We all know that the vast majority of people who lose weight, regain it. And while we know that nobody who loses that weight actually wants to put it back on, somehow we’ve become really good at it! Some of us have spent a lifetime cycling between the fit and fat versions of us. We even have the small, medium, large and industrial sections in our wardrobe. What a miserable and frustrating cycle that is. And I’m not talking about minor weight fluctuations here, I’m talking about a range of 10-50 kgs (22-110lbs) or more. We get on and off the weight-loss roller coaster for a bunch of reasons but here’s what twenty five years of working with people in this area has taught me. My top five observations anyway…

    1. We don’t keep our head in the game.

    For a range of reasons, somewhere along the way we lose it mentally and emotionally. And when the discipline, the self-control and the can-do attitude go out the window, so does the new and improved body. Pity. We know that what happens below the shoulders is driven by what happens above them (our physiology is a by-product of our psychology), so for most of us, mastering our mind is the key to mastering our body. Creating life-long change (in this case, weight-loss) ain’t about carbs, protein shakes, treadmills or pump classes, it’s about what’s happening between our ears. I know that this is a message I share regularly but it still seems to be missed and/or overlooked by the masses; fix the head to fix the body. Do whatever you need to do, to maintain focus, commitment and momentum over the long term. And as for that whole “it takes thirty days to create a new habit” thing… crap. As a rule, it usually takes much longer. Very few of us (okay, nobody) will undo thirty years of destructive behaviours, habits and thinking in thirty days. As is often the case, the theory and the reality don’t actually merge.

    2. We do stupid things to our body.

    Oh how we love extremes when it comes to weight loss. Four lettuce leaves, two carrots, some diuretics, a few fat-blaster tablets and three workouts a day. Great plan. If you’re an idiot. And if you wanna lose a heap of fluid and muscle. And energy. And health. Extreme never works. Yes we all think our body is special and unique but… it’s not. It amazes me how many ’smart’ people do stupid things to their body. Drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, excess food, no food, no sleep, poor hydration, over-training and under-training, just to name a few. Be emotional and silly about your football team by all means, but not with the decisions you make about your body.

    3. We start things that we won’t maintain.

    We know that diets don’t work but geeeeze we’re good at doing them anyway. For a week. Despite being more educated than we’ve ever been, we (our society) still embrace what we know doesn’t work; the watermelon and air diet. And the boiled egg and grapefruit diet.

    4. We get in shape for events, but not for life.
    Yep, I’ve said it before, we’re great at losing weight for birthdays, weddings, school reunions, big social events and even summer. And then we’re great at getting fat again. It’s what we do. Don’t get mad at me, just take a look around. If only life was one long birthday, we’d all look amazing 24/7. We change our behaviour for a while, but on a level below our conscious (and temporary) behaviours, we’re simply waiting to go back to normal. Normal being the same behaviours that lead us to obesity in the first place.

    5. We don’t have a plan for life beyond the weight-loss.

    Some of us are pretty good at the losing bit… but kinda crap at the maintaining bit. We arrive at our destination (Skinny Central) and start to eat. And eat. And eat. After all we deserve it, we’ve been ’so good’. And then we wake up six months later and realise that our trim body has well and truly left the station. Toot, toot. Losing weight is relatively easy. Maintaining habits, behaviours and weight loss for life is the real challenge.

    大(da)多(duo)數(shu)人(ren)減(jian)了(le)再(zai)肥(fei)，肥(fei)了(le)再(zai)減(jian)。誰(shui)也(ye)不(bu)想(xiang)這(zhe)樣(yang)反(fan)反(fan)複(fu)複(fu)，不(bu)過(guo)我(wo)們(men)卻(que)出(chu)奇(qi)擅(shan)長(chang)做(zuo)這(zhe)種(zhong)事(shi)。有(you)些(xie)人(ren)甚(shen)至(zhi)一(yi)輩(bei)子(zi)都(dou)在(zai)肥(fei)與(yu)不(bu)肥(fei)間(jian)循(xun)環(huan)往(wang)複(fu)


，衣(yi)櫃(gui)裏(li)的(de)衣(yi)服(fu)從(cong)小(xiao)號(hao)到(dao)中(zhong)號(hao)、到大號
，到超大號一應俱全。這是個多讓人灰心的循環呐！而且，我這裏指的還不是一兩斤上下的小變化，我指的是10-50公斤（22-110磅）甚shen至zhi更geng多duo的de體ti重zhong變bian化hua。我wo們men在zai減jian肥fei的de過guo山shan車che裏li上shang上shang下xia下xia，其qi實shi是shi有you原yuan因yin的de。我wo和he這zhe些xie反fan複fu減jian肥fei的de人ren打da了le二er十shi五wu年nian的de交jiao道dao
，發fa現xian了le其qi中zhong最zui重zhong要yao的de五wu條tiao。

    1、減肥時，我們沒有思考。

    有(you)時(shi)候(hou)
，是(shi)心(xin)理(li)因(yin)素(su)在(zai)激(ji)勵(li)我(wo)們(men)減(jian)肥(fei)。一(yi)旦(dan)心(xin)裏(li)有(you)了(le)紀(ji)律(lv)，我(wo)們(men)就(jiu)能(neng)約(yue)束(shu)自(zi)己(ji)
，並(bing)相(xiang)信(xin)自(zi)己(ji)能(neng)夠(gou)減(jian)肥(fei)成(cheng)功(gong)。可(ke)惜(xi)我(wo)們(men)卻(que)很(hen)少(shao)這(zhe)樣(yang)做(zuo)。脖(bo)子(zi)以(yi)下(xia)的(de)身(shen)體(ti)都(dou)受(shou)了(le)脖(bo)子(zi)上(shang)麵(mian)的(de)大(da)腦(nao)支(zhi)配(pei)（就像生理學是心理學的副產品）

，所以，減肥要靠思維控製。要想完成像減肥這樣的終身任務，靠的可不是碳水化合物
、減肥代餐、踏步機或者健身課程這些玩意兒，靠的是我們大腦裏有什麼樣的意識。這一點我多次強調但大部分人還是忽略了

，要想減肥，請先“健腦”。盡可能地在這項長期任務中保持你的注意力、你的責任感、你的原動力。有人說什麼“三十天養成新習慣”……在我看來一派胡言。遠遠需要更多的時間。很少人（其實是沒有人）能夠隻花三十天的時間就能使得自己三十年的舊習慣舊思維土崩瓦解。人們的理論總是過分樂觀地估計了現實。

    2、對身體，我們做了太多蠢事。

    對於減肥，很多人非常熱衷於采取極端方式。一天吃四片生菜葉子
、兩根胡蘿卜、一些利尿食物
、幾片減肥藥丸

、做三次運動……計劃看起來很不錯？傻瓜！這(zhe)樣(yang)做(zuo)，你(ni)隻(zhi)能(neng)減(jian)掉(diao)水(shui)分(fen)和(he)肌(ji)肉(rou)罷(ba)了(le)


，還(hai)丟(diu)了(le)能(neng)量(liang)和(he)健(jian)康(kang)。極(ji)端(duan)方(fang)式(shi)沒(mei)得(de)成(cheng)功(gong)。雖(sui)然(ran)誰(shui)都(dou)覺(jiao)得(de)自(zi)己(ji)的(de)身(shen)體(ti)與(yu)眾(zhong)不(bu)同(tong)，不(bu)過(guo)並(bing)非(fei)如(ru)此(ci)。看(kan)到(dao)很(hen)多(duo)所(suo)謂(wei)的(de)聰(cong)明(ming)人(ren)對(dui)自(zi)己(ji)做(zuo)這(zhe)些(xie)蠢(chun)事(shi)，我(wo)感(gan)到(dao)非(fei)常(chang)驚(jing)異(yi)。服(fu)藥(yao)、吸煙
、酗酒、過量飲食或者不吃不睡、不適當地攝取水分、過度鍛煉或者缺乏鍛煉……這些都是非常不好的行為。看足球你可以感情用事，對自己的身體，千萬別。

    3、我們總在做無法堅持的事情。

    mingmingzhidaojieshimeiyong，womenhaishihuizuo，napazhizuoyigelibai。chufeijiaoyushuipingkongqianditigaoshangqu，womenhaishihuizuonaxiemingzhidaomeiyongdeshiqing，biruxiguajianfeifa、煮雞蛋和葡萄柚減肥法等等。

    4、為了某件事減肥，卻不為了生活減肥。

    參加生日聚會、婚禮、同學會、大da型xing社she交jiao活huo動dong甚shen至zhi迎ying接jie夏xia天tian都dou成cheng了le我wo們men減jian肥fei的de理li由you。活huo動dong一yi結jie束shu
，我wo們men就jiu開kai始shi了le增zeng肥fei的de曆li程cheng。大da家jia就jiu是shi這zhe麼me幹gan的de

，別bie覺jiao得de我wo說shuo話hua討tao厭yan，不bu信xin你ni看kan看kan周zhou圍wei的de人ren。如ru果guo人ren的de一yi輩bei子zi就jiu是shi一yi個ge漫man長chang的de生sheng日ri，我wo們men誰shui都dou會hui苗miao條tiao無wu比bi。為wei了le某mou個ge目mu的de我wo們men一yi時shi間jian改gai變bian行xing為wei習xi慣guan
，這zhe就jiu使shi得de我wo們men在zai潛qian意yi識shi裏li期qi盼pan著zhe回hui歸gui正zheng常chang。所suo謂wei的de正zheng常chang，無wu非fei就jiu是shi做zuo那na些xie讓rang我wo們men一yi步bu一yi步bu走zou向xiang肥fei胖pang的de蠢chun事shi。

    5
、減了肥
，我們就失去了人生目標。

    攻城容易守城難
，減肥目標實現，我們就開始吃、吃
、吃(chi)

，再(zai)長(chang)肉(rou)純(chun)粹(cui)活(huo)該(gai)。做(zuo)得(de)這(zhe)麼(me)水(shui)到(dao)渠(qu)成(cheng)

，不(bu)肥(fei)真(zhen)冤(yuan)。六(liu)個(ge)月(yue)後(hou)，我(wo)們(men)恍(huang)然(ran)醒(xing)悟(wu)，發(fa)現(xian)自(zi)己(ji)已(yi)離(li)初(chu)衷(zhong)太(tai)遠(yuan)。於(yu)是(shi)再(zai)殺(sha)將(jiang)回(hui)來(lai)。減(jian)掉(diao)幾(ji)斤(jin)肉(rou)其(qi)實(shi)很(hen)簡(jian)單(dan)，難(nan)的(de)是(shi)一(yi)輩(bei)子(zi)保(bao)持(chi)良(liang)好(hao)的(de)行(xing)為(wei)習(xi)慣(guan)
，把(ba)成(cheng)果(guo)保(bao)持(chi)下(xia)去(qu)。