More die in the United States of too much food than of too little.
~John Kenneth Galbraith

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there has been a “dramatic increase” in obesity in the United States in the past 20 years. As of 2006, 34% of American adults age 20 or older (over 72 million people) are obese.

Being overweight can contribute to or aggravate a number of chronic diseases and conditions including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, some cancers and many other conditions. It’s no wonder that in the United States obesity is the second-leading cause of preventable death after smoking.

The CDC says 66% of American adults are overweight. In other words, only one-third of adults are at a healthy weight.

Which side are you on? Are you part of the overweight 66%? Which side do you want to be on? Are you eating too much?

Action plan: Make an effort to eat less. One way to do that is to stop eating your meals before you get too full. That feeling of “too full” means you overate which is definitely what you want to avoid.

Start with proper meal portions. At home, think restaurant-sized portions then divide them in half. For instance, the recommended meat serving of 3 or 4 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards.

At restaurants, immediately divide your meal in half and ask for a doggy bag. Restaurant food is often fattier than you might guess–that’s why it usually tastes so good! So if you force yourself to eat the whole restaurant meal you end up paying for it twice—once at the restaurant and later on the scale. Split it into two or more meals and stretch your food budget.

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were
meant to be.
~George Sheehan

If you’ve tried slimming down but haven’t succeeded, it’s possible you weren’t determined enough to reach your goal. Determination is a quality that can be exercised and mastered. Having a definite goal and keeping it in mind whenever you make a decision is a good way of strengthening your determination. Just be alert and when you feel your determination and will power falter, remember your goal and you’ll improve your resolve!

Action plan: Think about who you want to be. Describe this ideal you in detail, including as many aspects as you can think of. With this mental picture in place, you will see it is easier to maintain the focus and determination needed for your weight loss plan to be successful. Every time you feel about to cave, recall this picture of who you are meant to be. It will keep you on the right track and you WILL be successful.

The greatest wealth is health.
~Virgil

It doesn’t matter how much money you have or how nice your material things are if you aren’t healthy enough to enjoy them. And if you aren’t materially wealthy right now you are still very fortunate if you have good health.

Many people consider it noble to work themselves to exhaustion and sickness because they think in the end they’ll “buy” themselves time to improve their health. But that rarely happens. People who neglect their health often find themselves so sick they can’t enjoy the wealth they’ve been building.

Never seek material wealth at the expense of your health!

Action plan: Make a habit of being thankful for your good health. Consider how wealthy you really are if you already have good health. If your health can be improved by losing weight and getting in shape, make a commitment to do so. It’s the best way to make yourself truly wealthy!

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.
~Aristotle

A habit is a pattern of behavior that you acquire after frequent repetition. If you do anything enough times—good or bad—it becomes a habit.

The good news is that any bad habit can be broken. The key is to replace that bad habit with a new, good one.

Do you have any bad eating habits? Do you tend to eat unhealthy snacks between meals? Do you eat lots of fast food? Do you drink too much soda? Any of these habits can be changed.

Action plan: Identify one of your bad eating habits. Analyze it. Why does it happen? When? How? Once you have done this, commit to replace that habit with a new, improved one. Pay attention. Every time you catch yourself in the bad eating habit, replace it with something healthy.

For example, instead of grabbing another sugary (or chemically!) soda, brew up a big fresh mug of yummy green tea. Or take a walk around the block. Anything to break the pattern.

You will see that this at first conscious and difficult act soon becomes automatic. Then you’ll be on the way to excellent eating habits!

The one way to get thin is to re-establish a purpose in life. ~Cyril Connolly

What is your life’s purpose? Some people might refer to this as your personal Mission Statement.

Have you thought about it? Have you stated it definitively? Is it just “to make it to tomorrow”? Or is it something bigger?

My life’s purpose and personal mission statement is: “To help as many people get healthy and wealthy as I can.” By working toward my life’s purpose I’ll be improving my health and wealth as well as creating a lasting legacy for my family and community.

When you establish your life’s purpose you are consciously and subconsciously directing yourself toward a desired future. If your desired future includes a healthier, thinner you you’re more likely to achieve it now that your life’s purpose is established.

Action plan: If you don’t have a life purpose or personal mission statement, take some time to create one.

Here’s a good description of how to write your personal mission statement.

Don’t just think about it. Write it down! Otherwise it isn’t “real” in your mind. Put it someplace you’ll see regularly like on your computer monitor. Think about the person you’ll become—mentally, physically and spiritually—as you accomplish things in line with your life purpose.