Most of us have days where we feel that we have tried
and tried but our results are still going nowhere.
We can’t seem to get inspired and excited
about weight-loss and weight-loss maintenance.

We’d like to take a break from it all,
but the food-intake behavior involved with that
wouldn’t maintain our weight,
and we’d only pile on more pounds.

Motivation can only come from inside,
No one is going to come along
and smack us in the face to get us going.

  So what to do?

For me, this is where Persistence, Patience and Consistency comes in.
No matter how I feel, I keep on working …in some manner…
toward keeping my food-intake at or below my calorie burn level.
I continue to record all my food into DietPower every day,
and I work to focus my mind to reflect on positive thoughts.

Eventually, my feelings will shift into a more positive area,
and there’s a good chance that when they do,
my body will still be in the “normal” weight range.
 No Magic,
just a determination toward my committment
to continue on with making a consistent effort.

All of us have people, places and things that we hold dear,
but a value is a belief or a philosophy that is meaningful.
Whether we are consciously aware of them or not, 
every person has a core set of personal values.

Values can range from the commonplace, such as the belief in hard work
and/or punctuality, to those that are more psychological, such as self-reliance,
concern for others, and harmony of purpose.

What do you value most? What are the guides for how you behave,
or are components for you of a valued way of life?

These issues are important when considering one's goals
for weight-loss and for maintenance.  How important is this to you....truly.
Is what it takes for you to lose and maintain a normal weight 
... the effort of lower-calorie food intake, and exercise... 
worth the trade-off for you, personally?

  If it isn't, then don't do it.

                             
 
Have you ever heard a statement like this? 

"There's no point in dieting
....(counting calories or carbs, or controling portions or snacks etc.)...
because you can't do it for life,
and you will just gain all the weight back
as soon as you stop the diet."

 But isn't it strange how you don't hear this?

"There no point in getting out of debt
because it's very, very hard to do,
and once you go off your budget and start spending like crazy,
you'll just end up in debt again."

I really don't see much difference.

Both are choices about how you want to live your life. 
Choices about Lifestyle.
About your personal goals,
and how much effort you are willing to put into achieving them.

Each personal behavior choice shapes our life,
and ultimately, most of those behavior choices are within our control.

  Some behaviors are harder to control than others,
and all of us don't have to fight exactly the same battles,
but the unpopular Truth is that, for many of us, 
achieving and maintaining a normal body size
takes a great deal of effort....forever.

Recovery is a wonderful thing,
even partial recovery.

My arm-wrist-hand-fingers are not yet "normal", but have
recovered enough for me to return to making my recipe videos.
I've posted a new one today, Vinaigerette Dressing,
here at DietHobby, in RECIPES, Mealtime.

My eating habits are also not those of a "normal" person,
but have progressed to the point that I am in the "normal" weight-range,
and for the past six plus years, I've remained there.

My body, my mind, and my character are not perfect,
and can always use improvement,
but for this minute, at this time,
I know that I'm good enough.
So are you.

You can spend all your life on a diet,
but if you're not content with the person you are
it is a waste of time,
because you're still going to be the same person
whatever size you happen to be.

Self acceptance doesn't mean you stop growing,
changing, and evolving into the best you you can be.
It just means you forgive yourself your short-comings,
you relinquish guilt and blame.
You accept that you are human and humans make mistakes.
You accept imperfection.

For those who are following my "Ask Grandma" videos,
click to see my latest one: "Cosmic Panda is a Bear too"
which is located in DietHobby under RESOURCES, Videos, Ask Grandma.