Okay, Jennifer, I may be in a weakened condition due to my diagnosed bout of food poisoning, but I'm always in the mood to give a stern lecture!
If you want practical advice, then Ali has just provided you with a plan of action (thanks, Ali
) If you want an example, then lets use me, shall we?
As you know, I started this journey in June of 2002 so am now just about
THREE years into it and have yet to reach goal
. I was 265lbs. (same as your start) and you know the story...I went gangbusters and lost over 100lbs. in 14 months and then
IT happened...c'mon, you know what I'm talking about. You're feeling great for having lost so much and know you're looking pretty darn good. You've still got a ways to go, but you feel you can relax a little, especially on weekends. Mind you, you're always conscious of what you're doing so you make up for it as best you can, but the "its so much fun to eat" mentality becomes more and more familiar, right?
So there I was, 18lbs. from goal, but becoming rather complacent. Oh yeah, I kept exercising and I was maintaining most weeks, but then, over a course of several months, the tiny weekly gains added up until I woke up one morning and had gained back over 25lbs.!
Whoa nelly, okay, time to get back into the groove. Sure, I lost that weight (again) but it took longer than the first time and it was rather soul destroying knowing that had I not lost my way, that loss would have put me at goal.
So here I remain, almost three years into it and although I've accomplished a great deal (if I do say so myself
) I should have been at goal and maintaining by now (for at least a year). And yet I'm still hovering around 25lbs. from goal (there was that big Russia slip up also
).
So, my dear Jennifer, look at your situation. Do you want to be a human yo yo like Auntie Jill? I think not. Don't let it go as far as I allowed it. Have your treats, but don't let the fun eating get in the way of what you've worked so hard for, for what you deserve! I'm trying to learn from my mistakes and understand we'll always falter, after all, we're only human, but if we try hard enough we have to get it right eventually. You've done remarkably well and haven't even had a major slip up, but I see the possibility of it in your words (
mmm
fooood
fuuuuun) and its time to nip it in the butt (err, I mean bud). So, in my best medieval tone, I say: Get thyself to goal, girl. And stay there!!