"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams in its first editions had "Don't Panic" printed in large type on its cover. Every hitchhiker knows how invaluable that one piece of advice can be.
I'm reminding myself of that this morning. I awoke on this weigh-in day with a slight headache -- "Ahhhh, blood sugar is a bit low -- I'll probably finally break 200 today!"
Ummmmmm... No.
I actually gained weight. TWO pounds. Not due to cheating or eating salty foods or blowing off my exercise. Nope. I actually have NO idea why.
So, how will this blip on the perfectly downward track that my weight has taken to this point be different than similar blips in my past weight loss attempts? This time, my brothers and sisters in weight loss, I will NOT panic. I will not use it as the excuse to shovel food in my mouth, lamenting to all who will listen, "See! I told you! I'm meant to be fat. I do everything right and I GAIN weight. It's no use! It's fate! I give up!"
No, I will not do that. Even though what we put in our mouths and how much we exercise is TOTALLY under our control, how quickly our body releases the weight is not. We'd like to think it is a simple matter of "calories in - calorie burn = pounds lost" but I know -- and have proven -- that that is not always the case. Sometimes we need to be patient, and stick with the program. Good things come to those who wait -- as long as they keep doing the work.
I'm reminded of the story of a sailboat trying to reach a distant point on the shore. If the sailor plots his course in a direct line, he's likely to sit stalled, or worse lose ground. Why? Because the sails rely on wind, and the wind changes direction -- so the fastest way to shore is not necessarily a straight line, but may instead be a counter-intuitive zig-zag that catches the wind and propells him to shore.
All is not lost. Stay the course. Do NOT panic. (Keep repeating that.)