Hi I'm new on this and looking for maybe some encouragement im "trying" to get on the South Beach diet I went on it for about a week and lost 5 lbs but not even b/c of that can i find the motivation to get back on track Thanx for any help !!

Congrats on the 5lb! What went wrong? What's stopping you from keeping on with your plan?

Weight loss is just about commitment and commitment and commitment. No way around it.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. My point is - perhaps the South Beach diet is not for you. Calories matter - exactly what you eat is far, far less important.

Maybe you should try counting calories. Perhaps the freedom to eat what you want so long as it falls within your daily calorie goals would suit you better.

Having said that - a week is not a long time to diet. Obviously you know your motivation is lacking or you wouldn't be asking where to find it. If you're not super motivated perhaps instead of going on a diet you should simply try to change one habit at a time. For example - eliminate all beverages that contain a lot of calories. No soda, no juice. I don't know what your habits are but the combined sum of them got you where you are.

Nobody can supply you with the motivation to lose weight. Only you know much overweight you are and why it has become a problem.

Either you want to lose that weight or you don't.

Once you decide to lose the weight for your own personal reasons, I agree with JohnP who suggests focusing on making healthy changes in how you eat, and using a calorie counting approach that is less restrictive than a specific "diet".

On this site you will find lots of information on healthy eating in moderation which if you follow it, will get you to your goal. Like any worthwhile endeavor, weight loss takes commitment and daily adherence to your plan over time. All of us can attest to that.

The one week you followed an eating plan and lost 5 pounds shows that you can do it for a short time. Now if you are sincere about taking good care of your one and only body, you need to get with a plan that you can follow for one week and then two and then three....and so on. It's like learning a new language or skill--you have to stay with it. But with each few pounds you lose, you will notice a difference and that's very motivating in itself.

Motivation is a little bit of a red herring. You have motivation - you want to be trimmer, whether the reason is vanity, health, or something else. If that isn't enough to stop you putting off-plan food in your mouth, then you don't need more motivation - you need to look at why the temptation to put off-plan food in your mouth is outweighing your motivation.

Is it that you're hungry? Is it that you have not adapted your daily routine to account for your new eating plan? Is it that you have tempting snacks around and are having trouble exercising the will to stay away from them? Is it that you're bored? Is it that you're stressed? Is it that your plan forbids foods you really like, and you either don't want to give them up or have not found a way to replace them?

Which answer you come up with - and it's really an answer only you can supply, through examining your feelings and your situation - will determine what the best advice is on how to get past this block. All of us here who have lost a significant amount of weight have been through this "I have no motivation!" and have overcome it through commitment. If you can tell us why and how you are having trouble sticking to your plan, I guarantee you will get loads of good advice on how to set yourself up to get past that block and find the commitment you need to stick to a plan.

Thank you all for answering sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else ! And since I have a family full of enablers noone ever lets me hear what I've got to hear I will def. try to look for some other ways to reach my goal and thanx again

Congrats on doing so well already... just got to keep at it