One pound a month? Week? Day? Even one a month is 12 a year. That 12 sneaks up, as do 12 years, and 12 times 12 is 144. Do I hear at least one true gasp?

Weight is a universal topic that most of us can relate to, even if just to complain we are too thin. While I never suffered that fate, my mother believed her arms were too thin for short sleeves! But I subscribed to the adage that we can't be too thin or too rich. That may not be true either.

The real challenge when we are in the process of gaining or losing is to consider the direction we are headed and if we want to reach its destination. While I believe that we should live in the moment, I also know that moments in future years will be quite altered if we do not pay attention to our direction.

I was not good at moderating my dessert intake so I took the easy route. No dessert. I can watch anyone eat a chocolate pie now without a problem. In fact, the opposite result kicked in. I am able to feel proud of myself for getting a grip. It feels better than any dessert tasted! An unexpected benefit. It has been true for four years now. I have no desire to go back.

The real challenge when we are in the process
of gaining or losing is to consider the direction we are
headed and if we want to reach its destination.

It took me many decades to recognize that my resemblance to my paternal ancestors was an indication that I could end up - portly. My mother's ability to have dessert with every meal and remain slender did not pass into my genes.

For all those years I tried everything to moderate my sweet intake. Finally it dawned on me that making one decision to give up dessert was not only infinitely easier than deciding every day between one cookie or twelve, it was doable!

We have all learned that we can make temporary changes and succeed in losing weight or smoking less or - you name it. But, sooner or later, many of us revert to our old way of thinking - that we can handle daily decisions we never quite mastered. Then, if we have to overcome 365 temptations a year our chances of failing at least once are huge. And, if we succumb to temptation, the old direction resumes.

If we make one decision, staying on the right path is so much easier. It's worth a try, isn't it?

Jean Loxley-Barnard has been a writer all her life and studied both sociology and psychology at George Washington University where she earned a B.A. Her company, The Shopper, Inc., encompasses all the Loxley-Barnard family publications - The Shopper Magazines and Doctor to Doctor Magazine. She has been in the advertising, consulting and publishing business for 39 years.