“EACH OF US GUARDS A GATE OF CHANGE THAT CAN ONLY BE UNLOCKED FROM THE INSIDE.” ———Marilyn Ferguson (Thanks to Cathy Klink for sharing this quote!!!)

The changes we want to see in our weight and in our health are the BYPRODUCT of the changes first made in our thought and then in our actions and behaviors. So often, when trying to get healthy, we focus with tunnel vision on the weight loss aspect, when in reality, it’s the part of the equation in which we have the LEAST amount of control. You could work out and eat right for several weeks, yet see only a very small weight loss on the scale, but does that mean that all of the healthy living you have been doing has been a waste of time and energy? OF COURSE NOT!!!!! Most of us know people in our lives who don’t have weight issues but are also NOT healthy. The advantages of healthy behaviors such as activity, drinking plenty of water, eating less processed foods and more fruits and veggies, consuming lean proteins, whole grains and controlling our portions are MANY and are for EVERYONE. Attaining and maintaining a healthy weight is certainly one of those benefits we will enjoy, but far from the ONLY benefit.

If you are gaging your success based on the number on the scale each day or even once a week, you are setting yourself up for psychological failure. It’s going to be extremely tempting to give up very quickly in your journey because your level of effort will seem as if it warrants a greater weight loss, faster, but that’s not how it works. The first critical change to be made is in your thinking. Yes, one of the goals is to get to a healthy goal weight, but the MAIN goal is to consistently live healthy behaviors because that’s what it takes to get to the goal weight and maintain it. Cling tightly to your new set of values based on health and focus on the BEHAVIORS that you know do your body good. Move forward in your day to day life as if you are already at your goal weight and simply do what it takes to maintain that goal weight. Ask any Lifetime WW member….What it takes to keep the weight off, is not all that much different than what you are doing now to lose it except you don’t get any more 5 pound weight loss stars in the meeting room! What does this mean to you??? It means we need to make sure we have done our job of customizing our healthy behaviors to fit each of our lives personally because this is our new, standard operating procedure. We need to be able to live like this even after the weight has been lost so that we can be healthy and maintain our healthy weight.

Clearly, I feel that the Weight Watchers plan along with WW meetings and eTools, is the way to do because WW is NOT A DIET! WW leaves it up to up to each of us, to customize the plan to fit our own needs. It’s not “one size fits all” and the only person who can customize the changes that need to be made to ensure they stay permanent is YOU. YOU have all the power to unlock the changes you desire in your life. It’s completely up to you. Food has no power over you except the power you give it. Take that power and re-focus it on changing on the inside. Base your goals on behavior changes and consistency. As soon as you make a choice that isn’t in line with those new goals (this WILL happen and it’s OK, it happens to everyone), identify it, own it and start over fresh without an ounce of guilt or self condemnation. Change doesn’t have to be painful or scary if we take it one step at a time and before you know it, you will have changed on the outside as well!