In 1988, after regaining all of the 67 pounds she lost, Oprah Winfrey declared, "I'll never diet again!" Dieters nationwide empathized with her experience. They had celebrated with her when she triumphantly reached her weight goal. And, as they watched the relentless return of unwanted pounds they were painfully reminded of their own losing battles with their weight.

Happily, Oprah hooked up with Bob Greene, a personal trainer who encouraged her to examine the behavioral issues that contributed to her disordered eating patterns, got her on a sensible diet and sixteen years later Oprah seems to have settled into her body and found what is, for her, a healthy weight. She seems to have set an intention that she has a healthy body and has done what it takes for her to maintain it.

Why is it so hard to do what we know works? Perhaps it's the way we think-the belief we hold about ourselves and our weight, the expectations we have, how much attention we are willing to devote to managing ourselves and what we say to ourselves to keep our attitudes positive.

This business about intent continues to intrigue me. There's a movie filmed in Portland that's getting wider distribution this month. What the Bleep Do We Know is a documentary/drama/animation overview of Quantum Physics-that we create our own reality-that our intent to be successful sets the stage for being successful. This self-actualizing ideology-that the world is filled with possibilities and we create our own reality is a fit with research (and my belief) that it is our beliefs that determine ongoing success. If we think, "It's not fair that I have to work so hard to manage my weight," our path may be forged with extreme focus and hard work to manage (and often fail) at weight loss. On the other hand, if our intent is bathed in self-confidence-that what happens is related more to what we think or say or do than some external factor, we are going to be more likely to achieve long term success.

How can a person increase their self-confidence in the face of repeated failures? I believe we simply have to decide that something is different now-that something has changed-that some ingredient missing in the past is now present. This intent is more than positive thinking, practicing this behavior makes us available for success.

I spent an evening this weekend with one of the graduates of the June program of the 11-day residential weight loss program I designed and currently coordinate. I could report that I marveled at the ongoing success my young friend continues to experience, but it's not true. His weight loss (and delving into the emotional issues that were underneath all those In and Out burgers and other habits, including no exercise, that pushed his weight so high) is bathed in an intention to succeed that radiates throughout his life. This is not dogged determination, it's an inner awareness that the quantum physicists tell us is part of an electromagnetic field of energy we can tap into to get where we want to go.

I don't understand quantum physics. I don't think of myself as a metaphysical woo woo. I do believe when we align our (intentional) thoughts with a belief we can succeed, that like Oprah the teachers and experiences we need will, with synchronicity, cross our paths and support actualization of our goals.