When fear is healthy...

I just read a message board post talking about fear. Specifically, being scared of re-gaining weight after a large weight loss.

So what is fear? Fear is a reaction to a perceived threat. Sometimes the threat that's perceived is legitimate. Sometimes it's not. (And I have plenty of those!)

But as far as being scared of re-gaining weight is concerned, that fear SHOULD be real. We SHOULD be scared. Why? Statistically the majority of people who lose weight will regain it. I don't know the exact current statistic, or how it breaks down between people who lose by way of "dieting" vs. bariatric surgery. I just know that statistically, the odds are against us. But here is one thing I do know. It's not 100%. So even if it's 99%, somebody has to be the 1%, and it might as well be us!

So what's the answer? Obviously there is no simple or quick answer. But to me it boils down to one key thing: complacency. Beware of complacency. We can never let our guard down. This is why we aren't on a diet. We can't stop being mindful of cultivating the good habits and keeping the bad habits at bay FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. Diet's don't work. Lifestyle changes do. You just have to keep working at them for life!

Being scared of the complacency is exactly how I plan to prevent it. I'm up for the challenge. Are you?