Observation #70: What Has Worked So Far

I thought I would try to break down what has worked for me so far into three simple rules. I know no two people are alike but maybe some of this stuff can work for other people.

Rule #1: Everyone needs a Wilson. We are not islands. Well, I guess I was getting close to the size of an island. The thing is, there are so many different people going through the same thing. You need to put yourself out there. The Facebook thing has been amazing for me. I tried to do the opposite of what alot of people do on Facebook. You know when people take a self portrait holding the camera up high or they post a picture from Y2K. I showed most of my warts with the scale pics. I guess could have went further with a Speedo shot. Can imagine on a newsfeed, me in a banana hammock? Sandwiched between shots of kids in their Halloween costumes. Neither a trick or a treat.

Rule #2: SMART goals. Maybe they aren’t some bullshit education buzz word. Six months is a long time. Especially in the weight loss game. Not sure I lasted longer than a month in any other previous weight loss attempts. To last six months, you need to feel some sort of accomplishment on the short term. My weekly challenges have kept me so motivated. In fact it distracts me from the long term goal. The weekly challenges need to be SMART goals to work. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely. The realistic part is dicey. You have to push yourself. Make the unrealistic a reality. That should be on some douchebag’s T-shirt at the gym.

Rule #3: Its not a diet, its a lifestyle change. People always say it but I am not starving myself. I am not cutting out all bread. When I hear people radically altering their eating habits I just feel that they may experience initial success but they will bounce back even worse. When I did Atkins it worked really well. When it was over I relapsed bad. I am like the Lindsay Lohan of dieting. You’ve got to find something that you can live with long term. You can’t live forever on a soup diet. Imagine eating cabbage every day for the rest of your life.  Its not going to work. Forget the cheat day. Cheat every day. Just a little taste. After a while looking good makes you forget that bite-sized Snickers.

Bonus: Success breeds success. I have dropped a couple of cup sizes. Time to burn that bra and keep it rollin'.