Don't Be A Quitter

I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.

~Michael Jordan

Did you see this story? South Korean woman passes driver's exam on 950th try

Now, that's the epitome of perseverance.

If you've been unable to lose weight or maintain a weight loss in the past, don't give up. For many people, it takes more than one try before they can kick drugs, cigarettes or alcohol. Researchers are studying whether the same may be true for weight loss success.

The National Weight Control Registry, which was created in 1994, continues to track over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time. One important finding from the study is that 91% of the participants had previous weight loss failures.

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.

~Mary Pickford

So don't consider it a failure. Think of it as priming the pump. Each attempt helps you discover what strategies work for you, how your body reacts to certain nutrition plans, what triggers you may have. All that will help bring you closer to having things "click" and succeeding. Don't give up.

Quit? You know, once I was thinking about quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer, all at the same time. But with the love and support of my friends and family, I got back on the bike and I won the Tour de France five times in a row. But I'm sure you have a good reason to quit.

~Lance Armstrong in Dodgeball