Frustrated w/ the scale and or "dieting"? READ THIS!!!!

I've been at this a while: in about a month, I will have used MFP for a year. In that time, I've lost 39lbs on top of the 40lbs I lost (and kept off) in summer/fall of 2009. I haven't reached all of my fat loss or fitness goals yet, but I doubt I will any time soon because this is a journey (project/lifestyle change/whatever you choose to call it) that will ideally last a lifetime--I wouldn't want to peak or burn out too quickly.

That being said, I don't have any magic formulas or secret tips that are going to melt the fat (that's really what the majority of us mean when we say "weight loss"--I don't know about any of you, but I'm not trying to lose bone, organ, or hair...), but I do know that your mental state and general feelings about yourself and the process of life play a HUGE role in how you react to what happens on the SCALE. So, with that in mind, I will say this:

Just do the best you can and be PATIENT with yourself! (I know...just keep reading...)

Weight loss is a science, of course; however, with so many variables (including that we are HUMAN, therefore...wacky) and that our daily lives don't mirror lab conditions, deviations (don't say "failures"--come on) are not only possible, they're common, to be expected, and inevitable SO--let's just get over it! It's okay to push yourself to work hard(er) and be successful in your goals BUT remember there is a FINE LINE between pushing yourself and beating yourself up. I urge you to find your line and examine it!

Now, for the really touchy-feely stuff (sorry...but not really): let's be nicer to ourselves. Let's embrace this LIFESTYLE CHANGE and appreciate all the NSVs we have along the way. In reality, those NSVs probably add up to wayyyyy more than some number on the scale that, without the exact breakdown (fat, muscle, bone, poop, hair products, etc.), is really AT BEST just an indicator that you are or aren't in the ballpark and AT WORST an arbitrary measure of something so complex, computers that could probably take over the world in the next two weeks are needed to suss it all out (sorry--currently reading a book about robots taking over).

We allow the scale so much power over us and measure wayyyyyyyyyyyy too much of our worth as PEOPLE on how well we ate (aka how "good" we were), etc. So, why don't we NOT do that anymore? Don't get me wrong--even though I've been practicing thinking this way for some time now, I still have those "bad" thoughts and I always will (that pesky human thing strikes again...), but in time (and each time it takes less time) I return to reality and move on, often with renewed energy to keep making the best decisions for myself, ie those that make me feel the best I can physically AND mentally. Keep trying--it takes ongoing work but the rewards are so worth it! And this is coming from someone who pretty much earned a PhD in self-hate and self-destruction by the age of 21.

Best of luck!

As always, I'm open to new friends ESPECIALLY those who are very funny (snarky is also totally acceptable--okay, encouraged). I am also not opposed to men with shamelessly gratuitous pics of their wonderful bodies...I like to "celebrate" their "success" by ogling said pics.