Successful Restarting

We at our clinic are aware that restarting can be difficult and as a result want to pass on reassuring ideas to help steer you back on course. Following are some key concepts to help get you back on the right track.

REMEMBER:

1) It takes a lot of courage to restart. It is human nature to feel guilty to think that we have let ourselves and others down. Therefore, taking the first step is a tremendous accomplishment.

2) Working at controlling your weight can be the toughest challenge in your life. Try to refer to it as a life long project versus a battle or a struggle. You will get more positive results because you are a very important project and worth working on.

3) A weight condition is a "chronic one.” In such a condition, there are times when there is good control and times when there are flare-ups (i.e. the condition worsens).

4) Strive for control not cure. Apply the dimmer switch principle.

5) Understanding the complexity of a weight problem is important. One symptom brings people into the office – they are overweight. In reality, there may be 1001 reasons that contribute to this one symptom.

6) Never quit – if you never quit on your weight control efforts again, you will never have to restart.

7) Fix it sooner rather than later. If you have lost weight and restart still below your highest weight, you have been successful!

8) Learn from your challenges and improve on the reasons that led to your weight regain.

9) If you are on a plateau, convert the "dreaded plateau” into a learning opportunity. Many times the best maintainers are those who lose in a stepwise fashion: they lose some weight then maintain, lose more, then maintain etc.

10) Write down 10 specific reasons why you want to lose weight and refer to them often.

11) There is good news and bad news about being overweight. The bad news is that excess weight (excess body fat storage) is a chronic condition. The good news is that if you accept this and manage it in the proper fashion, you will lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life.

Getting back on track is one of the absolute hardest things to do on a weight loss journey. Take little steps; take one day at a time. Day-by-day, you will feel more empowered and more in control. Never give up!

Dr. Doug