[SunLit]

....and I don't know where to find it. I'm hoping I left it with you chicks. Anyone remember me? I lost over 80 pounds last year and have put back on about 30 in the past year and a half. My ticker is actively telling dismal lies.

As far as I can tell, I lost weight by restricting myself to SBD-approved foods. Lots of veggies and chicken. I loved it. I liked going to work with "shepherd's pie" made of mashed cauliflower and ground turkey and eating cola chicken. I craved only my daily apple and peanut butter on Phase 2. And, I have to admit I liked all the compliments from my coworkers

Lately, I have no motivation to diet or exercise. I can't kick the carbs or the sugar. I'll tell you, ladies, it's depressing. So, if anyone has any words of encouragement, I'm all ears! I'd like to get back into this awesome Jones New York suit I bought last year to outfit my formerly slimmer self and toss my stretchy black pants. This site meant a lot to me during my previous dieting adventures.

[cottagebythesea]

Welcome back, Sunlit! I certainly remember you. You are in the right mindset already, just by coming here and asking for help. I suggest going to the Phase 1 Starters thread and reading the posts of all the happy "losers", and listen to them cheering and encouraging each other. That should help you get motivated to get back on track again. We all know that it isn't easy, there are so many temptations out there , but if you make yourself accountable by posting frequently in here, you'll get plenty of encouragement and motivation to keep you on the road to success. Another way to get motivated is to read the book again, too.
Good luck, and I do hope you'll be joining us again in the daily chats.

[femmecreole]

Wow..80 lbs! If you can lose 80, then 30 is less than 1/2 of that...YOU CAN DO IT!
Yep, it's all mindset and you are already on your way.
I would suggest planning your meals with a wide variety of foods..print out a menu for the week, get rid of the junk in the house, replace it with all the yummy good stuff and think about how stunning you will look in that suit...then plan on buying another suit or special outfit for more motivation!

[Schmoodle]

Hi Sunlit! I've only been around here since May, so I don't remember you, but I am impressed with your loss - 80 lbs! Wow! You've definitely got the tools and the know-how, and just need to find the inspiration. Coming here definitely helps me too, I hope you will post often.

I am constantly worried that my diet mojo will disappear too, so if you have any cautionary tales, I'd love to hear them and learn from your experience. Other than support, that's mostly what I get here, the wealth of knowledge about what works AND what doesn't.

[Barb0522]

Hi, Sunlit! I remember you. I've put back on a few pounds myself but posting here helps remind me to stay OP. I don't like it when my clothes start feeling tight again.

[beachgal]

Hi, Sunlit! back! Of course, I remember your smilie face!

I totally understand...after a year and a half of maintaining (I was actually trying to lose 25 more pounds, but they weren't coming off), I ended up gaining about 25 pounds...then I started a med that revs your appetite (it's a side effect, not the main goal!) and gained another 15. I'm working on getting it back off. For at least six months, even though I really wanted to lose it, I didn't do the things I knew I needed to do to get there. I slowly worked my way back by asking for help, coming here a lot more often, and voicing my desire to lose to people who support me. I know I do better when I'm accountable, and just having my ticker here wasn't enough anymore. For a while, I sent my daily menu to a friend from my Food and Mood therapy group. Then I started going to our local nutrition clinic. They did some tests and found out that my metabolism was all messed up--possibly from the restrictive eating/bingeing I'd been doing while trying to lose that last 25 pounds. I was burning about 1300 cals a day instead of the normal 1800 or so. They put me on a diet of eating high protein and doing just cardio (no weight lifting for now...I miss it!!!) 5 times a week. I was honest and said I could only get 4 in...but I've been doing both and the pounds are starting to come off...I've lost about 7 official pounds so far. Something I love about the clinic is that they weigh me weekly (accountability) but they also use a machine to test my levels of lean muscle mass, water, and fat. That way, we know what's actually going on. This week I didn't lose any weight, but I actually lost fat and gained muscle, which I wouldn't have known just from the scale!

I also keep a food journal now...not only does it help me keep track of what I'm eating and how many grams of protein I'm getting, it also is so much work to fill in that it keeps me from eating more sometimes! Can you tell how lazy I am? I show the food journal to my personal therapist and my counselor at the nut'n clinic...so I'm accountable both for my feelings about eating and for what I actually eat. When I know someone is going to read what I've been eating, I feel much more motivated to eat healthy!

I think making small changes towards the things you know helped you before will help you find your motivation. Hang that suit front and center in your bedroom so you see it all the time and feel motivated!!! Heck, hang it in your kitchen! When you're ready (all the bad stuff is out of the house, you don't have any major events coming up), try P1 again. Make sure you come here for support! Once you've detoxed and gotten rid of those cravings, I think you'll feel SO much better and have a much easier time getting back into the SBD groove.

Next time, when you hit goal, try spending time with the Maintainers chicks. They are phenomenal women with TONS of great advice for maintaining your mojo and keeping it off. I have HUGE amounts of respect for them!!!!

[elusivekoolaid]

Hi Sunlit! I'm a newbie here but I've just finished ph1 and I find it so motivating to hang out around the forums and post whenever the carb devils are sitting on my shoulder.

It's so hard getting up the gumption to start dieting and don't we all know it. But remember how good you feel when you're organised and on plan. How good you feel when you look at your shopping cart and realise that it's full of healthy things that will help your body rather than harm it. I decided this time I was going to measure myself as well as weigh in so even if I don't shift the scale I might shift an inch!

I try to find a new recipe each week to keep me motivated. Cause DH isn't on the beach with me I can freeze portions and take them out when I can't be bothered cooking. (This weeks recipe was meatball bake...next week is Chicken Tikka Masala! )

You can do it, I got your back, chick!

[weezle]

Welcome Back SunLit! I remember you too! You can do it! You have all of us girls here to help

[SunLit]

Thank you all for such great support! I'm really feeling revved up about SBD again. Beachgal, I definitely needed to hear your comments about getting back to it when I'm ready and have no big temptations to cheat. As I recall, those first two weeks of Phase 1 were so crucial to getting rid of the cravings.

cottage, Barb and weezle, it's great to "hear" your online voices. femmecreole, elusivekoolaid and schmoodles, it sounds like you're really doing well. Elusive, if it's the meatball bake in the recipes section, I LOVE that stuff. I used to cook up large batches of chicken or turkey chili and freeze it for lunches, but mostly I ate giant salads for lunches and veggies/protein for dinner. And my gross/wonderful peanut-butter-covered fudgesicle! I had so much fun on this diet, why didn't I remember that?

Thank you again, everyone!

[JessieW]

It's wonderful to read this thread. And to know that others have had trouble. Laurie, Just like you I need someone "cattle prodding" me (as they used to say in the 3FC journals) to keep on it. I often feel like I have 0 willpower. I know it's in there somewhere, but where???

[Bunnababy]

back.

You are asking for help before you gained it all back and where else but here would you get the understanding of so many people who know what it's like to lose your mojo. You have done so well that I have no doubt you can do this program. Just stick with us here and we will help keep you motivated. Oh sorry, I meant