"weight loss with (insert catchy phrase here)"

here, in order, is what a quick google search turned up:

Lose weight with these wholesome dishes!
Lose weight with a spreadsheet and a web site!
Lose weight with AIDS!
Lose weight with Jenny Craig!
Lose weight with Dr. Phil!
Lose weight with proper portion control!
Lose weight with Yoga!
Lose weight with apple vinegar!
Lose weight with Nintendo Wii!
Lose weight with the South Beach Diet online!
Lose weight with green tea!
Lose weight with "Boring" calories!
Lose weight with hoodia!
Lose weight with weight training exercises!
Lose weight with LeanSource!
Lose weight with Wii Sports!
Lose weight with a gastric band!
Lose weight with Hypnosis!
Lose weight with exercise! (interesting that this one was on page 3, not page 1)
Lose weight with Isagenix!
Lose weight with EFT!
Lose weight with fitday!

ad infinitum..

It occurred to me today - do you know what it really takes to lose weight?

patience.

Lose weight with patience!!

Patience, or the lack thereof, is the reason why most people think diets don't work. Diets work fine. It's the people's impatience with the diet's progress that doesn't work. Sure, everyone is patient enough to last a week or two, but can you handle a month or two? Or more realistically, can you handle the 4-6 months it'll take most people to lose weight? Even better - can you handle the lifetime it's going to take to stay at a healthy weight?

I need to concentrate on being patient. This will not happen overnight. I can lose weight quickly, but I have a lot of weight to lose - so I'm no different than anybody else. If a 150-lb woman loses 10 lbs, she's needs a new wardrobe! If I lose 10 lbs, maybe a particularly tight t-shirt isn't quite so tight anymore.. but it'll take another 10lbs before i could wear it in public again. On the other hand, I can lose 30 lbs in the time it takes her to lose 10 - but so what? the end result is the same.

so I have to be patient, just like everybody else. I have to stick with it for the long haul.

-steve

P.S. I'm leaving in a few hours for one of the greatest roadtrips ever!

woot.