There is no one-size fits-all approach to maintaining weight-loss.

I’ve been working hard for the past six plus yearsto be one of the 5% of “weight-losers”
who manage to keep it off over time. and the one thing that I can say for certain is the above-stated Truth.

 The challenges of weight management involves both biological and psychological factors.

While it is true that some people regain weight simply because they eat a little more and exercise a little less, sometimes almost without noticing it, there are quite a lot of people around…like me…who have taken the idea of a “permanent lifestyle change” to heart.

Like many people, for me one of the biggest and most difficult challenges of keeping the weight off, is the fact that my body thinks I have lost too much weight, and is determined to put some or all of it back on.

Those who have always gained weight easily, have a history or obesity, and especially if they’ve had to struggle with weight plateaus, food cravings, and increased appetitive, should expect that keeping it off is going to require a great deal of special attention.

 The body of a reduced obese person easily puts back on lost weight.
It accomplishes this with a complex set of metabolic adjustments that will cause one to gradually gain weight, even though one is maintaining what should be –on paper—a balance between calories ingested and calories expended.

40,000 years ago, such a person would have been one of the “lucky” ones whose genes made them a lot more likely to survive hard times. But in the present days of supermarkets and fast food, it becomes a liability.

 The mind of a reduced obese person is also an important issue.
It tends to use often unconscious, assumptions when we explain to ourselves why we do what we do, and why we get the results we get.

We can help ourselves by watching how we talk to ourselves with things go wrong.  Being unkind to ourselves isn’t helpful.

It is counterproductive to assume that we have a personal flaw or a characteristic …like weakness, incompetence, lack of willpower, self-indulgence, etc….. that is responsible for the problem; or to assume that this personal flaw is permanent, something that can’t be changed through education, practice, or personal growth; or to assume this personal flaw is pervasive – that it affects all areas of their lives rather than just the immediate problem.

 In such situations, we need to interfere with the negative things we are telling ourselves, and began practicing positive self-talk. One way to choose what kind of things to tell oneself, is to use a simple guideline: If one has an emotional reaction to the saying (positive or negative), or if one finds oneself responding to it with disbelief or scorn, it is probably just what that person needs to be telling themselves every day.

Self-belief is important. One needs to believe that one can do what is required
in order to achieve an objective.

Self-Monitoring is important. One needs to accurately observe and interpret one’s behavior
and learn how to use those observations to modify one’s behavior and attitude.

Support is important. We need support from experts; and from others who have
“walked in our shoes”; and from those who are now traveling a weight-loss path.
It is almost impossible to lose weight permanently on one’s own.

 My primary reason, at this point, for involving myself with DietHobby, is to give and to receive support.
in my own personal weight maintenance journey. You are all very important to me, and each one of you who reads articles or watches videos, or makes comments here at DietHobby…whether you know it or not…is providing support to me in my journey.

Do exactly what you can do, no more and no less.
Do not judge yourself if you falter on this journey
because it is about progress, not perfection.
And most importantly, never judge yourself against others.

Each of us are unique individuals going on a very personal journey.
We can support, inspire, and motivate each other along the way,
but in the end this is a very personal experience.

So be kind to yourself.

  I am pleased to be able to report to you
that I am making progress with the recovery of my wrist and hand,
and yesterday I was able to make another new cooking video: Chocolate Milkshake
You can find it at DietHobby in the RECIPE section under Sweet Tastes,
although it could also be used as a Mini-Meal.

      

                           

Stress is a symptom of something else.
It's a sign that we're trying to evade the here-and-now
for the what-might-be or what-once-was.

In a National Public Radio Interview: Eckhart Tolle spoke to Christa Tippett about this.

MR. TOLLE:   What is stress?
Stress is normal in our civilization
but really basically what it means
is you would rather be somewhere else.

Stress means you want to be in the next moment
or you want already to be finished with what you're doing
while you're still doing it.

You would rather be finished with it.
Or while you're traveling towards someplace,
you'd rather already be there.

MS. TIPPETT: OK.

MR. TOLLE: But you're not.
And stress is so normal that everybody accepts
that, OK, if you're successful in life then you must be under stress.

MS. TIPPETT: Right. But I think counterintuitively
you're saying you lean in rather than wishing it away.

MR. TOLLE: Yes. It's by becoming friendly with the present moment.
What's my relationship, is the present moment my friend or my enemy?
Another little pointer. And it's a strange question, but if you look very closely,
you'd find that very often you make the present moment into virtually an enemy.
Or it becomes an obstacle.

MS. TIPPETT: And you're saying that we do have the power.
Whatever is enclosed in that moment,
we have the power not to define it as an obstacle.
And that's going to change the way we approach it.

MR. TOLLE: Yes. The first thing is the realization of what you're doing.
In other words, one could say: "see the madness in yourself".
And that's not a bad thing; it's a great thing,
because that is not something to be depressed about.
That means that you are awakening.
And that which is awakening is the awareness behind the thinking.

We have no choice but to experience each and every moment of life.
We could anesthetize ourselves using various drugs, or drinks, or excess food,
but that's an entirely different topic.

We are here physically regardless of how we feel mentally,
but we can feel better if we try to synch our mind and body…
If we try to be really present
and find small moments of happiness throughout the day.

Down the road, perhaps we will change our lives
and find larger, more permanent ways to inject happiness into it.
But for right now, this moment, we need to try to find small moments of happiness.

Changing one’s mindset from merely existing to really living isn't easy,
but once you do it, it is surprising at how contagious a positive attitude can be.

VidCon was interesting.

I engaged myself in enjoyable activities,
One of these enjoyable activities was eating more calories than normal,
and now I must deal with the consequences.

Some time soon, I will share a bit more about my YouTube conference experience,
but right now I am exhausted. I still have to unpack and return my rental car,
and today is the 1st of the month, which is the day I do banking and bill paying etc.

My goal for today is to get back into my maintenance eating groove,
and to make a plan as to what I will do during the next few weeks
in order to take off my vacation weight-gain. 

On Sunday, 7/31/11, I'll be driving home from VidCon.
It has been an interesting time, and I can't help but compare
the experience to conferences I've attended in my past.

During my first marriage, I attended a great many church conferences.
During my legal career, I attended a great many State Bar conferences.
This weekend I attended a YouTube conference.

Organizationally, all three conference types have a great deal in common.
The social structure of each type of conference has many similarities,

There is a hierarchy of people. ..the organizers...the volunteer helpers...
the workers...aka industry..those who have made it big,
and those who have a respectable following;
those who want to make a lot of money, those who have fame, those that seek fame,
those that just want to be around fame, and those who just want to have a good time.

This YouTube conference was different than any conference I've previously attended,
in that it was packed with young, energetic people who were wide open to life,
to positive experiences, and to friendship with others.
I enjoyed being around them, and was grateful for their kind attention to me.

My son, the web-genius, had many positive experiences
as he connected with his YouTube friends and acquaintances,
the brief time that we spent together has been pleasant,
and I feel very grateful to my Higher Power for this.