How do you keep the momentum going?

[bexie1981]

It's my first weigh in tomorrow and am hoping for a loss. I also plan to treat myself to a Chinese (that way I have a whole week so it won't show up on the scales!). My question is really about keeping the momentum going while on a diet.
Already I am scared that even by having a takeaway, I'll start a chain of 'bad eating' in motion, as that's what has happened in the past. Hopefully I'll have the willpower not to stray from the points plan, as I feel very confident and determined this time. How does everybody keep that feeling going?
The first week or two of a diet are fairly easy if you're fired up with enthusiasm and determination. It's as the weeks go on, and I start to see results, I'm worried that I may start slacking off. It's exactly what I have done in the past.
I'm also aware that my first couple of weigh ins should show slightly above average weight loss. It's the weeks after that the weight loss should hopefully even off to 1 or 2 pounds per week. This is also a problem for me, as I'm the sort of person who wants things yesterday! How can I stay as motivated as I am now? Any tips, hints, ideas, or inspirational stories would be most welcome!

 

[kirsty2012]

well i'm the same with wanting things yesterday. I'm thinking like this this time..........the end of the year is gonna come whether i count points or not and the choice is do i wanna be at least 52lbs ( 1lb a week ) lighter by then or heavier

 

[Mini]

Hi bixie,

Good luck with your weigh in tomorrow!

To help keep the motivation up it is good to set yourself mini goals so that you can tick them off as you achieve them.

Also, I find it is nice to reward yourself with little treats other than food.

Always try and plan ahead and think about the Chineese meal your going to have and what food your going to eat and point it before you go out.

Choose steamed foods over fried

Go for 0 point sauces like black bean sauce or oyster sauce

and if you go over your points you can cut back or add some bonus points with exercise.

Love Mini xxx

 

[bexie1981]

I have already planned my meal for tomorrow night (obsessed with food, me?!) and have been saving a few points to fall back on too. So it's all within my allowance which makes me feel a lot better. I'm still wondering how long this enthusiasm will last, but am making the most of it! Any weight loss this week will definitely spur me on too.
Kirsty, what you said about the end of the year coming whether you like it or not definitely rings true with me. And hopefully this year we'll have made the change that we want with our weight.
I don't like to speak too soon but I feel like something has clicked into place that never has done before. I just want to make sure it doesn't un-click!
Mini goals are a great idea and not something I'd really thought about. I think to just lose a stone would be amazing, as I've never got past the half stone mark yet. I always give up!

 

[Barb]

Kirsty, that is exactly the kind of thought that is going to keep me going. Well done you, just what I could do with hearing too!

LOve

 

[Mini]

well i'm the same with wanting things yesterday. I'm thinking like this this time..........the end of the year is gonna come whether i count points or not and the choice is do i wanna be at least 52lbs ( 1lb a week ) lighter by then or heavier

Kirsty, that is exactly the kind of thought that is going to keep me going. Well done you, just what I could do with hearing too!

LOve

Kirsty, it is a fabulous point and one I too will keep in mind!!!

 

[Mini]

Hi bexie,

I don't like to speak too soon but I feel like something has clicked into place that never has done before. I just want to make sure it doesn't un-click!

That is what I call when the head is in the right place! It is a great feeling where everything feels possible...

Don't worry about how long it will stay, it is there now, so go with the flow!

Yes, it would be wonderful to lose one stone...there are fourteen pounds to get there, so enjoy ticking each one off!!!

Love Mini xxx

 

[paula 36]

Hi lovey ,that statement could have been written by me.
I am sick of being in the same fat place year after year we have got to do thisxx

 

[bexie1981]

Well if I needed motivation to stick with it, I certainly have it now... we have just booked a lovely holiday in Devon! Going in August, which leaves plenty of time to shed a lot of this excess baggage! Thanks for all the helpful comments everybody. I will definitely be back on here re-reading them when I'm having an off day!

 

[Starlight]

I actually found as the weeks went in and I saw my weight steadily dropping I became more and more determined & more and more focused. It sounds corny but I know theres no food at all that will make me feel better than seeing a loss on the scales every week

 

[Deb G]

I also plan to treat myself to a Chinese (that way I have a whole week so it won't show up on the scales!). My question is really about keeping the momentum going while on a diet.
Already I am scared that even by having a takeaway, I'll start a chain of 'bad eating' in motion, as that's what has happened in the past.

Classic sign of food addiction - using food as a reward for being good - and that fact that you're using food as a reward whilst on a DIET is even more key. Also trying to 'beat the scales' when its only yourself you will be trying to cheat. I really think you need to rethink your relationship with food now if you're going to achieve long term success AND keep it off for life.

When I did WW I would starve all day on weigh day and have chips on the way home (similar to your takeaway idea). This is not re-educating your brain, its rewarding periods of hunger (being in prison) with blow-outs of food (freedom). To be slim and remain slim for life, you need to make slim choices MOST of the time because YOu want to keep YOUR body healthy!

You're already aware of the problems the takeaway is going to cause you, yet you're still going ahead with it. You've talked US through it, but not taken on board what you are saying YOURSELF! I find this a real problem with WW - teaching you to stick to a set of rules, rather than teaching you how to control yourself around food and make decisions based on the longer term consequences.

Two books that will REALLY help get your head round the food addiction are:

"Eating Less - Say Goodbye to Overeating" by Gillian Riley and "Thin Secrets" by Dr Lizzie Kingsley (both from Amazon). They're dead easy to read and will make you sit up and come to terms with your thinking around food. I read both in a day - they were a real revelation!

I was the same as you (in fact I can hear myself in your words) and its only been the counselling with Lighterlife and the reading of these two books that has made me finally look at my weight as being a symptom of my problem (my problem being food addiction).

I hope you don't think I'm being too harsh, but I really do think we dieters need to get our heads right and then our bodies will follow - afterall, our bodies only reflect the lifestyle we lead!

Good luck - buy the books, read them, and please let me know what you think.

 

[Starlight]

I find this a real problem with WW - teaching you to stick to a set of rules, rather than teaching you how to control yourself around food and make decisions based on the longer term consequences.

.

I totally disagree with this comment. WW does teach you to stick to a set of rules with regards to your points but in the long term, following WW helps you re-educate youre eating pattern & changes the choices you make. I know when I get to goal that Ill have developed a much much healthier way with food & will find maintenance a lot easier as a result.

I think thats a strange comment from someone doing a VLCD which just takes food out the equation and means you dont have to deal with it at all.

Beckie in regards to your takeaway - have it. Youll find most of us have some kind of treat on our wi night, so long as you dont go totally overboard it shouldnt have any adverse effect on your wi

 

[bexie1981]

Deb G, a valid point, and perhaps that was what worked for you. As you say, you have had some sort of counselling. Obviously you feel that it has worked for you, and congratulations on overcoming your problems.
At this time, I do not feel that I am in the need of any counselling for my 'food addiction.' I am merely trying my hardest to live my life in a way that is acceptable to me, while remaining on the Weight Watchers plan. This includes having a takeaway meal once a week. To avoid such foods would only result in failure as I would feel too much like I am depriving myself of the things I enjoy, and that's not what WW is about. If I wanted to deprive myself of such joys, I would have chosen to do Cambridge again.
I completely see where you are coming from in saying that I am using food as reward, and that's exactly what it looks like I'm sure. I appreciate your input, but at the same time would have to agree to disagree on this one.
Food is a pleasure and something to be enjoyed. And I intend to continue enjoying it!

 

[bexie1981]

Thanks for the support Starlight, it means a lot x

 

[Starlight]

Nicely put beckie

 

[Starlight]

Thanks for the support Starlight, it means a lot x

Thats what we're here for

 

[bexie1981]

Hear hear Marie! It's clear that those who follow WW properly get huge benefits from it, without the need to resort to a VLCD. I have nothing against VLCD's, however they are not for me. I find it absurd that somebody who is on one and cutting out food completely, can preach to those who are doing WW and actually learning about portion control and food groups.
In my opinion, it's a shame that statement was made. None of us have any right to judge anybody else's habits, we are here to support one another. Misplaced, amateur psychological observations are not helpful in any situation. Ok, rant over

 

[bexie1981]

And thankyou for those tips Marie, most helpful! x

 

[kirsty2012]

wow how did i miss this little gem lol. I love WW it fits in with family life and does teach me portion control. I love the fact that if on the spur we go to maccy ds i can have a kids meal and a diet coke and not feel excluded and feel happy with the meal, where as before hand i would have happily stuffed a burger with 1000 cals large chips and milkshake....now no way when i know how many pts are in them.

 

[paula 36]

I do agree that SOME people (myself included) do suffer with a food addiction, but what I don't agree with is that ww doesn't re-educate your brain. As someone who has followed ww lots of times before, I have learned a LOT about what foods are good and what foods are bad for me, purely through the points system. Because points takes both calories AND fat into account, I think it gives a really good balanced idea of what foods are best to avoid and what foods are ok to have. I have been on and off ww for as long as I can remember, but when I'm off ww and I'm stuffing my face (which is where my food addiction creeps in) I am still all too aware of how many 'points' I'm having and I find it so much easier to judge which foods are good and bad (weight wise) because of that.

I have tried several diets in the past, some cutting out carbs, some cutting out fat, some cutting out all food completely...I didn't feel that any of those actually taught me anything about food (that is however just MY opinion) because I wasn't actually learned about food...ww has taught me SO much about food, so much.

I am also one of those people who uses food as a reward, and in all honesty, I see nothing wrong in that. I enjoy food, I love food, and I really enjoy my takeaways/treats when I have them. Off ww I eat chocolate and takeaway and pies and crisps/dip ALL the time, every day of every week - that is NOT good for me (or my weight!). On ww, I plan to follow my points plan every day of the week apart from one, when I will have a 'treat night' and I see absolutely nothing wrong in that - if my weight is coming down, I'm happy with my diet and not miserable because I'm cutting anything out and I'm still enjoying my food, then I think it's great!

I love ww BECAUSE it works even with a little bit of what I love to eat - I love it because it has taught me SO much about food (ie foods with hidden calories/fat etc), I love it because it makes me appreciate those 'treat' takeaways etc all the more and I love love love that it's something that doesn't exclude me from family meals etc and even means that my partner and daughter end up eating healthier foods as well.

Sorry, I just had to say my piece, because I felt a little like ww was taking a bit of a slating then and it absolutely doesn't deserve it - it's a FANTASTIC diet and it's taught me more about food than any other diet I've ever done.

totally agree with this mariexx