[Smiling Sal]

As you probably know - I've been moaning about it often enough - my motivation has gone and deserted me. I am getting my brain back into 'I need to do this mode' but although the brain is willing the body isn't. It seems to think I can sneak the odd cheese sandwich and a couple of glasses of wine past my brain, cause if it doesn't notice I won't gain weight - is there a twisted kind of logic in there - like clear boiled sweets have no calories cause you can see right through them and biscuits lose their calories when they break.

These kind of 'fairytales' are alright for people with only a few pouns to lose. Me I want to drop a whacking 6 stone - give or take a few pounds. I know it can be done and I know I am going to do it - it may take me same time but I am going to do it.

What I am looking for is any suggestions on what you use to motivate yourself when things start to slip. I know that planning everything out, weight, fat, measurement charts, etc will help me. I also try to set myself mini targets and when I reach them I get a small reward - a pair of ear rings , favourite bubble bath, etc.

Just curious how other people keep it all going - all advice greatly appreciated. Am off to Asda now to do my healthy shopping before it gets busy.

Carol

[Sarah Ann]

Good thread idea!

Well - my motivation was flagging a bit and it certainly picked up last night. We got a cheap digital camera and after 400 pictures I gave up with tilting my head so you can't see the double chins, standing slightly twisted on to the camera so I look thinner - and, of course, sucking that tummy in! I think the last dozen or so pictures were about the best motivation I could ever have - I look podgy, pregnant, tired and ill.

Apart from that, over these last few months I have found some of these ways of keeping motivated useful:

1. I bought myself something totally gorgeous to wear in the dress size that I eventually want to be. Since I bought it (a coat) it has been hanging on the outside of my wardrobe door where I can see it every morning and evening.

2. Each week after weighing myself, I take a good hard long look at myself in a mirror... naked! Not focusing on my face or the good bits.... urgh!!!

3. I keep a photo of me when I weighed my goal weigh pinned to the noticeboard behind my computer.

4. I do the small rewards thing as well - for each week that I lose weight I spend £2-£4 on a little treat (nailvarnish, brooch, etc) - and on the weeks that I don't lose weight the money gets rolled over until I do lose some weight.

5. I also do big rewards, each time I lose half a stone we do something special - walk and pub lunch in the Yorkshire Dales is next - and I've got lots of things planned for when I get to my target weight.

6. Yes.... this one is old hat now... but it works - on the big milestones (half stones and stones) I go in to a supermarket and make a pyramid of lard of the weight I have lost!

7. I have not kept it a secret that I am on a diet. It works in several ways - firstly, we eat out quite a lot and its helpful because people don't force feed me high cal food any more, secondly its amazing how much I don't want to have to admit to being a failure yet again and thirdly I have found several other people who are trying to diet alone and we have formed our own informal little dieting and exercise group.

BUT.... I still need more motivation - it really isn't as easy as it was and it seems to be taking forever this time.

[tupperware queen]

I have just mentioned this elsewhere but the digital camera has been a great help to me.
When I reached 18st I came downstairs in my size 22 swimsuit and asked Dh to take photos of me , I think he thought I was going mad.
I got him to take front, rear and side view photos. I hated to look at them but as each stone goes I add another one to the collection and you can see a big difference now.
The tape measure is a good aid too.
I keep having trying on sessions with clothes, I have an item of clothes ready on back of door and keep trying them on until I can get into them.
I have a pair of jeans and i am able to fasten them (if i lie on bed and breathe in whilst tugging furiously!!) but they look ridiculous at the moment ha ha , great big roll hanging over the top etc. They are a peculiar fit, really low cut, I think they must be mens.(could be that I am a peculiar shape of course!!)

I still keep going off the rails but I just get back on again straight away. I have no choice, there is no choice, I do not want to be 20stone plus I want to be the person I was when I lost weight before, I was happier, healthier and no comparison to the person I became after regaining all the weight plus a lot more.It didn't go back on overnight and it won't come off again overnight but it is going lb by lb and that is motivating me too. I wish it was quicker but it isn't so I will have to put up with it, they say this is the easiest part, so let's enjoy the ride.
We are going to do it, we just need to keep telling ourselves!!

[Sarah Ann]

I'm beginning to hate this ****** digital camera... I was starting to feel quite good about myself until I saw the photos...! Nowadays I can't even use the bathroom without locking the door when Kevin's here - he's gone snap happy with that thing!

Yes, I agree with TQ about the trying on session with clothes - its lovely to find that things you thought would never fit are OK now or even maybe a bit too big! I did that this morning and does anyone remember that (polite cough) underwear item I bought from Avon - the pretty little lilac number.... well it fits beautifully. Now all I need is an 'occasion' to justify wearing it!!!