I hate to say it again, but Bill Phillips was right.

I don't necessarily like everything that he said in the Body-FOR-Life program, but maybe I should. I think that I don't want to become a body builder, which is where he and I part ways just a little. But frankly, if had been running with his program for the last 10 years, I would certainly like my body more than I actually do.

There is a lot to like. The diet/nutrition plan that he advocates is a lot like what my personal trainer is advocating right now - eat a lot of small meals often, mostly containing lean protein and complex carbohydrates. I do know that this is good for you.

The workout schedule differs, at least so far. I do know that my trainer is going to be adding is a significant amount of resistance training, at least in comparison to what I have been doing.

But the thing that I am specifically referring to is not pertaining to the nutrition. Or even the workouts.

What I love is what he refers to as "The Power of Positive Pressure." The idea that when you tell your family and friends (and in my case co-workers) about the changes that you are making, you put some pressure on yourself to stick with the changes.

Case in point...

I am a Scoutmaster. Last night we had a Court of Honor. It was a great one - a few advancements, talking with the scouts about why they should be scouts, and discussing the next year with the scouts and parents.

At the end, as usual, there were treats for the boys. (Hey, it's how you get 11-13 year olds to show up.) I ate exactly zero treats. Instead, I came home and had some pineapple for dessert.

It's not that I couldn't have fit a cookie in. In fact, in the future, I think that a healthy balance includes a cookie (ONE COOKIE, SILAS) at a Court of Honor.

But I know myself. And for me, right at this moment, I need to detoxify. That is, I need to really eat well for a while so that my body will decrease the cravings on the crap food. These never go away, but from my past experience, I do know that the cravings will decrease.

Anyway, I told an Assistant Scoutmaster of my joining the competition that I have joined. So it was going to be a lot harder for me to grab that cookie...even the white chocolate macadamia cookie...and put it into my mouth. I know that he would be watching.

What about the law of unintended consequences, then?

This same Assistant Scoutmaster told me that he had been inspired by me telling him of my competition that he joined one at his work. It was starting this morning, so he was having his final cookie that night, but really, it's a great thing. We'll see how much we can lose together.

-Silas