Originally Posted by rightnow

I had to let go of the emphasis on timing because that's where panic lies. Panic sits at the bottom of the clock, just waiting for someone to have an idea of what they "must" lose "in order to be ok" or whatever. I know the feeling of panic... pretty well. But the reality is that panic is one of those things that made me need external motivation; "quiet desperation" drains you. Adding time-pressure to your mental diet is like adding carbs to your physical diet: it makes you really deficient in another things, like Vitamin C or "motivation and persistance". There's a difference between a fairly short term goal you think you can make, and a goal that is not only going to require herculean effort, but several other factors related to metabolism and feeding behavior that are so unlikely as to be completely unrealistic.

I'm making my new goals to be happy, and that includes as part of it, not only all kinds of things that aren't about food but *are* about healthy living, but also a regular, optimistic outlook on continued weight loss and life improvement, and deliberately short- and medium- term goal plans, which I find motivating and do-able. Something like, "I will work every day on eating healthier and I hope I lose 30# in the next six months," as opposed to, "I read about this guy who lost 300# in only 22 months! Maybe I could do THAT!"


"Sprinters" don't make this long a cross-country run. It isn't about the urgency and leap; it's about pacing yourself, focusing on what matters day to day, and taking steps to preserve the elements that sustain you for the long term race.