Okay, chicks. I've been pretending this site doesn't exist for about three weeks now, after three whole months of eating right and exercising. Thirty pounds lost until I gave into temptation after temptation and now I'm even afraid to look at the scales for fear of getting even more depressed about it. I keep saying "I'll start again tomorrow" and then tomorrow becomes today and the food in the pantry just looks too inviting. I don't know where all that drive I had in January went. I'm sick of South Beach and burnt out on burning fat. I want to get back on track, but I just don't know how to get that motivation back.

If any of you have tips and tricks for how you got yourself back on track after a downhill slide (though I haven't hit bottom yet - and I'm hoping I can still claw my way back up to the top!), I'd really appreciate it. I'm going back to the gym tomorrow...so here's hoping.

Uhm, I'm afraid my own re-remotivation came from clothes getting tight, but I sure hope that it's not what it will take for you as well, because it sure sucks!

One thing that helped me was to go back to some blogs/websites I used to read when I was very motivated. Like the Skinny Daily Post, Krista's website on weights, or discovering new blogs, even. Reading about people going through this as well has always felt encouraging to me, because then I know I'm not alone. Maybe it could help you as well?

(Oh yes, and throwing away the nasty, tempting foods may work wonders to start with. Out of sight, out of mind. My friends resent me for never having cookies at home when they pay me a surprise visit, but too baaaaad. )

jennyplain, I know just how you feel. It seems to take so long, and it is really challenging to keep going, week after week. That's why those "Lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks!" headlines on the magazine covers make me laugh--gosh if all it took were two weeks to lose all my excess weight, I would be totally able to keep with it. But it doesn't...

So... yes... one is tempted to have a little internal tantrum and "act out with food"! But you know where that leads. I do, because I've done it myself.

But I can't give up! There is no other choice! I don't want to go through this cycle another time! That's what I'm *really* sick of!

Take a step back. Put a time limit on it--say, two days from now. Mark it on your calendar as your new start date. And when the day arrives, do not allow yourself to say "Tomorrow I'll start." That never happens. Sooner or later, it has to be "today." In the meantime, clear out that pantry of those foods that shouldn't be in there anyway! Stock up on the foods you do need! Get a plan in place for The Day. Commit yourself to it once more--give it a try--you can keep going, you really can!

Yes! Yes!

Good luck, jennyplain!
Jay

Hmmm, well let's see. When we sign up for weightloss, we've got to expect to be in it for the loooonnng haul. It's not always easy. There are going to be harder days and easier days. I wonder why there's so many more of the harder ones. Oh well. The truth is that motivation will come and go. That's just the way it is. What we really and truly need is DETERMINATION and COMMITMENT. That's what will take us to our goals and keep us there. The absolute commitment that no matter how we're feeling we won't skip on the exercise or eat too much. Plenty of times I feel like going back for a couple of more bitefuls, but I am determined to lose this weight (and then keep it off). I need to tell myself over and over and over again that this will not get me to where I want to be. I need to make the decision all day long to eat right and exercise. I need to set up strict rules for myself - and then of course stick to them, because I've made a commitment to myself for a better and healthier life. Because I am determined to not let my emotions or some temporary fix stand in my way.

Perhaps you need to rethink your longterm goals. Find a plan that's more doable for you. I choose to count calories. I feel that I can do this forever. And if the food in your pantry looks too inviting - get rid of it. Restock your home with only healthy foods. Set yourself up for success. You've come so far. Hang in there. You CAN do this. Good luck.

Plan, plan, plan. That`s my plan.

About 10 days ago I realized that what I was doing was not working for me. So what I did was to look at my plan again, see what I didn`t like about it, and then change it.

So you say you are burned out on South Beach. How about Mediterrenian? How about Low Carb? How about counting calories? Go look around the recipes in the food forums at this site and see which recipes sound the yummiest, then print them out and write down their ingredients.

Then, CLEAN OUT THE PANTRY. Bad food out, good food in. Don`t put in any temptation foods.

Now, look at your exercise routine. Is it boring? What can you do about it? What do you want to do?

I spent one afternoon doing all of this and afterwards I felt refreshed and ready. I know that I was on the right track and this got my motivation way up. It`s the first week of my new plan, but so far I have been doing great, and that makes losing weight/getting healthy fun.

Realize that you can do this, losing weight is entirely within your control. Sometimes you need motivation, sometime sheer perseverance will do. Don`t get down about being off plan, just get ready and get back on. Keep us posted!