I just reached my second mini goal and I am having the same problem I had when I reached my first mini goal. I get excited and proud of myself for losing the weight and I feel so much more comfortable with my body. Mostly a good thing, but a bad side effect is that I forgive myself for eating extra things and not working out as often. And this causes me to stall at the mini goal. I practically stop losing weight because I eat a good amount more, not necessarily bad things, but more of it. I think "oh its ok if I eat this because I weight this now".

This would be alright if I was closer to the weight and body I wanted, but I still have a little bit more to go. It also makes me scared that when I reach my goal weight/body that I'll be so happy with myself that I will let myself snack all the time and eat unhealthy things. I snapped out of this problem with my first mini goal because I had so much more weight to lose but its gotten harder to snap out of because I don't have a lot more to lose anymore.

Do any of you guys deal with this problem? Any advice for getting back to the weight loss?

Wow, I amright there with you. This week I posted a sign on my fridge. It reads:
Lorie
1. Counts points
2. Drink water
3. Re-focus

Back to the basics for me. Exercise is easy b/c it's part of my normal routine. But with eating...I think I stall b/c I cheat. A few bites here and there and you sabotage your efforts. I've been stuck for a few weeks. Yo Yoing a few pounds. This week I added Zumba and more fun to the workouts and counted points and I was down.08. I wished for more but now getting closer to goal I think I have to expect smaller amounts to come off.

Wow, this is JUST what I was going to post this morning. I have been having a horrible weekend, eating everything and thinking "Oh well, I'm still under 200!" I know it's a terrible attitude but I can't help it. What a funk!

I'm going to try that list and post it everywhere, lol.

I've been doing this ever since I hit 50 lbs lost. It's so damn frustrating!

I'm the exact same way! I lose the same 20 pounds this time every year. I get so proud of myself and start thinking I'm "cute" and get so caught up in all the compliments......at the end of the summer I'm right back where I started plus 5 to 10 pounds! Then I spend the whole winter covered up so I think to myself "You don't look that bad". Next thing I know it's March and the weather starts to break and I'm totally digusted with myself. I refuse to spiral out of control this summer! I'm so focused!

I do the same thing every time. I reach a goal, then go forward with full momentum for a few days, and then just stop. I tend to stop for as long as two weeks. It is very frustrating.

One thing that helps get me back on track are hearing the compliments from other people. If I'm slacking off with my workouts and eating cookies, I feel guilty every time somebody tells me I look like I lost more weight. I kind of feel like I would disappoint them if I don't get back on track. I know I am losing weight for myself, and not those who surround me, but sometimes their perception can give me a little bit of extra motivation

I don't think it's a bad thing to reward yourself sometimes. I mean, it's natural. I just usually turn my rewards for reaching my goals into non-food ones? Like, maybe have a pamper at the spa. Maybe get some super super cute clothes. Maybe buy a cute dress for when you hit your NEXT goal. I have been reaching goals other than weight and then setting new non-weight goals so it's easier to stay on track.

I've been in your boat though. When I got to my smallest (173), I was so close to losing 100 pounds that I was just like, oh whatevs. A slice of pizza won't kill me. Oh, neither will a few nights out drinking. And that turned into months and here I am. I think a lot of it has to do with focusing too much on just the weight. Maybe think of other things you can set as goals

I'm going to give terrible advice, feel free to ignore.

I know we repeat it over and over and over here on 3FC, but this whole weight loss thing for me was a lifestyle change. I am NOT on a diet. I'm not even trying to lose weight, I just made a lifestyle change and a side effect of that has been weight loss. I have changed my life and I'm damned determined to never go back. I will not eat 1200-1600 calories/day for the rest of my life. In my life, I'll eat huge meals of garbage, I'll eat too much candy with my friends, I'll get drunk on high cal drinks. I'm sure there are some people who are able to eliminate these behaviors completely, but they are better people than I, because I can't promise myself that. But, in my new life, these things are rare treats as opposed to the norm.

Last night I ate at a Chinese buffet, and yea, I ate. Shamelessly. I went through the line twice and didn't think about the calories. This morning, I went to the gym and I've been perfectly on plan. I don't feel guilty at all, I just know that that's a once in awhile thing.

So treat yourself once in awhile, even if it is with too much unhealthy food (like I said, terrible advice). Just remember to get back on track to get to your goal. The more guilty you feel, the more discouraged you'll get. You had a bad eating day, or two, or three. Oh well, get back on plan.

Hmm, I realize this was bad advice, but I'm having a hard time getting my point across without sounding completely irresponsible, haha. I just think we all need to admit to ourselves that we can't be on plan 100% of the time. If we completely fall apart every time we screw up, we'll never succeed because perfection is impossible. My plan is to stay on plan 95% of the time. 5%, yea, I'm going to screw up big time, but I'll still be 95% better than I would be if I wasn't trying at all. I'm happy with that.

Whew.../end novel.

I am this way too.. as you can see a LOT of people are this way. And its hard to get back on track once it happens.. I would have been 10 lbs. lighter by now if it wasn't for the slip ups.. BUT like mkendrick said.. . this is a lifestyle change. I am not going to be giving up the things I love for my entire life. Yes I am eating better, exercising (which I never did before) and I am losing weight. But life happens and I am going to enjoy myself. I am in no way eating like I was before and I am proud of myself.

Mkendrick - I don't think it was bad advice at all.. its honest and its true. I agree with you totally. I hung out with friends and probably consumed by body weight in alcohol and had a blast doing it. I only do this like once in a blue moon so I'm not beating myself up over it. I had a blast!

MKendrick - Not bad advice. It's the truth and how we should live. I don't believe that there can ever be an "on plan" for life. Granted I'm cooking a lot right now, but when law school starts, I'll have to find balance between going out, friends, and my health. Yes, I'm going to drink when school starts, but maybe I'll drink one or two nights instead of five (oh law school). I also don't believe in the guilt feeling. That's what's tripped me up the last few times because I would be on plan all the time, have a bad day, then guilt, then have another bad day because of the guilt, then repeat. Now, if I really want to eat something, I'll eat it.

By the way, real Chinese food is not bad for you. It's just for some reason, Americanized Chinese food has a crap load of sodium and oil. My parents don't cook like that.

Pinkalarmclock- I can definitely understand losing momentum..but doesnt it feel good to reach another goal? You are only 9 lbs away from your next goal- then you'll be in the 140s!! YIKES! Don't worry about having a few off days- like mkendrick said, this is your lifestyle change, off plan days are going to happen. just try again the next day! you are going to be seeing 149 before you know it!

I think we are all alike lol. I am the same way! I have lost almost 50lbs and I am so proud of myself so I have slacked off and been not as good as I should be. People are constantly complimenting me so it makes me feel so good I forget that I have a long journey ahead of me, that is by no means over!

I've been having the same thing. 65 was my ultimate goal, I got past that and wanted to go to 60, but its been much less of a priority. I havent eaten terribly, but I havent been eating to *lose*. So I maintained and fluctuated and eventually just took a break from losing and enjoyed what I had done so far- the look, the fitness, the confidence. I did that for a couple of weeks and now I have set some time based loss goals and Im ready to go again

wow, i'm so glad to see so many responses. thank you for the advice and hopefully we can all push each other to not slip up around goals! i might try using some post its too, just so i have something to look at to keep me on track! and how this is a lifestyle change not a diet is really good advice no reason to think it isn't. i've been trying to make it a lifestyle and not a diet for a long time because i realized i would never keep the weight off if I didn't.

today has gone pretty good so far, no extra snacking or anything i feel guilty about !