Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The above is Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”, published in 1916. This may be the most popular American poem.
The reason why I am posting this in a weight control blog: The “road less traveled by” in weight control is the concept of long-term behavior modification/life-style changing. The “road more traveled” is the myriad of diets that people go on to try to lose weight. The mindset of changing behaviors long term brings you to the road less traveled, but will make “all the difference”. This difference, of course, refers to the heightened chances of long-term success in keeping the weight off.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The above is Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”, published in 1916. This may be the most popular American poem.
The reason why I am posting this in a weight control blog: The “road less traveled by” in weight control is the concept of long-term behavior modification/life-style changing. The “road more traveled” is the myriad of diets that people go on to try to lose weight. The mindset of changing behaviors long term brings you to the road less traveled, but will make “all the difference”. This difference, of course, refers to the heightened chances of long-term success in keeping the weight off.
So, if you find yourself wanting to journey into long term improved health and happiness, take that road less traveled and commit yourself to long-term behavioral changes. The road that offers “diets” will not make a difference at all.