Putting Weight Loss in Perspective

A lot of overweight individuals set themselves up for failure in that the only goal they have in mind is to reach their "ideal weight”. At the same time, others around them have put that expectation on them as well (i.e. their spouse, friends, physicians and society in general). In other words, if someone for example is 75 lbs overweight, everyone feels that person needs to lose 75 lbs to be successful.
I'm not saying that it's not possible for an individual to lose 75 lbs, but what if they only lose 30 or 35 lbs? Many individuals who try to lose weight do not lose as much weight as they would like to. Immediately they think they have failed, they begin to slip and this reinforces the theory that they are indeed a failure. As a result they view the treatment (and/or themselves) as having failed; they proceed to gain back all their weight and usually more. On the same hand, what if that individual lost their 75 lbs, but gained back 5 lbs. Again, they feel they have failed at maintenance and begin to gain all their weight back.
In reality, it is an achievement to maintain any weight loss, however small. It's important that the goal you set is simply to be below your highest weight for the rest of your life. For people who have been gaining weight, to stop gaining weight is in itself an achievement. From there it is only a matter of how "successful” you can be. With a realistic bar of success it will be emotionally easier to work at staying below that bar, even if you slip a bit.
In life, if we make a situation better or improve something at home we feel successful and have a sense of accomplishment. It still might not be perfect, but it's better and we're happier. The same should apply to your weight control efforts.
So remember, when setting weight control goals, focus on being below your highest weight for life. Even a 10% loss has been shown to medically improve hypertension, diabetes, energy, arthritis, etc.
You will feel successful; you will then look forward to challenging yourself: "Just how much can I achieve?”
Although the path to our ultimate goals may seem long and hard, keep pushing forward. Don't ever give up. You can do it!
Dr. Doug