Hi! I've been here before; this is the third time this year I've rejoined.

Trying to learn from past mistakes, I've written down the things I did wrong AND the things I've done right. I wondered what other people's challenges are?

The ones I'm trying to work on first are:
1. Planning and sticking to plan
2. Ditch the "all or nothing" mentality -- I have to be either OP or I ditch the whole thing; I'm working on that.
3. Don't weigh in every day (I've put the scale in the closet)

I've gained the last 80 pounds through undisciplined eating. I wrote the first time I came here, I eat like a teenager -- except I'm 53. Snickers and a Coke are breakfast (and midafternoon snack), McDonalds for lunch. Fry a hamburger for dinner.

The only thing I don't love about the WW plan is that it isn't structured. I know the reasons for it and I think, on balance, they're good ones. But I need structure, at least until I undo bad habits.

Do others have challenges that they're working on, or that have blocked them in the past?

Xan, love your name. Have you ever read P.D. James' "The Children of Man" (I think that's the title)? One of the lead characters is named Xan.

Anyway, great idea for a thread. I've been following the WW plan with plenty of detours now for a little more than three years. I attended meetings for the first year, then dropped out when I stopped losing weight. Gained a bunch back, then lost it again, plus a few more pounds. Recently I put back on about 9 pounds and have taken off a few of those. I'm going to start going to meetings again this week, mainly because I feel like I need some freshness here.

For me, one of the biggest challenges is staying interested over the long haul. I always do well at the beginning of a new program or a new approach, but I eventually find it difficult to find inspiration to keep going. So I'm looking for ways to get inspired again for the next six months. (Six months is about how long I tend to stick with things with any enthusiasm.) I'm this way about jobs, too -- I have never stayed with any job longer than 2 years.

That really covers most of my challenges. I've incorporated exercise this year for the first time, and lately I've gotten bored with it -- although I know I need to keep at it. So I'm looking at doing something new in that area, too.

I agree with you about that "all or nothing" mentality. It's lethal. It's a given that you'll gain back everything so long as that mentality exists (been there, done that repeatedly). The fact that I'm still 50+ pounds down from where I was 3 years ago is something I largely attribute to having apparently gotten away from that mentality.

--Lauren

I share the same challenge. I have tried WW a couple of times before, but this time it is seeming to work ( or should I say, I am starting to work harder at it?). I too made the list of things that went wrong...in the end, what my problem was that I also needed to be more "structured". So, here is what I did:

Every Sunday a.m., when the Sunday paper comes ( along with the supermarket sales ads) I sit down and plan at least dinner for each night. Specifically, if ground beef is on sale, and chicken is on sale, then I will make it a priority to have a meal during the week that has that ingredient in it. Next, I get on the web. One of my other downfalls was boredom, same old diet food. But thanks to this and other websites like it, I am far from bored! After I look at the sales circulars, I find the "new" recipes that contains that ingredient. I tell you, I have made some very deliousous meals!

As for boosting my confidence...lets just say that I have been doing this "routine" for a long time, and....I have 5 pounds left to loose 'till goal!

Good luck!