The Mendacious Weight Loss Program

I'm calling this system "mendacious," not because it's fraudulent, but because when you first read about it you'll think it is. It'll seem at best a tautological joke. But after I detail the simple instructions, I'll tell you a little about why the system works. Then maybe you can drop the "mendacious" part of the name.

Here's how to lose weight and have it stay lost.

You'll need a scale that's either accurate or consistently inaccurate, a plain sheet of 8" X 11" lined paper, a thumbtack, and a pencil. Here's what you do with these things.

1. In the bottom right-hand corner of the paper, write the weight you would like to be. The number -- for the first cycle of weight loss -- should be no less than 90% of your current weight. That is, you should aim to lose no more than 10% of your weight.

2. Thumbtack the paper to the wall or a bulletin board in a clearly visible place.

3. Every day, at the same time, plus or minus an hour or so, but in any case on the same side of your first meal, and always dressed (or undressed) the same, weigh yourself.

4. Write the result of your first weighing in the top left-hand corner of the paper, and every day thereafter, write the next weight under the previous, making a neat column of measurements down the left-hand side of the paper. When that column is complete, start a new column at the top of the paper.

5. Do whatever you wish to do to make the daily number go down. Do not do anything that resembles a standard regimen, no diets, no routine exercises, no nothing that is normally associated with losing weight, especially no diet pills.

6. Continue the process until the number you are writing each day equals your weight-loss target.

7. Then continue the process until your weight varies by no more than 1 pound from the target for 25 days.

8. That will complete the first weight loss cycle. You may, if you choose, begin a new cycle, but never do more than two cycles without consulting a doctor.

Now, why does it work?

First, you lose weight by what the medical profession calls a "biofeedback process." The procedure creates a viable goal, establishes a visible feedback, and leaves it to you and your subconscious mind to find a way to reach the goal. The short cycle (daily) in which the feedbacks occur, focuses your intention and keeps you on "purpose."

Second, the weight you lose stays lost for a couple of reasons. One, because you have trained your mind (your "self") to care about your goal, you will remain essentially "weight conscious." Two, because you have done nothing in particular -- no regimen -- to achieve your goal, your subconscious mind cannot and will not associate your achievement with an objective process. Most people who lose weight, gain it back, primarily because they have not been "weight conscious," but rather have been "diet conscious" or "pill conscious." By any of the normal weight loss procedures, the subconscious mind becomes convinced that your weight loss was "caused by" the regimen. Consequently, when the regimen is over, the mind does exactly what you would expect it to do: it "forgets" about weight loss . . . and there you are, in no time, back where you started.

If you don't like the name "Mendacious Weight Loss Program," make up a name of your own. Actually, giving the program a personalized name will help. Rules work better when they are your rules. That's pretty much true in all things.

[Do not undertake this weight loss system unless you are actually overweight. Consult any standard weight-to-age-and-size chart to determine whether you are overweight.]