You know those emails you receive from Aunt Mary with the cute sayings? Usually they tout “life through the eyes of a 5-year-old” or “signs with outrageous text – if you read it the right way.”

Well, I got one today with some very funny sayings in it. One really caught my eye:

You do not need a parachute to skydive.
You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

Now, there are many things I’d like to do twice – especially skydiving.

But, what about weight loss? Anyone want to do that twice?

When I decided to lose weight for the last time, I knew I never wanted to do it again. I had lost and regained weight so many times, it was becoming a running joke more prevalent with Aunt Mary than her email missives.

Losing weight permanently means doing it differently.

1. There is no parachute and no safety net. Because we must be bold and leave behind the stories, excuses and shame, this takes courage.

2. The leap is forever. There is no going back when you understand permanent weight loss and you must be very sure before leaping. This is called commitment.

3. REAL training and education is necessary and we must be open to seeing things a new way. (Most of what we learn on the internet and in the media about weight loss is pure drivel, unsubstantiated, misguided drivel that leads to MORE fat – happy news for manufacturers of weight loss crap/products; unhappy for us!).

4. The road to permanent weight loss is littered with deception, lies, saboteurs, unhealthy people, new excuses, engine breakdowns and limiting beliefs like fear, inadequacy, lack of trust and scarcity. This requires us to be fierce and tenacious.

If you don’t have these things in place, go out and get them. Sooner rather than later. Time matters.