I agree with most of this recent news article.
Do you? 

"Calories in, calories out—in theory, losing weight should be that simple. But we're going to venture a guess that the reason two-thirds of Americans are classified as overweight or obese isn't because they can't do basic math. Age, genetics, hormones and the big one—a lack of will power—better explain the disconnect between wanting to lose weight and actually doing it.

In fact, while 84 percent of people claim they're trying to take better care of their health today than just a few years ago, 59 percent of people reported they don't have the will power to change their habits, according to a recent survey by The Futures Co. Lack of will power is the No. 1 barrier preventing Americans from living healthier lifestyles, ranking higher than money, time, desire and a perceived lack of need, according to the survey.
So what's the secret to propelling yourself from an "aha" moment to reaching a healthy weight? It's all about the day-to-day. Focusing on lifestyle changes, heeding the right how-to advice and finding support from a group of like-minded peers will help you stay on track better than focusing on the impetus (a scary obesity poster in the subway) or the end result (fitting into your skinny jeans again).

Here, we sift through motivation research and enlist the help of Andy Core, an exercise physiologist and motivational speaker, to muddle through three motivation misconceptions—and provide the help you need to stay on track.

Myth 1: The end result is what matters.

Reality: Enjoying the path to success is what helps you reach it.

You know the Chinese proverb "The journey is the reward," but you've probably never thought of it in terms of losing weight. The reward typically associated with a diet and exercise plan is watching your goal weight calibrate on the bathroom scale. But according to Core, thinking ahead to that magical day isn't enough to motivate you to get there. "Starting with the end in mind is the fast track to failure in a health-improvement program," he says. "You want to have goals, but your daily focus should be on gaining gratification from checking the box."

"Checking the box" could mean finishing a workout, drinking eight glasses of water in a given day, or dedicating 10 minutes in the evening to laying out your gym clothes and making a healthy lunch for the next day, says Core. The important thing is that it becomes a positive experience that you want to repeat, he says, adding that setting up healthy lifestyle patterns helps you build the momentum necessary to reach a weight loss goal.

Myth 2: I am my own biggest motivator.

Reality: Social support is essential to reaching a weight loss goal.

You could have all the gumption in the world, but it won't get you far if you're going at weight loss alone—or from inside a circle of friends who make unhealthy decisions, says Core.

Research suggests that having obese friends can make you gain weight too—and that your peers can help you lose weight or maintain weight loss. The trick to using social support to your advantage is surrounding yourself with the right company. "Ask yourself, 'Are my family and friends encouragers, or are they part of the problem?'" Core suggests.

And don't forget about your online support structure. In a study published in the International Journal of Medical Informatics, researchers at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston surveyed 193 members of the SparkPeople online weight loss community and found that 88 percent of respondents used the site for encouragement and motivation, while 59 percent used it as a source of information and 43 percent as an outlet for sharing experiences.

Myth 3: Failure is a sign of weakness.

Reality: Failure results from a lack of preparation or poor behavior patterns.

If you hit a weight loss plateau or derail your diet over a holiday weekend, it's not a reflection on your character and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it, says Core, explaining that core values don't drive motivation.

"Most people at some point in their lives have felt motivated to live healthy," says Core. "Those same people have also felt unmotivated," he adds, explaining that the two sometimes happen just days apart. "In a period of days, your core values, your metabolism, the way you were raised, and your life experiences haven't changed."

What did change: your habits. Perhaps you stopped tracking calories or skipped a series of workouts and feel as though you've completely killed your diet. The best way to power past a slip-up: "Think execution versus outcome," suggests Core. "Re-energize and refocus on checking the box. Don't focus on what good things happen if you do, or bad things happen if you don't." And to make weight loss goals—and mistakes—more manageable from a success/failure standpoint, don't get too far ahead of yourself. "You don't have to change your life; you only have to change your day," says Core."

by Hollis Templeton, July 14, 2011 Chicago Tribune.

I like cats.

Recently I've been busy making, individually wrapping, 
and freezing tiny diet cookies to give out at a YouTube conference
which I'm attending in LA at the end of this month
together with my web-genuis son.

These cookies' claim to the status of diet, is because they are sugar-free
and only about 1 in square by 1/4 inch thick, and less than 25 calories each. 
I need between 600 and 1200 cookies. 
Making them is easy, because they are bar cookies,
but wrapping them invididually is quite a time consuming task. 

For those who are interested in watching my most recent
Ask Grandma YouTube video, which talks about the cookies and event,
you can find it HERE under RESOURCES, Videos, Ask Grandma.

"Trust a few" are words contained in today's video.
Sound advice, but it does raise the question...
....who are the few that I can trust?.......

An analysis of this question could begin
with one's close family circle,
moving out to friends,
and then expand to acquaintances,
and finally to others such as well-known authorities and experts.

 Sometimes we think of Trust as a Totality,
when actually it is a matter of degree and situation.

I like to think of myself as trustworthy,
and I would never steal money from you,
but you might not be wise to leave me alone in your house
with a box of your favorite chocolates.

You might be able to trust the accuracy of my opinion
about weight-loss, diet, calories, food-intake,
but you would be unwise to do so
regarding issues such as how electricity works,
or what makes a vehicle operational.

 There are many nutritional and diet experts,
and many of them give opposing advice.
Each of us must distinguish, and choose for ourselves,
who are the few that we can individually trust.

                                
In every aspect of life, including
Weight-loss and maintenance of that weight-loss,
It is not about what is right for others
but it is about what is right for you.

It’s not that I am right and others are wrong
Instead there is no one-size-fits-all approach
to losing weight and getting fit.

The longer I travel this path the more I understand
that there isn’t a generic plan that is right for everyone.
I have discovered that because we are all genetically different,
what works for me may or may not work for you.

Each of us has to write our own owner’s manual to achieve success.

There are general fundamental philosophies of eating and exercise.
It’s valuable to start with those principles.
As we discover how our own body responds to following these,
then we can re-evaluate where we are in this journey
in order to continue on the same path
or to determine ways to change directions.

Some people don’t like the word “diet”
and instead use words like: “eat healthy”.
Other people…such as myself….view dieting as a “hobby”,
and embrace the concept and incorparate it into their lives.

Some people avoid sugar and white flour.
Some avoid or restrict most carbohydrates.
Some avoid all processed food.
Other people eat everything in moderation.

Some people eat small frequent meals..as scheduled or as they become hungry.
Others eat only two or three times a day, and avoid snacking between meals.
Some people use fasting as a weight-loss tool.
Some people count calories; some use food exchanges;
and some even count bites.

 To survive and to live, each of us must eat,
and there are many different foods
and eating patterns available to choose from.
Personally, I find it helpful to track all my food
and this is something I find valuable as part of my own plan.

Sometimes people ask what I did to lose the weight,
and I’m happy to tell them.
But that doesn’t mean they can expect the same results,
within the same time frame.
And the way I choose to eat and to live my life
might not be a good fit for them.

The Journey is much longer than many people can imagine
The reality is that it is a life-long journey with no clear destination
except to have a healthy and fulfilling life.
During my own journey, I’ve changed directions many times.
I think it’s helpful to read all that you can
so you can better understand the process;
And ask questions.
The only dumb question is the one never asked.
Do not be afraid to fall flat on your face.
I have learned the most in my life through my mistakes.

What I have discovered is that no one approach is better than another.
Don’t run if you hate running,
Don’t eat cottage cheese if you hate cottage cheese.
Know that we are all truly an experiment-of-one
and what works for me may or may not work for you.

Each of us must live in our individual bodies, during the "game" of life.

 Sometimes we feel stuck.
Stuck in our eating patterns;
stuck in how much we weigh,
stuck in how we feel about ourselves.
This tends to lead us to a feeling of
hopelessness that we can’t seem to shake.

A look at new possibilities can move us
away from that black- and -white thinking
that we have during the times when we feel stuck.

When we start considering possibilities,
we alter our thinking just slightly to consider
that there is a possibility that things could be different,
that other behavioral options can exist for us.

We don’t have to start with an actual change,
just a consideration of a possible change.

When we’re on the sofa, and junk food is calling us by name,
we can choose to eat it, Or, we have the possibility
of making another choice. We can choose to go online,
or take a walk. We canchoose a different activity.

Do we have to? No! 
Do we want to? Maybe No
But there is a part of us that might like
experimenting with doing something different

Will we go online? Will we take a walk?
Perhaps, if we know the possibility of doing it exists.
No pressure, no rules, just internally giving ourselves an option.

If weight-loss success is our goal,
we have options, and those options give us
a variety of different paths to get there.