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Introduction xv anymore, we need to change it and use another strategy, not wait six months ­ until we are blocked by a thick “wall of plateau,” feel overwhelmed, lose ambition, have our next health crisis or panic, and fail at trying to pre- pare for an event where we want to look good. 2. As disrupters, we are unique and special. ­ Every weight management activity begins as a personal experiment and is a gift to ourselves. We are on our own adventure. We are our own spe- cific researchers and advisors. Often, the approaches are quite dif­fer­ent from general plans suggested by experts through years of interpreting and dispensing strategies that are not specific to us. We are busy finding new strategies ­until both the shame and guilt about our weight no longer takes us down a destructive pathway of weight regain or inactivity. This may mean ­ going against what we have been told. It may make it difficult for us to relate to ­those who want to help us but who are caught up in their conventional ways of thinking. For example, most experts ­ will tell us that laxatives should not be used in a weight manage- ment program. That is not true. If you have a lapse and put on a few pounds, ­ there is nothing wrong in using laxatives for a few days to get ­those few pounds off and get the lean engine ­ running again. 3. Disruption takes time. This pro­cess takes time ­because we want it to work lifelong. Usually, when we are ready for fat-­disruptive techniques to begin, our bodies, minds, and support systems are strongly in defense of our fat mode. A complete change of fat mode to lean mode takes years. But just as we learned in pri- mary school how to read and write and now we ­ don’t have to think about ­ those tasks, weight disruption can become part of our lives. It has for me and for many of my patients. 4. Disruption must be accompanied by rewiring and new construction. It is not enough to just disrupt our unhelpful thoughts and actions. We need to continually construct new ones and avoid reconstructing the old ones, such as the idea that we cannot tackle all that is needed at once for a prolonged period. We need to continually challenge our minds. Turning negative concepts into positive ones helps. “I’ve eaten a piece of cake. I’ve failed” can become “I’ve eaten a piece of cake. I must increase my physical activity ­today.” At times, we ­will need the encouragement or help of ­others.