Monday Weigh-In & Neural Plasticity

Today's weight: 396.6
BMI: 72.54

The next mini-goal will be to reach 375 pounds by the end of November.  It may seem like a long time given the fast weight loss these two weeks, but I'd rather aim low then aim too high and set the bar to something unachievable.  I know myself all too well, and it's way too easy to throw off the steady pace in a fit of despair and eat everything in sight.


The past week has been stressful.  The good kind of stress, but still stress nonetheless.  I ate far too many carbs yesterday - three cups of fruit which is a lot of sugar for me, but it helped stave off crabings for Bad Things.  I've found cooking everything makes for a much easier time of sticking to what food is best for me, versus winging it.

Some temptations are simply too great.  We have a tremendous pizza restaurant nearby, and I simply can't go.  I just don't eat correctly if I do - so I stay home or suggest alternatives if a friend wants to visit.  I don't expect that this will last forever after habits are more correctly formed.  Right now I would definitely binge.  I can easily eat 10-20k, and yes I mean ten to twenty thousand, calories a day when I find the right mix my addiction desires.  For now, I will eat a bit of extra fruit instead and be happy that I made a better choice, even if it's not the "perfect" one.

And it's true, that old habits don't have to last forever, thanks to everyone's friend neural plasticity.  The human brain is a curious creature, and has the ability to grow and change depending on what we do or think.  This is called neural plasticity.  Even visualizing things very clearly has the effect on altering brain structure; if you make yourself believe something, the brain changes according to this.  It's the reasons that pianists were found to have more brain mass in the areas controlling physical dexterity and precision, why the brain can recover so adamantly (and surprisingly) after trauma both physical and mental, and also one of many reasons that weight loss can be such a pain in the ass.

It takes several months to make a new pathway in the brain.  I've read somewhere in the range of six to nine months.  Now, during those six months or what have you, the important thing is not merely doing the habit you wish to form, it's posting reminders to yourself, visualizing the outcome in a positive and attractive way that makes you desire it, and even if you divert from it, to immediately get back on track.  Many aspects of our behavior are in fact unconsciously done for us on our behalf by our brains, and this is why willpower alone, while an important key, cannot be the only ingredient in success when changing a very ingrained habit.

Now it's true once the pathways are formed that the old pathway exists, as well.  Still, once the new roads are paved, acting as you want to becomes more second nature.

Sorry for rambling, but it's fascinating stuff.  I take responsibility for my huge weight gain, as I should, but the heart of the matter is that anyone can change if they really want to.  The thing I'm trying to say I guess, is that you have to actually want change or it won't happen.