[shadowgal]

This is my 3rd time starting WW. How do you stay motivated? I,m not very good at denying myself of my favorite foods..like pizza, Chinese, and Mexican food. I'm not a big vegetable or fruit fan. It's really an effort for me to choose good foods and keep a record of it at every meal. Maybe I'm just lazy or not serious enough to make this work. My WW leader is supportive and tells me that maybe summer time is more of a challenge to me than it would be in the fall. I don;t work full-time in the summer and I do in the fall. I tend to give up easily. How do I develop the "chutzpa" to keep going.

[mamaspank]

So don't deny yourself your favorite foods; improvise. I eat a Papa Murphy's Delight cheese pizza about once or twice a month. I make it last three days. Just eat a little salad and a couple pieces of pizza at your meals. For Chinese I get lettuce wraps or spring rolls with a bowl of egg drop soup. Mexican food, I think, is the hardest. I usually do this meal at home and it is a snap then. I get a couple Mission corn tortillas. Very low in calories. I use barely any hamburger or just a little chicken. I just load up on the lettuce, tomatoes, olives, peppers, onions, fat free cheese or sour cream, and hot sauce. Viola!

I know WW can get boring, but I stay motivated by checking this website every day. I have a pic up of an athlete that I find so inspiring. I also love hearing "Wow, you look great, have you lost weight?" I have worked very hard and it just perks my ears up when I hear that. I love trying on smaller clothes that I couldn't get above my hips four months ago. I really thought I had no chance of getting my prebaby body back. Now that I am back at prebaby, I am going to work on getting my high school bod back.

[suitejudyblueeyes]

1) Don't wait until the fall, when your leader seems to think it'll get "easier" to avoid the things you love. No matter what time of year we're in, it is easy to think that the weight loss will come easier any time other than NOW. Do not listen to these thoughts - when that later time comes you'll wish you had started NOW.

2) WW is incredibly flexible and there is no need for it to get boring. Many people lose weight successfully without ODing on fruits and veggies, though ideally you will follow the 8 healthy guidelines WW provides and get your servings of fruit and veggies in there somehow.

You can develop strategies for eating out and staying OP, but it will be difficult and it takes a tremendous amount of willpower if you are not using to denying yourself anything. WW is only restrictive in that most of the things you find in restaurants shouldn't be consumed by anyone to begin with (who needs a 2,000 calorie dinner??), it is only restrictive in that it asks you to eat sensibly on a regular basis.

I am a huge supporter of not depriving yourself of anything. If you do, you will resent the lifestyle change and give up. Just make sure that you balance out the indulgences with a good dose of moderate, healthy eating. Instead of ordering in a whole pizza, go out to a pizza place that serves by the slice - have a slice of your favorite pizza, savor it, make it count, and adjust the rest of your day to accommodate those points. Going out for Mexican is totally doable - I make sure nothing is deep-fried, covered in cheese, guac, or sour cream, and wrapped in a corn rather than a flour tortilla. Works like a charm, I always come out on the other side feeling like I made good choices. It can be done, but it takes commitment and perseverence.

Good luck

[Chey]

Portions, portions, portions.

I don't deny myself anything except for Mountain Dew. I have stopped drinking soda pop with the exception of a few times a week here and there and then it is diet pop.

Instead of that sugary cereal and whole milk, I eat high fiber cereal with skim. Instead of two pieces of potato bread toasted slathered in butter an inch thick with enough peanut butter on it to feed an army, I eat the Village Hearth 1 pt bread for 2 slices with spray butter and spun honey. Instead of 2 overeasy fried eggs, I eat the egg beaters in a tortilla with LF cheese. Instead of eating a salad dressing with a little salad.. (hahaha), I eat SALAD with FF Ranch and lots of veggies. Sour Cream? Get the Low Fat kind.

With every food that you eat now, there are healthier alternatives and you CAN fit them into your daily points without feeling deprived.

[shadowgal]

Thank mamaspanks, suitejudy and Chey for your replies. I really admire your fortitude. I really hope I can do this. This site has a lot of great ideas and lots of friendly support. I'll be counting on all of you to lend me a shoulder to whine on once in awhile.

[butterflyy]

Just wanted to say good luck in August 2008 to everyone

I am starting the flex plan tomorrow on Saturday 8/2