No need to fishtail into a brick wall

I just posted this on the Maintenance thread on MFD - and thanks must go to Sandra for her U-Turn analogy.


When I joined MFD, the first time, I was not in Maintenance - I was 13 lbs from goal and not making any progress towards it. But I was logging and exercising and getting support on MFD. I wasn't reaching goal because I enjoyed my weekends. For various reasons, I left MFD and came back when I had gained 6 lbs. I took it off and I was back to that weight I could somewhat - through brute force - maintain. I posted a lot on the the boards, thinking that I could 'lead' by example and encouragement. Then life happened - I no longer had time to apply brute force to maintaining my weight. I got sloppy and rationalized away the weight gain each time the scale inched up. I started looking for the magic pill. And I kept gaining weight. And I felt hypocritical posting anywhere. I was ashamed I had gained weight.

But today, I had a really wonderful realization about our Team Maintenance group - not only are we supporting each other in our efforts to maintain our weight, we are supporting each other in our efforts to maintain our healthy weight management habits/practices that allow us to achieve and maintain our happy weights.

And one resounding message that comes through so clearly - we need to have a 'scream' weight that once it comes into sight we know it's time to STOP and do a U-Turn. It doesn't have to be slam on the brakes, screeching tail-spinning stop that has us ramming into a brick wall before doing the U-Turn. With self-awareness and honesty, we can gently glide to the stop and do the U-Turn back onto the path of healthy living.

It's through the support here that I'm able to be honest with myself and realize that brute force and ramming into a brick wall are not going to do me any more good than the magic pill. So - thanks everyone!