Don't Just Buy The Book .... DO Something!

There are more books on weight loss and fitness than you could read in a lifetime. I know because I have a closet, two bookshelves, and several plastic tubs full of them in my home, not to mention the ones that I have loaned out to family and friends who were also looking for answers.

It is not that I bought the books and sat down and even read them. I have books on calorie counting, books on low-fat eating, books on low-carb dieting, South Beach Diet, and the revised South Beach Diet. I have the eating for your blood type book, the Ultimate Weight Watcher cookbook, and the list goes on and on. It was not like I read and studied every chapter like there was going to be a pop quiz, or something. I believe that I bought the books hoping that they would do something to "inspire" me to lose weight and to gain a healthy lifestyle.

Well folks I am here to tell you that it didn't work. It did not matter if I bought the book new off the NY Times bestseller list, used from Books for less or picked it up at a yard sale. The results were always the same. I did not lose one pound by having those books in my house, on my shelf, in my closet, or packed away in a plastic tub. All the books did was gather dust, take up shelf space and deplete my bank account from some hard earned money.

So why didn't the books work? Well for one you have to read them to get anything out of them but more importantly you have to actually DO something about what you have read to get a different result.

I go back to my earlier statement, every time I got the latest book I was looking to be inspired. But what does it mean to inspire someone? My husband and I are teaching a small group class at our church called "The Five Love Languages" by Dr. Gary Chapman and last week we read and discussed the love language of "Words of Affirmation". Without going way into it I would like to share a nugget from what we discovered.

What is an Encouraging Word? The word Encourage means "To Inspire To Courage". I don't know about you but I want , no make that NEED to be inspired, every day! All of your positive comments and feedback about my journey to a new me has Greatly encouraged me. And I thank you All so much! The words of affirmation that I have received from so many of you are the inspiration to help "inspire" me to continue on this exciting journey to a healthier me. Thank you again for every kind word, I mean it!