What causes failure?

Let me offer a different view. Most of us dream about winning $636M in the lottery, getting more money to do less, or that our lives were easier in some way. Without challenges, obstacles, troubles, FAILURES, mistakes, problems, dilemmas, and even catastrophes, our lives would be less not more. To achieve anything worthwhile in life, there has to be struggle. A challenge is not about what it is you want to achieve, but more about the struggle that it will require surmounting the obstacles to achieving it. A Challenge is what you can use to test the limits of your physical skills and mental willpower. The results of a challenge will tell you what you are made of.

My advice is to get most excited when things get most difficult. Welcome the challenge. People who excel get fired up for the greatest obstacles because he or she knows they are his or her opportunity to find greatness. That person comes upon a roadblock does not see a stopping point, but an obstacle that can, must, and will be overcome to reach a higher level.




Well said!!!

My point is that failure is not a bad thing; it is simply a challenge that you must overcome. Once it is put in the right perspective it can be used for learning and becoming mentally and physically stronger. SO, who cares what causes failure; it is how you respond to that failure that is important.

I think those posts you're referring to are mostly people that never lost all the weight in the first place. A lot of people come here with the mindset that it's a diet or plan. No, counting calories and eating food is a forever thing! People want to lose weight as fast as possible and lose big numbers every week, and they get disappointed when they don't.

People also have the mindset that a day over your calorie limit = failing. There are going to be those days. Everyone has them. It doesn't mean you are completely derailed.

For me, losing weight has been exciting. Yes it's been difficult and when I had plateaus, it wasn't so much fun but there was progress most of the time. Now I'm in maintenance, I realise that if I don't keep counting (at least for the foreseeable future), I will put the weight back on. In contrast to dieting, maintenance is boring. The extra calories you can eat don't give you permission to stuff your face (unless you exercise more than me). There's no ticker to mark your success and no congratulations. Nobody notices your maintenance success and you don't get the excuse to keep buying new clothes. I like goals but maintenance doesn't feel like a goal. However, since MFP, I've learned enough that I hope will keep me on the straight and narrow. Before MFP, I'd have dieted to my 'ideal' or as close as my determination would take me and then stop dieting or paying attention. Firstly, I'd eat less than pre-diet but slowly and without realising it, portion sizes would go up until I'm eating just like before.

It was nice to feel comfortable in my clothes this Christmas. I think that one motivation for me will be to look forward to the next 'occasion' like say my birthday and work on staying trim for that and then move on to the next occasion. That way I still have goals...I like goals!

I have a bit of an issue just accepting that I ate bad one day and moving on. I dwell on it and think "well what's one more day gonna matter " then here I am months later and gained about 40 lbs left of the 90 I lost

You know how Nike says "JUST DO IT" ?? For me it was just not doing it.

I had lost the 35+ pounds I wanted to. Had the body I liked after going to the gym, lifting weights, was strong (grrrrrrrrrr) walking everyday and even ran a mile. :laugh:

The week I logged my last pound I:
*told my husband I wanted a divorce
*had a stroke/TIA the same day, where they found a hole in my heart
*had heart surgery which took me off work for 4 wks
*Got back to work and the job I loved was eliminated
*Was blessed to be moved to a new job, same pay, but not one that I had wanted and with an expectation that was unreachable
*Went for a minor sx on my neck,an injection only really where they burn a nerve, so that I would be the 100% I wanted to be for my new job.
*This created daily migraine pain and visual disturbance no one could fix. The occipital nerve was over heated and that was 3 yrs ago, it is still not better
*got divorce after nearly 30 yrs
*My daughter moved out and to another city 3 hrs away
*Had severe abdominal pain, had a test and found a bad infection, the antibiotics made me sicker
*They found reflux with burns on my throat I didn't know about
*IBS severe and painful
THEN I found out by accident I have been severely depressed for the past 2 years

BUT............... the question is WHAT CAUSES FAILURE???


I stopped exercising.
I stopped watching what I eat.
I stopped logging my food.
I thought I 'had this'

The bottom line is, excuses. Yes I had reasons, for a day to day might not do it, but EXCUSES as to why I didn't keep going. I DO believe whole heartedly that most of the things to follow would have been much easier to handle, or not there at all, if I had continued to exercise and eat right.

This IS life change. Sounds like just words, but if you change the way you think it will be a life time. Now when I go out to dinner on a date I am not the least bit embarrassed " Grilled chicken/fish dry, steamed veggies, real butter on the side, huge salad with dressing on the side and no croutons. Rolls for my date only please" I have never had a funny look. Actually I think the guys like that I know what I want. Oh and I EAT my food too :laugh:

SO What causes failure? Not doing it.

What causes failure is people not getting on top of the real cause of obesity, which is the maladaptive response a lot of people have when their stomach signals that it is empty. "Naturally" thin people can push that sensation in the background and get on with their lives. For the obese, they have learned to drop everything and start consuming.

It CAN be normalized. Only then will a normal weight be maintained.