Chugging Along....

This morning as I was perusing blogs I started doing what I call "link hopping". You know, where you start out one place and start clicking here and there and forget where you started out in the first place! Actually, I've stumbled across some pretty cool blogs that way. But I've also come across some others that leave me feeling....well...glad I am where I am.

I guess I just get tired of all the "quick fix" diets out there. Not to say that I wasn't once chasing them all myself. Hey - any diet that promised me I'd lose tons of weight without lifting a finger or eating less was right up my alley. Count me in baby! But you know what? None of them worked. Because they were all focused on the quick fix and not the long term lifestyle changes necessary for true weight loss maintenance.

For instance (and I might ruffle some feathers here) the Kimkin's Diet. It promises super fast weight loss - but at what expense? Veggies are the bad guy on this diet. The caloric intake is way too low. And a significant part of the weight loss is water. The diet actually says you can lose 2-3 pounds per day! A year ago that would've gotten me very excited. But the smarter me knows better now. Because whatever I do to lose weight today - has to be something I'm willing to do tomorrow and next month and next year and, well...forever! Which means healthy choices and a more active lifestyle. That's it. Nothing else.

Of course as I'm in the losing mode - I will try to fore go some of the things that later on I may be able to eat in moderation. But for the most part, I'm trying to incorporate changes in my way of eating and moving and living that will become a permanent part of who I am. That's the only way it' s going to work. That's the neat thing about blog surfing. You read about people at all different stages. You can see by the pattern of their posts if they're serious or not. And I'm not knocking anyone here because I've been there too! But it's by reading between the lines that you see what's working and what's not. It's the ones who see this whole journey as a life-long trek that seem to be succeeding. Not the ones who are along for the ride for a while but willing to hop off and catch each new wave that promises an even quicker, easier fix.

I wish there was such a thing *sigh* I wish with all my heart that I could just will myself to be thin and have a gorgeous body with no effort at all on my part. But it just doesn't happen that way. When I decided I wanted to be a teacher I didn't just wake up one morning and march into some school and say hire me. I had to apply to colleges and get my bachelor's degree and then my master's degree. It was hard work! Lots of late night burning the midnight oil homework sessions. Lots of papers to write, books to read, internships.... It took many years. But I did it.

And so it is with this present journey. I'm making changes. Sure, some are hard to do and they are slow about becoming permanent. But they're happening all the same. And it's as I read about others on their own journeys that I glean the knowledge and wisdom I need to continue on my own. I won't be getting off at any quick-fix stops no matter how promising they may appear. I'm in for the long haul.

All aboard!