[momof3boys1girl]

well here it is only 7 weeks away from my cruise ....and i still havent lost a lb...i try and do really good...and somehow i can make it a couple days then totally screw up...im kind of depressed about it waht can i do any suggestions??? I mess up and say oh well i will be good tommorow or i can start tommorow...but im afraid ill keep saying that untill the day of my cruise...when i first started i lost 50lbs pretty easily...I know alot of you will say to look back to then and remeber why you wanted to lose in the first place but its just not working for me this time any suggestions??

thanks jamie

[amylou7777]

Remember to take each day meal by meal. Don't look at it as 7 weeks to your cruise, but tell yourself that every morsel of food you put in your mouth effects your body/health and weight loss. Wake up and visualize what you will eat that day and when you start to bring something to your mouth that does not fit that picture close your eyes and visualize how you will look, and how you will feel when you reach your goal.
No one can do this for you. You are the only person who has control of this situation. At the end of the day, either you want it or you don't.

[Kim0303]

Well said Amy!
Jamie, Look at one day and set a week goal of two pounds. That will get you close to the 19 you had as a goal.
You can do it. Do you want to be 15 pounds lighter by the cruise????? Your choice! You can do it if you stay focused on your healthy eating!

[Dan2112]

Jamie... What are you doing to sabotage yourself? Are you making runs to fast food places? Are you suddenly buying groceries that you shouldn't be?

I found that if I have it in the house, despite my best intentions, I will eat it... I still get snacky, just like I did 105 lbs ago.. The problem is that if I have "cheatworthy" food in the house, I will ALWAYS go for that rather than fruit or veggies...

You gotta get the stuff out of the house.. Doesn't matter if your family whines.. You're doing this not just for you, but for them too.. They need to be understanding..

If it's stuff for the kids' lunches, then get pre-packaged stuff like mini cookies and the like.. That way, you have to actually open a whole new bag each time, rather than just reach into a big bag or box for a handfull of no-no's...

As far as motivation goes.. It could be that you're feeling more comfortable with your weight... The clothes fit better.. You get approving comments from friends and family... You're feeling good about yourself and as such, those little cheats start creeping back in without the all the guilt they used to.

The motivation is this... You've come a long way.. You shown yourself that you can do it.. So while you've come a long way, you still have work to do.. Imagine how good you'll feel about yourself once you get to your goal...

[Lynx]

Hi Jamie,
Eveyone will probably chime in with their version of the self talk that works for them. This is what works for me. I tell myself if I "screw up" (your words), I am setting myself back 2 weeks at least. Why do I say 2 weeks? Because, first of all, I have to get back on track and lose the weight I gained back and then by the time I am back to seeing a real loss on the scale it is about 2 weeks later. If I keep going off plan, I am confusing my body (metabolism) as to what I really want it to do - burn fat, lose weight. It takes my body too long to give up even a pound of weight. I don't want to confuse my metabolism anymore. I also don't want to lose 2 weeks of time. I want to get where I am going - a thinner and happier self. It took me so long to even see any results from my weight loss, I want to continue on. I am having a great time finding new clothes and looking forward to stabilization and maintenance.
One last thing. I hope I can explain my mind set here. I hope it does not sound too corny. Every day, I tell myself I am playing a game called LAWL. The goal is to fill in the circles or X the circles in the daily menu plan to become a winner each day. The closer I can come to making the best choices, the more I tell myself I will win. (lose pounds). Bad choices - fall back two weeks like I said above. I am not a gamer, but this mental exercise works for me. While I play this mental game on a daily basis, I am looking at the long term goals that I intend to meet.
Hope this helps.
P.S. This is where the lites help me. I can resist other things because I have my planned legal treats each day.

started LAWL 12/27/06
week 38
franchise center
Plan 2 with lites start 7/28
total lost 47 lbs.

[merem]

Think about how good you are going to feel while on the cruise when you are a smaller size. You'll be more comfortable. Do some window shopping for some cute new clothes you can can buy in a smaller size and wear on your trip.

Remember how exciting it was when you first started this program and the pounds started coming off. Maybe you couldn't wait to go to the COD to see how much you lost. Be excited about your menu plan.

Remember when you eat all of your portions you will lose weight. Do not skip foods or go over.

Start exercising or if you already do exercise then mix it up a bit. Don't do the same old thing each time. Increase the grade on the treadmill or walk some hills outside. Do some jogging here and there for a minute or two while you walk.

[BarbaraB]

Jamie, Don't put a ton of pressure on yourself to always be perfect. You don't have to be perfect to lose weight. I know you'd like to be thinner for your cruise.. but putting a ton of pressure on myself for something like that, well it always backfired for me. Just try to get back on plan as soon as you find yourself slipping. Don't wait until the next day!

You are going DAYS being perfect on plan. That is about as good as any of us can do!!!! Stop beating yourself up if it is minor slips that you are worrying about. If it is major slips, then get real with yourself and how bad you really want it. Always get back on plan as soon as you can manage to do so.

Being thin is a lifetime goal, so even if you don't quite get where you want to be before the cruise... Well you can still enjoy your time on the cruise and come back to give it more time and effort and eventually you will prevail. The only way to really screw up is to quit!