My mini goal - to not cheat until down to the 170s again... I gained back some weight and am (ugh) losing the 180s again. My mini goal, to NOT cheat, not even ONE meal until I get down to the 170s again. I'm doing the Biggest Loser program - following the pyramid for eating, limited myself to 1200-1300 calories and am rotating the cardio and sculpting dvds from the Biggest Loser show. I lost about 4-5 lbs already (I won't say what I gained back but a rediculous amount)... so this losing weight thing isn't new to me. I figure this "no cheat" rule "not even ONE meal" thing is punishment for pigging out for 2-3 months non stop (emotional eater and not gonna do that again). So please please dear me, let's do the mini goal of NO CHEATS, thinking I can be back to the 170s in no time - in at least three weeks and hopefully TWO at this rate!

Sounds like a reasonable goal if it's something you know is realistic for you. But I would dump thinking of anything as punishment. You're not a bad person.

True the past is the past, I feel a bit like a loser for gaining weight back - so I am on the Biggest Loser Program now! This big loser is going to lose it before spring! Just so irked with myself. I do consider this no cheat rule punishment because I like food - and I need to NOT pig out, not cheat, not gorge... just be human and meet basic needs. No more emotional eating. An emotional time in my life but this has been rediculous, to destroy myself because of stuff that I could do nothing about. NO MORE.

ALMOST and was tempted to cheat today, didn't. Wanted to go to bed, got up and exercised at some crazy am hour so I could check another day off. NOT cheating until i get to the 170s includes not skipping exercise even if it means 12 midnight like tonight

Horsey, I gotta tell you the truth - I'm not exactly lovin' the terminology here. No "CHEATS" til the 170's? What's that all about? How about just plain ole' "STAYING ON PLAN" because you'd like to be at a healthier weight? Staying on plan because it makes you feel better and will get you closer to your goals? Staying on plan because it feels better to you then being off plan?

And then what's going to happen when you get INTO the 170's? You're going to cheat? And then what? Gain back some weight? And then "punish yourself" some more?

And why in the world do you deserve to be "punished"? "Pigging out" is no cause to punish oneself. And why is "no cheating", staying on plan that is, considered a "punishment"? Why is treating your body with respect and integrity, feeding it healthy nourishing foods and exercisng, considered "punishment" anyway?

I like food too. In fact, I love it. I've taken that love of food and turned it around *finally* to my advantage. I've found delicious, healthy meals/snacks/foods to eat. I don't look at my healthy way of eating as punishment. Looking back it was my overeating that was the punishment.

By all means, stick to your plan. Through the 170's and beyond. Make sure though to eat satisfying, tasty healthy foods. No deprivation or punishment required. You MUST find foods, healthy ones that is, that you LOVE and rethink your terminology or it will be next to impossible to stop the vicious cycle of punishment/restriction then "pigging out"/binging back to punishment/restriction and on to the "pigging out"/binging again.