Practice, Practice, Practice
When one looks at all the great athletes of the world, the question "What made them good?” may come to mind. Were they inherently talented? Did they possess some genetic makeup that allowed them to perform at such a high level? Maybe they were born into a family that had the money and the time to help them develop the skills?
Actually most great athletes, and for that matter most musicians, entertainers and artists in general, did one thing that a lot of us aren't willing to do...They practiced. They developed skills by training hours and hours every week, every month and every year. I guess you would have to ask then, "Why would they practice so much?” There was no guarantee of fame and fortune. Only a few make it to the NHL, NBA or actually qualify for the Olympics. They practiced because they enjoyed improving, seeing their individual skills improve, knowing that possibly, just possibly, they might qualify to be an international athlete.
When I look at the patients coming into our office, I ask myself, "What makes some people more successful than others?” Many are quickly discouraged and give up on themselves. On the other hand, there are those who are willing, like a great athlete, to persist trying day by day. They make mistakes, have successes and battle through unexpected life events until they get to the size or weight they desire. In the beginning, it will be very motivating to hear others compliment them on their weight loss, but in the long run, we must motivate ourselves to keep trying. The key is that the motivation is always internal, not external.
Practicing every day to become a great athlete is not any different than practicing every day to improve your health through better eating habits, conquering cravings, accepting setbacks, or trying to develop better coping skills for eating at parties or on holidays. It takes work. A lot of mental work. Today I saw one of my patients who had been struggling to get herself on track for 2 years. She had seen no weight loss and was not doing any exercise, BUT she kept coming in. She kept ‘practicing' trying to get her mind motivated to accept that she had to eat less and that she couldn't always cave into her sweet cravings. Well, her practice paid off. In 3 weeks, she is now down 10 pounds and has finally forced herself to complete one exercise session (which, by the way, she enjoyed once it was done.) But what I found most impressive, was how she handled cravings. She was in a shopping mall and went by a candy store and had intense chocolate cravings. Instead of giving into them, she went to a coffee stand and got a hot chocolate and forced herself to sit down, sip the drink and just watch the people go by. The craving left and she went home happy.
You see, this is the kind of practice we all have to do daily. Like an athlete, sometimes we will be successful and at other times not. But the more you practice, the more skills you develop to handle similar difficult situations in the future. Can you find a way to get your mind off food, to distract your thought pattern so that you don't give into the craving? I'm sure you can. But you need to practice. Work on in every day. What is the reward? The reward is in learning you can do it, that you can empower yourself. You'll find that you can control the food and lose the weight.
We are surrounded by food. Not only are our fridges full, our cupboards are too. Even while getting your car filled with gas, you will encounter a small store full of junk food. You must develop the ability to take your mind off food. Food will never satisfy a negative emotional state or if it does, it will only be for a short time. In the long term, one has to deal with the emotional and health consequences of carrying extra weight.
Losing weight and keeping it off is a life long journey. Treat it as such. Practice different skills every day, every time you go in the kitchen, every time you go into a restaurant or a mall or a movie theatre. Practice. You can do it. Never give up.
Dr. Doug