I am 9 pounds away from my goal and cannot stop cheating. I did not cheat for the first 6 months of IP. However, the month of May has been a complete write-off, I've cheated every single weekend.

I really need some support. Being unable to get back on program has been very stressful and is really taking a toll on me emotionally. What have you guys done to keep you motivated? What do you do to keep on track?

HELP!

Remember, when cheating, you are cheating yourself. No one else.
Ask yourself why you are sabotaging yourself from reaching the goal?
Are you afraid from 'then what?' question or a failure ?
Next time you even come close to cheating ask yourself why are you betraying your own hard work?

You can do it! Goal is much closer then you think!
Don't set yourself up for a failure.

Have you examined why you are cheating? There is something there psychologically.

I have an inner chubby chick (who's a complete b*tch and lies to me all the time) and there's my Inner Skinny Chick who only tells me the truth, encourages me, and is the one I check in with when I'm having an urge to go off program.

Check in with your Inner Skinny Chick and ask her what's going on, why am I feeling the need to cheat, what am I afraid of when I reach my goal, why am I sabotaging my program, etc.

You can do this. It's a journey, you're almost there, but as you know, it's not just a physical journey, it's mental and emotional.

Maybe you need to begin to transition into maintenance? You only have 9 lbs to go so you could probably lose that in Phase 2. Talk to your couch and be totally honest about your cheats.

I've had a nearly life long struggle with my weight. I think I found the culprit of why I derail myself. It's the worry over "what will I do now?" Now that I'm not obsessing about my body or weight loss....what will I do with my life? I'll tell ya. LOOK GREAT! BE HEALTHY!

I figured out that I always have to have a "thing" I'm doing in order to be interested in life. Sheesh, I don't want any part in that.

I found that when I get the urge to cheat and my inner dialogue hasn't kicked in that "hey, you don't wanna do that, it's not on plan" I'll do a google search. It may seem weird, but it works for me. I'll look up before and after pictures of folks who've reached their goals or I'll look up celebs who I admire. I get to searching and my craving is gone and I'm effectively re-motivated!

You can do this..... it's a minor blip, but you're still fabulous and you still have a goal.

Thank you so much guys. You've brought up points that I haven't really thought about. I think I may be a little scared and anxious about how my life will be once off IP. These cheats are a form of resistance. I've come this far and I am going to FINISH!

Random Thought: I'm not sure if I'm the only one that has experienced this but I am totally not used to this new body. I don't even know what to do with it. I don't even know how to shop for clothes. I sometimes stare in the mirror for extended periods of time just looking at my silhouette in awe. Can't even believe that it's me. I may be suffering from semi Post-IP syndrome.

I don't think Elly is afraid of failure or sabotaging herself. After all, she already met her original goal and decided that she wanted to go further. So, really she has already succeeded.

I think that people tend to over think this. Although I think there may be a psychological element to it, I think the explanation might be more simple and basic. I think you just get burned-out after a while. I am having the same issues. I started to slip a little. If you allow yourself to cheat, you have a tendency to let the problem snowball into something more.

For me, I think part of the psychological part is that the closer I am to my goal, the less urgency I feel to get the weight off, because I've already taken so much off. On the one hand I want to get to my goal already. But on the other hand, its harder and harder to have the motivation as I did before.

I just posted this on the daily thread but I wanted to share with you a similar struggle. You and I are totally close to our goal. I have not cheated and don't want to but the bottom line it might be time for a change. So close to goal does not feel right though. I look good and based on your picture you look GREAT! Obviously it is how you feel.



"I am officially 8 lbs from my self-chosen weight goal of 150 lbs. The loss has gotten so difficult (scale is totally creeping) for the past month. And, I am really hungry, more than I have been since I started the program in February. I know people struggle with when to phase and it is personal but I am asking those who understand how they made that decision.

I want to get the last 8 lbs off BUT I am ready to phase off because I want to eat something different this summer. I HAVE not cheated and won't, so this has got to be a shift in my choice. Coach recommended phasing off.

Another option which feels completely good right now is to phase off now and return in September. Thoughts??"

You are NOT the only one. I'm not even as close to goal as you but after losing over 80 lbs, you put in words what I've been feeling

hey glad you brought this up. I posted a while back that I was committing 100% again. did good for an entire week then just fell off again. I am getting super lazy at nights when I don't want to cook, so that's where my issues are. hope June brings you a new whirlwind of oomph I know I will be trying to 'refocus!

EllyElle, I'm glad you posted this. I lost about 60 lbs. last year and this year since January have gained about 25 which I am now trying to lose. It's very hard to stay with the plan after a cheat. I personally believe there are a couple of reasons: 1. I agree with Joe, I just got burned out on the plan. Its hard to maintain the kind of discipline required over such a long period of time without some kind of rebound. 2. I believe this type of extreme low calorie, low carb plan brings on binge cycles. I fell into it and it surprised me. I'm still trying to figure it out. I wish you luck, our stats are similar and I'm rooting for us both!

Elly I noticed your "new" goal is 150. Maybe if you settled for your original goal for a while and see if you can maintain that you may decide you like it there. If not then you can try again to get to your lower goal.

Pat

Wow, I'm in the same boat! However, I have much more to lose than you! I started the day after Mother's Day and made it through a long vacation in CA completely 100% OP. it felt great!!! (Lost about 13 lbs) Then last night & today I stumbled pretty hard. Of course, it's TOM for me...but that's no excuse. I know I can do better! It just seems that on day 13, i stumble...and then it's hard to get back on track.

Let's all jump right back on plan! I read the real cost of cheating thread, and that seemed helpful. Also, it may help me to post my foods in the food thread.

I feel the same as you and lisa32989 about this. I am not at goal but have I'm 46 lbs down and I am not used to this new body shape either. Obviously there is an emotional adjustment to losing weight and it surprises me when a new feeling about it comes up. Just know that you are not alone in what you are feeling. I think it's ok to give yourself time to adjust. Congrats on what you have accomplished!

Sometimes, you just need to take a step back and take a good look at the "why's" of your weight loss journey.

When I found myself stuck in a cheating mode, I realized that I was scared of the "new" me that was appearing, and everything that meant. I am slightly social phobic, and I used my weight to hide behind - as an excuse - after all....fat people didn't have many friends ( at least in my convoluted mind set).

Now that I know this about myself, I can actually do something more constructive than hide. I find that I am gaining more confidence in myself and can be around more people for longer periods of time.

I guess what I am trying to get at is take a good look at yourself; be brutally honest. Once you find out why the cheats are happening, then you can take steps to correct them.