YourBlackWorld.net
By Liku Zelleke
Posted September 14th 2016
When the Neighborhood Awards were held one person that stood out though (for lack of a better expression) was Lavell Crawford – the man known for his imposing stature had shed 120 pounds to cut a comparatively svelte figure following a gastric sleeve operation in March this year.
In an interview held earlier this year, he was asked what had finally motivated him to get rid of the weight. He had replied, “I’m 47 and I have got a beautiful 5-year-old son that I want to be around for. I’ve got a beautiful wife that I want to be here for. I don’t want to leave her hanging.”
He said that in order to qualify for the operation he had to lose some weight on his own, something that most people would find challenging and stressful – also the two things that make them give up almost before they have even properly started the diet.
Although Crawford kept the guests in stitches with jokes about himself – pre- and post-weight loss – that night, he did also have some advice for people who were also considering losing weight, but were nervous about the diet:
The first step is to be realistic. The weight didn’t pile up all at once or overnight; it took years. This means that it won’t go away in that short amount of time either. Therefore, people looking to diet should start today, but aim for a realistically distant future – including time for the few slipups that will most certainly happen down the line.
Second comes fitness, or rather what a daunting task it is. Most people dread having to work out, but it shouldn’t be so. Anyone looking to seriously lose weight should adopt it and try to make fitness fun. Crawford suggests partnering with someone else for a start or mixing the activities up.
Third is to remember to eat. Although this might seem like a paradox, people on diet should eat – not the opposite. In reality, what matters in weight reduction is that it is what is being consumed and not about what isn’t. Therefore, dieters should choose what they eat – but still eat nonetheless.
Fourth, and finally, is to remember that you’re doing it for yourself. All that should matter, when starting the dieting, is that it is you who wants to do it and for no other reason than because you simply want to.