The Power of Example

You never know how your commitment to fitness will help and inspire other people. Every day you interact with your family, friends and co-workers.  As you set a positive example, people will notice, and you'll have the opportunity to turn some of your success into theirs.

Since I started my own journey towards fitness in October of 2013, I lost 75 pounds of pure fat.  Even after losing only 20 or 30 pounds, people began to notice.  I went from a size 46 waste to a size 34 in 7 months, how could they not notice?  There were some who didn't say a word.  Others gave me casual compliments.  Some asked my what I was doing. And then there were a select few that were seriously interested and wanted to try and duplicate my success.  That's one of the reasons I have kept this blog, so I can point people to the many lessons I learned along the way to not just losing weight, but keeping it off.  And of course I'm always eager to chat with people and give them ideas and suggestions.  Everyone who wants to achieve greater fitness must find their own path, but it helps to learn from others who have already succeeded.

It gives me great satisfaction when someone tells me that I have helped them in some way, whether great or small.  Such was the case of my co-worker John who had seen my transformation and reached out to me through an email and said:

I’ve read through your 40 tips for losing weight and it’s helped me get started on this journey. My low point was this past Saturday when I stepped on our scale that’s been conveniently hidden under our sink. I was shocked that I weighed 246.4 lbs! I used part of my day reading your blog and it inspired instant action. I quit drinking soda cold turkey that day, and ate 5 smaller meals with healthier options. It hasn’t been easy but because of the change I made, I stepped on the scale this morning and weighed 243.5. It’s a measly 3 pounds but it’s enough to further motivate me. I can’t wait to start  the live well program through Intermountain healthcare. I feel your blog has given me a firm foundation to start with.

I think there’s a wealth of information contained in your blog. I’ve read over it several times, even before I started this weight loss journey. I’ve always known that a common sense approach to eating would prevent excess weight gain. That along with a little exercise, will and determination. When it comes down to one thing contained in your blog, I would say calculating your BMR and Journaling. I honestly didn’t know what BMR was. Once I discovered how it works, I figured I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted within reason and provided that I stay 350 calories below my BMR. Doing this should theoretically cause weight loss. And it has.

Since that contact I have been chatting with him, giving him advice and encouraging him on his journey.  And in the space of a couple of months, he has lost almost 20 pounds! I don't know why it surprised me that someone following my advice would actually achieve results.  To be honest, it doesn't surprise me at all.  The tips and advice are exactly the ones that I used to achieve my success.  I guess it was just exciting to hear first hand that someone else had been inspired enough to make some positive changes of their own.

So I asked John a little more about what information he found useful that led to his own results.  He said:

That feedback was very helpful.  I know that different posts will impact different readers in different ways.  But for your information, here are the posts that John is referring to that helped him:

• The Simple Method for Losing Fat
  
• One Proven Tip to Dramatically Improve Weight Loss
  
• Food Planning
• My 40 Best Tips for Losing Weight

So, be a good example.  I'm not just talking about fitness, either.  The good you do in this world inspires others to become better.  If my blog can help you become a healthier person, that gives me great satisfaction.  And then you can pay it forward just like I did, and together we can make a positive impact on the world.