by patbarone
I’m often asked this question as my year-long weight loss group class ends:
“Will I be able to maintain weight loss permanently?”
I compare this to driving. (I love to drive. Damned good at it too. Driving is awesome.)
Remember when you first learned to drive? It was kind of hard! There were all kinds of things to remember inside the car. The gear shift, the pedals, the windshield wipers, the turn signals. Then, outside the car, there were other cars, bikes, signals, signs, turn lanes, and (eeeek!) people. And (double eeeeek!) people doing stupid things like crossing on a “don’t walk” signal.
It was a lot to maneuver and coordinate.

How's your driving?
Now, what is it like to drive now?
Do you even think about it?
Do you panic when you miss a turn? Do you freak when you get near the center line or the edge of your lane?
No, you simply CORRECT and keep moving.
In fact, most corrections on the road require only a tiny 1/16th move of the steering wheel. We do it completely unconsciously and we do it continually or we’d be running off the road ALL THE TIME!
That’s what happens with weight loss (more…)
by patbarone
You hear a lot about “lifestyle change” today. In fact, most diets call themselves a “lifestyle change”, even Weight Watchers.
I guess it makes customers THINK they’re doing the big job, not the little (short-term) one.
My favorite “lifestyle change” quote was a friend on Phen-Fen who had lost a lot of weight. As she ordered lasagna and whipped four packets of sugar into her tea, she proclaimed “It’s not a diet! It’s a lifestyle change! I feel so different!”
Well, with real change you don’t “feel different”, you ARE different.

Don’t be fooled. My friend’s sad truth is that (more…)
by patbarone
I’m all about living consciously – making decisions with full attention to the moment I’m living in, as well as the way that moment is connected to the future.
When I finally saw the connection between my momentary urges for foodication (medicating through food) and the ultimate result in my body, I changed my weight permanently.
I’m focused on a lifestyle that ends the lease on weight loss and OWNS it instead. I emphasize making my own decisions instead of going with the crowd. I don’t like being a “sheeple.”
I’m convinced accepting the norm, programmed by the media, advertising and fashion industries, means lots of excess weight and fat in our lives.

Soda Consumption is Directly Connected to U.S. Obesity Epidemic
Case in Point: McDonald’s new Sweet Iced Tea commercial where the woman has been sipping tea so long, she’s developed a tan line across her chin.
Yowza!
My first reaction was: “that’s the stupidest commercial I ever saw!”
No one would drink that much, right?
But…
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by patbarone
In the 16th century, people believed their kings were chosen by god, and were not fully human.
In the 17th and 18th century, people thought cancer was a curse from god for evil thoughts and was contagious.
In the 20th century, people believed diets cured excess weight.
Every one of these beliefs robbed human beings of their natural power in life. And, in every case, science proved these beliefs untrue and noted that the belief prevented proper treatment.

Permanent Weight Loss Requires a New Solution
No one can blame us for what we didn’t know then. But, now we know.
In 1996, I knew something was wrong with my previous approach to weight loss. I knew because the weight just kept coming back every time I lost weight (and it always brought an extra 10 lbs with it!).
My doctor gave me the hard science.
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by patbarone
I love this quote by Bill Gates:
“If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?”
I differ from many weight loss experts since I’ve accomplished permanent weight loss. I learned my lessons down in the trenches, instead of in a book, and my experiences smashed many of the widely accepted tenets of weight loss.

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