- By Vanessa Bader

I am about to tell you something that you probably don’t want to hear, but knowing this might make the difference between success and failure. This seemingly “bad” news is what might give you the strength and inspiration to reach your weight-loss and fitness goals.

In today’s world of technology and quick fixes, that is what everybody is selling – they promise you instant results and “magic solutions”, but when it comes to getting in shape there is no such thing!

Now I am not telling you this to discourage you… to the contrary. I am telling you this so you will stick it out to reap the rewards. And believe me, once you start seeing the results, you will feel instantly inspired to continue and there will be no stopping you. The first three to four weeks are the most difficult. Like most things in life, there is a transition period, and if you can get through that, everything seems easier from there on.

You want to aim to cultivate good habits so you can continue to be healthy and to look like a million dollars! Fad diets and quick fixes are not the right answer – not when it comes to being healthy, fit and getting and keeping that Hot Burning Body you so desire.

The more realistic you can be about your weight loss goals and the processes, time and requirements to reach your goals, the more likely you are to succeed. That is why I have this little bit of advice for you today.

Surely you have heard the expression – “You are what you eat.”

This is actually quite the misconception. It should be more like – you are what you ate a week or so ago…

It is true that if you eat healthy on a continual and consistent basis your body will be healthy because you are feeding your body with all the nutrients and antioxidants it needs to be in the best shape possible. “Continual” is the keyword here.

I so often see people who have the best intentions – they start with a healthy lifestyle. Their goal is to lose some weight and tone and firm up their bodies. They want to regain their health and get rid of all the cumbersome and unsightly flab and fat they so despise when they look in the mirror.

They do the research and make a conscious decision that they want to make positive changes to the way they eat and they start incorporating exercise… everything is great for about three days, they feel great and then suddenly they lose motivation and a few days later they quit altogether.

Turns out they got on the scale and the results were so minute that they didn’t feel it was worth all the trouble…

Well, what is wrong with this picture?

Think about it – your body is in the shape it is today because of what you have subjected it to in the past… in at least the last month. You don’t put on ten pounds in one day… it takes at least a few days for the “junk” you eat to turn into bodyfat and at least a few weeks for it to accumulate to a level where you suddenly notice…

Yes, I know – it feels immediate – that startling moment when you suddenly realize that you have let yourself go, but if you really think about it, right now your body is a direct reflection of what you have been eating for the last three or four weeks, not what you ate two hours ago. Your body is a manifestation right now of the fact that you haven’t been active at all in weeks or in some cases even years.

Firstly – it is impossible for your body to change overnight – you have to consider how the body works. All that weight and flab that you are trying to get rid of… how long did it take for it to accumulate? You have to give your body some time to readjust to these new conditions and new habits and then for it to implement. So realistically you can’t expect the piece of cake you had this afternoon to show up on the scale tonight… and on the flipside of the coin, if you resisted that piece of cake this afternoon, that doesn’t mean you just lost weight by tonight or tomorrow – it just doesn’t work like that.

Weight-loss and weight gain is accumulative.

In the first week or two you will probably lose mostly water and your body will start getting rid of toxins. After the two-week mark, that is when you can start expecting some real fat-loss. You will definitely start feeling better a day or two after you started making changes to your diet and exercising, but you will start seeing the real results only after about ten to fourteen days.
The same goes for exercise. How long does it take for your muscles to atrophy to the state where they are now? When was the last time you did some real exercise? Wouldn’t it be fair to say that you should allow your body about the same amount of time to get back its tone and strength? The good news here is, that you can probably start feeling results in muscle tone much quicker. And remember – to get the absolute best results, exercise and healthy eating habits work hand in hand.

But my point is you need to be realistic when you set your goals. If it took two years to gain twenty pounds then you can’t expect to lose it in two weeks. But once again, luckily it won’t take two years if you put your mind to it. So actually… you are at an advantage!

So don’t give up after a week – stick with it; hang in there…. patience! It will happen. Be kind to your body and understand how it functions. Be consistent and you will absolutely reap the rewards. It is when you start being unrealistic and when you expect instant results when you are setting yourself up for failure. But if you are honest with yourself and you are Optimistically Realistic – that is when you know you will succeed!

You have the Power!
To your Strength and Success
Vanessa Bader

Vanessa Bader Performs on stages all around the world as a dancer, singer and actress. She is a seasoned Dance, Pilates and Kettlebell instructor as well as an Aesthetician, Cosmetologist and Massage therapist. She is the Creator and Teacher of The Pizzazz Factor and the creator of the Hot Burning Body Workout System. With her Hot Burning Body Workout she inspires people all over the world to be healthy, fit, strong and flexible. For more information on Vanessa Bader, go to: http://www.HotBurningBody.com