I’m down a little more this week, bringing my total to 37.8 pounds lost. I’ll claim the full 38 pounds when it’s actually the full 38 pounds. Still — I’m happy to be down just a little bit further. I’m sure I’ll have a pic of another overweight animal, or a toddler, next week. 😉

I’m at a point in my weight loss that has, in the past, been a test to my commitment. I’ve lost a nice amount of weight successfully, but it’s not noticeable enough for people to remark on it.

Now, this certainly isn’t unique to me. I think everyone who is in the process of losing weight experiences this. It’s when you’re teetering on that point of looking different enough that people overcome their own doubts enough to ask if you’re losing weight. It’s very possible that it requires a larger percentage of weight loss for the obese, because I’m well aware most people are very hesitant to say something to an obese person — and be wrong. It can be as much of a social faux pas as asking a woman if she’s pregnant; if she is, she’ll be glad you asked. If not… you’ve probably hurt her feelings and made her wonder why you asked.

Up until the point when people notice a person’s weight loss efforts on their own, that person is engaged in a private effort. If I were not so public about my weight loss, those I see often would likely not mention anything to me. Believe me, many an obese person who commits to weight loss is hesitant to share publicly that they’re working on weight loss, for fear of judgment… and one other thing.

Fear of failure.

You see, as long as you keep your weight loss efforts private, and no one has acknowledged that loss yet, you’re in the unique position of being able to turn back before people know. Maybe they suspect, but as long as they don’t say anything, you can remain in a mindset where you can safely fail without feeling public pressure over it. It means you can choose to fail privately — for whatever reasons you might choose that.

That moment of public acknowledgment is a turning point that makes it five times more difficult to go backwards. Mind you, it feels good to have your efforts recognized; but it brings with it pressure to succeed, and unfortunately, a vast number of opinions from others on how to do exactly that, even if you’ve obviously had a certain amount of success with your own methods.

Something vastly personal may become a topic of conversation every time you see someone. It’s an accountability that didn’t exist when no one knew you were trying to lose weight. But it’s also pressure, and in some ways, it’s acknowledgment that you somehow weren’t good enough, before. So many see obesity as a character flaw, that publicly committing to weight loss is like admitting you’ve been a selfish slob… which is usually far from the truth. Where a moderately overweight person also has fears of that public commitment, an obese person has the double whammy of excess weight somehow being an indicator of poor character.

This is exactly why I chose to commit publicly from the first pound lost. Believe me, it’s scary as hell, facing this particular albatross, but I’ve gotten to that public commitment phase before, and allowed myself to fail privately so that I wouldn’t be doing it publicly.

While every individual’s weight loss journey is unique, looking at methods to insure your success in the long run, and figuring out creative ways to deal with the stresses that have prevented success previously, must be part of an overall weight loss plan.