I'm with cym -- or maybe I'm a Type 4 wannabe.

Steve,

Now the Isaak Asimov article I completely understand (and agree with FWIW).

Maybe the fact that weight loss for me is a personal issue accounts for my blind spots.

Living every day, Learning everyday!

David C

I'd agree.

Nice post David. Weight loss is such a personal and powerful concept for many of us.... it can overwhelm our ability to reason I think.

I love this advice! It reminds me of when I was 19: I had just begun to decide to change my life around. I did things one at a time; I quit hard drugs. I quit smoking cigarettes. I quit coffee and diet soda. I stopped being a drunk and cut way back on smoking herb. I started weight training. I began doing cardio step classes and kickboxing in the same day. I started cooking more healthfully and paying attention to portions and fats and sugar. Not necessarily in this order, either (can't remember the order!!) BUT I did all this slowly and over the course of months, practically over a year. And looking back at it, these decisions were made very lightly. I started with one healthy improvement for aesthetic reasons--I wanted to lose weight. I found that I started to feel better. I used common sense to find my "triggers" that led to weight gain, and I started changing in respect to that. Another thing down, and I noticed I felt better and better. SLOWLY the weight came off. I mean slowly, because mind you, I wasn't writing anything down, counting calories, or anything like that. I was THINKING about it but not writing it down or making regimes for myself.

I became ADDICTED to exercise then, weight training and doing cardio most days of the week. Over the course of a year, from 19 to 20, I lost "the last 10 lbs" (I went from 145 to 135, and I am 5'7"). At the time, I was still a "stupid teenager" and I was trying to be 125 or something like that . But at 135 (and mind you I was weight training heavy back then, not from any knowledge about how to do it, but just because as I got stronger I just added more and more weight for the hell of it, because my atttitude back then was like, "Well why the hell not, lets see how much I can lift/press/etc.") I looked in the mirror and realized my abs were toned and absolutely FLAT, my arms were slender, my face was slim, I was in the best shape of my life and I had TONS of energy.....I was like, OK 135 is perfect THEN I went to University and gained 20 pounds in 2 years from sitting on my ass, reading books all day and being stressed and eating, emotionally.

What's different now? Why is it so hard for me NOW to lose the "last 10 lbs or so"? It wasn't, I just was a party animal this summer I was so close, 2 lbs away from my goal, having lost 20 lbs in a little less than 5 months. I'm back on track now. But my point is that it IS a long and never-ending process. It IS easy to regress (um, for me it is). There always will be a starting point for the next step in your journey. And dammit, yes, a lot of the time you may be losing the same 5 pounds, or 10 pounds, or more, over and over again. That's why it's important to modify and adapt your approach. But I noticed that things are more simple that I was hoping. I sort of hoped there was some secret to losing weight. Nope, it's just the boring tried and true method, and it's YOUR responsibility for maintaining some kind of consistency, otherwise you won't get anywhere, or worse--you'll fall back. Either way, educate yourself. Knowledge is power, application is mastery.

great post!keep it up!

What type would this kind of person be in?

"This person wants to lose weight. They're tired of being unhealthy, and cannot wait for the journey to start. They try hard, but can't get going with it. They know what to do. They know how to do it. And, they aren't over obsessive about every little thing. Basically, the only problem they have is getting started, because they know once they're started, they can keep on with it for the rest of their lives."

Yes, that is me. I try and try to get started..but I don't last for more then 3 days?


blah.

Steve- I really wanted to thank you for this post.

I know I'm going against quite a few 'rules' for weight loss but it's working so far. I really decided I need to make changes I can stick with for the rest of my life, and not just for the time being. In the past I kept thinking there is only one way to do this, and that's eat crap I don't enjoy, and work out to the point I'm exhausted. That's not necessarily the case.

You're welcome.

In response to the original article, I totally agree, not all, but many of us get focused on the result and forget the steps to get there. Like anything you work for, once you achieve it, you have short term satisfaction, perhaps even happiness from achieving it, but quickly you move onto the next goal or challenge. So, if you are going to work your back side off to lose 50lbs or even more, you may as well enjoy each little victory, each little and big step along the way. Remember, you are a species that requires mountains to climb, growth to be had and that growth comes in many faces; don't get caught up in the result, be conscious of each passing second.

Below is a short article I wrote on this topic. Enjoy.

The Journey is the Destination

Are you going be happy when you get to your ideal weight?

Today, I want to question the idea that so many people think that once they reach their ideal weight that they will be happy. I have heard it over and over again over this year about how “once I lose 20 lbs I will be happy. When I get rid of my bingo wings I will have more confidence and I can do _______ you fill the blank.”

However, this is precisely what is preventing so many of us achieving that exact goal we set out to achieve. We get focused on the destination and get depressed each day that we wake up and we have not GOT THERE “wherever there is?” yet.

I guarantee that if you are not happy now about who you are then you will not be happy when you reach the DESTINATION of weight loss.

It is true, it almost like we wait for that THING to happen so we then actually have permission to feel good about ourselves.

Give yourself permission to FEEL GOOD right now, in this moment, that is why right now is called THE PRESENT.

Have a go, TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION and see what happens, even if just for a while.

Health and light.

Pete

i suppose u r very right..

not in the literal sense, but yeah some ups and downs help learn a great deal...
so once a while a lesson is good for the progress...

thanks for the enlightening post..!!...