"The body stubbornly clings to what it knows."

I found this phrase in a June 8, 2011 New York Times article about barefoot running.
I am not a runner,
however, I have friends who are runners,
and this makes me interested in the subject.

The article said:

"Most of us grew up wearing shoes. Shoes alter how we move. An interesting review article published this year in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Research found that if you put young children in shoes, their steps become longer than when they are barefoot, and they land with more force on their heels.

Similarly, when Dr. Lieberman traveled recently to Kenya for a study published last year in Nature, he found that Kenyan schoolchildren who lived in the city and habitually wore shoes ran differently from those who lived in the country and were almost always barefoot. Asked to run over a force platform that measured how their feet struck the ground, a majority of the urban youngsters landed on their heels and generated significant ground reaction forces or, in layman’s terms, pounding. The barefoot runners typically landed closer to the front of their feet and lightly, without generating as much apparent force."

Going barefoot is only one behavior involving the body,
there are many others. 

I find the barefoot running example to be a good illustration of the way
the body adapts to what has always been its normal lifestyle pattern,
and how it "stubbornly" attempts to keep that as the status quo.

This is one of the biggest difficulties which must be dealt with
when working toward weight-loss and maintenance of weight-loss.

                     
Human beings have this unique ability
to focus on things that aren't happening right now.

That allows them to reflect on the past and learn from it;
it allows them to anticipate and plan for the future;
and it allows them to imagine things that might never occur.

While we may believe we want to live in the moment....
most of us share the philosophy portayed by the following cartoon.

BUT, of course,
the only time each of us really has is right now.

I tend to ..(not so secretly).. be self-absorbed.

Today is Friday of Memorial Day Weekend.
When I hear the term “Memorial Day Weekend”,
My first thought is the sight, smell, and taste of food at a backyard BBQ.
Next I think of the fact that Summer is beginning,
and then about past or future camping trips to the mountains
or the beach and other vacations.

 Later I think of putting flowers at the grave sites of departed family members,
and about the TV war movies my husband is going to have on for three days.

These mental pictures contain both positives and negatives.
They can lead me to the pleasant or to the unpleasant.
To feelings of Hope and Joy, or of Loss and Sadness.

I can’t keep my mind from touching on unpleasant past or future events,
but I do have the ability to consciously change my mental focus
 by directing my mind toward the more pleasant memories or current events.

Just like with all worthwhile things, learning this skill takes consistent effort,
but when my Thoughts change….so do my Feelings…and my Behavior.
I find it impossible to directly change my feelings,
…and directly changing my behavior…without first changing my thoughts…
is equally impossible for me.

So, for me, all positive change in my life begins
with me working toward positive thoughts.

My number one positive Thought is this......

Even with all of my flaws,
I am an acceptable human being,
and it is Okay to be me.

                   
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.

                
Stress management is a necessary skill for everyone.

Learning to identify problems and implement solutions
is the key to successful stress reduction. 

The first step in successful stress relief
is deciding to make a change in how we manage stress.

The next step is identifying our stress triggers.
Some causes of stress are obvious —
job pressures, relationship problems or financial difficulties.
But daily hassles and demands can also contribute to our stress level.
Even positive events can be stressful.
Once we've identified our stress triggers,
we can start thinking about strategies for dealing with them.
Sometimes the solution may be as easy as turning off the TV
when the evening news is too distressing.
Or, when we can't avoid a stressful situation,
we can try brainstorming ways to reduce the irritation factor.

We don't feel have to figure it out all on our own. 
We can seek help and support from family and friends.
We can ask them what stress-relief techniques have worked well for them.
And many people benefit from daily practice of stress reduction techniques,
such as mindfulness, tai chi, yoga, meditation or being in nature.
Stress won't disappear from our lives.
And stress management isn't an overnight cure.
But with practice, we can learn to manage our stress levels
and increase our ability to cope with life's challenges.