I know I said I’d address open thread questions on Saturdays, and I will. However, there are no rules to this blog, and a question came up that inspired me.

Char says:

Gabe, can you give me a word of encouragement? I’m trying to lose 25 pounds and get back in (reasonable) shape. I lost 9-10 pounds with workouts and avoiding sweets/alcohol, but the last couple of weeks I seem to have plateaued. It’s depressing. Any boost you can give me would be much appreciated.

You’re misguidedly trying to lose weight, huh? It’s been a while and it seems a refresher is in order. From my January post on scales and deciding not to weigh yourself:

Your scale is like your worst ex. It’s a liar; deceitful, manipulative and behaviorally inconsistent. It’s most dangerous characteristic? It’s intoxicating, luring you in day after day with the promise of better things to come.

Char, I encourage folks to gauge their lifestyle progress by how they feel rather than how much they weigh. There are so many variables when it comes to the number the scale says. How much muscle mass we carry, our current water weight, when we weigh ourselves, what we wear when we do…all of these factors play a role in what number shows up.

Look, I’m certainly not discounting the value of dropping a few pounds as the catalyst for some warm fuzzies.  I’m thrilled that you nailed that 9-10 pound loss early on if that was your mission. But I wasn’t inspired to address this question because of a weight loss discussion. My counsel for you, and for everyone, is not about pounds.

Focusing on process rather than outcome ultimately results in the greatest lifestyle improvements. Simultaneously, it keeps us present and confident. We have little control over outcomes, but nearly complete control of our moment-to-moment actions.

In baseball, being in a “slump” sucks. Players in an 0-for-20 skid sometimes try to break it by going 20 for their next 10, even as we know how detrimental that is. Truthfully, “trying” to get even a single hit is useless. Instead, we focus on how we approach each individual at-bat. We learn a pitcher’s tendencies and our own. We deconstruct our previous failures and apply those lessons prior to ever walking up to the dish. This preparation and understanding is where the real value and long term upside lies. By controlling the process, the results will come.

Baseball, ultimately, is a metaphor for life. Life, and in this case, nutrition, is simply a series of at bats. If we center our attention on making ideal choices in our eating habits and focus on making correct decisions in the moment, our clothes will fit more comfortably. We will notice we move more gracefully. Our joints and tendons will ache less.

I endorse celebrating your accomplishments and then moving on to your controllable behavior. You mentioned that you’ve avoided sweets and alcohol. Have you taken a moment to really appreciate that accomplishment or are you trying to hit a five run home run?

Positive long-term outcomes are the result of splendid processes. Set your sights, Char, on setting up systems which impact your ability to be successful for the rest of your life, rather than what the scale says tomorrow.

Dig that,

Kap