I'll be honest with you, it's been a struggle to truly engage in this final battle with fat.  I call it final because, by the grace of God, I am going to make this the last stand.  I will succeed.  That said, I know I will not give up the battle of the bulge, but there has been a lot of back and forth in the skimishes.

It's been about a month and I've lost 11 pounds.  That's not too bad.  It's on the low side for a first month of Medifast, but well within the average to high amount when compared to most guidelines for losing weight.  There has been some ups and downs, and recently, it's become clear that one key component must be in place.  It's the gray matter between your ears.

Face it-- when you are going through the course of your day, you may be hungry, but it's seldom an overpowering urge to eat, or overeat.  When we look honestly at the situation, you know that you have the ability to walk away.  So why are so few about to do so, and instead find themselves starting at what was a full box of candy or a full plate of food wondering where it all went?  I believe the ability to stop and evaluate the choice is the solution to weight loss.

Steven Covey's 7 Habits book talks about the space betwen stimulus and response.  We are not simple animals who act on instinct.  We have stimulus, and then we can choose our repsonse.  It's the key to personal and business effectiveness, and to losing weight.  Here is one example- the stimulus is getting home from a long work day.  It's about 5:00 PM on a Friday night.  The week has been tough, the weather is crappy out, and you find yourself looking at the workout plan you laid out with a big red X for Friday's workout, right next to the circular offering a special on Pizza Hut's newest pan pizza.

That's the stimulus.  You know the two possible responses- pick up the phone or pick up the gym bag.  The outcome lies in that space where you realize you have a choice.  You have the ability to stop and think.  What will be the best decision?  What will I regret later?  I believe that the ability to stop grows when you are able to articulate what you are doing and why.  Know your goals and write them down.  Be accountable to a friend, a spouse, an exercise buddy.  Do whatever you have to do to have things click in your own mind.  You will be able to, perhaps for the first time, regain a little control, realize you are not a slave to habit or appetite, and you will finally get on the road to not only rapid weight loss, but a whole new outlook on life.