Weight loss requires giant leaps not baby steps

Surely you remember Bob (as in "what about?") who took baby steps as per his therapist's advice? Well I'm sorry, Bob and Leo, that might work in some cases but not in weight loss. To fix a big problem like obesity requires Neil Armstrong type giant leaps. 

I know, I know, yesterday I said that making small small changes is how I lost 100 pounds. So yes, the changes aren't big in and of themselves: small tweaks to diet, lightening up the calorie load, diet food swaps. Where I made big changes was in quantity of food consumed. And the cumulative weight loss, that gestalt whole I talked about, was proportionately ginormous. 

So why no baby steps? Isn't that basically the same thing as little changes? No. Taking baby steps translates to going slow, to move gingerly into weight loss. It's tippy-toeing around obesity as it were.  When I give myself permission to do that, I never make progress. I couldn't afford to baby myself if I was going shed 100 pounds. 

Let's look at the weight loss fails on TLC "My 600-lb Life." Dr. Now, the gastric bypass surgeon, is always exhorting them to get serious. They want to take it easy, to retain many of the bad habits, to puppy themselves. That's just tickling the problem. 

The weight loss success stories are those who attack their weight problem, head on and balls out. That may sound harsh, but it's how I lost 100 pounds. 

My weight loss update: a leetle reality check thanks to selfies and Youtube

Working on my Youtube channel recently, I found this little gem from 5 years ago. And while it made my toes curl to see how how heavy I was in 2011, it was also gratifying to note ----> that I am no longer that fat (let's just call it what it is). In fact, I've shaved off 10 of the 15 pounds I regained.


So that was a wakeup call but not just about weight loss. I noticed how awkward and lacking in confidence I was. Is it because I was fatter? Have I always been so inarticulate or was I just camera shy and paranoid? I'd hazard a guess that few people are super comfortable videotaping themselves. I tend to be overly self-critical.  And that's what I want to encourage you to do if you're trying to lose weight. As embarrassing as you may find pictures, look at them. As much as you might hate the camera, befriend the selfie. It will help you to see yourself as others see you. It's harder to hide from weight problems if they're staring you in the face. And it's easier see progress on weight loss in the camera lens!

Love you all! Remember, I'm pulling for ya!