Hello Ladies(And gentlemen, if you're out there!),

I have dieted and struggled with weight loss enough to know that I have a bit of a pattern. I do really, really well, get excited, lose a bit of weight....

And then it all just stops.

It starts with the exercise. I get caught up with other things, or I just don't feel like it, or something... And I stop. I don't go to the gym, I don't go for walks, I don't do ANYTHING. It's like a switch in my brain turns off and I just decide I don't want to do it anymore.

And then there's food. It kind of creeps up on me. One day, I feel like I'm in control and doing fine and everything... And then all of a sudden I'm snacking on the wrong things, and going out to eat more often, and and and... All of the habits that I was trying to kick come back with a vengeance and all of a sudden I'm back where I started... Or worse.

I guess the good thing is that I'm catching it... Right now. The exercise issue has already happened, I haven't done anything really exercise like in probably two weeks... The food is still okay most of the time... But I have ended up out a few times, and it doesn't tend to end with the best choices, although not always the worst, either.

I just don't know how to get myself on track again and keep the scale moving down. I should go to the gym today, but I probably won't be able to fit it in because I have a paper to write for my final in a class I have tomorrow afternoon. I could go tomorrow... But I'm afraid I'll push it off again because I won't feel like it after doing class.

I just don't want to gain these eleven pounds back. My scale was back at 256 this morning, which I realize is only one pound, but one pound can quickly lead to the other ten. I know that, and I hate it. And I really, really don't want it. I am so, so, SO sick of being the fat girl. But it's the only thing I know how to do consistently, or that's how it seems.

I'm sorry this is so long... I just needed to get this out of my head, and I know you guys will probably have plenty to say about it.

The thing that changed exercise for me was not letting myself make excuses. Yep, you have a paper due, but instead of taking breaks to check Facebook or surf the net, why not take those ten minutes and walk around outside, or even do crunches or sit ups in your room? It will get the blood pumping and you'll probably think harder and better when you write your paper!

Same with tomorrow - you are already setting yourself up to fail by saying you'll probably be tired after your final. Don't let that be an excuse! If I skipped my workouts every time I felt tired or icky or frustrated after a long day of work, I'd never go! Tell yourself that you are rewarding yourself with a workout - you kicked butt in your final, and now you get to go kick butt (literally) in the gym!

The same with food: just because you had a meal or a snack that was off plan, is no reason to use that as an excuse to keep eating off plan. Believe me, I have been there. I have gained and lost the same ten pounds more than I care to remember. What has changed for me this time is not letting myself have excuses, not looking at exercise or food as something to dread, and keeping myself accountable both here and to other people in my life.

You are worth the commitment!!!

Do 100 jumping jacks. Right now.

!!!!!!!!

Yep, I agree, excuses need to go. Do you spend any time doing things other than life necessities and class work? Browse the internet, watch TV, read a book? Then you have time to exercise.

Even busy moms who work a full time job, while somehow managing to make dinner and drive the kids to soccer practice, fit the time in. It may require a change in schedule (like getting up an hour earlier) or wrangling time from bits and pieces. Two 15 minute walks might not be nearly the same as a half hour one, but it's close and a lot better than none. And one can do certain resistance type things while doing certain other activities. For example, do arm curls with a 3lb weight with your history book propped up in front of you.

It may not be as comfortable, having to force time in, instead of doing it when you have extra time to spare or when you feel like it. The good news is, once you get use to it, it's much easier to stick to. You may even find yourself wanting to exercise.

As for the eating out, I do sympathize here a great deal. So here's the deal- if you eat out, research before you go, and eat out right. If you can't stick to your diet plan, then DON'T GO.

You need to figure out why you fall off the wagon. Why the excuses on exercising? Why do you go back to your bad eating habits? Is the program you set for yourself too hard? Are you settling for the familiar and comfortable and unhealthy over work and improvements? Have you just not found the plan that works for you, or are you sabotaging yourself for some other reason? Low confidence, self-esteem? Do you just not feel you can do it? At this point, you may have a self-fulfilling prophecy of "I always do this after I lose weight" and so you do.

Think about it. Yes, you are making excuses. Now find out why.

I hope I'm not being too hard on you. You CAN sustain the weight loss. Believe you can. Sometimes, that's all it takes!

Those are some great tough love messages you have received above. In a nutshell, the reason we all fall down is that is just plain hard to lose weight by eating right and exercising. It takes a huge committment of time and energy. But do you really want to settle for your current weight and run the risk of adding more pounds to it? You need to keep at it consistently enough so that you see some visible rewards and get excited about your progress. Then, that will help to sustain you as you move closer to your goals. Don't
give up your dreams!

One thing that has really helped me is doing the South Beach diet. It has literally erased all of my cravings for bad food. I haven't had a french fry for over a month, and that hasn't happened in my WHOLE life! Might be something for you to look into...it has really changed my whole outlook on eating healthy, and I find myself craving really healthy food. And we have NO bad food in the house. Everything in our house is good for our body. It is so hard, and I have been where you have been MANY times...the switch flicked in my body after a 30 pound weight loss in 06...and its taken me this long to get things going again. You can do it!!!

if anything, on your next mental break when you write your paper, take a 10-15 minute walk. it'll wake you up and you'll realize how good it feels to get up and out of your chair. the fresh air might even help you come up with new ideas for your paper or plan your next day.

If you can't stick to a plan, you need a different plan. All too often we think a plan should be the best one, and try to fit ourselves into it. Better to find a plan that actually works with you as you are.

To put it another way: don't go looking for more will power, go looing for a plan that doesn't require as much will power to begin with.

Looking for excuses not to exercise? Try different formats, find ones you enjoy more. Don't worry about which types of exercise are "best" or "most efficient": what matters is that they are things you will do every time you plan to. So if you hate, hate, hate running but like a leisurely walk, it's better to actually go on the walk than it is to make excuses not to run.

If you are having "break out" eating, I'd try to figure out why and change that. Is it that you really, really, really miss sweets? See if you can incorporate small indulgences in a controlled fashion. Is it that you are hungry all the time? Eat more, just eat healthy things.

Basically, you need a plan that's easy when times are good, so that it's bearable when life gets complicated. Once you are on such a plan for several months, it often naturally becomes more strict/more rigorous.

"If you can't stick to a plan, you need a different plan. All too often we think a plan should be the best one, and try to fit ourselves into it. Better to find a plan that actually works with you as you are."

This is so so (so) true. There are a zillion different ways to eat less and move more and that's really what it's all about.

Yes, this. But I believe it's a combination - of finding the *right* plan for yourself, but also the *willingness* to stick to that plan or any plan. You DO have to be WILLING to change your habits. You do have to be willing to say no to yourself. You have to be willing to stay away from the high calorie/high quantity food and have to be willing to eat the *right* foods. Weight loss doesn't happen to you. Your plan doesn't *stop* working. You make the weight loss happen. You stop working your plan.

You have to come to the conclusion that you can't have it both ways. It can't occur - you can't eat the high calorie/high quantity foods AND be that healthy, trim, active, fit person. It just can't be. Something has to give. Something has to change. You've got to make peace with that and accept that you can no longer live your life that way. Yup, you've got to change your lifestyle. You've got to incorporate good eating/exercise habits into your life - once and for all and permanently.

Your desire to be thin, fit and healthy MUST outweigh, overtake and overpower the desires for *those unhealthy foods*.

Change IS possible. For anyone and everyone. Weight loss is a doable thing. You don't have to be fat if you don't want to be. You don't have to gain back those 11 lbs and you CAN lose each and every other excess pound on you - if you choose to that is. If you DECIDE to. Wanting to not gain back those 11 lbs is not enough, wanting to lose weight is not enough - you have to be willing to work for it.

Decide to do this, commit to doing this - no matter what, be WILLING to do what's necessary to make it happen and transform your very life.

The good thing about this is, that if you allow it, these good habits will become natural and automatic to you. You just have to force yourself to get to that point. Work past the initial discomfort. It's okay to say no to yourself. Push yourself and push yourself. Good eating begets more good eating. Keep on pushing yourself and before you know it you'll be doing what you thought was impossible.

For me, the exercise has to be a given, not an option. Ideally it's a reward and you enjoy it, but if you're not that lucky, then it's a chore and you just have to do it. Find a no excuse time in your day and just do it. My no-excuse time is 5:30 AM.

As for food, food is addictive. It just is. It's easy to ride along when you're eating the right foods because the right foods work FOR you, not against you. As soon as I eat a bite of cake, the hunger monster comes out. I have to be ready to deal with him or I can not have that cake.

It's easy to fail. That's why you have to pull yourself up and not allow it to happen. Just one day off my eating plan could set me up for failure because suddenly the sugars or salts are back in my system craving more. Every time I choose to eat out, I'm choosing to fight back the failure monsters. I'm saying that just so you know you're not alone. What you're doing IS hard and I want to validate that. But, you've got to get back in control of your diet if you want to be successful.