Suddenly not sure if I want to keep going. What is my brain doing?!

I'm having a weird fortnight. Suddenly I have lost the motivation to lose any more weight, so have eaten loads of chocolate and gained 2lb this week...
I feel a lot better in myself and am struggling to adjust to my smaller body - I really craved having collarbones again, but now I do, I feel kinda... boney! My bust is smaller and things like that. I still have some podge I'm not happy with but I just feel all odd about what I actually want.
It doesn't help that a lot of my clothes are now on the big side. So they don't fit all that well, and also I'll have to replace a lot of things. My smaller clothes were bought about ten years ago when I was 18 so not really my style any more!
But on the other hand, I don't want to just stop. I want to get to the target I set, not just give up. I've set my target as a healthy BMI and I will see the health benefits through life.

Anyone else been here and got through it to feeling inspired about getting to target again?

I've not ever really had this feeling as I've never got so close to my goal.

Would it it be possible to say this is your target weight for now and maintain for a while and see how you feel in the future?

Yes! As you know from my diary I have just gone through this exact thing. Go and re-read what patty wrote on there. It's so true. You and only you can decide whether you are happy with the new you and whether a hiatus is the best. For me taking time off gave me pause for thought and allowed me to recognise that actually although I'm happier I'm not my happiest. Being slim won't make me happy all by itself but the sense of achievement I will get when I can actually say 'hang on I'm sticking at this size' will be amazing.

Take the time to enjoy your new shape and love it for what it represents. If that means taking a break and maintaining for a few weeks do it. This is a journey and I always think I'll recognise the destination when I arrive. Until then if I stop off at somewhere that looks ok, so be it.

Xx

Ltl has already given good advice and I echo what she says: try to maintain and come to terms with where you are at the moment. You can always continue but you don't want to undo all your hard work to get to this point.

Could you buy some new clothes to flatter your new figure? They don't have to be expensive - you might find something suitable in charity shops. Or just go and try things on so you get some idea of what styles suit you and how you look in clothes which fit.

Hi,
This is a really interesting blog by wlb tonight where she compares weight loss to the forming of a team, may help you to understand we all go through it and assess yourself http://weightloss*****.com/2014/02/are-you-storming-2.html

I would definitely recommend buying new clothes. I felt a bit annoyed when my clothes started becoming too big - I think because although I had a better figure I actually looked worse in the baggy clothes. I bought a bundle of clothes second hand in the next size down whilst in that in between state then once I was firmly settled in a more permanent size I spent my Christmas vouchers on new jeans etc. Once you are in the right size it feels more natural to be a lower weight and you do get used to it. Plus being in that smaller size is a commitment to not going back up to your baggy old clothes

Thanks guys. I know that something in me does still want to get to my healthy BMI target (though I quite likely won't set a second target, as I originally planned). And I don't think it's just pride!

This week has taught me that going off plan doesn't just mean staying where I am - it means gaining weight again very rapidly, even when I'm eating more healthily than I did before SW. That's why I ended up needing to do this in the first place. And even if I feel ambiguous about losing more weight at the moment, I definitely want to keep the benefits I've achieved so far.
Therefore for this week, I'm aiming to re-lose some of that 2lb, but also not to put too much pressure on myself. I'll stick to the plan fully for four days then reassess - I have a cinema trip and dinner out on Sunday. This actually isn't really a hardship - I enjoy my food on the plan and don't really find it hard if I also have treat meals to look forward to. So I can do that while I figure out what I want, so that I don't sabotage my hard work so far.

I'm going to focus on enjoying my food (just had a very tasty orange hifi which was just as good as the biscuit I had at work earlier) and developing positive eating habits, including cutting down on alcohol again.

I'm also going to get some exercise in (I've been ill but better now), as I think feeling 'toned' (rather than 'boney with a few wobbly bits'!) helps me get excited about being healthy and fit, and also enjoy my new body shape more.

I'm going to look up some photos of myself when I was slimmer to remind me I do like that look.

Finally, I'm going through my wardrobe again. I've sorted out those clothes which are now too big that I REALLY love, to see if they can be taken in. I'm getting out some other clothes that are a bit tight and not all my style any more, but probably look better than the baggy ones now. I will experiment with different 'looks' over the week, and maybe try on some smaller trousers in town on Sunday. I've got my eye on a lovely dress for my summer holiday so I might try that on again too.

I found the clothes thing really makes a difference. I have taken to trawling charity shops for the odd top or pair of jeans. I always feel a sense of triumph when I turn up a practically brand new top or similar.

A few years go I got down to 11st, I felt amazing, looking back through photos I still looked a big though :-(

I do agree with making sure your clothes fit though! My jeans are starting to get too big, and it makes me look frumpy! I'm currently not yet into the next size down without muffin top though!

Voluptuous said:

I've not ever really had this feeling as I've never got so close to my goal.

Would it it be possible to say this is your target weight for now and maintain for a while and see how you feel in the future?

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this atm!

Berryred said:

A few years go I got down to 11st, I felt amazing, looking back through photos I still looked a big though :-(
!

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Think I might get the bf to take a few snaps of my on Sunday when I'm reasonably dressed up, to get an objective view. I've only had one set of photos since I started SW (at Christmas) so it's hard to see how I look!

I can't wait till I'm at that stage where I'm close to goal! I really feel you need to treat yourself in your smaller size, whether that is by buying some new clothes or even trawling through charity shops or ebay to find something nice.

Sometimes I lose my motivation through still being a long way off goal but then I have to remind myself how far I've already come. The fact that I was a 22 and hating any item of clothing I put on and now being a 16 and being able to have a lot more confidence and choice of what to wear. My treat to myself is the occasional charity shop splurge as my size is ever changing and I don't want to spend proper money till I get down to a 12. I'm also constantly bagging up all my bigger stuff for the Cancer Research shop and as I do the gift aid there I get an email off them a few weeks after donation to let me know how much my stuff raised and it's up to £50 already and this gives me a boost as it's mainly down to the diet.

The clothes issue is a bit tricky, because I only have another half stone or so to lose, and was hoping to do it within the next month or two. So it seems more wasteful to buy new clothes now as I tend to buy not many clothes, but just a few expensive ones. I think going to the shops and trying on some things at the weekend is the way to go, and also wearing some of the older clothes I had stashed away. Even if they're not my style now, they fit better!

I agree about giving big clothes to charity shops - I used to sell some things on ebay but it's loads of effort and I never got that much for them. Most things I just give to Oxfam now as they can get a decent price with less effort in their shop!