Good Evening "Beechies" (good morning to some)
I need some motivational help. I'm staring Monday morning in the face again, and starting Phase I again (for the umteenth time....) the first time I started on the SBD was Jan of this year. I did great for 2 weeks, let my motivation slip and here I am starting over and over ....

I read somewhere (perhaps Weight Watchers) that in order to succeed, you must examine what went wrong and have a plan in place to change it. I'm reading the SBD book carefully tonight, in hopes that the "common sense" of the diet will convince me to stay on this time....

What motivates you "Beach Residents" to STOP AND THINK (when you'd like to without thinking just grab that last chicken nugget off the lunch plate, thus blowing the entire day and oh what the heck....)?

Help me please with your experience and words of wisdom!!!

Thanks

Go out and buy only foods that are on plan. Clear your cupboards of foods that you shouldn't be eating if possible. Choose OP foods that you actually like. Make a meal plan and stick to it. Use www.fitday.com to track your progress. You will think twice about eating something if you actually have to record it and you can see the carbos, fats and calories.

Get some diet sodas and herbal teas for when you have a sweet tooth. Expect the sugar cravings to be tough in the first few days but once you get through the first week it will become easier.

I found the large weight loss at the beginning very self-motivating. Now when I go off plan I stay within a restricted calorie plan (1000-1500 per day) and continue with my exercise and water consumption. I allow myself the odd treat but limit it and only treat myself to things that I absolutely adore.

My two cents:

It's hard for me to answer the question, because I'm on day five, and I already went off two days for the flu, so I'm not exactly a poster girl for Sticking To It! right now

But whenever I go on diets and get serious, it's not so much a specific reason that can keep me away from the chocolates and other temptations as flat-out distractions. Get up, leave the house, and go somewhere. Curl up with a good book or movie. Putting the moves on Mr. Relly is always useful

Sometimes I'll lie to myself if need be. "Those chocolates actually fell on the floor, and the cats got sick ALL OVER them. I don't want chocolates that still have cat sick on them." And I KNOW that I'm lying, I'm cracking up while I'm thinking it, but somehow it switches that little lever in my brain that says "Oh! Can't have that." and I stop obsessing over "OOoooooh, I NEED that..."

"That box of Ritz crackers is empty. I just forgot to throw the box away."

It sounds stupid, I know, but if it gets me through the momentary crisis of "MUST HAVE", then maybe it's not all that stupid.

Good luck coming back to the Beach!

Yesterday while grocery shopping I had nearly convinced myself that I MUST have a gooey cinnamon roll. I wasn't hungry, I had just had lunch. What stopped me was thinking of my success so far. I knew that cinnamon roll would go a long way toward putting back on some of the 9 lbs I had lost so far!! So think about your successes and how good it feels!!