Weight-loss and maintenance of that weight-loss
depends on our food-intake and exercise,
which involves the physical process of weight-loss.

There is also a mental side to successful weight-loss,
and people talk a lot about motivation,
which is a way where we can be driven
to start a weight-loss plan and stick to it.

However, the basis of the ability to see a weight-loss
process through is Faith...or what one believes. 

Faith is an underlying force which gives strength to succeed
in changing our bodies.  It is also the driving force
we need to make changes in any area.

At the beginning of a diet,
we need to have faith that we will succeed.
Otherwise we can't really get going.

No one tries something without at least a litle belief
in his or her ability to achieve their goals.
We don't need to be certain of our success,
but we do need to have faith that it is in our ability to achieve it.

Wanting to lose weight is a good start,
but we then it's time for a decision.
We need to choose one plan over another,...even if it is for a limited time...
and put faith in someone, or in some system.
In the end we have to trust someone and something.

There is a saying: "When the Going Get's Tough,
the Tough Get Going", but it isn't the tough that keep going,
it's those people with Faith.

Unless we have faith, we are likely to fall apart
and retreat wheever we face a difficulty.
And difficulties will come, they can't be avoided.

Weight-loss depends on making lifestyle changes and breaking old habits.
It is like swimming against the current of the river or the ocean.
It is much easier to keep doing the things we are used to doing,
regardless of the impact on our bodies and our health.

A few suggestions to help find faith are:

Remember our past successes.
This isn't the first time we have achieved something,
either in school, at work, or in our personal lives.
If we have achieved something in our past,
there's no reason why we can't lose weight.

None of us is THAT different.
Other people find ways to lose weight and keep it off,
and so can we. We aren't that different or that much weaker
than many other people.

Take a blind leap.
In a way, not doing anything is failing.
Not doing anything is failing to make a change.
Sometimes we just need to take a leap of faith,
to try something out and hope for the best.

Faith isn't something we're born with.
It is something we develop over time.
Each of us has the power to change ourselves
to be someone who has faith in themselves.

Ultimately, what matters is what we, ourselves, believe.

                         

Do you know who you are,
what you believe, and
why you believe it?

Here I am speaking about every type of individual personal belief
that we have about life and the world in general,
including all of our beliefs about food, exercise, dieting, body image, and health.
I am not talking specifically about religious or political beliefs.

Are you aware? 
Do you look around and choose a path for yourself,
or do you just blindly follow the path laid out for you by others?

People who know who they are,
and why they believe what they believe,
tend not to find other people’s beliefs to be threatening.
They have no need to reject the opinions and beliefs
of others without considering them. 

 People who generally reject the input of others,
and refuse to even consider or entertain a new idea,
tend to lack confidence in their own beliefs.

We need to see our own personal beliefs.
Then we must choose whether to keep that belief
and to make it our own,
or to discard it as not conforming with who we want to be.

This process can help us resolve conflicting beliefs
which are sometimes a source of stress in our lives.
Each belief we choose to keep
can become our own, and part of who we are,
not just part of projecting an image, a social facade.

While we are considering whether or not to chose to keep a belief,
we need to examine it, and look to find out the details.
What is involved in the belief?
What type of circumstances does it applies to?
And, WHY do we believe it.

Once we understand which beliefs are a part of us
and which are merely part of our image,
we can choose to reject that image.
When we have enough knowledge of ourselves,
we no longer need the affirmations of others in order to feel worthy.

 Our self-worth will be balanced, not too high nor too low. 
It will be enough to be who we are, and
allow others to be who they are,
and draw shared enjoyment where we can.

It is impossible to examine one’s own beliefs without becoming aware. 
 Being Aware means knowing, understanding, and accepting
that each of us has the power to control who we are
and how we respond to any situation.

It means accepting responsibility for our own actions
Every one of them.

Knowing that we are who we choose to be
is an Awareness that will bring us toward Peace and Serenity.

Sometime in the early morning when I am writing here,
I feel enthusiastic about an issue and words pour forth.

Other mornings...like today..
it is a struggle to feel the tiniest bit of optimism
about any subject at all...especially all the matters
that surround the issue of dieting and weight-control.

I believe this is typical and universal, rather than individual,
and that it is true of almost all of us. 

 Our individual choice is the behavior that we choose
for ourselves during the times when we feel less than positive.
That behavior choice can make us feel better, or worse.

This is the time when the positive Habits that we've established over time
can be extremely helpful to get and to keep us on track toward our ultimate goals.

So today I begin my day by sitting at my computer.
updating my graphs and tracking information;,
entering my weight and the breakfast I plan to eat;
reading a few new posts at forums I regularly follow;
and writing this article....
...which although not particularly inspiring or informative...
is nonetheless authentic.

Attitude is a feeling about a person or thing.
It is a tendency or orientation of the mind.

I frequently address the issue of Attitude
because I've found it to be extremely important in my own life.
Whether my own attitude is positive or negative
makes a big difference in how I feel, and what I accomplish.

I don't see any purpose in feeling bad about myself,
if feeling good about myself is possible,
so I continually work toward that goal.
I also work to feel good about others,
and about the things and events in my life. 

I use the term "work" because that is exactly what it is.
I wasn't born with a "pollyanna" personality,
or taught as a child to focus on the positive.

This is a skill I've had to learn,
and for me, it is a deliberate choice
...one that takes conscious effort...
to sustain an attitude that is primarily positive.

                                
                       Happy 4th of July

  
Dieting is a common practice among those
who want to remove excess pounds from their bodies.

The term "Dieting" means:

to eat sparingly
or
to eat according to prescribed rules.

There are many different weight-loss Diets in existence,
and many people adopt a weight-loss Diet
without really understanding the methodology behind it. 

Many popular Diets allow people to indulge in their favorite foods at least once a week,
and incorparate structured periods of unrestricted eating
calling them  "cheat" meals or "exception" days

The logic behind this is that if people completely avoid their favorite foods,
the temptation to have them would prove irresistible and lead to binge eating.
The belief here is that it is better for a person to indulge one day a week 
than to jeopardize their entire dieting regimen.

Some people also consider their weekend indulgence
to be a treat or reward for following their diets throughout the week.
In any case, most dieters who indulge in weekend binges
...or unrestricted eating... believe that it does them no harm.

  Whatever Diet each of us may choose to follow is an individual choice.

Some bodies appear to thrive on larger amounts of carbohydrates than others.
We, also, don't all have the same biological clocks.  
Some of us are "morning" people, others are not.
Some of us do best when eating small amounts frequently,
Others do best when eating one to three large meals daily.

One purpose of dieting is to get one's body used to a daily pattern of low food intake,
and making that low food intake pattern into a lifelong habit,
and many dieting experts believe that weekend binges tend to defeat this purpose.

Unfortunately,.....despite the specific Diet chosen.......
Dieting is a 24/7 commitment, with no off days.
Every calore consumed counts, irrespective of the day of the week.

While the specific Diet or food plan chosen can contribute to one's weight-loss;
what is important is one's commitment to a daily eating pattern
which results in an overall reduced food intake over long periods of time,
as that food intake is averaged out over weeks and months
including weekends, and vacations, and holidays,
and other special or stressful occasions.

 A contribution and a commitment are not the same thing.
A contribution means "to play a significant part in bringing about a result".
A commitment means "to carry into action deliberately".

One example of contribution vs. commitment is:
although genetic factors make a contribution to my weight and weight-loss issues,
the process of weight management requires a lifelong commitment from me,
a commitment that involves my personal eating behavior.