To Diet or Not to Diet that is the Question

For years I was the eternal optimist: Whenever I dieted down to my target weight, I'd pledge that this time I would make my dream weight stick. Now I'm the pudgy pessimist, and I don't like that.

So I've made a decision: I want to lose weight. But I've made another decision, too: I'm not going to diet. I'm hungry for insights that will get me off that roller coaster. I want to find a healthy weight at which I look attractive rather than "thin" and, most of all, one that I can maintain. I want to marry that weight, not flirt with it. I need to figure out a sensible way to approach health and weight for the rest of my life, and that's the MO for Kilo Wise. I'm going to be a work in progress, and I invite you to come with me and even contribute.

The topics I'm going to address are;

Can I be chubby and healthy? Fit and fat? Is it okay to tote around an extra kilo or two if my medical-test numbers are all in the green? Or should I just eat, drink, and be merry? After all, I have a wonderful husband in whose mind's eye I'm still young and slender sexy girl. It's a great source of security, but also of complacency.

When I kick up my exercise regimen and dial down my caloric intake at a spa, why don't I always lose weight? Is the desire to lose weight a sign of vanity or an indicator of good mental health? Is striving for a certain number on the scale, or a certain size on the dress rack, healthy or obsessive behavior?

In the next few months, I'm going to visit a number of spas and weight loss clinics to report on their programs and get their staffs' perspectives on the topics I'll be tackling. I would love to hear about other guests' struggles and identify the questions they want answered, and I'm going to engage the spa's fitness experts and nutritionist to design a long-term eating plan. I'll report on how well it works as we go along.