When I first started this (again...I am a regainer) I looked at my new ticker and almost cried. I was SO FAR from the goal. (I know others here have had much bigger journeys, I'm just sharing how I felt when I saw mine.) It felt like it would be forever, and even moving the ticker down the first few pounds didn't help. It wasn't until it was past 10 lbs that I started to feel some hope. Now, over halfway there I am feeling so much relief. It feels less awful, and it feels like it's totally possible now. I am hopeful too that this time there will be no regaining because everything is different this time. I stopped lying to myself, I stopped making excuses and I no longer view this as something I have to do "until" and then I can stop. (Stupid, I know, I know!) I can accept that it'll always be a part of my life, a new way of being, period, not a diet.

Now if I am honest, my ticker isn't really my "goal." My goal is a full ten to twelve pounds less than my ticker, what I used to weight when I was happy and healthy and comfortable. (Size 10, 148-150lbs, and in case anyone is concerned based on my height, this is perfectly wonderful medically, says my doc!) So even though "completing" my ticker isn't the only goal, I'm calling it "stage 1." Even though stage one is a larger amount of weight to lose, I fully expect stage 2 "the last ten pounds" to be harder, because it always is a little harder to lose at smaller numbers.

There is light at the end of this tunnel! It might just be a speck right now, but I'm going to keep moving towards it!

Yay!!! That is so encouraging to hear I totally know what you mean about it feeling hopeless in the beginning, but something about getting past halfway made me go "wow, this is real".

I regained some weight a couple of years ago and did feel discouraged having to lose the "same" weight again. One thing that helped me was to think that the time was going to pass anyway, whether I was losing weight or not. Therefore, it was better for that future time to pass while I was losing weight than sitting there not losing weight and wishing I hadn't regained.

My goal is also a Stage 1 goal. When I reach it -- and I'm close -- I will simply be in a normal BMI range. At that point I have other goals (that aren't specifically about weight -- more about body composition). But it doesn't help me to focus on those right now.

Before I realized I started my weight loss journey at 302 instead of 310 like I thought, I had thought I had hit the 30 pound lost mark but I didnt and I'm still not there but I have hit the 20 pound mark earlier this year and I'll get there again. Keep up the great work.

Maui, I completely feel you on this. But I think the important thing is that you caught yourself, you realized what you needed to do, and you're doing it. I too had a big regain over the past few years (took me about 4 years to regain 40 of the ~70 lbs I lost), and it's EXHAUSTING to have to start again. It's so daunting. But you did it, you're doing it.

I have the same thing as you, those 'stages.' I agree that the later stages are probably going to be harder.

I'm so glad you're feeling relief! That helps, I think. Keep moving toward the end of that tunnel!

And I'm not concerned about your goal weight. For your height, you could be down to around 140 lbs and be perfectly healthy (in general for people your height). And your doctor likes your goal weight. It seems very healthy to me.

Congrats on being halfway there!