[rrjs]

I started gaining "serious" weight over the summer, and weighed the most I've ever weighed (135) in July-ish. Since then I've lost 7ish lbs, but I've been slipping lately. I REALLY want to see this through to the end and get down to my goal weight! I know I can do it but I've been trying, failing, and re-trying for at least a year and a half. It's getting discouraging!

The main thing that I get hung up on is the fact that I don't NEED to lose this weight. Would I like to? Yes. Does the fact that I've gained 20 lbs over the years bother me? All the time. Do I want to feel fit and get back to my old size? Of course!

But the fact that I don't have any pressing health issues or have any goals other than to look better, it's hard for me to stick to my plan. I find myself thinking "I have all the time in the world to focus and lose this weight, what does it matter if I eat [insert unnecessary treat here]?" Which is so counterproductive because I end up giving into cravings instead of learning how to manage them.

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? Vanity weight can be the most challenging weight to lose because if you don't have any particularly strong reason to lose it, you don't have enough motivation to stick to your goal!

I just want to be able to step on a scale, see "110", go buy some new jeans, and feel good about myself! But the road to that goal is so difficult for me that I get discouraged and either turn back or just sit on the side of the road and pout.

Any advice? Tips? Stories to share?
I need some inspiration!

[oneoftwelve]

I understand!
All 20 of the pounds I lost were just vanity weight that I had gained by my bad eating habits and total lack of exercise. But at 138 pounds on my 5'6.5" frame in high school, I KNEW that wasn't a healthy weight for me. But I would excuse my bad habits just as you did--"I don't really need to lose weight, so I don't have to exercise/I can eat this."
When my weight soared to 144 after 2 years of college and a trip to Italy, I knew I had to do something.
What worked for me was to step away from the scale--in my mind. I still used a scale to measure progress, but I committed to the idea that even if the numbers NEVER BUDGED then I would continue to exercise and eat right simply because it was the RIGHT THING TO DO, not because I HAD to.
I made this commitment when my weight dropped back into the upper 130s, because that's were I was in high school and I figured my body may like to stop there. While I lost a bit more after that, I didn't set any numeric goal. The only number goals I have are numbers of calories/grams/etc. of the right types of foods to eat and the number of minutes I exercise each week.
I hope this is helpful! Remember, it's about achieving optimal health; you are not a number! Good luck!

[pageta]

I'm down to my last few pounds and they're coming off a bit slower and I went through the whole "well, do I really need to lose this weight" thing. My conclusion was that I am committed to eating right and exercising and taking care of myself. I'm doing WW so I'm counting points and I'm not going to add points back to my daily total, which means I'll continue down the current path.

I think as long as you think about the weight as vanity weight, you'll fight yourself. Either you want to lose it or you don't. Either it's important to you or it isn't. My last 10 lbs are to get me down from a BMI of 22 to a BMI of 20. I simply want to see what I look like at a BMI of 20; I told myself if I don't like it, I can always gain a few pounds.

Make a plan, stick to it, and quit allowing your mind to argue with the plan. Either you want to lose the weight or you don't. If you want to just be healthy, that's fine, too. But don't drive yourself crazy over it.

[ChicksAhoy]

Hey RRJS - I know exactly what you mean about seeing it through to the end. When I start to get noticeably chubby I think - "my god, something must be done!" so I have that resolve to eat healthier and go workout. I start losing the weight and then I start to look good and then it's the curse of the vanity weight.

I think what it comes down to is that we're more motivated by pain than pleasure. (that's from Kant or Locke or Tony Robbins ) Being chubby is enough to make us workout but wanting to be our ideal weight is not motivation enough.

I'm going on vacation in January and I want to look kick *** in a bathing suit - so I'm hoping that's motivation enough for me. Maybe there's something you can do that will be motivation enough for you?