I am confident that I will get down to 250 by the time I leave for Detroit in mid-July, because I know what I have to do and I am committed to doing it. I do, however, worry about coming back in early August after a few weeks of relaxing the rules, and struggling to find my place again.
There are studies I have seen that suggest an inordinate amount of people who lose weight gain most of it back within a few years. And I believe that is true. And I am probably like every other former fatty who says that it won’t happen to him. Still, I think I am prepared to weather that storm because I have the correct mindset.
I can’t imagine eating any other way than I do now because, after two and a half years, it’s a part of my life. Likewise, working out has become a part of my life (though much more unstable than the eating), and I understand its value in helping me live the way I want to live.
I also understand the hard road ahead. I am long past the stage of thinking I can simply get to 240 with diet and exercise, and then go back to my old ways the next day. Perhaps there will be a day where I can breathe a sigh of relief and reflect on what I’ve done, but as soon as that sigh is over it is right back to doing what I did.
The most you can hope for out of a process like this is to emerge a changed person. I still have my faults, and I still have some things to figure out. But after all this time figuring out the best way to lose weight, it would be impossible for me to have stayed the same.
Article comments
1 - Alexandria
Good to hear from you. And great to hear a more realistic and valuable approach!
2 - Clyde G
Hey Dan,
Stumbled upon this today and want to give a shout out a few words of encouragement. On March 8, my birthday I weighed in at 294 and made MY new year resolution that I would shoot to get down to 180 pounds by my next birthday in 2009.
As I explained to my wife, you don't see too many 90 year old 290 pound guys walking around. I am 53 years old and have battled the weight fight since after college. I could blame my wife's cooking, but the bottom line is that she never held me down and forced me to eat anything.
Fast forward today the 29th of May and the weight on the last weigh in was 269. I always set unrealistic goals on purpose. If you shoot for 240 by your trip and you only get down to 246, is that really a bad thing?
Anyway, keep up the great work brother, I'm praying for you.