Mark Stone

I've been reading in the "Other Birthday" thread and I cannot post there, because there was never a single day or event that slapped me into reality and made me decide to be healthy. Although there was a constellation of events around me to show that my lifestyle was getting unhealthy (mostly other members of my family that were getting sick), I never had a life-changing wake up moment. I've been a bicyclist for more than 40 years (probably over 100,000 miles total), so when my weight started to climb and my mobility started to decrease about ten years ago, it came on gradually; when it became evident I was quite surprised and in denial. In 2003 the death of Ken Kifer lowered my bike mileage considerably (which may be a different story) and that started my decline in health. When I "came to" (so to speak) about a year ago, I discovered that I didn't need "motivation" to lose the weight I had gained. I needed tactics; an objective, workable plan. The motivation was already there. Note that I am not criticizing those that had a big wake-up call day, that are posting in the "Other Birthday" thread, I'm just saying that it wasn't that way for me. Fortunately I still had bicycling and joined Weight Watchers, which provided the tactical approach (plan) that I needed (I've lost 40 to 45 pounds in 2012) AND very much appreciated support from my wife and my friends here in C/A. I'm posting this to say: Motivation is great, but then you gotta come up with a plan to get it done. Whether it's WW like me, or South Beach or Nutrisystem or doing a diet/exercise plan on your own, come up with a tactical approach. It's important at the end of the year because there's gonna be a lot of people making New Year resolutions to get healthy that will stumble because they have the motivation but lack the plan.

Neil_B

Its usually one way or another that prompts the desire to change. Either you have a wake-up call like myself, Sayre Kulp, Tom Stormcrowe, and others, or your world gradually gets smaller as you get fatter. In the "change the world" thread it appears that's what happened with Nerys, who has been toying with weight loss for years and is getting serious now that its starting to take a toll on his mobility. For some people the way their world gets smaller is increases in clothing sizes limiting where they can shop and what they can wear, dropping some activities because they are difficult at their current weight, less energy, etc...... all the drawbacks of obesity, accepted as something they can't change.

Mark Stone

Neil it has really been inspirational to follow the thread with you and Nerys, the give-and-take and encouragement (sometimes ragged around the edges) is encouraging more people than just Nerys. I'm proud of this community

jsigone

I think its two parts. You need motivation to start and you WILL need tactics to continue and hurdle past the first plateau. But the biggest factor that most people leave out is having fun doing what you do. I guess that could fall under motivation pending on your outlook at the situation.

Neil_B

Well, Nerys has a LOT of edges.... even if they are round. Seriously, I think people who get to be as large as myself, Sayre Kulp, Tom Stormecrow, Bdinger, Nerys, and others think differently than people who have much less to lose. It's not a slight of the less fat, but just an observation. One of the gentlemen named once posted he felt very upset, unexpectedly upset, when he gave away all his 5x clothing. Most guys who drop a size or two give the stuff away or throw it out without a second's thought. The former 5x person was giving up a lifestyle - a part of his life.

As for my encouragement of Nerys, or Chefisaac, or Sayre Kulp, or ______, one of my keys to weight loss is "Finding Joy." If I can't find and encourage weight loss in others, I'll have a hard time making it happen in my own life. And yes, it does become mutually supportive. Sayre is an amazing person, and I did little but remind him he was, and in return he brought this into my life:






... and I'm the richer man for it.

Neil_B

Reminds me of a chess comment I heard somewhere or another... "Strategy is what you want to do. Tactics are how you do it."