JulieJ08 and ICU, I can totally understand where you are coming from, and you are right that you must have a plan that you can live with forever. I'm hoping to do just that personally. But I think the perfectionism you are talking about isn't a desire for some of us to be "perfect", it is the desire to LIVE. When you start out on this journey at a BMI that classifies you in the SUPER-MORBIDLY-OBESE category, it's time to $hit or get off the pot. In my case, "Do or die". Now that I am able to walk and climb stairs and wear clothing not purchased at the tent and awning store my desire for rapid weight loss had diminished. I'm happy with the slow and steady. There is just something about not being able to breath that makes a person push to their limit...For many of us super obese girls, your starting weights are our goals. Matter of fact when I hit 199 I sat down on the toilet and sobbed like a child, I was SO happy.

Anyway, I just though I needed to explain why I was personally so strict with myself...I guess I shouldn't speak for others, but I have an inkling they feel the same.

I love your way with words!

I haven't bought any new clothes yet but I've been able to retrieve quite a few out of the toosmall box, and that feels good. Now I've got my stretchy jeans on and got into onederland, I'm happy for it to take as long as it takes and not rush it - but it'll only keep going if I stick to plan.


btw kudos to all you people who have been OP for hundreds of days!

Sorry, Lori - you're right, once the word "morbid" enters the picture, the rules are probably different. I was trying to opine that both "on" and "plan" are completely subjective.

LoriBell, I felt the same way as you. When I finally woke up - I looked at "it" as a matter of life or death. Because it WAS a matter of life or death. I was truly terrified of losing my very life and of my children being without a mother.

No, there wouldn't be any "free days" or "cheat meals" or whatever you want to call them. I knew down the road things would be different. But for the time being, there WAS a sense of urgency to get the weight off in as timely a fashion as was safely possible.

Sign my name to Lori's post. As usual.

104/104! Wow, I hadn't looked at it that way before. For me, being "on plan" means wearing my armband, tracking everything I eat on The Daily Plate, and making sure I always have a calorie deficit (preferably in the -1,000 range). Oh, and making sure I go to my WW meeting every week to get an official weigh-in and some motivation.

Being "on plan" for me doesn't mean not eating certain foods, or making sure I go to the gym... the last 3 months have seen a heck of a lot of lazy sitting-on-the-couch days, days with cookies, pizza, beer, and some very memorable steak fries. (And, of course, a lot of vegetable soup, salads, and baked potatoes.) It's great, I'm finally eating the way my husband and all our friends eat, and they're all super skinny and healthy. They don't need to wear an armband or go to WW meetings, sure, but it still makes me feel like what I'm doing now is "normal" and "right", not that I'm "on a diet" or depriving myself. On to another 104 days!