Hello Everyone..and Happy Monday. I need help. I started doing this diet a few weeks back. I lost 10 lbs the first 2 weeks....once the 9 days was over, I was unable to keep it up. I keep going back to phase 1 and somehow I just keep falling off the wagon. Do you have any hints? What do you do to keep motivated and stay in line? I know there is not a secret. I have made a few buddies here online and it seems like they have the same problem. We email everyday for about 2 weeks and then the emails and progress seem to slow down. At least I don't feel bad that I am the only person in this boat… I am tired of the cycle though. I know nobody can solve this but me, but it helps to vent. I guess today is a new day and a way to start over. Happy Smashing….

I realize that all the rah rah in the world won't help motivate you as you need to be motivated on your own. I am at that motivation point in my life. I've been losing & gaining the same pounds for a while now, but FS gave me the click I needed to get to goal because I can live with this plan.

However, as I wrote today in another thread, I also know I can't eat everything that is acceptable in any Phase without keeping some lid on the calories consumed. I am petite & small boned (& big butted) so I can't eat unlimited amounts of any food that contains a certain amount of calories with the exception of veggies & maybe some fruits (of course, by unlimited I mean eating until I can't eat anymore).

Since detoxing I don't have some of the abdominal aches I had from overeating before (I'm a binge eater). I have more energy & feel so good. Woke up with a cold & was dragging for a bit but I feel pretty good right now.

I'm a light sleeper & with the exception of being up late because of a party on Sat. where we stayed in a hotel (didn't get good sleep that night), I am able to get by with less sleep than ever.

I just feel so much better since being on FS. I don't look forward to it as a task as I have with other diets since even though I need to keep calories in mind, I don't have to figure points or journal every thing I put in my mouth. This is easy for me.

I hope you can get & keep your motivation. You've already made progress and if you can just lose an average of 1 pound a week (or even less - it all adds up), you will reach your goal. Keep coming back to the plan when you stray. Don't give up!

I have to concur with Judy. You have to motivate YOU. Do you really want to be healthy? Like really? Because if you do, then that's 90% of it! It clicked with me on this diet too. While I haven't been 100%, I haven't binged as often or even as much as I have on other diets (once in 30 days is NOT bad!). It's restrictive enough without being too much so.

My main hurdle was MOVING ON. We kept going from 1 to 2 back to 1 when we messed up. We decided last night to move on to Phase 3.

I really am a firm believer in moderation. But I was never able to, nay, I never wanted to moderate. For the first time ever, I moderated what I ate on this diet. I even had a once trigger food or two but ate only ONE serving. And it satisfied me.

I've done South Beach and WW and never got through a full 30 days. Once I messed up, I called my goose cooked and went back to my old ways.

Not this time. I know I won't be perfect, and that's ok. I want to get to my goal and goal I shall! If you want it, you will too!

I think that motivating yourself is the key to success, on this or any plan. I love this board, not just because everyone on it is so supportive of one another but also because everyone believes so strongly in themselves.

It was definitely a thrill after the first nine days to see a seven pound loss, but I know that I'm not going to see a seven pound loss every week (or I'd go running to the doctor!). What keeps me going is that I feel better. Like Judy, I'm sleeping better (in my case it's longer - I can't even remember the last time I slept more than 5 hours in a night before starting this plan). My skin has cleared up.

Shoot, my brain has cleared up - fat smash to me is a workable plan, something I can do. I can figure out what I'm going to eat, how much, and how often. I can fit the exercise in how best it suit my lifestyle. And I can be creative with what I eat - and put in ingredients that not only fit the plan but that I know will taste good. I like the combination of guidelines and personal choice.

I haven't done a lot of dieting (not by diet name, anyhow), but what keeps me motivated with fat smash is the fact that I'm in charge, I've already shown that I can do this (heck, I made it through the strictest part with flying colors) and if seven pounds feel good, how are 15 going to feel? 20? 30? 40, even?

Okay, getting down now.

Ladies...you are great. Sometimes hearing someone say you can do it is all it takes. I had a great day yesterday. I stayed on plan. I hit the gym. There was a time in the evening when everyone went to bed that I thought to myself (WHO WILL SEE IF I CHEAT) well...DUH...My butt will You are right. I am my own motivator. Get off my lazy behind and do something to make myself smile. I have a lunch packed with healthy fruit/veggies snacks, had my oatmeal, have my gym clothes ready. I think the key is when I wanna snack I should go read a book, go for a walk, watch a movie. I will take it just one day at a time. After all, binge eating is an addiction and I can't let it rule my life. I will keep you updated on my progress. Good luck to all of you...you are truly wonderful...

Congrats on motivating yourself. I have to get out of the house when I feel tempted. I go walk outside, at the gym or at the mall, go browse the bookstore/magazines, go do anything that keeps me from laying on the couch thinking about what I can eat. Plus when a hunger pang hits I grab a few grapes and full glass of water and it goes away. A big key to all of it for me is being prepared. Going to the grocery before I run out of food. Fixing my mini meals the night before work so I can just get up and go. I also squeeze a few days worth of fresh orange juice (for my breakfast fruit smoothies) and cut up my fruit the night before so all I have to do is pop it in the blender. I also have my sneakers, gym clothes in a bag next to the front door so I don't forget them or wake up too lazy to get it all together. I can't have any reason not to stay on track. Believe me, no clean socks, no clean workout pants etc was a reason for me not to go work out in the past. Now I am die-hard - I will spray them down with Febreeze if I have to and go anyway! If I am out of something as far as food goes, I don't even let myself in the door at home after the gym or work, I go straight to the grocery. I now feel crappy (not to mention guilty) when I don't go to the gym for a few days. It took me every bit of 2 months to get to that point, but you will too! Good luck and enjoy the way you will start feeling. Lem