THE FITNESS EXPERT By John DeFendis

Believe in Yourself and You will Reach Your Goals!

I recently received a letter from a young woman who was frustrated with her physical condition and wanted some guidance. With her permission I am reprinting her letter and a response.

Dear Mr. DeFendis,
I am an avid reader of The Forum Newspaper and I am sorry to say I usually do not read your fitness column. I was about 40 pounds overweight and I always felt that I didn't need someone lecturing to me about weight loss. I have recently gone through a very stressful period and I went on an uncontrollable eating binge that has caused me to gain another 15 pounds. Needless to say I am very depressed and in desperate need of help. I have tried different diets and weight loss programs in the past but none of them seemed to work. Sometimes I lost a few pounds only to gain them back after I finished the diet. I also can't find enough time to go to a gym and exercise. I am so disgusted and I don't know where to turn. I feel like just giving up.
Any advice that you can give me will be appreciated.
Karen (Last name witheld upon request)

Dear Karen,
I am glad to hear that you read the Forum Newspaper since it is one of my favorite and informative newspapers but I have to admit I am alittle disappointed that you strategically skipped over my column. I write the Fitness Expert column to help people lose weight through nutrition, exercise, and motivation. I am not lecturing to anyone but instead trying to have an avenue to help those that seek the help. I do appreciate your frankness and honesty and I will be glad to guide you anyway that I can.
The first step in your quest to lose weight and get in shape is to set short and long term goals. A feasible goal for a woman would be to lose 15-25 pounds in 4-6 weeks. This is easily attainable if you believe in yourself and follow a good program. Secondly and most important: You must believe in yourself. I have a poem that sits next to my desk that I read periodically that I would like to share with you. It is called "Believe".

Believe
Believe in yourself~
in the power you have
to control your own life, day by day,
Believe in the strength that you have deep inside,
and your faith will help show you the way,
Believe in tomorrow and what it will bring,
let a hopeful heart carry you through,
For things will work out if you trust and believe~
theres no limit to what you can do!

Everybody has the ability to believe in themselves and achieve incredible things in life. We are all faced with obstacles at times but we must learn to adapt and overcome to achieve our goals.
After we have set our goals and acquired the faith we must then put our plan into action. You must not view your program as a diet that you will discontinue at sometime but rather adopt a healthy lifestyle with foods that are low in fat, salt, and sugar. You should also take natural nutritional supplements that will enhance the fat burning process and help you to increase your energy. If you are having a problem finding the time to go to a gym and follow a regimented workout program then I would advise you to take just 30-40 miutes out of your day and take a brisk walk even if it is at the shopping mall to look at that smaller size dress that you will be fitting into in just a few short weeks. Stay motivated and burn fat doing things that you really enjoy like rollarblading, tennis, raquetball, or swimming. Any type of sport or exercise is going to benefit your weight loss program. Visualize that new and beautiful you, blossoming as it is taking place.
We can all look, feel, and be leaner, healthier and happier if we put our mind and bodies to the task. I would love to answer any and all of your questions. Feel free to contact me at: nikodee@aol.com or write to:
DeFendis Enterprises
P.O. BOX 5477
Lake Worth, Florida, 33466-5477

Stay happy, healthy, and motivated!
Your Coach & Friend,
John DeFendis (The Fitness Expert)

NOTE: JOHN DEFENDIS IS A CONTRIBUTING WRITER FOR THE FORUM NEWSPAPER. HE IS A FORMER MR. U.S.A. AND HAS BEEN FEATURED ON "ABC T.V.'S 20/20", "GOOD MORNING AMERICA", AND "THE JOAN RIVERS SHOW". HE HAS BEEN A TRAINER FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND IS THE DIRECTOR OF EXERCISE WITH THE IFPA. HE DEVELOPED THE BURN FAT BUILD MUSCLE PACK AND CAN BE CONTACTED AT: nikodee@aol.com