[Leeh]

What works for you?

My son is getting married in 10 months. In August I thought it would be no problem to lose 5 pounds a month prior to the wedding. August came and went without a loss, so I added 2 pounds to the September goal thinking 7 pounds is still doable.

Well here I am in October and finally getting some motivation to do what needs to be done. The new goal was to break the 200 mark (done for the second time in 9 months) by the end of the week.

I am horrible about seeing progress and then getting complacent. I have to accept that second helpings are not in my reality. My biggest issue is overeating past satiety. I make decent choices if I could stick to moderation.

[VermontMom]

congrats on your son's upcoming wedding! that is a great goal to focus on. 7 pounds a month is doable..definitely for the first months, it might slow down after that.

Stopping eating after satiety, that is a tough one. I just have to battle it out. Either only cook enough for one portion, or get tough and just package up the leftovers for another meal and put them in the fridge or freezer and say 'the kitchen is closed for tonight!" I try to remember to brush my teeth right after the evening meal to make my mouth not want food. Maybe having clear soup with dinner might fill you up more. The Volumetrics thread has lots of great recipes and ideas for filling meals that are relatively low calorie.

[Zumbachica]

Hi Vermont mom, you and i have the same goal.....

Leeh I wish I had the answer. I know that my goal weight keeps getting higher and higher as I get older...what works for me is low carb..and accepting that feeling of "hunger" , not eating past a certain time at night. It isn't easy....I fight for every ounce lost.

[IanG]

Unobtainable goals actually work for me now I am in de facto maintenance. I pretend I can reach 155lbs but in reality I have been bouncing between the 160s and 170s for over a year now. Had to put that out there.

On feeling full, I skip dinner (and always have even from day 1 at 281lbs). This means I eat a large breakfast and lunch. So I feel full for the meals I eat.

I have always said that the one thing I love more than food is sleep. So if I do get hungry in the evening, I just go to bed.

[Mrs Snark]

My goal true goal is 139, but I've been fluctuating in the high 140s to low 150s for over a year now. So far I haven't been willing to make the changes necessary to get to 139 -- I feel a bit of complacency in this comfort zone. But I really should lose another 10 pounds, but it is tough.

At the beginning, when I was just getting started making the changes necessary to lose weight, planning was pretty key. I had to be very, very rigid and have pretty strict rules for myself. Particularly for that first month. And there was a fair amount of "gutting it out". It is hard, but it gets easier if you can stick with it. You CAN do it!

I do think you can lose 7 pounds your first month, if you stay strictly on plan. You should seriously congratulate yourself for each and every good choice you make, we all know how very difficult it is to do!