Does it increase or decrease my credibility for me to say that I’m having problems maintaining my weight where I want it to be right now?
Well, I am.
Do I have my reasons? Sure – a boatload of them. I could document for you all the things going on in my life right now that makes it hard for me – all the stress, all the temptation -that inner child (that little bastard) whining and crying: “Just this once – c’mon – Pleeeeeezzze?”
I’m going on year 3 of keeping the weight off and maybe this is the equivalent of the marathon runner’s ‘wall’. Statistics show it is incredibly hard to lose weight given the sheer amount of attempts compared to the successes – and of the successes, a very tiny portion can keep it off long term.
I’m hanging in there, though – and I think that I know of one thing right now in my life that is helping. It isn’t some superhuman willpower (don’t have it), some secret herb, recipe, technique, or anything magical.
You know what it is?
My pants.
When I lost the weight in 2004, I bought an entire new wardrobe. I had to – nothing fit. I donated all those old fat clothes. My wife asked me if I should maybe keep them ‘just in case.’
I told Her: “There’s no going back.”
Now three years later I find that decision to be playing a critical role right now in my not gaining all the weight back.
When all the recipes, the mindset, the strategies go out the window, I can depend on my wardrobe to remind me every hour of every day that – if I can’t fit into it – get out the hefty bags and some scissors – that will be my new wardrobe, because I’m not going out and buy larger clothes.
The point is that successful long-term weight loss is complex and doesn’t have one simple answer – there’s no magic bullet. there might be a dozen strategies that work together to help you lose weight and keep it off – or a hundred.
Maybe all your failures in the past were necessary – each one another tip learned, another technique tried, another recipe that you like.
You’ve discarded what didn’t work and made note of what did – and little by little are building an arsenal that will allow you to achieve your goal of losing weight and keeping it off.
Maybe you are just one small tip, one seemingly small item, one secret away from the formula that suddenly works for you – the magic combination that clicks for you.
All those failures at losing weight in the past might have been preparation for this time – the one that works – and with the addition of just one more thing learned, you will succeed.
Low Carb Confidential 
Great post!
And let’s remember that the entire diet industry stays in business because everyone is looking for that magic bullet.
And I had to chuckle at your “hefty bag” comment. I’ve lost 34.5 pounds and have given away most of my “fat clothes” I am the (clothing) size now that I always wanted to be and I plan to stay here (dammit!). Despite still trying to lose “5 more pounds”
That said, I also know it will be a struggle but I plan to not let my inner child win.
You can too.