The Tipping Point

First, I have to tell you my good news, which is what caused me to think about the "tipping point" to begin with.

I have broken the 200 lb barrier!  I was 199.8 this morning!  I am so proud!  And this is even after my vacation where I ate and drank way more than I should have.  It goes to show that persistence and long term commitment pay off.

And this is what got me thinking about tipping points.

Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point:  How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, defines the tipping point as follows:

"The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire."

I think it applies to weight loss journeys as well.  Think of all the little things we do every day to help ourselves on our journeys:  eating right, drinking lots of water, exercise, blogging, etc.  The things, little in themselves, cumulate and build into that magic moment when all of a sudden the weight comes off.

For me, you can see (in my graph on the 'stats & stuff' page) the entire first month did very little for me even though I was doing all the right things.  In fact, I was doing them with great intensity and fervor since it was the beginning and I was still in that honeymoon phase of determination and excitement.  And yet, I only managed to lose 1.6 pounds that whole month.

And then, all of a sudden, you can see I reached the tipping point in February and the weight came off - 6.4 lbs of it.

And then came March ... another plateau hit.  And again, all my good habits, little by little, put themselves together until I think I'm at that magical moment where the weight is about to come off again.

It's almost like I can feel the tipping.  I can feel it coming.  Sometimes it's heralded by the desire to eat everything in sight.  Like right before I started to lose in February, I wanted to eat everything.  Anything bad for me.  Like red velvet cake.  I could even smell it everywhere I went.  But I resisted and then - BAM - the weight started to drop.  I hit that moment and tipped.

I think we all have these moments.  We all hit plateaus and it gets frustrating.  But what we need to remember is that during these times, our little actions are adding up.  They are leading us to our next tipping point.

So don't give up.  Keep up your little steps.  Your actions will lead you through your plateau.  If you are too impatient, add in some new steps - they can be very small ones since they all merge together - to help the tipping come faster.  Just know that it's all working, even if you aren't seeing it right this second.  It's coming.  Your magical weight loss wildfire is on its way. 

Hang in there and don't fall off when you tip!