I'm just wondering for those of you that have gotten to goal or close to it or maybe you have lost a tremendous amount of weight so far on the way to goal, did you get to that place along the way where you felt like there is absolutely no turning back and failure is not an option. You had no desire to cheat, eat off plan or just not exercise because you didn't feel like it. If you did when did that happen? The place that your commitment to you and your new lifestyle became "Who you are" and not just what you are doing.

I feel like I've crossed that threshold today and I have been able to walk away from all the temptations and do my workouts at all cost. I'm loving the way I feel and the way I'm looking now. I've been committed all along but today I feel like I've crossed over into a different place and this is really "Who I am". Am I making any sense?

I had the "failure is not an option" attitude from day one. I finally got to the point where I was sick of carrying around the extra weight. It's like I literally woke up one morning and said, ENOUGH!! I started out with no cheating along the way but I was VERY committed to exercise, and I still am. I've definitely had my cheats along the way but in my mind I knew that it was only ONE cheat and wouldn't turn into an unhealthy lifestyle again. Something in my brain had just clicked and I've been leading a healthy lifestyle ever since!!

This time I definitely have that feeling/attitude that quitting is not an option and that this is a lifestyle, not a diet. Don't know why it's happened this time and not the other times, but the other times I remember thinking "when I get to goal I can eat (fill in the blank)" but not this time.

Hmm. I definitely have days when I feel like that, but always? No, at least not at this point.

There are still days I don't feel like doing my workout and days when that deep dish pizza is very tempting.

However, I usually turn those feelings away and thus have maintained my weight loss since 2008. Still working on those last 30 lbs, though.

for me, the big reason why I don't have this feeling is that nothing is off limits. In the past, I've often found that if I wasn't perfect, I would get an attitude of "well, I've broken my diet, so I might as well eat whatever I want" and then I'd never get back on track.

Now, if I really, really want a treat, I can have it, but I have to make room for it in my calories. And most of the time, I decide that for that 200 or whatever calories, I'd much rather have something else that is a better choice nutritionally. But knowing that I *can* have it, and not be off plan, makes it much easier to make that choice.

And since I plan to pretty much eat the way I eat right now forever, I know that yeah, I will make room for the ocassional treat. But it doesn't need to derail me, so I can enjoy it, and keep right on going in the right direction.

I feel I hit that point once I didn't have to shop at plus size stores anymore. There is just something in me that refuses to go back there. There are still days when I just want a big bowl of ice cream, but my will power has certainly increased. I also know now how to have a little of that thing I'm craving without going "off plan". And there are some days when my body just doesn't want to exercise and then I know it's time for a rest day. Comgratulations on reaching that point, I think it's a crucial thing to feel in order to be successful at this for life.

I definitely got to that "no turning back" point fairly early in the process, though I can't pinpoint it exactly.

My adventure started when I weighed 257 pounds and joined a gym (on a whim), then realized that I didn't have a clue what I was doing. So I signed up for five weeks of personal training. And I made a promise to myself that I would do exactly what the trainer told me to do for five weeks, with no complaints, whining, or saying no. Shut up, suck it up, and do it. After all, we can do anything for five weeks, right?

I felt like I was out of options at that point and that I couldn't fail one more time -- I just couldn't or something inside of me would die. So maybe from the beginning failure wasn't an option?

But once the weight started flying off of me, I knew there was no turning back. No way! I grabbed hold of the process and held on for dear life because this was FINALLY my ticket out of obesity! OMG, it worked -- the magic formula of counting calories, cardio, and strength training!!

In all seriousness, you could have offered me a million dollars to eat a cookie during my year of weight loss and I would have turned you down without a second thought. I wasn't the least bit tempted to eat off plan because my dream was finally, finally coming true. And why would I give that up for a cookie? That would be pretty stupid!

Congratulations on crossing that threshold! Everything you wrote totally makes sense to me.

I appreciate all of your comments. I think even though we have our own individual journey, we experience similar situations.

I find that my past attempts were with no direction and no flexibility. Now I have the ability to decide what I want to eat in my calorie budget.

Meg - I read the Maintainers threads when I first started and there was a lot of things that you all discussed that helped me tremendously. I've been counting calories, doing cardio and strength training and this is so working. It sometimes catches me off guard to see the progress and there is absolutely no temptation to go off plan. I have to catch myself when I see how people struggle and feel bad because it's so easy for me.

I guess once I got to the place that this is MY TICKET OUT, I'm holding on to it for dear life. Once again thanks everyone.

Day one (of this go 'round LOL!) for me, too. You know, I don't have a long drawn out obesity story like some people. I gained weight in 2007-2008 as a result of leftover eating habits from a much more active lifestyle -- somewhere around 30 lbs. I yo-yo dieted between 2008 and 2009. In 2009 I got depressed with the yo-yo'ing and continual failure. I was unmotivated and ate too much when I was bored. I gained 50 lbs in 2009. In late 2009 and early January 2010 I was going to try to diet again, but I just had NO motivation. I went into hibernation mode -- I didn't want to go anywhere, see anyone, do anything, etc. In late January I kicked myself out of hibernation, because I could see the never-ending cycle it was producing. But when I started forcing myself to go out, keep living life despite my weight I was just hugely uncomfortable in my skin -- and my clothes as they were all too small. I'd been uncomfortable with myself since the initial weight gain in 2007, but this was different. I literally was aware at every moment of everyday of each and every little spot, lump, roll, bulge, etc and all of them drove me ABSOLUTELY MAD! On the night of February 7, 2010 I looked myself in the face in the mirror and knew it was time. I weighed myself then and weighed in the highest I ever have, 208 lbs. Coincidentally on February 8 a friend asked me if I wanted to be her weightloss buddy for good -- to really get things done this time. I said yes and haven't looked back.

In the past when I ended up yo-yo'ing I was always successful at first, but it took so much effort -- I was always so tempted to go off "plan". But this time I can feel a fundamental change in my thinking, my attitude, my approach. I'm not tempted. I'm not...stressed. I eat what I want, when I want. But everything I want is healthy. I want to be HEALTHY. Am I frustrated with myself for not having this flip of the switch, so to speak, earlier? Of course. But it's a peaceful frustration; a "gee, that would have been nice." I'm happy with where I am, where I'm headed and how I plan to get (and stay) there.

During my yo-yo years I used to hear women talk about when that switch flipped and how they just decided it was time and I always thought GREAT! that'll never happen with me. How can anyone turn off the cookie switch or the pasta switch or the choco-holic switch. It just didn't make any sense. It still doesn't; I still don't know HOW it happens. But it happened and boy am I ever grateful. There has been a canister of homemade chocolate chip cookies in my kitchen for the past week. They look good and when someone else is eating one they smell good too. But I don't want one. Last weekend my husband bought a bag of carmel filled hershey's kisses. They're in a bowl on the counter. I haven't had one. Normally I wouldn't be able to stop myself -- I am a choco-holic to the extreme. I don't want one. Tonight my mom treated me to dinner for my birthday at a favorite Mexican restaurant. I ate healthfully without a second thought, was not stressed at all. And when the waiters brought my complimentary fried ice cream topped with whipped cream, in a crispy tortilla shell and drizzled with chocolate sauce? I helped my youngest eat from it while it sat in front of me and my older daughter ate off it from my other side. I was not tempted to take even one bite. It didn't even look appetizing. I was full.

In the 11 days since my "switch" flipped on February 8th I have lost 10 lbs. Not once have I gone hungry. It's really very nice.

That is so awesome!! I'm so happy for you. :-) This new feeling of always looking forward is going to carry you far, and you WILL reach your goal -- enjoy the empowerment it brings you and keep on keepin' on!