Good for you Sandi. We will be here cheering you on. Go for it. You can do it.

Congratulations Sandy! I love your post, I actually printed it for my journal to use as motivation. Or convincing, which is a term I like much better because it is a choice, not a feeling. Thanks so much for sharing.

Sandi - sounds like an amazing weekend, I'm so happy for you :) It's amazing how people you haven't really "met" can make such an impact, and then you get to meet them! I'm a tiny bit jealous there...

-Aimee

Lovely post! Thank You for sharing!
:cheers: Here's to reaching goal and maintaining, not only our weight loss, but our HEALTH GAIN!

Sandi, what a great post. I am always inspired by other people's successes, and I loved hearing about it. It is so true by what you said, on every point really. There is no secret, it is hard work and determination and changing your lifestyle to suit your personality. I agree with you, I am a food addict myself, and again you are absolutely right that it will be something I will have to fight every single day. You can really drive yourself nuts :dizzy: with all the what ifs in your life. Keep at it and you will get there! :D

Sandi,

How wonderful to hear of your experience. One of the best things about 3FC is that even the moderators are all at different places in their weight loss journeys, some having reached goals and working to maintain, some successes at maintenance and working to further their physical goals, some struggling with those last pounds, some struggling to begin. It can be so painful to walk into a gym, for example, and have every person working there in perfect shape, with no indication of personal weight struggles on their part (I would LOVE to have one of you moderators as a trainer because you understand). Here, even the moderators journey with us and that helps us feel like we are not alone.

Your words here are so raw and honest and we all benefit from them. My hope is that you will feel the same about our words, that they will provide strength for you on your journey as well. You can do this and you will do this. The click has come. I can hear it!!!!

Wow--copy, paste and PRINT!!!! Thank you so much for that!

What a powerful post! Thank you for writing this and sharing it with us.

I love your plan to take away any weight-loss goals. I can't quite bring myself to do that yet, although I do recognise that healthy eating (and exercise) is a must regardless of whether I'm aiming to drop pounds or not.

Go, Sandi!

Wow, I opened this thread thinking that it would be a little vacation report....

I could tremendously relate to everything your wrote. In fact, it felt like one of those 1950s science fiction movies: Get out of my mind! ;)

I predict, with all your insight, that you are going to do amazingly well. :)

Good for you Sandi - what an inspiring weekend!

I've said it in another post today already, but I'll say it again just for you - the reason I am finally having success is because I have found an eating and exercise plan that is now my lifestyle rather than a diet regime.

The ladies are right - we will all still get food cravings, which is why I have not banished any food from my diet (tried that, didn't work). Now I eat healthy most of the time, but I still have treats and I still have takeaway pizza (I've currently cut down from 4 days a week to every 7-10 days). I exercise 6 days a week and have finally got my metabolism up from years of yo yo dieting.

I have found that exercising really hard and eating healthy most of the time is a plan I can stick with and a lifestyle that I enjoy - hence my current success.

If you find a plan that can work for you and allows for your likes, dislikes and treats the you will succeed - obviously, the more you can exercise the better. I know you can and will do it!

Love Amanda x

Thanks so much Sandi for sharing such inspirational thoughts and ideas. Its true, you can do this - and there are many many 3FC people here to cheer you on!!!

Oh my! I'm glad I checked new posts!

Sandi, I hope you don't mind if I keep this post. It will help me tremendously and should be required reading for all whiners. I too came away with a click but you expressed it so eloquently. I am so glad you were there and that we got to meet!

We'll do it, Girl!

Wow, an utterly fantastic post, Sandi! I'm so happy you got to meet those lovely people and came away with such a wonderful new perspective. You've got it girl! This time you really do!! :D

That's great Sandi! I always wondered what it would be like to meet you all. I've said it before, you have to be ready and it sounds like you are. :)

I too struggle with wishing that I'd gotten my act together sooner (10 years ago, 20 years ago...), we were talking about it at WW and there's this older woman - that just reached her goal - she turned to me and said -

"It's easier to change the future than to change the past". And I thought that's right!

It hit me so hard, I wrote it down on the front of my tracker and I keep transferring it from week to week. I'm still struggling with it, but moving forward anyway.

Good luck, keep going!
Beth

Wow, thanks Sandi. What a great post. I like the idea of focus on lifestyle vs. the scale in terms of goals. Something to think about