I'm very glad you put this here Dan and I hope everyone can appreciate its content and take something beneficial away from it.*

Dan,
I think you hit the nail on the head there. Great write!

Angie

tough to admit, but so true. thanks dan.

Peppy ?* Wow. Tough to top that one.

Honestly, I notice that EVERYTHING is different.
My attitude towards food is different.* My attitude towards women, business....etc.* All different and for the better.* I'm just a different person

You are right about that! Just found a great book, it's called "Think thin, be thin" 101 Psychological ways to lose weight. It's dead on, because after all our thoughts and behaviour around food needs to change first.
*

Based on suggestions from a couple of people that I put this in a forum thread, here is a blog comment I wrote about motivation.* I used to strongly disagree with everything below but once I changed my views, everything got a lot easier.

This is my take on why making ANY change is hard (losing weight or any other change) based on years of starting over, yoyo-ing and other failures.

Change (lasting change) is very difficult for everyone for a couple of VERY IMPORTANT reasons and what's worse, is that most people don't like to think about those reasons.
First, we all say we want to change, but I'll be brutally honest, 95%-99% of the people are just giving it lip service and yes I've been guilty of it too. The truth is we want things in our lives to be different, but we REALLY DON'T want to change.* In other words we want it both ways, have our cake and eat it too,...etc.* One of the HARDEST things to do is accept the fact that you simply CAN'T have it both ways.* You can either keep doing the same things and things will stay the same or you can do things differently and get different results.* The truth is most of don't accept this (at least not at a deep level).

Second, to REALLY change implies that we have to admit that we are wrong.* In other words, we have been doing thing the WRONG way.* This is another very difficult thing to do.* I f***'ing hate admitting I'm wrong (ask anyone I've gone out with - lol). and the truth is most people hate it just as much (even though they give lip service that it doesn't bother them).

Third, and most importantly, changing (losing weight, going from self-hate to self-love, or whatever else) requires change at a behavioral level and a psychological level.* How many times have you installed a behavioral change for a few weeks or months only to fall off the wagon and revert back to your old ways?* I've done it at least 20 times.* Most people thing that after they make a behavioral change (ie exercise reguarly) that everything will automatically fall into place. I wish that was true, but it isn't.* If you disagree, just look at how many people yoyo/fail over and over again.*
So, not only do you have to make lifestyle changes (better diet, more exercise) you also need to install better beliefs/values into your subconscious/conscious mind* and this is REALLY hard.* Changing core beliefs is about the hardest thing any of us will ever try to do.* For example, your blog is a perfect example.* You could CHOOSE to believe whatever you wanted.* You could choose to be postive and motivated or negative and self-loathing.* We all have that choice.* It's another thing a lot of people give lip service but don't really take to heart.
However, if you get to the point where you really do incorporate new & positive beliefs into your subconscious, then everything become very easy because you are now a different person.* Until that happens, you have to keep working at it.

ive noticed that, even now iam so scared to change my life. but i guess its worth the change right.

thats all so true dan.* thanks for the great post.

That was great Dan...Thank you!
Dawn

wow....that was deep.....so...any ideas on how to*make the subconscious* beleave what the conscious mind is telling it.....??????? enquiring minds want to know (well...my mind does)