This is a good one I have to keep in mind.

As far as the "days" off... one day is not a problem or me.. it's when it becomes two days in a row that I've got a potential issue. I confess my abstinance as soon as possible.. usually that is enough to get me going. Just recently MamaHippo (Casey) from Maintainers gave me a soft kick in the rear. If I ever need a harder one I give everyone here permission. Just line up.. one swift one per person till the job is done.

DO:

Get a support group like 3FC, Weights Watchers whatever works for you...

Journal your thoughts either here or in a diary or blog...

Plan, plan then when you're finished planning, plan some more...

Be persistent and patient...

Get back on that wagon ASAP...

Find one part of your body, daily, to love or at least like...

DON'T

Don't berate yourself or use negative self talk when you screw up, be your own best friend...

Ooops.. I meant from Mediterranean... she is a Maintainer too. A real sweet bud.

Mel67, I do exactly the same thing you do. I'm doing WW and Sundays are my days off. I don't count points that day. Having that one day a week takes that "restricted" feeling away. And like you said, it's not like I'm going to devour 3 large pizzas in one sitting. I find myself that even on those days off I do make better choices. Last Sun DH and I went out for breakfast, I ended up ordering a 3-egg white omelette loaded with veggies, no cheese, no bacon, just veggies, and had a couple of pieces of wheat toast with it, no butter either. And I was perfectly happy, I did have half a pancake! I really wanted pancakes, but I stopped at half of one. Before I'd have ordered something loaded with cheese, with sausage, or bacon, and THEN I would've had 1 or 2 whole pancakes with it. So yes, I'm changing, my attitude is different, I'm making better choices. So even if I'm nowhere near my goal yet, here are my 2 cents...

DO read the maintainers forum, every day if you need to.
DO surround yourself with plenty of support and information.

DON'T lose patience with yourself, hard work & dedication go hand in hand with it.

And I DO sincerely thank all of you maintainers and future maintainers for sharing your stories, your insight, and your support!

I just recently stumbled on the maintainers forum and I must agree that reading it is a huge help. I've been trying to lose the same last 5lbs for some time now (after re-losing a bit of weight I re-gained) and have been feeling frustrated. The threads I've been reading here have been great for morale!

I'll jump in here to say DON'T ignore signals coming from your body. If you're feeling puffy and unfit, attend to that right away before things get out of control. Try and develop a friendly relationship with your body in order to be able to hear these signals...

DO eat/exercise/live like you're still in weight loss mode, as Glory 87 said. Cannot be stated too much!!!

Do walk on by the brownies and cake in the stores and mall.

Do let yourself get hungry. With my over indulgence lately I haven't felt hungry.

Don't let the scale to up more than 5 lbs before you do something about it.

Don't be dissapointed in how your new body looks. I will always have a stomach apron, I have got to learn to accept it and move on.

Although I'm not anywhere close to maintenance yet, I thought I'd share my idea that I am starting for weight loss that should help with maintenance as well.
I bought a little softcover plastic photo-album (it says DREAM on the front ). And I put in pictures taken a few days after I started Optifast, along with a little written note about my start weight, my weight in the pictures, and my weight at the first weigh-in, along with the dates of each. I plan to take progress pictures in 20lb intervals until I reach my goal, and put them in my album with the date and weight. I may or may not share this with others, but I am keeping it in a spot where I will see it everyday and I have spent alot of time reflecting on how I got to this point and what I need to change on the inside to prevent myself from getting to this size again. I think this is an awesome habit to develop, and probably my reflections will change direction as more and more progress is realized. I also think this will be a good tool to have during maintenance, as a constant reminder of the **** I was in and that I don't want to go back.

Amanda, that's a fantastic idea! My big regret is that I didn't take pictures as I lost the weight (though I did monthly measurements and body fat %). All I have is a few befores and hardly any while I was losing. Now, of course, I'd love to go back and see what I looked like at all the different weights (it all went by so fast that I don't remember )

When you get to goal, you will cherish your little book! Not only to remind yourself where you don't want to go back to, but to remember how you accomplished what I'm guessing will be the hardest and best thing you've ever done in your life (it was for me).

I shared Meg's reget of not documenting the process. Unfortunately, now I have another opportunity, although this time it was a matter of about 40 lbs instead of 120, so I've been doing the progress pics this time around. It should be such a great help to you Amanda.

But as I think about it, one of the best reminders I have of progress is a pair of size 24 jeans I barely squeezed into at my heaviest. When I'm having a bad day, I get them out, put them on, and come into immediate and stark realization of how far I've come, and why it is important not to go back. Meg's avatar illustrates the point perfectly, of course, but when you are doing it live and in person you get the full 3D effect!

Anne

I'm considering digging out my fat jeans next week. We've got a "wrong trousers" dress down day at work, and believe me they look very wrong! (I can do the standing in one leg thing ) But I might just put them in my bag, I don't think I can face wearing them all day particularly if no-one else goes with the theme...

I kept the size 18 loose fit jeans I wore every day for nearly 4 years. I also kept a size XXL orange Eddie Bauer skirt that I bought in one of the saddest shopping days of my life. I had an event and I had nothing to wear. I spent a lot of time at the mall, trying on so many clothes, nothing looked good. I bought the skirt in desperation and was miserable. It falls straight down now (my hips are now smaller than my old waist measurement). Every now and then I try both on to remember how far I've come. I should do the classic "big skirt pulled to the side picture!!"

You know what would be so cool? If everyone posted a picture of themselves in their big pants and skirts and we pulled them all together in one place!

If you have a picture - post it ... if you don't, take one and post it. I'm sure we can figure out a way to put together a gallery of fat clothes pictures for the Goal! forum.

Damn, I might just have to go get a pair of size 24's from the thrift store for this since I didn't keep any of my old ones.

That is a cool idea, I will try to find an old pair of my size 20's, I think I got rid of them all.