posted November 15, 2022
Formerly weighing in at a max 367 pounds, I think I know a thing or three about weight gain and its cousin, weight loss.
While I’ve lost count of the exact number, I suspect I’ve lost 50 pounds or more, probably fifteen to twenty times in my life. I’ve lost 100+ pounds twice in my life. But here’s the key question: how many times have I kept that weight off?
Once.
That’s right. I’ve lost probably over 1,000 pounds throughout my life, and I’ve kept it off only once (the last time).
This begs the question, what did I do differently this last time that I didn’t do the other twenty times?
The answer is simple.
The first 20 times I made only temporary changes to my lifestyle. I would lose the weight and then go right back to my old habits. The weight would come back on with a vengeance.
This last time I made permanent changes to my lifestyle. I lost the weight and did not go right back to my old habits.
Guess what? The weight not only came off, it has stayed off.
As I write this, I’m 5’7” and I weigh 130 pounds.
That’s a 237-pound weight loss—all without drugs or surgeries.
Being a numbers guy, I love formulas. So, here are two formulas I came up with for weight loss:
- Temporary Changes = Temporary Results
- Permanent Changes = Permanent Results
The Way of Excellence
So, what got me to make the mental shift from temporary to permanent change? I implemented twelve key concepts from a system I created and have since revised, The Way of Excellence.
1. Awareness
Like any addict who wanted to get better, I admitted that what I had done over and over and over throughout the years had not worked. It was going to take something different if I was going to succeed.
2. Adopting Long-Term Thinking
I shifted from short-term thinking to long-term thinking, i.e., giving up some of the foods I loved in the short-term would pay long-term benefits.
3. Personal Responsibility
I took personal responsibility for my situation.
4. Embracing Change
I chose to embrace the major life changes I was making instead of fighting them.
5. Changing My Perspective
I changed my perspective from have to to get to. I didn’t have to change my lifestyle, I got to change my lifestyle. It wasn’t an obligation, but a privilege for me to make these changes.
6. Taking Consistent Action
My words always said I wanted to lose weight, but my actions said otherwise. I changed my actions to make them consistent with my stated desires, i.e., eating healthier and exercising.
7. Persistence
I decided that I was going to do whatever it takes for the rest of my life to become healthy and to reap the benefits from having done so.
8. Respect
I decided I was going to respect my body and stop filling it with horrible foods that only made me bigger and bigger.
9. Balanced Lifestyle
I changed my lifestyle to make time every day for healthy eating and for walking.
10. Willingness
I became willing to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.
11. Belief
I actually opened my mind to the possibility that my goal of losing weight was indeed possible and within my ability to accomplish.
12. Discipline
I became disciplined. This is not to say I never had slip ups, but when I did, I simply forgave myself and immediately returned to doing what was right for me.
When I tell people my story, they say it must have been very hard for me to do these things.
My response? Doing these things was a heck of a lot easier than walking around at 300+ pounds…
Stanley F. Bronstein is an attorney, CPA, broker, author, and Main Street Vegan Academy graduate. Thirty-five years ago, he was an eighteen-year-old college freshman who weighed nearly 300 pounds, later maxing out at 367 pounds. Now he weighs 130 pounds, done without drugs or surgeries—just hard work and determination.
Stanley is married, lives in Arizona, and has authored multiple self-help books. He’s become a catalyst for change who’s devoted his life to helping others to change for the better. You can connect with Stanley through his website, The Way of Excellence, Facebook, or LinkedIn.