Happy Monday everyone! Didn't see this weeks weigh in (and it's 3:30pm already!)... so here goes...

Down 3 pounds from last week; currently 255.

Have a great week!

I am down 1.5 lbs from last week.

I was off from work yesterday and didn't get the chance to log in from home. I'm down another pound this week.

Though I'm still frustrated at the slow pace, I'm almost to 30##s, which is great for me.

Have a good week everyone!

Down three and a half this week, back on track and finding new foods that work with me instead of against me. Actually discovered I can stand yogurt these days! LOL

Time to face the music, I guess. I technically maintained this week, but if I were to be more honest, I'd say I lost a couple and gained them back this weekend (where in my plan did it say "drink a bottle of wine and eat chicken fingers and a hot fudge sundae" on Monday?). It is time to get serious about controlling my food intake on weekends. My exercise is fine -- stellar, even -- but I think I'm heading into an old pattern with hubby where we both overeat because it's "so much fun." I usually am fine on Friday night but it starts to fall apart in the afternoon on Saturday.

I am never going to make goal if I keep undoing all my week's good work on the weekends, especially now that the margin between losing and gaining is sooooo slim.

Time to get medieval on my own ***! Anybody want to give me a stern talking-to? Jill?

Good losses, people.

Jennifer: I'm no Jill, but...
Since you do okay through the week, have you considered being a bit stricter on week days and planning some indulgences for the weekends? The last time I lost a significant amount of weight, I did something similar: the day following my weigh-in was an "anything goes" day, but the rest of the week I stayed on plan, and doing this got me really close to my goal. (I stopped losing for other reasons though and gained it all back... plus some more. )
You've done such a fantastic job so far, it'll be a tragedy if you undo all that hard work. 86 pound losses are not to be sneezed at, you know! Seeing these big losses is a huge inspiration for me and I really admire you people for sticking with it.
Anyway, it's just a suggestion. It wouldn't work for me these day because I'm too compulsive and I'm trying to get away from the destructive relationship I have with certain foods.

I lost 2 pounds this week to sneak into to 220s.

Okay, Jennifer, I may be in a weakened condition due to my diagnosed bout of food poisoning, but I'm always in the mood to give a stern lecture!

If you want practical advice, then Ali has just provided you with a plan of action (thanks, Ali ) If you want an example, then lets use me, shall we?

As you know, I started this journey in June of 2002 so am now just about THREE years into it and have yet to reach goal . I was 265lbs. (same as your start) and you know the story...I went gangbusters and lost over 100lbs. in 14 months and then IT happened...c'mon, you know what I'm talking about. You're feeling great for having lost so much and know you're looking pretty darn good. You've still got a ways to go, but you feel you can relax a little, especially on weekends. Mind you, you're always conscious of what you're doing so you make up for it as best you can, but the "its so much fun to eat" mentality becomes more and more familiar, right?

So there I was, 18lbs. from goal, but becoming rather complacent. Oh yeah, I kept exercising and I was maintaining most weeks, but then, over a course of several months, the tiny weekly gains added up until I woke up one morning and had gained back over 25lbs.! Whoa nelly, okay, time to get back into the groove. Sure, I lost that weight (again) but it took longer than the first time and it was rather soul destroying knowing that had I not lost my way, that loss would have put me at goal.

So here I remain, almost three years into it and although I've accomplished a great deal (if I do say so myself ) I should have been at goal and maintaining by now (for at least a year). And yet I'm still hovering around 25lbs. from goal (there was that big Russia slip up also ).

So, my dear Jennifer, look at your situation. Do you want to be a human yo yo like Auntie Jill? I think not. Don't let it go as far as I allowed it. Have your treats, but don't let the fun eating get in the way of what you've worked so hard for, for what you deserve! I'm trying to learn from my mistakes and understand we'll always falter, after all, we're only human, but if we try hard enough we have to get it right eventually. You've done remarkably well and haven't even had a major slip up, but I see the possibility of it in your words ( mmm fooood fuuuuun) and its time to nip it in the butt (err, I mean bud). So, in my best medieval tone, I say: Get thyself to goal, girl. And stay there!!

I only lost a pound this week. But I will take it!!!

Good job on the losses. I too lost a big amount of weight doing an anything goes day. You know what though those days started turning into weekends and then weeks. And I gained back over 100 lbs. This time around I allow myself a treat meal but I stay mindful of howmany calories I am eating. Sometimes I still eat more than I should but it's still less than what it would have been if I was not keeping track. For me it's just not a good idea to let go of the calorie counting. I plan on counting for the rest of my life. To me that's a fair trade. I get to look and feel much better and all I have to do is add up some numbers every day.

ok SAPF -

Everyone went POSTAL on me about a month ago for useing the word 'only' when it comes to a loss! it's not ONLY a pound that's a heck of a big glob of fat you disposed of, never to see again! Congrats!!!

Hi,

I'm down 1.5 lbs.

Congrats to everyone!

Sherry

highest weight-256
restart weight-222.5
current weight-221

You know what, Howie? You're bang on the money about how easy it is to allow "anything goes" days to spiral out of control. That's why I favour your approach of factoring treats into the plan. That way you retain control over what you're putting in your mouth whilst still allowing yourself the freedom to enjoy some extras.

I also have accepted that I'll be a calorie counter for life and it doesn't faze me one bit. I'm keeping my eyes on the prize of being at a healthy weight for my height. I'm determined to be as focussed after 106 weeks as I am now after only 6.

At 39 years old (and with much help from hubby ), I'm finally starting to like myself and believe that I'm worth looking after. It's a whole new experience for me and it feels good! I'm sure my self-hatred is what scuppered my efforts in the past and I'm not willing to allow it to take root again.

I wouldn't treat anyone else as badly as I've treated myself over the years. Well, I'm not going treat myself that way any longer. I deserve better, and everyone else here does too.

Ali, Jill, Howie:

Thanks for your words. They were just what I needed to hear, just at the right time. I cannot, WILL not let complacency keep me from getting to goal.

Howie, I think you hit the nail on the head about counting calories all the time. I always used to count them on the weekends, but lately I've been having one or two days when I figure, "what the **** -- there's no way what I log will be accurate anyway [because of eating in restaurants, etc.]." That is definitely a bad habit to get into, and I will not do it this weekend.

Ali, I too am trying to get rid of my destructive relationship with food. For a while there I thought I'd pretty much gotten over it, but it has a strange way of rearing its head when I am not as vigilant. I especially like what you said about treating yourself well. I truly believe hating myself for so long kept me from summoning the strength to lose the weight earlier. It's so unproductive!

As far as treats go, I used to be able to do the "treat on the weekend" thing, but since lately it's become SEVERAL treats on the weekend, I'm going to ramp up my efforts for a few weekends to earn back the privilege.

Jilly, your words mean so much to me (you're so articulate, even despite a bout of food poisoning -- isn't it the worst? Hubby and I got it last year and were soooo sick... I hope you feel better really soon). I know you're right about "the post behind the post," and I think I wanted the support to nip it in the bud early. And even if Auntie Jill has a *slight* tendency to bob up and down on a string, she's still one of my heroes. So there!

Thanks very much, you guys, as always! Here's to a great rest-of-the-week!

Down 2.4 lbs from last week. Still need to work on staying OP and exercising more.

I know it's not my usual weigh day, but I had to share. This morning I reached a new decade! 179.8 as of this morning! Yeahhhhh!!! I love new decades.