YOU CAN

DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED

TO LOSE WEIGHT

JOHN AMARETTO

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

All rights are reserved to the author. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any

manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in

critical articles or reviews.

Sharing of this eBook is completely allowed and encouraged, as long as the book is not changed.

Nothing may be added to, or removed from, this book.

Before starting a fitness or exercise regimen, talk to your doctor. Have your doctor approve your

fitness plans.

John Amaretto

Legalese

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

4. Introduction

5. What We Want vs. What We Do

7. A Routine You'll Enjoy

8. What We Eat

9. Lifestyle

10.Getting Started

11.Mindset

12.Discouraging Thoughts

14.Stay Motivated

15.How To Start

16.Exercise Routine

17.Get Going!

John Amaretto

Table Of Contents

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

Hi, I’m John Amaretto and I’m a personal trainer. I have some tough-love for you.

The fact is that Americans, on the whole, are soft. We’re weak. We’re shallow. And we don’t like it

when people point that out to us.

But don’t get me wrong. I’m no different than you are. I don’t like being offended. I would rather

spend my mornings chilling with my wife, my dogs, and a nice mug of chai than at the gym

sweating off the fat from the food I ate yesterday. I just have priorities. My first earthly priority is my

wife, then my dogs, then my fitness. Everything else comes after that. Even the chai comes after

my fitness.

If you want to succeed, in anything, you need to make that success a priority in your life. This

eBook shows you how to make fitness your top priority and how to put it into action.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

John Amaretto

Introduction

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

As men and women living in the 21st century, we all know that we should get in shape. And we

want to be in better physical shape. But it’s difficult.

What we should do and what we actually do are usually quite opposite. The fact is that we do what

we value most. We act on our top priorities. Most of the time, our own comfort and happiness are

the top priorities in our lives. Not eating well. Not exercise. Comfort.

So what can we do to fix this? Let’s talk about the benefits of fitness.

1. Increased Sex Drive – Yes, you read that correctly. Exercise has the ability to increase your sex

drive by creating more hormones like testosterone. Regular exercise also increases blood flow,

which helps prevent men’s erectile dysfunction.

2. Better Sleep - People who exercise regularly find that they fall asleep faster and sleep longer.

3. Reduces Depression - Exercise helps you manage your stress and anxiety levels. The

antidepressant effect of regular physical exercise is much like the effects of

serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

4. Increases Self Esteem – No matter what to think about your body, simply having a regular

fitness regimen improves self-esteem.

5. Decreases Risk of Diabetes – Even though getting in shape has been shown to increase insulin

sensitivity, it helps prevent type-2 Diabetes.

6. Live a Long Life – Studies have found that people who exercise regularly tend to live longer,

and more fulfilling lives.

7. Improve Your Balance - Exercise improves your balance and stability because you are

strengthening your core muscles.

8. Weight Control – Even though research shows that exercising increases some people’s

appetites, they are not gaining weight. Regular exercise burns calories and helps you control

your weight.

9. Improves Energy Utilization – Fitness routines improve your ability to convert fat into energy

and that causes weight loss.

10.Stay Healthy – Exercise, combined with the proverbial “Apple A Day”, strengthens your immune

system and keeps you healthier.

John Amaretto

What We Want vs. What We Do

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

11.Lose Visceral fat – Visceral fat — the fat around our abdomen and internal organs —can be

burned away with regular cardio exercise.

12.More Energy - Forget the coffee. You don’t need that energy drink. Just go for a brisk walk or

spend a bit of time exercising. The way exercise gets your blood pumping is more effective than

coffee, and it’s healthier too.

13.Have More Confidence – Recent studies have shown that you don’t have to be in shape, just

working on getting in shape and you will feel better about yourself. I’ve seen this happen

myself.

14.Exercising is Fun - It’s true. You can dance, walk, go for a hike out in nature, ride a bicycle, or a

horse… There are many different ways to exercise that if you actually want to; you’re going to

find one that you like. Just get started.

Do any of these resonate with you? Do they excite you? Do they sound like something you’d like to

have in your life?

If you decide these are things you want in your life, you have 2 options.

• Do nothing. And receive nothing.

• Put in a bit of sweat equity and get what you really want.

In modern U.S. culture (I’m not sure about elsewhere around the world) the trend is to want

something and want it now. Instant gratification is king. And marketers love that. But what happens

when instant gratification simply isn’t possible? Do we cheat? Do we give up? Do we settle for

second best? Yes. Sadly, we do any or all of the above.

When something is tough and takes time, we see what separates the men from the boys and the

women from the girls. It’s easy to see when someone is physically fit and has an awesome

physique. Some of us respect it and others degrade it. We may say “They were just born fit” or “It’s

easy for them”. But the fact is that even models and actors have to work hard at staying fit and

trim. They may have good genetics on their side but they have personal trainers and they have to

put in hard hours at the gym. That’s why they’re successful. They didn’t trade being comfortable

now, for being successful later.

John Amaretto

What We Want vs. What We Do

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

Getting in shape and being active isn’t easy. It takes hard work and determination.

Physics tells us that “A body in motion tends to stay in motion. And a body at rest tends to stay at

rest.” Simply put, the reason we’re not active is because we never start moving.

Let’s all thank those physicists for explaining the main problem getting fit.

When we’re sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and our favorite sitcom, there’s very little

motivation to get moving. We just want to laugh away the stress of our day. So we’re resting and

that causes us to remain there, consuming calories without burning any of them.

Packing on calories without action is one part of why we get fat. It’s not that popcorn is bad for you.

In fact, there is little sugar and lots of fiber in it. There are really only 2 problems with it. First, we

cover it in butter. Second, it helps keep us on the couch instead of walking the dog. The second

issue of keeping us sedentary is far worse for us than the bit of butter we put on it. If we were even

moderately active, that little bit of butter wouldn’t matter at all.

John Amaretto

A Routine You'll Enjoy

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

We need to consider what we eat. It matters.

Do you eat bread? Fast food? Cereal? Do you drink soda?

If you answered “Yes” to any of those foods, you’re probably consuming High Fructose Corn Syrup

(HFCS). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to lecture you on High Fructose Corn Syrup. You’ve

probably heard enough of that already. What I am going to do is explain the basics of how your

body handles Fructose and why it’s a problem.

The problem isn’t High Fructose Corn Syrup. The problem is Fructose and the amount of it that’s in

HFCS. Fructose is bad for your fitness goals because of how the body breaks it down. Fructose is

empty calories that don’t give you energy. Fructose is only able to be broken down in the liver. And

the liver isn’t able convert it to energy. It goes straight from being sugar, to being fat. Your body

doesn’t even have a chance of converting it to energy.

Consider the fact that Sucrose, also known as plain sugar, is approximately 50% dextrose and 50%

fructose. So even regular table sugar is pretty bad for you. Dextrose, on the other hand, does

become energy and has a chance to be burned off before it becomes fat. It isn’t as sweet as

Fructose but for a fitness perspective, it is the preferable sugar.

We need simple sugars in our lives. They are delicious and they’re necessary for cooking and

baking.

So what can you do instead?

What I do is buy pure dextrose from a local beer brewing supply store. But since it is only 2/3 as

sweet as table sugar, I use whatever amount is needed, then add Stevia to the mix to complete the

necessary sweetness.

Stevia is a natural sweetener with no sugars or calories per standard serving.

Personally I recommend doing a taste-test of whatever you’re making because every brand of

Stevia is slightly different in how much it takes to sweeten something to your desired level.

Read more about HFCS and Fructose.

John Amaretto

What We Eat

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

If your lifestyle would be considered sedentary, like mine was before I changed my priorities, you

need to understand that most of us are just like you. We are all fully aware of the fact that we

should exercise. But we don’t. We start and quit our fitness routines like we pick up and put down a

cup of coffee. It’s that easy for us.

Part of the problem is that we never get the traction we need. Just because we’ve quit on an

exercise program before, doesn't mean we can’t start again. We can. We all can.

I honestly wish I could tell you how many times I’ve started and stopped my exercise routines. One

time I went to visit my parents for a week, then didn’t get back to the gym for 6 months. That’s the

truth.

Exercise is always ready to welcome us back with open arms. We just have to embrace it in return.

If you have the energy to get up off the couch and go to the gym, I applaud you.

John Amaretto

Lifestyle

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

If you’ve quit before, don't be too hard on yourself. Don't let yourself get into the "all or nothing"

fallacy. Exercise isn’t complicated. And killing yourself on the first day isn’t beneficial.

I used to be on an exercise yo-yo. I’d tell myself, “Today you’re going to do 50 crunches, 50

jumping jacks, and run 5 miles.” Heck, I couldn’t do 20 crunches. I was finished before I ever got

started.

You need to remind yourself that doing something is better than doing nothing. At the beginning, do

5 crunches. That’s it. If you can’t do 5, do 2. Getting started is the most important part. Sustaining it

is the second most important aspect of exercise. If you wear yourself out the first day, you’ll be too

weak to try it again the second day. And getting to the second day is the key to creating a new

habit.

Habits aren’t always bad. Is it bad that we habitually brush our teeth every morning? No. Is it bad

that we grab a cup of coffee on our way to work? No. The word “habit” has been demonized

because of all the “bad habits” we have. But here we’re talking about creating good and positive

habits.

The key to creating a positive habit or routine is doing something repeatedly. And that’s exactly

what’s going to get us the fitness results we want.

John Amaretto

Getting Started

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

Laziness is not the problem. The problem is simply starting. Once you have a bit of momentum,

and you can see that you’re improving, you’ll be more encouraged to keep exercising. That will

overcome your laziness. Though, really, laziness is probably just a lie that you’ve been told, or

you’ve told yourself, for so long that you believe it.

When you're starting from zero, you have no encouraging history behind you. If, on the first day,

you do 2 crunches, do 2 on the second day. Then do 2 again on the third day. Pretty soon you’ll

think to yourself, “I can do 3.” Then do it. When you think you can do 4, do 4.

One of the most encouraging times in my workout history was when I was doing Dumbbell

Presses. I started at 35 pounds on each side. And within a few weeks, I moved up to 40. Then 45.

Then 50. I just wanted to keep going. The growth and progress was better than any

encouragement someone else could have given me because I was living it. I saw the progress. I

knew it was real. I was finally pushing 55 pounds in each hand, straight up into the air. Heck yeah!

You can do this too. To counteract that belief, prove yourself wrong. Get up. Get off your butt and

start walking. Walk around the house. Walk to the front door. Walk out the door and down the

street. Then walk back. Congratulations! That’s exercise! You did it and you survived. Now do it

again tomorrow. That’s the beginning of a good habit that will have a positive influence on your life.

John Amaretto

Mindset

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re alone on this one. We all have discouraging thoughts.

We tell ourselves that we’re lazy, that we’re going to quit, so why even bother starting. When you

hear yourself think these hurtful thoughts, go for a walk. Prove to that inner voice that you’re

stronger than it thinks you are.

I’d love to tell you that I don’t think like that. But if I did, it’d be a lie. The fact is that I battle

depression and negativity just about every day of my life. But I’ve found a way out of it. I prove

myself wrong. I hate it when someone tells me that I’m no good. And I’ll immediately set out to

prove them wrong. But when that voice comes from inside my own mind, I already believe it. I think

it’s a fact. But then the fighter in me gets pissed-off and I set out to prove it wrong.

When I thought my maximum cardio workout was 15 minutes, I chugged an energy drink and did

60 minutes. The next day, I did it again.

I did this for 2 weeks. Then one day I forgot my energy drink at home and went to do my cardio

without it. Guess how much time I spent on cardio? Yep! I did 60 minutes of cardio without any

caffeine at all. After that, a new pattern was set and I believed I could do it because I had proven

that I could do it.

But it took mental effort.

The fact is that you can do it too. If you have any fire or fight in your heart, you can do it. There’s

nothing special about me. I’m not an athlete. I’m a geek that just happens to enjoy working out. In

high school, I was in the Computer Club. I took 3 years of programming in high school. I was not

cool. I was not an athlete. I sat in front of a computer and drank Mountain Dew.

I had an enormous mountain (dew) to conquer to lose weight and gain muscle. Still, my favorite

thing to do when I’m stressed is to sit in front of my PC and either surf the web or create something

new.

But my PC keeps me out of the gym. It does its best to distract me and become my top priority.

That’s when I have to fight the urge to remain sedentary. And you do too. You know what your

default reactions are. You know when you’ve settled into a warm and familiar situation after a

stressful day.

That feeling is the enemy. You need to get up and go for a walk.

John Amaretto

Discouraging Thoughts

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

That’s what happens when you learn to confront that lying voice in your head and do what you

know is best for you. You can change your life, 1 step at a time.

If you are interested in learning more about how your mind works, and how to conquer it, I highly

recommend reading “The Flinch” by Julien Smith. It gives you a real-world way of learning how to

listen to your internal thoughts and how to push through them. The book is FREE. You simply need

a free app in your browser, phone, or tablet, so you can read Amazon Kindle books.

John Amaretto

Discouraging Thoughts

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

So how do you stay motivated? Honestly, I can’t tell you. I’ve probably never met you. You know

yourself better than I will ever know you. So here’s a list of questions you need to think about that’ll

help you figure out how to stay motivated.

• What do I enjoy doing?

• What motivates me to do that?

• What would my life be like if I lost 20, 50, 100 pounds?

• What would my life be like it I had real confidence?

According to Chester Elton, the coauthor of “What Motivates Me: Put Your Passions To Work”,

“During our lives, our motivations change.” What motivates you today may not work tomorrow and

you’ll need to find something new to motivate you. And that’s ok. The important thing is that you

remain motivated. Only you know what that will take. Only you can motivate yourself. Other people

can poke, prod, and pull but if you’re not motivated, you won’t stick with it.

You need motivation to succeed.

John Amaretto

Stay Motivated

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

Start out small. It’s OK.

When I made the choice to exercise daily, I thought I could accomplish about 20 minutes. Yeah

right! Starting from nothing and doing crunches until I couldn’t do any more absolutely killed my

mojo. I had nothing left to give the next day. And I quit.

Don’t make the same mistake I did. Whatever you think you can do, cut it in half. Then cut that in

half again. You don’t want to make it painful to start with. You want your efforts to be sustainable. If

you can’t exercise every day, start by simply exercising once a week. Do that 3 weeks in a row.

Then see if you can do twice a week.

Whatever you can do, do it. Then add to it later.

John Amaretto

How To Start

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

As you’re just starting out, you probably need a routine that you can follow or adjust to your level of

fitness.

Cardio: Start with either walking or jogging, depending on your fitness level, for 20 minutes. You

should try to walk 20 minutes a day, or whatever you can do, 5 days a week. Of course, you can do

more if you’re up to it. Just remember not to over-do it.

You can judge your exercise level with the "talking test". You should be able to have a conversation

without your breathing being too labored. However, if you can sing, you're probably not walking fast

enough for the exercise to be beneficial.

Strength Training: You probably don’t have any barbells or dumbbells lying around so there are

things you can do without having to but any exercise equipment.

• Push-Ups

• Assisted Push-Ups

• Squats

• Walking Lunges

• Wall-Sits

Do what you can and when you feel like you are ready for more, gradually increase either the

difficulty, or the number of exercises that you do. Eventually you should get to the point that you’re

doing strength training twice or more every week.

John Amaretto

Exercise Routine

YOU CAN DO IT.

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

Ok, you’ve got the very basics. You know that you need to prove your inner voice wrong. You know

that you need to get moving if you want to stay moving.

You know what you need to do. Now it’s time to get going.

Take it easy and remember, you’re out there to create a new habit, not to become the poster-child

of fitness in a single day.

John Amaretto

Get Going!