I need some advice/inspiration/a kick in the @** from you ladies who have successfully reached your goal and are in maintenance. Specifically, I need to hear that you struggled along the way, but were able to overcome it.

I started my journey in January, and my resolve didn't waiver for months. I lost 23 pounds, I was feeling great, nothing was going to stop me. I had one bad week while I was house sitting for a friend and didn't bring my own food, and I've not been able to get myself focused since. This was in June.

Some days I feel motivated, but then it's gone the next. A few weeks ago while eating (an entire pint of) Ben and Jerry's, I actually thought to myself, 'this is so good, being fat is worth it.' I was completely ready to forget about my goals and just go with it.

I'm coming clean. This summer has been HARD. I'm on break from school, and not being on a regular schedule has really screwed me up. I've gained back more than a few pounds (10), and the size 12s that were starting to feel too loose now have a rubber band around the button (sadly, a trick I learned from a pregnant friend).

Please share your stories with me. I need to know that it is possible to get back on track after being so derailed!

I know some people set a goal to lose weight, get it done and poof, their lives are forever changed. That was NOT the case for me, and from what I've seen in this area of 3fc, most of us have had some off days, weeks and even months. I have lost the same 70 or so lbs. many times. Before I got into maintenance, I did get close to losing all of my weight, but then, my motivation slipped and one day turned into a week, and a week into a month and a month into many months and before I knew it, I was back to almost square one. This time, I've had off days and weeks, but I was determined to get back on track, regardless of whether I had motivation or not.

So, now you are at a crossroad. What are you going to do? It's all up to you. Yes, ice cream can taste so incredibly good, but it's not worth being fat because you can, in fact, have ice cream and be thin, so why not have both? I'd suggest taking it one day at a time. You can always have the ice cream tomorrow or the next day....I always tell myself to have it another time. Now that I"m in maintenance, I can have that ice cream and then work my butt off at the gym and still fit into my jeans. It's a great feeling. I'll be honest, I still struggle with binge eating (I also have chronic daily migraines so that is my struggle and I just deal with it). But, I'd rather struggle with the binge eating within my goal range than at a weight that I'm not comfortable with.

What I find has worked is a commitment. I get to the gym and sweat it out unless I have a cold/flu or the chicken pox (which I did have this summer). If I can get to the gym with a raging migraine, I feel like most people can do it too (or go for a walk or park their car far away...etc...). I mention commitment because motivation comes and goes but commitment is just there, hopefully for life. It's like brushing your hair or teeth....you may not always be in the mood for it, but you get it done.

One day at a time. You know what it takes to lose weight. Congrats on the weight you've already lost. Now, do that every day and don't look back or forwards. Just focus on it one day at a time. You can absolutely do it.

I'm not sure if any of my post is relevant, helpful or even makes sense. I'm tired and have a migraine, but I do hope I've been of some help.

I'm guessing that's a large part of your problem right there. I'm all about my schedule and it really helps me to stay the course.

Every week, I type up a menu plan for the week (including snacks), write shopping lists for fresh food, and do the rest of the grocery shopping online (luckily, my hubby does the shopping and cooking). Then I forget about it. I pretty much don't think about food until I'm hungry.

Every six weeks, I draw up my workout routine for the next six weeks, and tick off each workout after I've done it. Sometimes, the only thing that motivates me to exercise is the satisfaction I get from ticking off my workout, and seeing all those ticks stretching back for weeks. Unless I'm sick or have to work late, I never miss my scheduled workout.

I know all this sounds a bit anal, but it's important for me to feel in control. Having everything planned out and sticking to the plan means that, even if everything else in my life is going pear-shaped, at least I'm controlling my diet, my exercise - and my weight.

Maybe this kind of thing only works for routine-oriented, obsessive-compulsive types like me, but I have found it to be a lifesaver.

I just re-read your post and realised we're both essentially saying the same thing.

I recently read a quote from Michelle Bridges, a trainer on the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. She said (I'm paraphrasing here): "Motivation is BS - just do it".

Hey! Everyone goes through "HARD" periods. You can't revert to your old way of eating and expect not to gain. Otherwise, why would you be here on 3FC?

I think it's interesting that your problems started when you were housesitting for a week and didn't bring your own food. Why didn't you think ahead? And, once you were there, were you unable to go out and buy food? Well, it's a moot point now. I had something similar happen on a trip where for a week I just let everything go as far as my eating plan. I didn't need to do that; I wasn't in a foreign country, and I had been on a couple of trips a month or so earlier and did just fine.

Over the next year and a half I regained about 35 pounds of the 50 I had lost before I managed to bring it to a halt. I did that by changing my approach, because I couldn't make myself stay with the method by which I lost originally. I started on the Medifast plan, which is a low calorie, meal delivery program. As it turned out, I couldn't stay with the Medifast foods because of an intolerance problem--but I was having good success, so I decided to continue with the program by substituting foods that had the same calorie count and nutritional profile as the Medifast meals. I am now down 18 pounds. I am eating less than I had been, but interestingly, I feel more satisfied. It has to do with the nutritional profile.

So I would say, if you are unable to make yourself stick with what worked before, after giving it a really good try, think of doing something different. Not something crazy--just a different approach.

And make no excuses for yourself. No one needs to eat badly just because the going gets rough.

Good luck!
Jay

This is awesome Jay. I totally agree.

There are 100's of other things we can do other than eat. Food is the easy way out. Whether it be a pan of brownies or a bottle of booze, it's self medicating and we don't "NEED" it. Oh yeah, we want it, and many will refuse to let it go, because they "deserve" it. I think I deserve to feel great, so I
make choices. And that choice is to say no (usually). For ME it is not deprivation, it's freedom.

I'm not a maintainer (yet! ), but I find that when my motivation wanes, it helps to do something different from what I have been doing. For example, for years I had all or nothing thinking. For example, years ago, I would join a gym, work out there like crazy, and get heartily sick of it after about a year. Then, I would stop working out, start eating more, and . . . well you know the rest. This time around I've decided that if one thing doesn't work I will try something else, but stopping and giving up IS NOT AN OPTION for me. So, all summer, I've been doing my low-key exercise routine, and it's been great. I'm not even sick of it, but lately, I've thought about just going to a fitness class once a week to add a little spice to my routine.

Also, sometimes getting a new gadget helps. I am loving my calorie counter app that I use on my smart phone. Some folks have fun using the Body Bugg or other similar device that tracks your calorie expenditure throughout the day. My sister used it for several months and it motivated her to lose weight after two years of trying and failing. So, maybe you could think of a gadget that might inspire you to get on track.

Brainstorm a list of things you can do to get back on track. The only thing that is not allowed on your list is "giving up." Good luck!

I basically agree with everyone but I also have a question to ask: How did you originally lose your pounds? Were you on a very strict diet?

Eating a very low calorie diet makes it hard to avoid feeling deprived. In the long run it's easier to lose weight and keep it off even if you stick to a slower weigh loss rate.

Satu

I just eat like this now. It has infused every bit of me - the way I think about food, the way I plan to eat, the way I order in restaurants.

Sure, every now and then I'm off plan, but I don't have "bad weeks" or even "bad days." I have the occasional over indulgent meal but I make sure I am right back on track at the next eating opportunity.

I think that's why I've managed to keep my weight within 10lbs of my goal weight for 6 years.

Me too. I agree that it's better to gradually transition to the way you intend to eat for the ret of your life, rather than going on a restrictive diet which may set you up for rebellion.

Over the years I lost, regained, lost, regained plus a few. I could lose I just didn't know how to keep it off. From3FC I learned "we keep it off the same way we lost it' ....never thoght of that , now I still plan my meals, still count calories. In other words PLANNING is the key. I can have a treat now and then but I still stick to counting calories and planning ahead.

I just had another thought...

A very popular thread on another weight loss forum I was active on back when I first reached my goal weight and was searching for a maintenance strategy was called "Things We're Not Going to Miss". Posters listed all the things they wouldn't miss about being fat. I kept that list in mind when I found my resolve flagging, and it really helped me to keep going. (The Beck Diet Solution recommends a similar strategy where you write down why you want to lose weight on a card, and refer to it several times a day.)

Perhaps the OP could do something similar to keep her goals in the front of her mind? I've never tasted Ben and Jerry's, but I'm pretty sure it's not worth being fat.