[Xan]

Hi! I've been here before; this is the third time this year I've rejoined.

Trying to learn from past mistakes, I've written down the things I did wrong AND the things I've done right. I wondered what other people's challenges are?

The ones I'm trying to work on first are:
1. Planning and sticking to plan
2. Ditch the "all or nothing" mentality -- I have to be either OP or I ditch the whole thing; I'm working on that.
3. Don't weigh in every day (I've put the scale in the closet)

I've gained the last 80 pounds through undisciplined eating. I wrote the first time I came here, I eat like a teenager -- except I'm 53. Snickers and a Coke are breakfast (and midafternoon snack), McDonalds for lunch. Fry a hamburger for dinner.

The only thing I don't love about the WW plan is that it isn't structured. I know the reasons for it and I think, on balance, they're good ones. But I need structure, at least until I undo bad habits.

Do others have challenges that they're working on, or that have blocked them in the past?

[Lauren H]

Xan, love your name. Have you ever read P.D. James' "The Children of Man" (I think that's the title)? One of the lead characters is named Xan.

Anyway, great idea for a thread. I've been following the WW plan with plenty of detours now for a little more than three years. I attended meetings for the first year, then dropped out when I stopped losing weight. Gained a bunch back, then lost it again, plus a few more pounds. Recently I put back on about 9 pounds and have taken off a few of those. I'm going to start going to meetings again this week, mainly because I feel like I need some freshness here.

For me, one of the biggest challenges is staying interested over the long haul. I always do well at the beginning of a new program or a new approach, but I eventually find it difficult to find inspiration to keep going. So I'm looking for ways to get inspired again for the next six months. (Six months is about how long I tend to stick with things with any enthusiasm.) I'm this way about jobs, too -- I have never stayed with any job longer than 2 years.

That really covers most of my challenges. I've incorporated exercise this year for the first time, and lately I've gotten bored with it -- although I know I need to keep at it. So I'm looking at doing something new in that area, too.

I agree with you about that "all or nothing" mentality. It's lethal. It's a given that you'll gain back everything so long as that mentality exists (been there, done that repeatedly). The fact that I'm still 50+ pounds down from where I was 3 years ago is something I largely attribute to having apparently gotten away from that mentality.

--Lauren

[thomaston5]

I share the same challenge. I have tried WW a couple of times before, but this time it is seeming to work ( or should I say, I am starting to work harder at it?). I too made the list of things that went wrong...in the end, what my problem was that I also needed to be more "structured". So, here is what I did:

Every Sunday a.m., when the Sunday paper comes ( along with the supermarket sales ads) I sit down and plan at least dinner for each night. Specifically, if ground beef is on sale, and chicken is on sale, then I will make it a priority to have a meal during the week that has that ingredient in it. Next, I get on the web. One of my other downfalls was boredom, same old diet food. But thanks to this and other websites like it, I am far from bored! After I look at the sales circulars, I find the "new" recipes that contains that ingredient. I tell you, I have made some very deliousous meals!

As for boosting my confidence...lets just say that I have been doing this "routine" for a long time, and....I have 5 pounds left to loose 'till goal!

Good luck!