Chicken - you misunderstand my post. I didn't suggest any of those things were less valid at any stage. Ofcourse they are always valid, but revisiting WHY you want to lose weight and the benefits, reinforces them and helps you to re-focus.
Weaknesses exist when the weakness becomes stronger than the goal.
I think you misunderstood mine. I can revisit why I want to lose weight and the benefits until I am blue in the face but it doesn't help me 'focus' because it doesn't solve anything.
My point is that it isn't about the weight or the food I eat, that is just a symptom of other problems in my life and wanting and needing to lose weight doesn't help me in any way shape or form in dealing with my problems which lead to the overeating. That is like telling an alcoholic or drug addict to remember how much better things will be if they don't take their drug of choice, it will work in the short term but isn't a long term solution
If I feel the need to over eat, this is not about the food but it is about not being able to cope with aspects of my life. As I have learnt to deal with the true issues that lead to the over eating then the diet has become easier and my dependence on food has been reduced.
For example, if I have a panic about a situation in my life I don't think 'I mustn't eat or I'll get fat again' because that is the least of my worries. What will help and actually works for me is 'why do I feel like this, what can I do to solve the problem I am faced with'. Because I now work towards solving the problem in the first instance I feel more in control and better about life and don't have that emotional need for food.
You have said in other posts that your weight has gone on because you eat too much of the right things - my mum thinks her weight problem is due to the same reason so I can understand where you are comming from. My weight problem can't be dealt with that simply unfortunately
I am glad that you have found an attitude that works for you and your post will be help so many people but it doesn't even come close to helping me focus on losing weight.
I state my case as what works for you won't work for everyone because there are so many diferent reasons for gaining and not being able to lose weight in the first place and unless people can work out why, although they may well be successful in losing the weight in the first place the chances are the weight will go back on eventually and that is my point. Your approach and mine are just a couple of many answers on how to keep focussed and they are all relevant for somebody but not everybody.