Have you ever seen the Pixar movie “Cars”? It is located on Route 66, a historic route between Chicago and Los Angeles. In fact, according to legendsofamerical.com and wikipedia.org, Route 66 was a major road for migrants and other travelers heading west. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the popularity of the highway and later struggled to keep the highway alive as it was surrounded by the Interstate Highway System. Route 66 has many detours and historical attractions, and it is certainly not an interstate. Some sections of the road are now completely closed. Although it is possible to move faster, thousands of travelers still use this road, due to its history, slow pace and narrow mountainous landscapes.

After watching the movie with my 14-year-old daughter, I realized that you can compare Route 66 trips to your weight loss journey. Think about it, have you ever hit a bump in the road for a vacation, a night out in town, or a summer fair and the vacation, stress, or summer barbecuing has now turned into a detour? Scenic drives, slow or no progress can also be compared to traveling Route 66. Preparing and learning from your past experiences can help you stay on track without getting lost. However, many are lost on their journey. Whether you lose focus first, then interest followed by a lack of motivation, or you just forget why you set out in the first place. Ponder this for a second. If you were traveling on Route 66 and noticed that you were going the wrong way, would you continue? Probably not. I bet a). Get off at the next exit and go back to b). Cross the median and turn around. That being said, why when it comes to your weight loss journey, when you realize you are going in the wrong direction, do you move on? Tip to remember: If you don’t follow directions, you are likely going in the wrong direction.

Learn from their experience:

Ask yourself what works and what doesn’t

• What eating habits keep you on track and which ones don’t?
• What keeps you motivated and what tends to decrease it?
• Are there activities that you enjoy more than others to help burn calories?

Who do you trust for support and encouragement?

• Do you learn from others who share your goal or are you influenced by others who don’t

Bumps in the road, detours or slow progress and even feeling isolated is part of the journey that we all face to some degree. But keep in mind that it is not what lies behind us or what awaits us; what really matters is what is inside us. So when you realize you are going the wrong way, you don’t need to look anywhere else except within yourself to get back on track.

Have a great and successful week,

-Steve