The next to last straw happened a couple of weeks ago when I went to the doctor's office and he said I needed to lose 50 pounds. But even that wasn't enough for me to take being over-fat seriously. No, the last straw happened today when I went to put on my Rolex watch, which I hadn't worn in months, and discovered that my watch didn't fit. Not only do I need fat pants, I also need a fat watch.

But like most people who are overweight I wasn't always like this. A few years ago I was healthy and full of energy. I had been going to the gym three or four times a week, and eating healthy foods. Then some major changes happened in my life, and I found myself slowly slipping back into the bad habits that would turn any fit person into a fat slob. I ate at McDonald's two or three times a week. I couldn't sit at my desk without stuffing my face. Pizza became its own food group!

One thing led to another and I no longer cared as much about being overweight. I was able to tolerate it. In essence, I lowered my standards to accommodate an unhealthy lifestyle.

Lowering your standards is the best way to screw up your life in any area. But the worst thing you can do is lower your standards when it comes to your health. Why? Because your health is the foundation for every other area of your life. If you aren't making enough money you'll have a hard time advancing in your career if you're not physically fit. You need the energy. Carrying around and extra 50 pounds or so will wipe you out. Trust me, I know.

And when you're tired every other area of your life will suffer. Your relationships aren't as good as they used to be? Go look in the mirror and maybe you'll get an idea why. Don't fool yourself into thinking you don't have time to be healthy. If you're too busy to be healthy then you really need to refocus your priorities.

I know because a few years ago, on a whim, I ordered Anthony Robbins' Personal Power program. I thought I'd follow the program just to see if it worked. Within 6 months I lost 70 pounds, and within a year I was making over $1 million a year in my own business that I created faster than I ever thought was possible.

Then like I said, some challenges came up in my life that tested me and pushed me to my physical and emotional limits. I'll save those stories for later. But after 5 years of struggling to get through these challenges it finally dawned on me that I allowed my focus to be shifted to the point that my health was no longer a priority.

Now my health is my top priority. Funny how discovering that you're too fat to wear a $17,000 watch can do more to point you in the right direction than hearing a doctor say you're 50 pounds too fat.

So I am now back on track. Not only that, my plan is to bring as many people as possible along with me. I know exactly how to lose weight and keep it off (barring some nearly catastrophic life challenges along the way). I am making this post on December 2, 2007. By June 1, 2008, I will have lost 50 pounds. I will show you how I did it every step of the way.

Here's a hint -it's not just about eating and exercising. Eating right and exercising are the results of the changes you must make. The truth is that 95% of the problem of being overweight is psychological. In other words, the secret to losing weight is simple -eat less and exercise more! But to do that you need to change your behaviors. Sometimes these behaviors have been ingrained for decades.

But here's the good news. Behaviors that were ingrained for decades can be changed in a heartbeat. In fact, all change happens in an instant. The changes that you need to make to become healthy and fit must first happen in your head. It might takes a few weeks to see the results when you step on the scale, but by then it won't matter. You'll know inside that you've changed, and that you're on the path to having the body and life you deserve.