​Okay, so I know going to a gym can be intimidating, especially if you're just starting out and you're not sure what you're doing. It can even be intimidating for those who go all the time like, myself. Hell, I've been to gyms where you walk in and it looks like everyone just came of the Olympia stage—all jacked up and ripped. I say to myself, "I think I'll keep my jacket on and go to the treadmill." But remember something, everyone had to start somewhere. No one knows everything and always can use some help. Ask questions or get someone to show you how to use different equipment. Even I've had to ask, "What does this do? How do you use it?"

I always find it fascinating talking with people who are having issues with losing weight or who have lost a lot of weight but have put all or most of it back on. So many have the same attitude and reasoning about why they gained the weight back—I got hurt; I got sick; the diet I was on got too expensive; I got tired of eating like that and exercising; or, I hit my goal and just went back to the way things were. And for many of us who have been or are currently overweight or obese, there’s something that you’re just going to have to do before you’re ever going to truly keep the weight off—you are going to have to admit that you have an addiction.

With tomorrow being the official start of this year's Slim Down Challenge, I am here to share with you 5 ways to kickstart your weight loss without going in a "diet."

Let's go back to the basics and review our body and its energy.

Why do the stores charge so much more for healthier foods?

Jen and I grocery shop at least once a week. We normally do our shopping on Saturday or Sunday for the upcoming week. I'll usually cook up our proteins—chicken, beef, turkey—on Sunday so it is easy to pack our meals for the day. One thing that's really alarmed us is the huge price difference between grocery stores for many of the same items that are on the healthier side.

Examples:

In the last post, we mentioned the appeal of the “quick fix,” especially when you are at your wit’s end with weight loss. For a number of years now, pyramid marketing, or as it’s commonly referred to now as multi-level marketing (MLM), has been used with many weight loss products. Companies marketing these products tend to coerce, intimidate and pray upon those who are looking for the “quick fix” to lose weight. To make it even more appealing, some companies offer incentives to sell the product as well. 

We can't tell you how many times over the last 4-5 years we've been approached by “associates” of these different products. We refuse to use our influence to make money off of the same people we are trying to help live a healthy lifestyle.

Recently, we have noticed one company in particular that has become very aggressive in their marketing and recruiting efforts and we feel it needs to be addressed.

Know that you have resources. Know that there are people you can reach out to and places you can go to seek help. These resources include organizations like OA (Overeaters Anonymous), your doctor, a registered dietician, and perhaps a licensed therapist or behavioral specialist—someone to help you identify the root cause of your over eating and deal with the issues at hand.

Is there anything I can do to fight my addiction?

Food addiction is an eating disorder. Other eating disorders we are familiar with include anorexia and bulimia. The psychological issues associated with eating disorders are similar to those that accompany addiction. The American Psychological Association estimates that about 5 million Americans suffer from a diagnosable eating disorder. And according to a 2007 analysis of government data, roughly one-third and one-quarter of people with bulimia and binge-eating disorder, respectively, will also have an alcohol or drug problem at some point in their lives. However, when attempting to overcome a food addiction, it is important to understand that it cannot be overcame the same as other addictions. As mentioned early, this is one addiction we truly cannot abstain from.

So what do we do? The key to overcoming a food addiction is uncovering the underlying issue.

Here is an example.

In Monday’s post, Dan talked about overeating, an eating disorder. Many people who over eat also have an addictive personality. In today’s post, Dan talks about addiction and the addictions he has faced. This is part one of a three-part series.

I always feel FAT!

Why is it that I always feel like the fat kid, even though I have lost weight and I am in great physical shape? 

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel like I'm overweight. When I look in the mirror, I don’t see the guy who has lost over a hundred pounds. I see a person who could lose another 30, 40, maybe 50 pounds. Once you've been in competition shape—having your body fat around 3%—and put yourself on stage, you will always want to be that person, especially if you have had body image issues in the past. Unfortunately, maintaining those goals is incredibly difficult. A very small percentage of people look like that year round.

We tend to associate the body image issue with young woman who develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Overeating is also an eating disorder.

We've all been given blessings and gifts in our lives. For many of us it's our children, family and friends, great jobs and hopefully good health.

I truly feel blessed. 

I'm asked all the time, "how do you find the time?"

Here's something you all need to remember—you are never too far gone, never too good and never above asking for or needing help.

Hello Challengers, this is Dan. Please, use your Chippewa Valley Challenge Fitness & Nutrition Journals! There is a reason we want you log your steps, log your exercise and log your meal. It's to teach you the habits that will help you change your lifestyle and lose weight. If you don't know how many calories you're eating or how many calories you're burning each day, then don't complain if you're not losing any weight! People who have been successful at changing their lifestyle use a journal to keep track of planning and progress. We are trying to give you the tools (pedometer, journal, access to personal trainers, a private MyFitnessPal group and incentives) to lose weight and change your life. But tools are only helpful if you actually use them. So take 5 minutes and make sure your pedometers are programmed or if you're using a fitness tracker, make sure to go online and complete your profile. Then take a minute or two a couple of times a day to log your food and exercise. Start good, healthy habits today and take control of your life! The Challenge is here to help guide, inform and encourage you to get healthy, but we won't do the work for you. Losing weight is hard, but learning how to keep it off and stay healthy is even harder. Develop those healthy habits now and learn how to use them going forward. Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to the Challenge and made the choice to change their life one step at a time.