Sorry for all of these football analogies, but ‘tis the season and so here goes:
In football, every team strives to NOT get into situations when it is 3rd or 4th down and there are lots of yards to go to get a first down. With only a few yards to go, lots of different plays from the playbook can be used but if it is 3rd or 4th down and lots of yards to go, the defense knows exactly what is coming…a pass play. This situation allows the defense to prepare accordingly bringing the chances of making that first down little-none. The offense has a very low probability of converting.
To the weight control arena: In our younger years (analogy being “first and second down”) we have more time/opportunity to make significant inroads into a major weight control problem and turn things around. However, in our later years (analogy being 3rd or 4th down), when we may have already developed serious weight related co-morbidities, it will be much more difficult to drop a significant amount of weight. It is MUCH easier to lose 5 pounds than 50.
This does not mean that a football team cannot convert a 3rd down and 18 yards to go. Nor does this mean that a 60 year old with 50 pounds to lose cannot lose most/all of that weight. However, the probabilities go down as we advance in age.
There is no better time to start focusing/getting serious about your weight loss efforts than TODAY. As the game gets nearer to the end and there are lots of yards to make up, defeat stares us in the face. No “Hail Marys”!…do your work TODAY.
