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IndyIt has been nearly a year since I lost my fur-bro and best friend Bob. I have not been having the best of time since I lost him. My other two fur-bros have taken advantage of my weakness (being overweight) and love picking on me. Not all of the time but enough that I have not felt like pawing anything on the Internet. I think I'm ready now to start again. The fact that I'm way overweight (still) is quite disheartening to me. Isn't there anyone out there that can help me lose weight? I guess there is something to that saying that goes, “if you want something done right, you do it yourself”. I decided since no one wanted to help me lose weight, that I would attempt it on my own. Here is what I found on how to successfully lose weight in 4 easy steps. 

First off, you must realize that “Success is not a race, be patient”. I've been on this weight loss journey for about a decade (that's ten years for those who did not know). Maybe your weight loss journey is similar to mine in that you keep trying to lose the weight but it just won't come off. Or maybe it does come off but always finds its way back on you. To be really successful in your weight loss journey you must first tell yourself that “it is not a race, so be patient”. You will be successful but you have to be patient. I'm not patient, especially at dinner time! You must remind yourself that it probably took you some time to get as fat as you are so losing it, is not going to happen overnight. Just look at me, I've been trying for ten years! Here are your 4 easy steps to loosing those annoying pounds.

Step 1:  Everyday Find Time to Exercise

Pretty obvious but needs to be said. In order to lose weight, you have to move more than your mouth.  Actually, exercise is the most important part of losing weight more so than even a special diet. How often should you exercise? Aim for one hour each and every day. Yes, I know, an hour is a long time to exercise. It does not have to be done all at once. Try breaking your hour exercise into easy to digest segments such as 10 to 15 minute pieces.

Don't know where to start? Walking is a good exercise to start with. If you usually go to the closest little box walk to the furthest one. If you have access to stairs, don't avoid them. Stairs are your weight loss friend. Use them whenever you can. Remember to start gradually. If you overexert your muscles you might not be able to get back up the stairs. So, start slow and work your way up to segments adding up to one hour a day.

Step 2:  Eat Your Breakfast Every Morning

Don't just stop eating. This does not work if you are trying to lose weight. You might think that if you stop all together that you will lose weight. You might at first lose some weight if you skip meals but you will later find yourself extra hungry and wind up gorging yourself later in the day. 

Eat when you first get up. This way, you will have all day to burn off that meal. If you are not used to eating first thing in the morning it will take some time to get use to but it is worth it.

Step 3:  Keep a Log of Your Eating and Weight

Many don't like to keep a weight loss journal or a log because that would require you weighing in everyday which, most likely, will cause more disappointment when you don't lose weight every day.  Get past this and keep track. By keeping track of what you eat and how much weight you are losing (or gaining) you will be able to get an idea of what is working and what is not working.

Step 4:  Realize That Weight Loss is Hard Work

This is not meant to scare you but losing weight is not easy. It is going to take a lot of work on your part to be successful. No one else can do it for you. You have to do it yourself. You can have others with you for inspiration in times of need but the act of losing pounds can only be accomplished by you.  This is probably the biggest setback for anyone trying to lose weight.

Don't be discouraged though, you can do it! Believe in yourself and your ability to lose those pounds.  Here are some inspirational success quotes to get you started.

“Success is always a work in progress”
“Success doesn't come to you, you go to it”
“Success is achieved and maintained by those who try and keep trying” 

This list may not sound that strenuous, but for a fat kitty like me, it is a big deal. Nothing on this list is going to be easy however, I'm determined to finally start shedding my decades worth of pounds.

My name is Indigo aka Indy and I'm the WeightLossCat. You can read my musings about weight and everything in between on my blog www.weightlosscat.com.

Also, be sure to follow me on www.twitter.com/weightlosscat and like me on www.facebook.com/weightlosscat.

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A purring cat is a form of high praise, like a gold star on a test paper. It is reinforcement of something we would all like to believe about ourselves - that we are nice."

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