How does everyone else do it? I have been back to WW so many times (I am a lifetime member). I went back again about three weeks ago and have not been back since. I let the materials sit on my counter for about a week, finally started following the proram and lost a few pounds according to my scale. Then the weekend and PMS hit and I can't seem to get back in the swing.

How does everyone get and stay motivated?

Besh

I am still trying trto find the secret to staying motivation. So many people here have done so well, and I find reading the success stories and seeing the before and after photos really help. I know that today is only my second day on WW....but it is my 3rd time back. My main motivation right now is the fact that I no longer have any closthes that fit. I think coming here will really help./ The ladies are so knowledable and really helpful. I wish you luck, and hope that you will have a succeful ON program week. You can do this!!! You have proved that it works by doing it before. and a BIG congrats to being a life time!! Great job!

((((hugs)))) and just so you know all of us struggle with motivation. My suggestion....go viist the personal web pages of some of these ladies and read there journals. Then start a journal of your own. That is what I am going to do.

Good luck, and lets do this together!!!

Angie

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208
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I am so relieved I clicked on to this wonderful site this morning. I'm struggling as
well and it felt so good to know I'm not alone. I have lost and regained weight
so many times I can't count them...don't want to : ( My most recent success
was a loss of 83 pounds and I was so happy I felt I'd never gain again...DON'T
say never...it sets us up for failure ! In Jan I went on a 3 week vacation and I
haven't eaten right since.Its like I woke up all my bad habits but the scary
part is, I'm now binge eating and can't seem to gain control. I'm like the girl
with the curl...when I'm good I'm very good and when I'm bad I'm horrid !!!!
I'm so scared because of how I'm eating and the fact that I've gained almost 30
pounds since Jan. I NEED HELP...I just can't regain all my weight,I just can't...
oh my, it felt good to say that. I must be ready to end the binge and get in
control again or I wouldn't have come here today. I love WW points plan,never
happier with an eating plan in my life so I've got to get off the cycle of punishing
myself with food and get back on track. It is the best feeling in the world to know
I can share my feelings with people that KNOW what I'm suffering. Bad me for
neglecting to visit here each day but when on a binge I do nothing positive.
Here's to all of us, may we learn to like ourselves enough to be good to US
Thanks for being here,hugs to all,Magpie

Magpie,

first of all *breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out* now give yourself a hug from me ((((magpie))))). I am so glad that you came here. You are most definatly surrounded by people who are going thru EXACTLY what you are. Isn't it a comfort to know that you are not the only one?

Now, focus on positives +++ OMG you lost 83 pounds!!! That is FANTASTIC!!!!! I am so proud of you! Ok, so you are worried that you gained back 30 and more importantly you are upset because you have fallen into your old eating habits. (We have ALL been there) This is my 3rd time back to WW. But you know what else we have in common? We both came back. That is the main thing. You recognized the problem, and you are going to do something about it. That is more then half the battle.

Don't concentrate and focus on the 30 pounds...that will only depress you. Get your mind frme back to the way it was when you lost so much. You were eating healthy, losing weight, and most importantly FEELING GOOD about yourself. You said it yourself...you love the WWpoints system. Don't torture yourself with all the wrong things....pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start over today!!
You are in the right place, and we are all here for you!!

(((((((((hugs))))))))

Angie

Angie, I want you to know I felt your hug and it brought tears to my eyes.
I am sincere in my thanks to you. I feel so blessed to have a people like you
to share with. I'm going to do just as you suggest...pick myself up ,dust myself off
and stop obsessing about my gain and focus on getting back on track .
Thank you so much for replying this morning, YOU are going to make a difference
in the way I treat myself today and the choices I make
I'm off to have a healthy breakfast then go out and enjoy a day full of promise.
Its unbelievable how different I feel from just an hour ago.
Thank you dear lady, Magpie

I too want to say Congratulations on 83 pds lost! That is fantastic! I have about 90 pds to loose myself and REALLY want to do it this time! You have proved to me that it can be done! Thanks!
Now as far as falling off the wagon, You sound like you are ready to get back on again and that's great! You caught yourself at a good time. Dont worry about the number. It could have been all gained back like so many of us do! Go back to your meetings right away and you will get right back in the groove of things.
Best to you!!

Lynn

Lynn I'd like to thank you for your encouragement as well and let you know if I
could do it YOU can do it. I still feel better than I have in years in spite of the
weight I re-gained and I agree with you, I could have gained the whole 83
pounds back before crying out for help. After visiting here this morning and getting
two responses before I left the house I'm happy to say I had a great outing and was in
control. My daughter and hubby both ate a rich big breakfast and I had my toast and
black coffee and felt so good. We also went for a nice walk . I'm honestly telling
you ladies, if I had not joined this thread before leaving the house I know I'd
have eaten unwisely and regretted it for the whole day. Something funny happened that
I know you'll appreciate. I needed a new pair of pants and since I gained the weight
I feel huge so I bought a size I felt I was back into...I'm NOT...they are too big so
I'm going to stop beating myself over the head and get on with it.
Best of luck to all of us. I will share a motto I repeated during my weight loss phase
every time I was tempted to eat something I knew was over the points limit
I would say to myself....there is NOTHING I could eat that would taste as good as
losing weight feels ...it worked every time.Guess its time to remind myself of that
once again : ) If we all help each other we have nothing to lose but pounds !

I was so hoping that I would come home and find that you had a good day today! I was thinking of your post a lot and wondering how things were going. Congrats on being on program today!

I am so glad my post helped you, we have all felt the same way, and encouragment is here.

(((hugs)))

your friend,

Angie

oh, and one more thing....I love that saying

there is NOTHING I could eat that would taste as good as
losing weight feels


I am going to use this too! Thanks!!


Angie

I get a new charge of energy and motivation when I go through my closets...which I try do once a day, but usually at least once every two days...I have such a great wardrobe of clothes that I love, alas, I can't get into most of them...but I intend to change that this year. I feel like a different person when I'm a size 8...can't wait to get there again but this time I'm going to maintain it for a lifetime.

Delia

Hi, Magpie--

I know your struggle, oh, do I ever know your struggle, and I am glad to hear you sounding so positive.

I do not begin to suggest that this is for everyone, but something that really helped me when I started my serious, this-time-for-real weight-loss journey was talking to a qualified counselor about it. My therapist was unbelievably helpful as I began to clearly identify what I wanted, what obstacles I had created for myself--or, much less frequently, what were things over which I LEGITIMATELY have no control ( as opposed to the ones I was foisting off on others)--and how I would plan and proceed to do something about overcoming those perceived barriers.

Being overweight is, for most people, so much more an emotional issue than it is an issue of what, how much and when to eat that it only makes sense for us to look to the folks who can help us understand how we self-defeat intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. I do encourage you to seek out someone who can help you with this...it's made all the difference in my life and I sincerely hope that it will in yours.

With warm good wishes,
STH

STH...thanks for the suggestion of seeking a therapist to see WHY I choose food
like an alcoholic chooses alcohol. I agree with you ,it is an emotional thing because
when I'm out of control I feel so mentally horrid but can't seem to fight it then all
of a sudden I snap out of the binge and do much better without even realizing
why I binged and why I all of a sudden stopped ! I did see a private dietitian
years ago after getting into a mess with my triglycerides after doing the Aitkens
diet...she told me something I'll never forget...she said I was committing suicide
with a spoon !!! I've never heard of overeating/binging/fad dieting put in that
light before . I'm not sure what is available in my town at this point,this lady
moved but I will inquire. I do feel much better since coming into this terrific
support group again. Easter is this weekend and I'm building a nice turkey
dinner Sat and having company. I'm CHOOSING to eat what I want for dinner
and that kind of eating doesn't upset me...its when I'm eating because for whatever
reason I can't stop myself that concerns me. Isn't it wonderful to be able to share our
pain and thoughts with people that understand not just someone that listens and hasn't a
clue what we are suffering. I wish I could wave a magic wand and we'd all lick this but that
is just dream stuff. The reality of it is, we have each other to lean on and I'm truly grateful.
Wishing you all a great weekend.Many hugs,Magpie

Magpie,
You're on your way to success which is exactly what you want. I am so encouraged when I saw your call for help and then you got hugs and good, solid advice. This is a great site and the ideas for motivation and keeping on track are terrific.
When I have problems staying OP I fake it till I make it. I make believe I'm OP, take baby steps, record everything I eat in my journal, try to get some exercise in, drink the water, plan and prepare the WW foods that I like to eat, and remember all the tools WW offers.
Sometimes I can only do one or two of these things. Sometimes I am ready to do this and I commit right back to the whole program. That helps me with my motivation. I never give myself ultimatums like "It's now or never." I'm gentle with myself, work the program, take advantage of banking points, and realize this is something I want to do the rest of my life. Therefore I have to make WW doable for me.
I understand that sometimes things backfire and we regain some weight. Well, good for you for seeking help and putting yourself back OP.
Lots of success.
I have one other suggestion: Consider joining a buddy group so that you can offer help and receive it on a personal level.
Good luck.

234/207/thinner

Thanks for your encouragement ITRYHARDER...I took your suggestion of joining a buddy group so
seriously I clicked on buddylist at the top of the page expecting to see a list to join and the message
I got was that you'd joined my buddy list !!! I don't have one as yet but if you are there I'd love to have
you for a buddy Gotta run for now, will see if I can find out where the list is later.
Wishing ALL of us a great day,Magpie

I am definitely a card-carrying member of the Fake It 'Til You Make It Club! After you've been back in the WW saddle for a while, it does become much, much easier, logistically, to stay OP. But even lifetimers (which I'm NOT...yet!) can get overwhelmed when they stare down the barrel of the this-is-for-LIFE gun. Sometimes, it's just plain NOT FUN eating only a sliver of birthday cake or pushing the bread basket away. When I get in the doldrums, I really DO fake it...I pull out my materials, pretend I'm new to WW and excited about the prospect of taking control. I pore through magazines and cookbooks to find new, exciting recipes that are WW-friendly, and plan them into my menus. I make an ENORMOUS effort to shun foods that I equate, mentally, with "diet food." Instead, I go out of my way to find delicious things that I actually look forward to eating. I remind myself, often, that this is NOT a diet---going "on" a diet implies going "off" someday----but rather a lifelong journey, and I renew my commitment to make my life as enjoyable a journey as it possibly can be. Yes, it's a drag to cook dinner every night---but I'd have to do it, WW or no (the people I live with seem to think it's part of my job description to feed them, of all the nerve!), so I issue myself little challenges to make it more interesting. This all sounds remarkably corny, but acknowledging two things has lessened the grip food has had on me tremendously: First, there are no "good" foods or "bad" foods. And secondly, eating is NOT a moral issue. There is a whole world of wonderful, interesting things that fit in beautifully with WW---this realization really was a turning point for me.