Here at AOS, we learn about the three stages of weight control. They are honeymoon, frustration, and acceptance. The honeymoon stage coincides with the commitment to make long term weight controlling your own. For a while everything seems easy. It feels good to be losing weight, and being in control. But for many, this honeymoon stage does not last. After a while, the weight controller begins to get burnt out. It is not as easy as it was to practice good weight controlling skills. I am currently in the frustration phase of weight control. For some time now, I have had difficulties sticking to my program. I have to figure out how to get myself out of this stage.

To be honest, I am not 100% sure how to do it. For the moment, all I can do is not give up on myself or my program, and keep chugging along on the long road to being a long term weight controller.

Labels: frustration, stages, weight_control

With the NCAA tournament starting today, I figured that it would be an appropriate time to bring up just how great sports are.

It is well known that playing sports is a form of exercise, which is quite beneficial to the health. However, most people don't take time to look beneath the surface, and examine how many parallels there are between sports and health. Weight control is a multi-faceted effort. Not only does it involve exercise, but also goals, peer support, proper education about what foods are healthy, and above all, the will to succeed. Sports share many of these same attributes.

Take a team playing in the national football league for example. As the players enter training camp in late July and early August they have several objectives. One is to get into game shape. They go through series upon series of grueling drills to ensure that when September comes around, their bodies will be ready to handle the impact of a 60 minute game. Another is to learn the play book, and get themselves mentally ready for the upcoming season. Many teams also state clear goals going into training camp. Some shoot for a divisional title, while others have a "super bowl or bust" attitude.

Once the season starts, and the players have done all they can to prepare themselves, there are two main elements that can be viewed as the make or break points for a certain team. One is the coaching. Players can be extremely talented at what they do, however if they are not put in a position to win, then they will not have success. The other element is the desire of the athletes. These multi-millionaires, who live a privileged life have to ask themselves how hard they are willing to work, and if they are willing to put their bodies on the line to succeed.

As farfetched as this analogy may seem to be, organized sports, and weight control have many similarities. It is easier to view health as a challenge, something that you can work towards, similar to sports, than an insurmountable problem.

18 days until opening day.

Go Giants

Labels: determination, sports, weight_control