.

Well.....I have not been here long enough to even answer your question yet, but I got here by doing several different programs REALLY though, It all ended up being exercise and moderation no matter how you look at it I have been to goal once before though and did it through the Sugar Busters program but after awhile I just had incredible bread cravings and went off the deep end Hopefully this time I will live in maintenance longer and know that everyday is a battle but the victory sure is sweet

I do it every day...the same thing that I did to lose the weight in the first place. You've heard "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle". That's the key to maintenance. I eat the same way, I exercise even more. Every day. Of course there are treats and special dinners, but they happen occaisionally, and next meal is right back on program.

I Initially lost most of my weight on SugarBusters also. The only changes that I've made are I now eat 5 meals a day, more protein, and get more exercise (heavy weight training and cardio).

Mel

I went on Nutri-system for seven months. I wont say it was easy to do, but i finall got most of the weight off. I got rid of my larger sized clothes as i went along. No way to conveniently go back. The program really helped me with my biggest problem which was overly large portions. I got used to eating large helpings of salads and veggies, small portions on other foods.

Thanks for all your replies! I was actually wondering though, what you did to overcome the emotions accociated with eating/being heavy etc...journal, meditate, put a thin picture on your fridge (hokey I know)? Things like that...

Thanks!

I'm with Mel on this one. I keep exercising and eating the same as when I thought I was dieting... Then I realised through coming on this site that it's LIFESTYLE, so I keep plugging away...

Have you had a chance to read the ''Thin for Life'' book review that Meg had done last January? It gives some great insight...

I would have to say LOTS of prayer and posting a fat pick on the fridge helped me ALOT!!! Oh and even though some people say not too.. I weigh every morning and keep my eye on those numbers

I think Mel answered it when she said that she did the same thing every day. As someone who has maintained a weight loss for a year (although, frankly, I'm still trying to lose), I've found that I do best, physically and emotionally, when I stick to a routine. If I'm in my routine, then I don't feel like binging. Plus what I eat helps me not to binge (for me, the key is limiting carbs and eating more protein). Stressful situations are hard because I'm out of my routine, and I'm still a work-in-progress on that one. But because I want this badly, if I do take an emotional nosedive and start eating foods that aren't on my plans, I try to limit it to one meal.

For me, it's not physical things that help me to stay on course, but just the knowledge that I want this so badly. Over the course of many years of trying to lose weight, I've wanted to lose, but not as badly as I do now. And that, for me, keeps me on course. It's not something that's easy to explain because it's a feeling that just overrides all the other stuff.

You might want to check out Dr. Phil's book, Ultimate Weight Loss Solution, because it has a nice chapter on emotional eating. Also, I believe Jillian Michaels' book (she's the trainer from the Biggest Loser TV show) also deals has a part that deals with emotional eating. I haven't read either, but I've heard both of them recommended on other forums.

I read every book I could find and everything on the internet about emotional eating and how to overcome it.

I basically had to get to the point I liked myself. I used to think in terms of "when I lose the weight, things will be better." I'll be happier, people will love me more, be more thoughtful around me ect.

Well, no they aren't. I had to figure out what I wanted to be better and then change what I was doing so it would be better... did that make sense?

Journaling helped a lot. I had to stop trying to shove the emotions down with food when I was upset with another person. I had to learn to either confront the other person or decide that it wasn't worth it and no amount of food is going to make it better.

Once I figured out what was going on emotionally and finally focused on that, the actual diet and losing weight was a natural side affect. It really wasn't that hard to lose the weight once I started to eat for nutrition and not for emotional support/self nurturing.

Nobody can make me happy but me! I am responsible for my emotions. If I allow someone to upset, I'm giving that person power over me. It's been a long journey but I'm happy to say it's going along just fine.

About the picture on the fridge, I actually do better when I have a picture of a very large woman. I see it and think, I'm not going to be like her. When I see a picture of a thin person, or even me thinner, I always felt that it was impossible for me to be that size again.
Sarah

Hi good question as well as responses.
Weight management is as stated a life style change that continues to evolve. Having been at this longer term I can offer this, there is no set solutions. The basics remain the same but like any project sometimes you need to use different tools to get the results you want. The important thing is to realize you have the tools. Right now I am working on the after dinner habit of eating to reward myself for a hard day. The tools I am using are replacing the habit with a new one by not watching Tv, reading, knitting, listening to music, a light walk. This is my focus right now. Other times it might be focusing on a new or revamped exercise routine. Different times bring different 'events'.
Emotional eating is big. Today was an extremely stressful day for me. I actually thought about a binge. This time I just said no.. I told myself no you are not going to do this because you will still have the problem plus guilt. Today it worked. I hope it works next time but maybe I'll need a different tool that day.
Good luck

I've read Dr. Phil's book and HIGHLY recommend it (you should be able to find it at your library).

We actually had a lively book discussion, chapter-by-chapter, on the Dr. Phil book - you can find the threads on the Dr. Phil subforum in General Diet plans; in fact, here's the thread on Chapter 1, Unlocking the Door to Permanent Weight Loss. Reading the threads should give you a flavor of what the book is about. I realize there are a lot of folks out there who don't care for Dr. Phil but I think he did an outstanding job looking at the "head issues" - an essential issue given short shrift in most diet books.

I've yet to read the Jillian Michaels book, but should get to start it in the next week or so, as soon as it arrives from Amazon

A book that helped me a great deal is The Thin Books by Jeane Eddy Westin. It helped me see that my brain simply works differently than the brains of people who aren't compulsive overeaters. I never realized that. I never realized what traps my personality and habits set for me, and how I had to consciously work to break out of them. A lot of the work is just observation -- "Hmmm ... I seem to want to eat when I'm avoiding something ...." Once you're able to label things specifically and look at patterns, then you can start to formulate STRATEGIES to deal with them. You also have to be willing to go out of your comfort zone a LOT. A lot a lot a lot.