For obese or reduced-obese people, weight-loss or maintenance of weight-loss takes an ongoing Awareness of their eating Behaviors and the Results of those eating Behaviors.

It requires consistently following SOME METHOD of conscious eating Behavior that restricts calories to an amount which is the same-or-less as the amount used by that individual body....

....Together with a consistent and precise METHOD of measuring the ongoing weight Results of that eating Behavior. 

Here, the “rose” represents a thin or normal-sized body.

The “thorn” is restricted calorie eating (Behavior),
and a scale or other measuring tool (Result).

Obese or reduced-obese people who are not courageous enough to “grasp the thorn” need to abandon their desire for the “rose”, which is a thin or normal-sized body.

Reality, take it or leave it,

But I won’t be joining those who choose to spend their lives in the Forest waiting for the Unicorns to appear.

During the years of my obesity, I followed a lot of different diets and eating plans. As part of my long-term Maintenance of a large weight-loss, I still do a lot of personal experimenting with different types of diets and ways-of-eating.

However, all of my diet experiments include the two basic requirements that are necessary for ME personally in my own Maintenance.

One of these requirements is to consistently track all my food intake every day, and log it into a computer food journal that provides me with a calorie count, and the other requirement is to “eat small to stay small”, meaning that I consistently work to keep my personal calorie count as-low-or-lower than my calorie burn.

I have learned to view Dieting as an enjoyable Hobby, see ABOUT ME.  I am very interested in learning and experiencing different ways and methods of “eating small”.  

“Eating small” is not something that is new to me. 

Before my current successful weight-loss, back in the late 1980s, I spent 6+ months on a medically supervised liquid fast which consisted of Optifast and water. 3 meals totaling about 600 calories per day.

Immediately after my open RNY gastric bypass surgery in December 1992, I spent a year of eating only very tiny amounts of food, totaling about 300 to 600 calories per day. 
See: How Fast…HowMuch…Weight Lost After Gastric Bypass?

There are many articles about my prior diets and weight status here at DietHobby in BLOG CATEGORIES, Status Updates.

My current diet experiment is based on eating the way one eats immediately after bariatric surgery, which is something that I actually experienced in my life about 25 years ago. 

My plan uses some of the concepts recommended by Dr. Duc Vuong, a bariatric surgeon who takes a “Tony Robbins” approach to weight-loss education.

For more background details  see: Palm of the Hand, and Eat Small to Be Small.

My current food plan Directly Restricts the total daily AMOUNT of food that I eat, (has a maximum daily calorie number).

It also restricts the FREQUENCY of eating, but it does not restrict the KINDS of food eaten. 

For more information on those 3 food issues, see Calorie Balance.

I like Guidelines rather than Rules. 

When using a Guideline, circumstances direct one’s decisions, but when one lives by a Rule, it gets applied without regard to whether it will make things better or achieve the stated goal.

Following Rules is simpler than making choices based on complex and changing situations, but Guidelines are places where we start to think.

Guidelines give me a starting point.  They are a place to build from, but modifiable when the situation doesn’t fit.

Rules are “Commands” requiring rigid perfection, while Guidelines are “Recommended Best Practices” giving flexibility.

Some people do really well with Rules, however, I do far better with Guidelines.

When I do any diet experiment, I like to set CLEAR and SPECIFIC Guidelines as a Target.

A Target expresses a place where I want to go.   A Target gives me something tangible in mind, so I can easily measure my progress. 

When I have a Target to aim for, I have the possibility of hitting it.  And I can measure by how much I missed, and make adjustments for the next attempt.

So my process is to first determine my Target. I don’t expect to get a Bullseye right away, but I start working toward getting them.  I take a shot. Sometimes I hit the Target, and sometimes I miss it altogether.  I measure the miss.  Then I improve my Methods.  I Shoot again. Repeat.

My current Target is to follow these Guidelines.