DIETING...

It's March. When I was a Weight Watchers leader I observed this was generally a dead month. Unlike January when the meeting room was standing room only, by March it dwindled down to the hardcore who came every week no matter what their weight.  

At this juncture something shifted in many folks and they would begin to revert back to previous consumption or behaviors, gain back some or all of the weight they lost, and lose that precious motivation that drove them to join in the first place. This whole business of "dieting" for most of us entails sacrifice layered upon sacrifice. Yet it is proven that for most people deprivation does not lead to long term success.  

But there were always the regular people who came every week and shared their struggles and victories. They cared less about the numbers on the scale and more about the motivation and information the environment provided. Many were not really doing the program, counting points, or remotely on what would be considered a "diet" in the sense of depriving themselves. They indulged but were mindful, balanced the goodies with activity and healthy eating, and made it work. Maybe they weren't losing weight, but they weren't gaining either. Overall they were healthy, active, and paid attention to the good and bad in terms of their bodies and their minds.

I had the good fortune to get to know many of you well in those meetings as we were together week after week, year after year, and I felt like we shared a special bond of knowing that it doesn't have to be a rollercoaster ride: there can be a sense of balance and rationality to the world of food if we choose to make it so.  

(hope I did not offend anyone with this cartoon...it just made me laugh)