I have to pipe up here...just heard a good quote relating to self esteem. Something like this: "Success leads to high self esteem rather than the opposite." The idea that you have to first have great self esteem before you can succeed at whatever is often the current thinking, but this quote turns this around the other way, and I tend to agree with the turned around version, I think.

I remember reading Maslow way back when. I liked him a lot and was inspired by a lot of what he wrote. The whole psychoological issue is nice, sometimes interesting, but there appear to be so many factors in successful weight loss. Each BODY is different, as is each metabolism, hormonal profile, genetics, on and on. PLUS....we have been led over the years into eating a diet which is frighteningly conducive to weight gain...the excess of grains in our diet as one example. It's a real eye opener to read the book "Dangerous Grains" and if you read it, you'll be taking a big step towards a healthy aversion to eating grains,which are very addictive and which are strongly linked to a whole host of ailments, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and yes....gaining weight.

I'm not really that much overweight....most people wouldn't think I'm overweight at all, but for me, losing that last 20 or so lbs. is the devil and I can't figure out why it should be so impossibly hard. I don't care how good I feel about myself and all these other things in my life, fact is, having the discipline to stick with a very strict diet and exercise program is hard to muster on a long term basis. I don't feel it's in any way linked to the idea of self esteem. I'm not sure Maslow would have a solution to this. Ultimately, I think you just have to want it bad enough to "do the hard work required." As much as I think I want it, perhaps I just don't want it bad enough....yet.

As Bill Phillips once said, "Knowing and doing are two different things."