I’m often asked this question as my year-long weight loss group class ends:

“Will I be able to maintain weight loss permanently?”

I compare this to driving. (I love to drive. Damned good at it too. Driving is awesome.)

Remember when you first learned to drive? It was kind of hard! There were all kinds of things to remember inside the car. The gear shift, the pedals, the windshield wipers, the turn signals. Then, outside the car, there were other cars, bikes, signals, signs, turn lanes, and (eeeek!) people. And (double eeeeek!) people doing stupid things like crossing on a “don’t walk” signal.

It was a lot to maneuver and coordinate.

Now, what is it like to drive now?

Do you even think about it?

Do you panic when you miss a turn? Do you freak when you get near the center line or the edge of your lane?

No, you simply CORRECT and keep moving.

In fact, most corrections on the road require only a tiny 1/16th move of the steering wheel. We do it completely unconsciously and we do it continually or we’d be running off the road ALL THE TIME!

That’s what happens with weight loss and weight maintenance when you leave the diet crap behind and start driving a life instead.

Before long, you’ll be self-correcting and staying in your lane perfectly without a second thought. You’ll notice you’re nearing the center line and, without one single mean, nasty or disparaging word to yourself, you’ll fix it.

No guilt. No “I ate the cookie and it’s all over.” No “I’m overweight and therefore must be defective. Oh, and I’ll always be defective. (whine) What is wrong with me?”

Right? We “awfulize” many things around our personal worthiness when it comes to food and food issues. We’d never do that with our driving.

It doesn’t make sense to make yourself a bad person because your car drifted a few feet.

Nobody died.

The police did not appear.

Move on.

That’s the funny thing about permanent weight loss. It just makes sense.