Day 30

Day 30 of the big plan was August 4th 2008. Current weight on that day was 178 which is down 5 pounds from the start date. A solid 5 pound loss in 1 month is not bad and is what most people can expect. I am starting a new 30 day weight loose challenge to see if I can take another 5 or 10 off. I will try to intensify my efforts.

In the book “Thin for life” the author found some striking common threads in how the masters (people who kept considerable weight off for many years) have found success:

-To lose weight once and for all, the masters accepted that no one could do it for them. They realized that they must lose weight for themselves.

-The masters give themselves permission to be imperfect. They accept themselves- bodily flaws and all – many at a higher weight than the so called “ideal”. They allow themselves treat foods that others might view as “forbidden”. As part of the process, they talk to themselves positively, pick themselves up when they fall short of their goals and forcused on the triumphs rather than on the shortcomings.

-The masters have changed their attitudes about weight control. They’ve stopped viewing the strategies to lose weight as separate from those used to maintain weight.

-The masters view what they do to control their weight as life-long change. They accept that they cannot return to their old ways, but they neither regret their choices nor feel sorry for themselves. They understand that weight maintenance takes effort and determination. Yet the masters make it clear that any hardships associated with maintenance are far less troublesome than the difficulties endured when they are overweight.

-The masters immediately deal with small weight gains before the extra pounds seem insurmountable. They set upper weight limits that trigger action until they reestablish a comfortable weight.

-The masters stop using food as a shield from problems and learn to handle life’s ups and downs more effectively. They develop confidence in themselves.

-The masters believe in themselves. Somewhere along the way, they started to have faith in their own ability to conquer their weight problems. They stopped seeing themselves as failures who had repeatedly lost and regained and began to view themselves as people who could take control and be successful.

Looking forward to the 160's