allegorydiet.com/blog

I’ll bet you’re wondering why I called this blog Allegory Diet. Let me explain.

It seems there are more diets and lifestyle approaches than stars in the sky, each with its own logic as to why it’s the one that will work for you. The problem is, unless you find “the right one” and follow it in a way that works for you, nothing will work in the long run. Add to this the fact that what works for you might not work for someone else. There’s no “one size fits all” in weight loss.

Even if you do find a system that works for you, one that you are willing and able to follow, that system will need constant tweaking as time goes on. In the end, this means that no system will ever be perfect if it remains static.

Rather than take this static, unchanging approach, Allegory Diet take a holistic view of any and all programs and incorporates the pieces of each that make sense into a customized, and customizable, plan that works for the individuals that you and I are.

For instance, most programs advocate exercise. That’s all well and good, but what if you can’t do the kind of exercise called for? What if you’re carrying a lot of weight and can’t yet Zumba? What if you’re in a wheelchair? What if your bones are fragile? What if your knees are weak?

I won’t go into all of the what-ifs of every situation, because I think you get the point. The bottom line is, it’s not likely that any one program will be a perfect fit for you. None have worked to your satisfaction so far, or you probably wouldn’t be reading this right now.

My approach will take what I’ve learned up to now, combine it with what I will learn in the days to come, and “show as I go” what works for me and why it does — at my size, my age, and under the circumstances of my life. Your task is to tweak my steps to fit into your lifestyle, and I will help you with that. Together we can find a working solution to our weight and health challenges.

Will we find a “permanent” solution? First, let’s define permanence. The steps we take today will be different from those we will take next month, or next year. We will be different, and so what works will be different. This solution will change as we change, and that’s good. What we want is a permanent but flexible solution. Only time will tell if we will succeed. I say yes. How about you?

Tomorrow is the big day! Come along for the ride!

Everything is in place. The blog is now set up with a color scheme to match the allegorydiet.com website. I may have missed some things, but it’s a start. As new pages are added, the need for tweaking might show itself, but that’s OK. The site is functional, and I will begin adding it to search engines and slowly get the word out about its existence. I’m going on the assumption that “if you build it, they will come.”

On Friday, Nov. 13 (oooh… Friday the 13th!), I will begin following the plan developed by Jon Gabriel called, appropriately enough, the Gabriel Method. (Follow the link to learn more about this method.) I’ve read the book and watched the videos. Now and then, I’m able to catch the radio show. I’ve got the CD that came with the book and will begin listening to it daily beginning Friday evening. Each day, I will explain that day’s plan and comment on how well (or poorly) I followed it. I will provide weekly updates on my stats: weight, body measurements, energy level, health status, etc. As time goes on, it will become obvious whether the plan is working for me or not.

If you’re reading this, I hope that you will post to let others know you’re here. Ask questions, or comment on my progress. Let me know what you think. I’m jumping in with both feet, here. There’s no telling where this project will lead. As time goes on, the destination will begin to take shape, and hopefully so will I.

I’m still working out the logistics of this blog. Should I tell you my age and gender, or should I not? I wonder if it’s meaningful to the point of this endeavor. As stated on the opening page, all diets can work, and all diets can fail. My belief is that there are certain universal truths that relate to any diet. In order to prove this theory, it shouldn’t matter what gender I am, or how old or young. What do you think?

Welcome to my public weight loss journey. I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you decide to stay and watch as I achieve my health and weight loss goals.

It is my hope that journaling will make me more accountable and give me extra incentive to keep striving toward my health goals. My decision to share this journal with you is based on my wish that it will turn out to be a helpful tool for you as well.

For me, this will be a way to see where my journey began, to watch my progress, and to record the relevant events and thoughts I’ve experienced along the way. From this, I plan to tweak my program until I’ve molded it into a new, more healthy way of living that works for me.

For you, I hope that reading this journal (and commenting or emailing, if you so desire — I hope you do!)  will serve as a model for your own journey.

For us both, I hope that it will prove to be a helpful learning tool, one that will reveal a path that leads to better health and a fuller, richer life.

Let us begin.