I have a specific goal in my mind,
and I'm continually working toward it.

My goal is to maintain my weight-loss for the rest of my life.
That's my destination, and during my journey 
sometimes I take different routes.

Some diet plans work for me and some don't.
So far, I haven't found one specific diet that I feel I can follow forever,
and sometimes think that my own permanent Way of Eating
will be to continually experiment with new diets,
which I, personally, don't see as a bad thing.
I do believe the best diet plan is the one you can live with,
and I agree with the following quoted article:

"I really don’t care which diet plan you choose to follow.
Nor should I care which diet plan you choose to follow.

All I want is what’s best for you, and chances are,
what’s best for you is to lose some excess body fat (just guessing)
So if you find a comfortable way to accomplish this, who am I to judge?

Now, I have a big issue when it comes to false statements about a diet program
.. or false statements about physiology and health in general
(especially when these false statements are being sold for a profit)
But your personal choices? Those are none of my business.

Here’s an analogy (keep in mind, I’m known for really bad analogies)

4 employees drive into work.
One drives a 2001 Celica.

The other drives a leased Ford Escape.

The other drives a brand new Audi A6
that her daddy bought her for her 21st birthday.

The last employee drives a fully loaded Escalade
that he absolutely can not afford.

Now, regardless of the car they drive,
the important thing is that they all get to work on time.
That’s it.

Now, the Guy who drives the decade old Celica may think the guy driving
the Escalade is crazy for spending 2/3’s of his income on a car each month.

The person driving the Escape may spend every day
loathing the girl driving the Audi.

The person driving the Audi may be self conscious
of what people think of her car.

And the person driving the Escalade may
be perfectly happy with his financial decisions.

But again, none of this really matters if they all make it to work on time.

Focus on what’s important.
And what is important is what works for you,
in your current life situation.

In our car example, each person may have their own perfectly logical reasons
for the vehicle they drive. Or they may not. But in the end, it doesn’t matter.

Leaving our analogy and returning to diets, it’s all about the end goal.
The end goal is overall Health & happiness.
Being lean and muscular is the means to this end,
and your diet is just the process.

The process you choose can be super complicated or dead simple,
but no matter what any one else thinks,
if you are using a process that you enjoy
and that gets you results, then you are using the right process.

While everyone will have an opinion on how you decide to reach this goal,
remember it’s no more important then their opinion on what you drive
or what clothes you wear.

Besides, chances are their opinions are formed on anecdotes,
sleazy marketing and quickly made assumptions.

Do what works for you and remember the diet isn’t the end goal,
the health and weight loss is."

.   .    .  .January 2011 Article by Brad Pilon, author of Eat Stop Eat,

I’ve learned through my lifetime of relationships
that some things are best left unsaid.
Every Thought doesn’t need to be expressed.

Consistent courtesy and kindness are invaluable,
both verbal and nonverbal,
and this is true whether they are given or received

Just like words, facial expressions can be hurtful.
I feel better about life, myself and others
when the facial expressions of the people around me are positive.

Smiling tends to produce positive responses from others,
and the act of smiling also makes me feel a bit better.
Sour, angry, bitter or hateful facial expressions
tend to bring me down, even when these are on my own face.

It takes work to develop a consistently positive mental attitude.
It is also necessary to work on how we express our thoughts to others.
While our facial expressions sometimes tend to be reflections of our thoughts,
one part of our ability to control our own Behavior includes the way we choose
to express our thoughts to others...both verbally, and non-verbally. 

                   
Over the past seven years
I’ve spent quite a bit of time online
at various weight-loss sites and forums.

I developed my special favorites,
and I’ve posted links to a few of them
here at DietHobby under RESOURCES, Links.

Participating in an ongoing Blog or Forum can be enlightening,
As I read the comments of others, I learn about myself.

I become aware of the ways I am similar and different
from the person posting, and gain insight about my own behavior.

I find that my own attitude greatly determines whether or not
I find pleasure in ANY of the things I choose to do,
and I feel grateful for the ability to influence it,
by purposely directing my thoughts toward the positives.

 I like watching people succeed,
and I enjoy sharing in their happiness.

Sometimes I also learn a great deal from watching people
whose behavior and manner of thinking actually feels annoying to me.
I find something admirable in a person who consistently shares
by posting their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors,
even when this allows an outside eye to clearly identify
their failures, denial, and unusual ways of thinking.

I find great value in the work of changing myself.
I need to adapt and learn to adjust to the circumstances surrounding me
in order to accept the frequent changes which are necessarily involved in living.

There is so much information now at my fingertips.
Most of my life was spent before individual computers existed.
Books have always been my friends.
but computers and online communication add a great deal to my life.
I feel grateful that this opportunity exists in the dawn of my old age.

Life’s events and experiences are like the weather.
They come and go,
…no matter what my preference…
so I might as well decide to enjoy them.

There us a time for every purpose under heaven
each season brings its own unique blessings
Using our power of gratitude can change our lives.
We can choose to give Thanks.

Seeing a beautiful object or person fulfills the senses.
That is beauty on the outside.

It is a pleasant experience when the senses are stimulated.
But what is the essence of this pleasure, and how long lasting?

What if the beautiful person one sees is heartless and insensitive?
What if they lack character or dignity?
Would that outer beauty suffice?
Looking at a beautiful person merely gives pleasure.

There is also a beauty that is magnetic and uplifts the soul.
such as when one sees the inner beauty of a person.
Beauty is one of the utmost quests of Humanity.
Many people are under the notion that this quest has to do with appearances.
 One sees a shapely woman with flawless skin and impeccable features.
And they think that’s what it’s all about.
But substantial beauty is often intangible.
It is beauty of the character, of the heart and of the soul.

It is easy to sometimes get impatient,
and be only attracted to something that is immediately seen.
To seek only the Material, something that can be grasped or touched.
But what is Material is temporal and passing.
And that which is invisible to the eyes is more lasting.