What Sets Apart Winners in the Losing Game

I was watching some Oprah episodes this morning and saw one with Stacey Halprin--a woman who has been on Oprah off and on since the 1980's. She was over 500 pounds, had gastric bypass, lost over 400 pounds...and has realized that gastric bypass isn't an easy out. In this episode she said that she has realized what makes people winners in this game of losing weight. (She defines winners as people who keep the weight off for years) Winners have a binge occasionally but they go back to eating right in the next meal. A single binge doesn't make you weigh over 500 pounds...it's the weeks and weeks of binges that get you like that. It's not the single Oreo, it's the whole row of Oreos. For me I can't eat one Oreo so I eat no Oreos...but I still can apply this message to my life. It's not one day of going over 1500 calories or one week of not getting in my exercise that will keep me from losing 15 pounds in this challenge. It's giving up that will keep me from achieving my goal!
I loved Stacey's "a-ha" moment too. She had knee surgery and put on some weight because she hadn't been able to exercise. So after realizing she had put on 20 pounds she said to her mom "I need to eat less and move more." It sounds so simple..so "normal" but for someone who binges it can be a slippery slope that turns into more pounds. Stacey finally started thinking like a "normal" person!
Congratulations Stacey!