where'd my willpower go?
 

for the past week, i've been horrible. i knew the weekend wasn't going to be pretty, because of several celebrations we had for my best friend's birthday. but the weekend is over, and i can't seem to get back on track.

i recently bought a nice scale (a Tanita, based on many recommendations in this forum), and i weighed myself this morning. if this scale jives with the Weight Watchers scale, i have a small (<1 lb.) gain. my meeting is tonight and i don't want to face that. ugggggggggggggggh!

I guess I can't really ask for much advice, because willpower is something that you have to find on your own. I'm down thirty lbs. and i know i've done great - i'm wearing smaller clothes, i feel better, but i just can't seem to get back on track with counting my points.

I had this happen about 7 weeks ago
 

I had to fly back to MN to see my critically ill Mom and once I got there, it seemed like my food plan and all of my "best intentions" fell by the wayside.

When I returned home about 6 days later, I weighed myself. I had regained 9 of the 12 lbs that I had spent losing the previously five weeks since the first of the Year. I was so crushed! All that hard work---for what??

I did what I had heard so many other people say they did. I did a quick but brief review of what had happened. I couldn't take any of it back. That's the thing about time. Once it is spent, it is gone. So, I noted and changed my ticker, sucked my gut in and re-started my food plan all over again. I would like to say that the first couple of meals were really hard to swallow. I just felt awful but within a week of being on my food plan the weight was re-lost and I had "learned my lesson". I had read that others actually take food with them when they go on trips and I thought about it but I shrugged it off.

The biggest thing I learned from this experience is how badly I really did want to lose the rest of this weight. I now look back at that trip as my moment of clarity when everything that I was doing fell into place. It didn't happen that next week but I think the week after that I went from being on a "diet" to eating for the rest of my life. Yes, I had mouthed those words and my actions looked like I was doing that when I was in the safety of my comfort zone but once out into the big o world, I blew it! NOW, I am truly walking the walk, there is no doubt about it. The proof of the pudding is I went through Easter as a normal eating person, not a person who thinks this is the Last Supper so sup up!

Now, my food plan goes with me. It is a part of me that I don't leave home.

If this event helped give you the clarity you need then it was well worth it. If it still feels icky that's okay too. Consider this a speed bump in the road to a new you. You survived and you are wiser for it.;)

down 30 pounds? that's amazing. that took some dedication and hard work so i know you have it in you to pick up where you left off and keep going. you celebrated your friend's birthday and made the most out of it. you got out of it with very little damage it seems. :D i know it can be hard when you've had a few days of eating the way we used to eat but this is a new lifestyle. and you can do this. and it's totally worth it. congrats on the 30 pounds!! keep up the fantastic work.

Remember the commitment that you've made to yourself and to this new lifestyle.

Also! Go to meeting tonight. Go go go! The scale there may show a gain, it may not. But how many times have you heard this scenario from the leaders. "I know I've gained... so I'll skip this week, be really good and then go back." Go, accept the scale number for what it really is: feedback. Sit in & listen to the meetings. Recommit & onward with a bright new week!

You know you have the will. You can do this! :cheer2:

There are so many times I've dieted for a couple weeks, seen results, stopped dieting because of willpower; and 3 months later I look back and say to myself, if I had stayed on the diet this entire 3 months, where would I be now, and you know what...I never know, because I had a bad few days. Don't let it happen, you want this! Even if you're sitting there hungry, remember, you know what it feels like to be full, now give yourself the chance to feel what it's like to be fit! You can do this!

-Joel

Look what you've achieved so far ^^^:carrot:

You've done great. You've done an amazing job, actually. Do not let a few slightly off-plan days get you down. Go to your meeting. You won't regret going but you will regret not going. You know you can do this

I would only weigh on one scale if I were you- I find huge differences in them all. Like more than 1 pound for sure! Also I could never deal with ww since I will only weigh myself after I get up in the morning.

Update:

I went to the meeting, and miraculously, I had a 3 lb. loss! I guess my eating over the weekend wasn't as horrible as I had made it out to be. I'm starting to rethink having a scale at home - i might return it! ;)

Great news!!!!! :D