What weird things do you do to keep yourself on track?

I noticed that last time I quit and restarted that I had gained back basically a quarter pound a day until I started fresh again. Totally nuts, and totally a lot of weight. So what I’ve been doing this time is once or twice a week figuring out how long it would take me to gain back the weight I’ve lost at ¼ lb a day, then writing that date on a slip of paper and sticking it on my desk where I can see. Nobody knows what the date means except for me and it keeps me motivated two ways: first, I see how very soon I could be right back to square one and second, I get to see that date get further and further away as I lose more weight, which is encouraging.

Haha, what an idea! I imagine myself in this really weird... dimension... of sorts, lol. I imagine myself falling down slowly as some others (who are trying to lose weight) are also falling down. I imagine myself passing up the people who are holding steady... And then I beam with pride as I imagine my beer-guzzling peers going up without even realizing it, and I wave at them. Don't know where I ever, ever came up with this, but I imagine it and sometimes it helps me to stay on track.... even just for a few minutes.

Hmm...what day is it? LOL! It totally depends on the day.

Today my motivation is that my son was excited to fit into a pair of pants that didn't fit before AND he needed a belt.

Yesterdays motivation was playing around with Daily Plate for the first time. I was on it pretty much all day, when I wasn't walking.

In the kitchen drawer were I keep my food diary I also have a folder were I put magazine cut outs of dress I like, celebs I admire etc. I look though i when I'm tempted to grab extra munchies.

This is great! I've never done this in the past, but this time I have been reading books about people who have chronicled their weight loss journeys. (Which has really been helping my motivation level) I've noticed when I start getting tempted to make the wrong decisions, I look at it in "my larger weight loss book." I think about what I would have to write down, how I would tell the story, and by making the right choice how I would be able to write an inspiring story. It's so silly, but for some strange reason...it seems to be helping me...anything that works, right?

I keep asking myself how I'll feel in a year if I'm the same weight as I am now. How would I feel mentally, physically and emotionally.

On my desk at work, written on a post it note is:

" A year from now, you will have wished you started today"

That is a good reminder to me to do what I need to do and stay focused.

Now weekends....that's a different story. LOL!

I keep a food diary, and I have a notebook I dedicate to my musings about weight loss. When I feel myself wavering i bring it out and re-read both the "failure" reports and success reports. I also have a list of important dates for 2010 which gives me motivation to be at a lower weight by these times.
I have been thinking of buying a piece of clothing a couple of sizes too small and have an aim to fit into it. It would have to be something i really wanted to wear though, so i'll wait untill i find it.

I have spreadsheets where I track my progress, it helps me to go back and look at them. I also like to lift the amount of weight I have lost already and try to carry it around for a bit, that one really helps it hit home with me. I go online and browse clothing that is the type of stuff I will be able to wear at goal. One of my main reasons for doing this is so that I can have a baby, so I do things like watch the birth shows on discovery health, google image search "baby", browse for the things I would decorate a nursery with.

Hm. I write a lot...and I sort of imagine myself back through time; e.g. the last time I weighed this was x years ago; I've lost x years' worth of pounds. Kind of bizarre, I guess, but it makes me feel a little like I'm undoing that amount of neglect.

Oh, I'm a spreadsheet psycho. I have several. It will be awesome when I'm done and can track everything.

Crazy to say but to stay on track, I imagine myself in one year if I stay mostly on plan. I am nowhere near as pretty as her but like to imagine next year this time I'll look just like Kate Winslet.

I love that idea! I'm going to do that too now!

I use music to stay motivate, as weird as that sounds. I have a certain playlist that I work out to and when I hear that music it triggers something and I just feel better about what I've done so far, which is helpful, especially when I feel frustrated or get overwhelmed by how much I have to go.

The music obsession as of the last couple of weeks? Lady Gaga! Haha, her music is so fun and you can't help but feel hottt when you're working out (or dancing in front of the mirror ) to it!

I'm another spreadsheet-aholic. Seeing my progress is a huge motivation. Also, journaling has been a help. When I'm struggling I can look back over my entries and it helps me to refocus and stay positive.

When I see junk (especially sugary junk), I think about the "cost" of the food. Instead of noticing the things on top or in it or allowing myself to think about what it tastes like, I remember how icky I feel after I eat it and how many minutes of exercise it would be to eat it. That pulls me away pretty quickly. 2 minutes of joy is soooo not worth hours of the sugar rollercoaster and an extra x minutes of exercise!!