Free ... Then Just Stay Fat. by Shannon Sorrels, Joel Horn, Kevin Lepp

talking about people who live on the edge, spinning out of control — and y ou know who I'm talking about.
    If you mix a negative attitude with chaos and sprinkle a little inconsistency over the top, you are almost guaranteed to fail.   Those who truly want to succeed with a healthier lifestyle (which tends to involve major changes over time) need to honestly examine their attitude, consistency, and the calm that c omes without chaos.   Fix those and enjoy the benefits that come with being successful.
    My failures can become your something positive.
     
     

The Power of the Right Attitude
     
    Two major components predict a person's long-term success:   ability and attitude.   In a perfect world, we have both great ab ility and a positive attitude.   If you don’t find a task challenging, it’s probably because you have a high ability for that task (or maybe you’re just lazy and choose to avoid it).   The drawback to having high ability is you don’t get many opportuniti es to test your true attitude.   Your personal truth only emerges when you are f aced with something difficult.
    But no one escapes challenges.   I don't care who you are.   None of us are that good at everything .   We all eventual ly face change-related stress.   Sometimes, change comes without invitation — a death or divorce or layoff.   Sometimes we bring it upon ourselves — taking a new job or buying a new house o r starting up a new lifestyle.   A few of us even pay pe ople to motivate us to change — like a coach or trainer.
    Since we can't avoid change-related stress (no matter how talented we are), how we respond becomes very telling.   It will almost always predict long-term success. Negative responses like anger, frustration, negative self-talk, etc. usually signal trouble.   Positive responses like humor, self-encouragement and dete rmination are more beneficial.   In the sports world, they call this having "heart."   I promise you, if they had to choose, coaches and teachers will take heart ov er talent any day of the week.
    Are you wondering i f you have the right attitude?   Well, does putting together a bicycle using poor inst ructions send you into a rage?   Or do you start laughin g and then call your auto mechanic best friend for some help?   When you're stuck in a traffic jam full of road ragers , do you lay on the horn and join in the lane weaving?   Or do you turn up your favorit e song and just start singing?   If you overdo it at lunch and blow your calories, do you proceed to blow the rest of the day , too?   Or do you reel it i n and mitigate further damage?   When an exercise is really hard and you can barely manag e it, do you get mad and quit?   Or do you chuckle and tell yourself , "E veryone starts somewhere"?
    As m any of us formulate our goals (another name for change), take a moment to assess how yo u typically handle challenges.   A positive attitude will allow you to reach your highest ability.   A poor attitude will hobble you.
     
     

Be Supportive, Damn It!
     
    If you have someone in your life who is struggling with weight-related health issues, then this section is for you.
    I hear a l ot of stories from my clients.   Some of them warm my heart.   Some of them frustrate me.   So me just plain old make me mad.   The ones about friends or family members who either knowingly or unwittingly sabotage heavy people's efforts at good he alth really get under my skin.
    Have you done that?   B rought a dozen doughnuts home?   Ordered a favorite des sert and asked for two spoons?   Talked them out of going to the gym becau se you'd rather go to a movie?   Maybe you've said something like , " It's only one piece," "Y ou've worked hard, you deserve it," "E veryone has to have a little fun, " or "I made it just for you!"
    You wouldn't whip up a batch of martinis and tell an alcoholic , "I made this just for you."   Why would you essentially do the same to a heavy person?   What's