8 Reasons Why You Keep Falling Off The Diet Wagon

By Tom Venuto

www.BurnTheFat.com

Clearly, we have an obesity problem in America and many other countries across our planet. Yet, I propose that we do not have a weight loss problem today. In case you’re confused at this apparent contradiction, consider these statistics:

According to a study from Oxford University published in the International Journal of Obesity, within 3 to 5 years, about 80 percent of all ‘weight losers’ have regained the lost weight, and often gained back a little extra.

According to research by the National Weight Control Registry, that relapse rate may be as high as 95 percent.

For comparison, relapse rates for drug, alcohol and tobacco dependency have been reported in the range of 50-90%.

This means that lots and lots of people have “successfully” lost weight. But not many have kept it off. Therefore, we don’t have a weight loss problem, we have a weight-relapse problem; we have a “not sticking with it” problem. Wouldn’t you agree?

In fact, the fall and subsequent weight-regain usually doesn’t take years. Many people have abandoned their new year’s resolutions within weeks. By the time the Super Bowl party rolls around, their diet is history!

If this is true, then shouldn’t we put more of our attention onto figuring out why you haven’t been sticking with your program, and what you should do about it?

I put together this new list (below) of the top 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon.

Rather than worrying about the minutiae of your diet plan, like whether you should be on low carb or high carb, Mediterranean or Okinawan, vegetarian or meat eater, I propose that if you simply focus on these 8 issues, you’ll start getting more lasting results.

How? By being able to stick with whichever plan you decided was best for you! After all, even if you have the best nutrition program in the world – on paper – it doesn’t do you much good if you can’t stick with it in practice!

THE 8 REASONS

1. No focus: you didn’t set goals, you didn’t put your goals in writing, and/or you didn’t stay focused on your goals daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

2. No priorities: you may have set a goal, but you didn’t put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

4. No Accountability: you didn’t keep score for your own accountability – with a progress chart, weight record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn’t set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results to someone else)

5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost “only” 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn’t plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn’t have a menu on paper, you didn’t make time (so instead you made excuses, like “I’m too busy”)

7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, “I want it now” route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn’t suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

So there you have it – 8 reasons why most people fall off the wagon! Have you been making these mistakes? If so, the solutions are clear and simple: focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto

Fat Loss Coach

www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

Mistake #1 – Lack of Marketing Mindset!

Before you can have a paid client you must have a prospect. And before you have a prospect you must have a lead!

Lack of effective, systematic lead generation strategies, and trying to jump from “stranger to client” keeps the business pipeline very dry for most service professionals!

Most of us prefer do deal with experts. So the time and effort you invest in positioning yourself as one will pay huge dividends; you’ll effectively differentiate yourself from others offering a similar service, and gain a competitive advantage that’s nearly impossible to beat!

To discover the remaining six deadly marketing mistakes to avoid click here

© 2002-2007 Marketing Mentors. All Rights Reserved.

The author, Adam Urbanski, Founder and President of Marketing Mentors, helps service professionals and business owners develop strategies to increase sales and profits. His website offers free promotional ideas, marketing tips and information about free teleclasses and workshops that show you how to create a winning Business Marketing Plan

”But this won’t work” said Steve. “I’ve tried it in the past and had no response.” Does this sound familiar? My newer clients often resist implementing certain strategies based on past experiences. However, I usually find out that it wasn’t the strategy itself – but how it was implemented that caused the dismal results.

So whether you are designing a simple flier or developing a plan for a strategic partnership you can increase your chances for success by following these five tips.

1. Develop Your Marketing For Your Potential Clients – Not Yourself.

What looks good to you may not necessarily be appealing to your audience. It’s OK to ask your friends and associates for feedback – but their comments are only relevant if they are members of your target market. Also – just because everyone else advertises in a certain way is not a proof that it works.

2. Provide Answers To These Three Critical Marketing Questions:

QUESTION 1: What’s this about?
Check that your materials immediately and clearly communicate what you offer, who it’s for and what’s the next step you are asking them to take.

QUESTION 2: What’s in it for me?
Don’t make your audience guess about what’s in it for them by leaving this information out or hiding it in the small print at the bottom.

Use clear language free of industry jargon. Describe your offering not from the perspective of what you do but in terms of what the clients will receive and how they will be better off as a result of it.

QUESTION 3: Why should I listen to you?
How will you establish credibility with your audience? Include your photo and prominently display your contact info. Present case studies, statistics, endorsements, testimonies from satisfied clients. If people don’t believe you they will not respond to your offer.
3. Always follow the proven A.I.D.A. format.

ATTENTION – Use a powerful headline that grabs attention. Don’t try to be cute, don’t expect that your prospects will take the time look for a deeper meaning in your clever slogans – they won’t. So be as direct and to the point as you possibly can. If you can boil the essence of the benefits you are offering to just one short sentence what would it be? That’s you headline!

INTEREST – Now that you have their attention you must quickly build your prospects interest. Use subtitles, questions and short stories to illustrate and communicate how well you understand their needs. This is a good place to allow your audience to connect with the pain their problems are causing them.

DESIRE – Technical descriptions and numbers provide information but don’t incite action. Your marketing must arouse in your prospects the emotion of desire. Show your audience how a solution is available and achievable to them through doing business with you. Offer powerful performance promise and eliminate the risk of giving you a “try” by a strong guarantee.

ACTION – Without this part your marketing is like a salesman who gives a great presentation but forgets to ask for the order. Give your prospects a compelling reason to take action. Make your offer so incredibly irresistible they simply cannot refuse!
4. Follow up, Follow Up, Follow Up…

Over 80% of all sales are made after the prospect has heard from you at least seven times. Yet a typical business person gives up after just one or two follow up contacts.

Plan your follow-up steps in advance. Use a combination of mail, email, telephone and personal visits as your follow-up strategy. At each opportunity provide your potential clients with value – this way they will forgive you the intrusion.

5. Develop a System

Most entrepreneurs and professionals waste their time and money on one-shot, fragmented promotional tactics. They practice “hit and miss” marketing system; they try a strategy and abandon it before it has a chance to produce any results.

Instead of developing new marketing strategies look for ways to improve the ones your are currently using. When you find a promotional strategy that works for you build a system around it so that you can consistently implement it over and over again.

Following these tips will make all the difference in the world between struggling to get clients and becoming wildly successfully in marketing your services. They are worth investing your best efforts and getting the support you need to implement them effectively.

© 2002-2007 Marketing Mentors. All Rights Reserved.

The Author, Marketing Mentor, Adam Urbanski, works exclusively with Independent Service Professionals who want to grow their business, attract more clients, and increase sales and profits. Visit his website for more free tutorial articles and how-to tips to creating a winning Marketing Action Plan

Quote for the day:

“To be extraordinary, don’t do what “normal” people do, do
what “extraordinary” people do.”  -Jill Koenig

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Work Less and Earn More by Mastering Your Time

http://www.TheTimeCommandments.com

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How You Can Model Michael Phelps’ Champion Habits in Your
Own Life

By Jill Koenig

Although I had a busy travel schedule this past week, just
like millions of people around the world, I was glued to the
television every time Michael Phelps took to the water in
the Olympics.  Because success leaves clues, I study the
best of the best in every sport, business or craft I
possibly can, and you should too.

Sometimes in life what separates first place from second
place is one point, a fraction of an inch or even a tiny
millisecond that requires the most sophisticated technology
to measure. Those small gaps define who wears the Gold Medal
around their neck, who breaks a world record, who earns
millions of dollars in endorsements and who graces the top
magazine covers.

You may feel you have nothing in common with Michael Phelps
but the fact is that there is a Champion inside you.

John, there is a Champion inside you.

Perhaps your area of passion is being a parent or an
entrepreneur or a weekend athlete or a singer or writer…
whatever your Goal, you don’t have to be a swimmer to unleash
it.  All you have to do is apply a few simple strategies to
your own pursuits and practice them consistently everyday.

Here are Five Things You Can Do Today to Be a Champion Like
Michael Phelps

1. Improve on the Small Things that Make a Big Difference

Phelps was asked how he can break world records, sometimes
by a whopping one or two seconds (in swimming this is
huge).  His answer was simple and something you can apply
to your own life starting today:  Phelps said, “In swimming
there are so many little things you can change that really
do make a big difference in the end.  We’re able to go back
to the drawing board and work on the small things that can
make a big difference.”

What areas of your life can you change some small things
that will make a big difference?  Perhaps it is something
as simple as going to bed a little earlier, eating
healthier, exercising smarter, reading more, advancing
your education by taking a class, scheduling regular dates
with your spouse and children or getting a Coach to help
you improve your efficiency, proficiency and stay on track
with your Goals.  Whatever it is, identify those areas and
make the change.

2.  Study Other Champions

Phelps was asked what separates those who are gifted from
those who performed in clutch moments and won.  Phelps
said, “For me when I watch other sports, when I watch
Tiger Woods, when I watch Roger Federer, when I watch
Rafael Nadal, the best athletes can compete under any
circumstances.  No matter what it is, no matter what the
pressure, you can always overcome whatever is put in your
way.”

I have studied top athletes long enough to know that there
is an inner game and an outer game that must be harnessed
for one to achieve absolute Mastery of a thing.  There are
many long hours of practice as well as having the attitude
that you will overcome anything that comes your way.  Work
on both your inner game and your outer game simultaneously.
Phelps studies Champions in other sports and you should
too.  There are always lessons to be learned and applied to
your life.

3.  Put Blinders on to Focus Your Energy When it’s Time to
Perform

Did you notice that prior to entering the water for each
race, Michael Phelps was wearing headphones and covered his
head with a hoodie?  This was to block out the outer noise
and distractions and stay focused on his own predetermined
priorities.  He was in his own world, he was in the zone.

We all have those moments when we must perform at our very
best.  This could be during a sales call, a workout, a
meeting with your boss, a presentation in front of a live
audience, etc.  During those times it is important to get
yourself into a peak state of focused concentration.  You
can do this to begin your day, prepare for a race, get
psyched for a workout or any occasion anytime you want.
Phelps listened to Young Jeezy during the World
Championships which he dominated. Choose the music that
gets you revved up and visualize yourself succeeding in the
activity.  Practice positive self talk.  You’re the best at
what you do. See it.  Go there.  Be it.

4.  Do what you love

Phelps was asked how it feels to be the worlds fastest
swimmer.  He said, “I don’t think about it like that. I
think of it as something I love to do and I am having fun
with it.”

Champions do what they love and love what they do.  The
amount of time it takes to achieve the level where you’re
competing against the best of the best and come out on top
means you must be extraordinary.  To be extraordinary,
sometimes you have to give up some of the things normal
people do like hanging out with friends, eating fatty fast
foods, staying up late and vegging out for hours in front
of the tv.  Instead you use those hours to practice and
with the hours in between, you treat your mind/body like
the fine tuned, high performing machine that it is.

Phelps recognized he had the opportunity of a lifetime.
When asked what scarifies he had to make for swimming, he
said, “Doing normal high school kid things was something I
was willing to give up.  I know I won’t have opportunities
like this in the sport for the rest of my life.”

What areas of your life could you rearrange or re prioritize
in order to raise another certain area of your life to new
levels?  What could you let go of to make room for the
Goals and Dreams you truly desire?

5.  Finish Strong

The race that absolutely left me speechless was the
“Miracle Finish” in the race between Phelps and Serbia’s
Milorad Cavic. In the final seconds, it appeared Phelps
would come in second.  In the last few feet at the finish,
Cavic coasted to the end while Phelps fought for it with
everything he had.  Even when Cavic had the lead, Phelps
never gave up.  He fought to the finish.

I wondered how many times in life we go 90% of the way
there only to fizzle out or coast at the end.  Regardless
of whether you think you have it won or not, give it your
all right up to the very end. That’s what Champions do.

I learned in working with my Trainers Darin and Cordell, that
your greatest growth comes when your muscles burn and fatigue
and every sensation is telling you to quit. At first it seems
like that’s all you have left. But those one or two extra reps
AFTER that point are the key.

That extra effort is where the real growth and magic happens.

These few lessons are just some of what I extracted from
watching Michael Phelps become the greatest Olympian of all
time.  They are things that you and I can easily do every
single day if we simply apply them to our lives.

Unleash your inner Champion.

Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig

http://www.goalguru.com

Jill Koenig, the “Goal Guru” is America’s Top Goal Strategist.
A best selling Author, Coach and Motivational Speaker, she is
an expert on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and
Business Success. Her Goal in life is to help you UNLEASH
your untapped potential. Learn cutting edge Goal Strategies at
http://www.GoalGuru.com

Media Requests: Jill Koenig is a dynamic high energy tv and
radio guest available for interviews and corporate speaking
engagements.

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Join me in living the Fat Loss Lifestyle and achieve your
health and fitness Goals:

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Prospecting – Building an Advocate Army

By John Boe

The single greatest concern facing all salespeople is prospecting for new business. As a commission salesperson, your livelihood is directly dependent on your ability to prospect effectively. Do you consistently ask for referrals? To be successful in the sales profession you need assistance from your clients in the form of referrals. Average salespeople do not invest their time nor spend their money developing clients into advocates. An advocate is a person that will go out of their way to recommend you to their friends and associates. Obviously the more people that are saying good things about you and your company in the marketplace, the more sales you will make! I have never seen a salesperson leave the profession because they had too many qualified prospects to work at one time. Building an advocate army doesn’t happen over night, but the time, money and effort required to develop advocates is certainly worth it. Most clients are initially reluctant to provide referrals and need to be encouraged and trained. Cows don’t give milk; you’ve got to work for every drop. To become effective, advocates need to be trained and motivated. Advocates aren’t born they’re developed!

How do I go about finding my advocates?

• Begin by creating a list of your existing advocates. Clients that have already referred prospects to you, automatically become part of your advocate army.
• Review your client list for potential advocates. Identify those clients that have purchased multiple orders or large single orders but have not yet referred a prospect to you.

After I’ve identified my list of advocates and potential advocates, what do I do next?

• Let your existing advocates assist you in training your potential advocates. Develop an action plan to contact your potential advocates and invite them to a breakfast or lunch along with one or two of your best advocates. This low-pressure approach is effective because you merely guide the discussion and allow your advocates to share their referral techniques.
• Stay in contact. Put your advocates on a suspense list to contact them quarterly. Consider calling or mailing them something of interest, such as an article or newsletter.

How do I train my advocates to prospect effectively?

• Teach your advocates how to approach a prospect. Be careful not to let them overeducate their referrals. Role-play the actual words you would like them to use when they introduce you. I suggest that you coach them to say what it is that you do – not how you do it. Keep it simple and short.
• Prepare them for the standard objections that they may expect to encounter from a prospect. If they are not prepared to deal with the typical objections, they will be less effective and will potentially be discouraged from future prospecting attempts.

How do I reward my advocates?

• Send them a thank you card and or call them to thank them for referring a prospect to you. Keep them informed on the status of their referrals. You must have a system in place to provide feedback to your advocates or they will not feel appreciated and will loose interest.
• Consider giving them a small gift for their involvement, such as a gift certificate to a local restaurant.