Know Yourself and Do What Works For You

Let's be honest...if you're reading this, you have some weight to lose, or you know someone else who does. It's the 21st century...this is North America, we all know there's a problem. We've all strolled through a WalMart and had to negotiate our shopping cart around someone in the isle that's two or three times as wide as they ought to be.

That was mean. I'm just in a nasty mood...ignore me. No, don't ignore me. Keep reading. I'll try to be nicer.

Anyway, from time to time we make the decision to shed our extra pounds. So we reign in our behaviour. We eat a little healthier and we exercise a little more, we loose some weight...we get bored, we lose our resolve, we return to our old habits and we gain the weight back. We've all done it. I've done it a bunch of times.

What I've discovered is, (now pay attention, this is important) success comes from knowing yourself. I'm not telling you to sit around contemplating your navel and the pounds will magically fall off. I'm saying you have to know yourself and your lifestyle and what will work for you over the long haul.

Allow me to use myself as an example. I am not a meeting person. I may be expected at a meeting, but I will move heaven and earth not to be there. So an organization like Weight Watchers, at first glance, seems like a bad idea for someone like me. Not so. The Weight Watchers Online program was ideal for me. It comes with all the tools you need to calculate your 'points' and keep your food journal as well as a database of helpful articles, recipes, inspiring stories and friendly message boards. Weight Watchers Online worked for me.

There are plenty of diet plans and theories out there and as long as it's healthy and it's working for you AND will work for you in the long run, go for it. Find the one that's best for you.

Likewise, you have to find a way to get some exercise and you have to get it, pretty well, every day. I live out in the boonies, so there's no point in joining a gym. I'd never go and I certainly couldn't commit to going six days a week. It would take too much time out of the day and it would cost a fortune in gas. I can, on the other hand, pop in a DVD six days a week and workout at home. That's what works for me.

Lot's of people love the gym. Other people will go for a run, rain or shine. Whatever works. Find something you love to do, that you have time to do and that you can stick with.

Losing weight is a long process and keeping it off is a life-long commitment. Be flexible and change things up from time to time. Keep learning new things and continue to learn about yourself. It's a big job, this weight maintenance stuff and you have to enjoy it or you're setting yourself up for disappointment.