We're In The Endgame Now

In video games, there is usually a clear "End Game." You defeat the final boss, the loot drops, the credits roll, and you put the controller down. You won.

In diet culture, we are sold the same fantasy. We are told that if we just "hit our goal weight" - that magical number on the scale - we have crossed the finish line. We imagine a ticker-tape parade where we are handed a trophy that says "Thin Person," and then we go back to "normal."

I am here to tell you, from painful, personal experience: There is no finish line.

I have "won" the weight loss game before. I lost 190 pounds . I hit the number. I bought the new wardrobe. And then, slowly, silently, and catastrophically, I gained it all back plus interest.

Why? Because I treated my health like a project with a deadline, instead of a business with ongoing operations. I thought I was "done."

As I rebuild my body at 53, I am not training for a finish line. I am training for the Infinite Game. Here is why "maintenance" is actually the hardest part of the journey, and how I plan to survive it this time.

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Part 1: The Dopamine Desert

Losing weight is exciting. It is a high-dopamine activity.

• The scale goes down. (Dopamine hit).

• Your belt gets looser. (Dopamine hit).

• People say, "Wow, Chris, you look great!" (Dopamine hit).

Maintenance is boring.

• The scale stays the same.

• Your belt stays the same.

• People stop noticing because they are used to the "new you."

When the external validation stops, the internal motivation has to take over. If your only "why" is a number on a scale, you will quit when that number stops moving. This is why I have shifted my goal from "Weight" to "Healthspan."

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Part 2: Healthspan vs. Lifespan

I am not doing this to look good in a coffin.

Lifespan is how long you are alive. Modern medicine is great at extending this. They can keep my heart beating with stents and statins for a long time.

Healthspan is how long you are capable. It is how long you can carry your own groceries, walk 15 km on a Saturday, and run a D&D campaign with a sharp mind.

My "End Game" is not a weight. My "End Game" is to compress morbidity - to stay active, sharp, and independent until the very end. I am optimizing for the last 10 years of my life, not just the next 10 pounds.

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Part 3: The "Forever" Rules

The biggest lie of the diet industry is that once you lose weight, you can go back to "normal" eating.

"Normal" eating is what gave me metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and five heart attacks. "Normal" eating is inflammatory seed oils and hidden sugars.

I cannot go back to "normal".

My clean keto lifestyle isn't a temporary fix; it is my new standard protocol.

• The Oils: I will never knowingly consume soybean or canola oil again. That isn't a diet rule; that is a toxicity rule.

• The Sugar: I will never go back to spiking my insulin daily. I value my brain clarity too much.

• The Fasting: The 22:2 schedule isn't just for weight loss; it’s for autophagy (cellular repair). I need that repair whether I am 300 pounds or 200 pounds.

The Shift: In maintenance, the volume might change. I might eat more healthy fats to stop losing weight. I might have a few more "clean" treats. But the quality of the fuel will never degrade again.

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Part 4: The Compliance Manager

In my job, we don't just evaluate a program and walk away. We have "Monthly Compliance Monitoring" and "Annual Audits."

This is how I view my body now.

• Daily Audit: Am I stiff? Am I foggy? (Inflammation check).

• Weekly Audit: How is my sleep? How are my stress levels?

• Quarterly Audit: Blood work. Lipid panels.

I am the "manager" of this facility. The work doesn't stop just because the building is renovated. Maintenance requires vigilance.

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The Takeaway

If you are racing toward a "Goal Weight" so you can finally relax, you are running toward a cliff.

Stop waiting for the "End Game." You are in it right now.

Every clean meal, every fasted walk, every good night of sleep - that is the victory. The prize isn't a number; the prize is living a life where you aren't fighting your own body.

There is no finish line. And honestly? I’m okay with that. I’m enjoying the walk.