Are you weighing wrong?

Arts Entertainments

Have you ever seen the Pixar movie “Cars”? It is set on Route 66, a historic route between Chicago and Los Angeles. In fact, according to legendsofamerical.com and wikipedia.org, Route 66 was an important path for immigrants and other travelers heading west. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the highway’s popularity, and later struggled to keep the highway alive as it was bypassed by the interstate highway system. Route 66 has many bypasses and historic attractions, and it’s certainly not an interstate. Some sections of the highway are now closed entirely. Although faster travel is possible, thousands of travelers still use this highway due to its history, slow pace, and narrow, mountainous landscape.

After watching the movie with my 14-year-old daughter, I realized that you can compare Route 66 trips to your weight loss journey. Think about it, have you ever hit a bump in the road for a holiday, a night on the town or a summer fair and the holidays, stress or summer barbecuing has now become a detour? Scenic drives, slow or no progress can also be compared to traveling Route 66. Preparing yourself and learning from your past experiences can help you stay on track without getting lost. However, many get lost on their journey. Either you lose focus first, then interest followed by a lack of motivation, or you simply forget why you set out in the first place. Reflect on this for a second. If you were traveling on Route 66 and noticed that you were going the wrong way, would you continue? Probably not. I bet you would a). Get off at the next exit and return to b). Cross the median and turn around. That said, why when it comes to your weight loss journey when you realize you’re headed in the wrong direction, do you keep going? Tip to remember, if you’re not following directions, you’re probably going in the wrong direction.

Learn from your experience:

Ask yourself what works and what doesn’t.

  • What eating habits keep you on track and which ones don’t?
  • What keeps you motivated and what tends to slow it down?
  • Are there activities you enjoy more than others to help burn calories?

Who do you trust for support and encouragement?

  • Do you learn from others who share your goal or are you influenced by others who don’t?

Bumps in the road, detours or slow progress and even feeling isolated is part of the journey that we all face to some degree. But keep in mind that it’s not what’s behind us or what’s ahead; What really matters is what is inside of us. So when you recognize that you’re weighing in poorly, there’s no need to look anywhere other than within yourself to get back on track.

Have a great and successful week,
-Steve

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *