Our environment is so conducive to becoming obese that a new term has been created to describe it – Obesogenic. It’s especially difficult to keep weight at a healthy level if you have any “thrifty genes,” AKA obesity genes.

Highly palatable food processed with added sugar, fat and salt shows up in more and more unlikely places.

While the cries to “clean up the environment” to support leaner, healthier living keep getting louder, the trend continues to be more restaurants, more processed foods, and more labor-saving devices and more forms of sedentary entertainment. In other words, we know what’s the problem but nothing is being done about it.

Sofas are built with drink holders and little mini fridges. You can eat and play without ever getting up off the comfy couch. Everything can be controlled with remotes. Our environment keeps making it easier to eat too much and move too little!

It doesn’t look like it will be anytime soon that you can depend on pressure to “clean up the obesogenic environment” to take the responsibility off of you to get and stay slimmer.

If that is bad news for you, it shouldn’t be.

You have the power and ability to make choices to support a lower, healthier weight even if you have genetics that predispose you to obesity.

You can be the deciding factor whether those genes can express themselves or not. Understand, I’m not saying you can defy your genes and have the perfect, hot, beach body or supermodel body of your dreams. I’m saying you can make choices to have a healthy, slimmer body despite your genetic makeup.

Step 1: Take Charge!

You are responsible for your choices and actions! Stop blaming outside factors!

It’s this simple. Stop looking for excuses or people, places or things to “save you” from your actions that lead you to gain weight.

It’s your body; it’s your job to take care of it. You can do this! I’m not saying you can’t have help and support in the form of medical intervention if necessary or a trusted commercial weight management program. I’m saying that you have to accept that the most important factor in your body weight and health comes from you and the choices you make.

Step 2: Change Your Limiting Beliefs to Empowering Beliefs!

Your reality is what you believe. If you constantly assault yourself with limiting beliefs your reality will reflect them. You can’t overcome limiting beliefs but you can replace your limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs. Your reality will reflect them instead! Make it a habit to challenge your self-talk anytime you recognize that what you believe is not going to help you to get what you want.

Limiting Belief: “Nobody loses weight and keeps it off.”

Empowering Belief: “People do lose weight and keep it off. It’s possible and it happens all the time. I can do it too!”

Limiting Belief: I will never be able to control how much I eat.”

Empowering Belief: “I have complete control over how much I eat. I am the one who puts the food in my mouth and swallows it. There are no guns held to my head, and food can’t get into me without me putting it there.”

Limiting Belief: My whole family is huge, it’s my destiny.”

Empowering Belief: “I have control over my destiny and my body. I accept the responsibility for what I become.“

Limiting Belief: I’m hungry all the time and I’ve tried to stop eating so much, but I can’t.”

Empowering Belief: “I know I’m not in physical need of food and I can learn ways to balance my need for fuel with my desire to eat. If I need help, I have reliable resources.”

Limiting Belief: I really don’t eat that much.”

Empowering Belief: “I will keep a food journal so that I can monitor what I eat.”

Limiting Belief: I workout hard but the weight just won’t budge.”

Empowering Belief: “I’m going to forget about working out and focus on simply getting more physical activity every day.“

That’s it! Two simple steps.

It all comes down to believing in yourself and owning your actions. When you stop looking for the easy way out or for somebody or something to do the things that only you can do for yourself, you will discover that you can live slimmer and healthier!