or that Girl Scouts would come through the office after school with boxes of thin mints. Or that your special someone would come home with a pint of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. 



And as you get into bed each night you tell yourself that tomorrow will be different.

 Tomorrow you will conquer temptation.

 But tomorrow comes with its own set of special circumstances and temptation gets the best of you once again. 



Why Does Temptation Always Win?



We live in society where food temptations are everywhere.

• Walk through a store and you'll see the unhealthy food items displayed front and center.
• Turn on the TV and you'll be assaulted with commercials for fattening foods.
• Open a magazine and you'll notice glossy pin-ups of sugary snacks.
• Go down the street and you'll have restaurant signs clamoring for your attention.
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Here are the final reasons why you may not be able to lose weight. In the past couple of weeks, we have explored the first four reasons, and here are the final three. See if any of them apply to you!

Blocker #5: Your Diet
If you consistently eat the wrong food, then you're weight loss efforts will all be in vain. To put it bluntly, you need to stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do not belong in your diet if you want to be in great shape. Cut these items out of your diet and replace them with real whole foods like lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

•  Don't eat processed foods. Even though processed foods are accepted by our society, they contain tons of chemicals and empty calories that will make you sick and fat.
•  Fat contains twice the caloric density of protein and carbohydrates, so make sure to limit the amount that you consume. Eat lots of lean proteins and wholesome carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
•  Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds are filled with fiber and antioxidants which are vital for healthy weight loss. Snack on these instead of packaged treats.

Blocker #6: Your Patience
It takes time to transform your body from fat to fit, even though you want it to happen overnight. Remind yourself that it took time to put the weight on, so it will take time to take the weight off. When you find your patience wavering, or when you encounter a frustrating plateau, do the following:

In keeping with my series on "blockers" that are keeping you from losing weight, here are two more reasons you might want to think about:

Blocker #3: Your Excuses
Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don't allow excuses to ruin your life any longer.

• Don't skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.
• Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you'll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.
• Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Blocker #4: Your Commitment
How many times have you tried to lose weight, only to give up a week or two later? We live in a commitment-phobic world, so it's no wonder that you routinely abandon your goals. If you truly want to lose weight then your commitment to the process is a must.

There are few things more frustrating than not being able to lose weight. You want to be slimmer and to tone your body, but your weight won't budge. During the next few weeks, I will give you 7 Weight Loss Blockers that will help you discover what is standing in your way and how to quickly and easily begin your weight loss journey.

Blocker #1: Your Mind
Your mind is your number one ally when it comes to achieving your goals. However, until your mind has been programmed for success, it will do more to derail your efforts than to help you.

•  Take a few moments each day to visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how it feels to look the way you've always wanted.
•  Protect your mind from any negative self talk. If a negative thought comes to mind, immediately reject it.
•  You want to be thin and fit, and yet you think of yourself as out-of-shape and fat. Re-program your mind to think of yourself as fit and attractive, and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.
•  Give up the belief that you can't achieve the body you've always dreamed of. See it first in your mind, and then in the mirror.

Blocker #2: Your Fear
Change makes most of us nervous – even if it is a change in the right direction. You may not be consciously aware of the fear you have of getting into shape. Until you conquer this fear, your weight loss efforts will be blocked by self sabotage.