So how are we doing?

[Mary Ann]

Anybody feel their motivation flagging? Hitting any snags where you need some support? Are you settling in to your plan yet, or are you still trying to get a feel for things?

Is it still easy to tell yourself no?

When will you know you're for sure in your groove?

[LoriB]

I am absolutely in my groove.

I feel the same way that I did 6 years ago when I lost about 45 pounds, and made it to goal on WW. What happened then, and what is different now are a few things:

1. I hate to journal, and although WW does advocate a healthier lifestyle, that is not truly what I did. I ate points, not nutrition. Once reaching my goal, which took 6 months, I rebelled. If I had truly, truly learned how to eat, I could have eaten anything with moderation. I got sick of writing everything down. I hate it, I won't do it. But, when I just simply eat RIGHT, there is no need for me to journal. The weight slides off.

2. I didn't start off right away with the exercize last time. Now, I am going at it full strength.

3. The exercize is an appetite suppressant for me. The more I do, the less I crave the *bad* stuff, because my body needs nourishing from the workouts I am doing.

It took me about 2 weeks to feel the mental click. That happened this past weekend. Now that it is there, I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I have been happier, and more natural than I have been in months. Kind of like a fog lifted, and I can see now.

I truly feel that losing weight is a mental battle, more than anything.

We all KNOW what to do....use more calories than we consume. Easy enough.

It is the mental barriers that keep us from being successful.

I'm settling in with what I am doing.

I'll post before and after pics every 2 months or so. Sooner if the change is noticeable enough.

Sheesh, too much info, I guess.

So... how about you?

[DorothyB]

I'm only on the second day and still doing well.

Yesterday I overate dinner a little, but did well the rest of the day.

Today I had to go to eating plan B when I found out that I wasn't going to work. I made a plan B and followed it quite well.

I still haven't been able to do much in the way of exercise.

[Sheryl]

Groovin'!

[alenka]

I've jumped on the train with no plan to derail.

I laid it out for Bryan tonight. I told him after I sorted the groceries.. ."Don't touch this stuff.. it is for ME, I need to do this"! (since when I buy healthy stuff... and little things to help me along, he eats them... and I'm left with nothing when I need it. :S

SO he was like "ok!"

I'm good - to go!

[Mary Ann]

Cruisin' along, but I had a stressful moment before leaving for the barn. I wasn't hungry but I was definitely munchy. I was really craving sweets. I remember seeing something in the YOU: On a Diet book that stated what brain chemicals are missing when we have specific cravings, but I couldn't remember what causes a craving for sweets. Probably stress. I didn't want to go out in the cold. I rode in fifteen degrees.

[Chrisnstar]

Hey, Ray has pulled a tub of the Christmas cookies out of the freezer and I've had only 1 and it tasted too sweet.

[Stephanie]

I took a week's hiatus from watching what I eat, but I feel back on track now. I stopped bringing a snack from home so was hitting the vending machine at work last week, and figured I could eat all the chocolate I wanted due to PMS. It took a couple of days to get back into things, and I've felt a little "munchy" right before bed the last two nights, but I wasn't actually hungry so I didn't get something to eat. That's how I can really tell that things are going well again...I didn't eat to just eat. I also tried a kickboxing class yesterday, my back and abs are a little sore from that, but I might go again next week. Especially since one of the people that works for me is teaching it.

[Trailpal]

I finally got my "You: On a diet" book yesterday. read read read sigh, when are they gonna tell me what to do? LOL I put it away after 50 pages. Tonight I read the next 150 pages - good explanations of how various body chemicals work that go beyond just calorie intake. Also explained duration and type of exercise that is most helpful and realistic to make a lifestyle. (heh, we got no sissy gyms out here!) Finally got to the part where the "Tell you what to do" and guess what, they were trickling it out all through those previous pages!

I'm still in the "trying not to add to the weight burden" mode, I kind of need to set a date to start and want to be sure I have appropriate foods. Since I shop on Saturday (weather allowing), I'll probably start for real on Sunday or Monday. Gives me a couple of days to visualize what I'm doing and of course I can start some exercise in the meantime.

MA - They say if you reach for sugars, you may be feeling depressed. If you reach for soft and sweet foods (like ice cream) you may be anxious. Stressed seems to call for salty foods (an adrenal mechanism, if I remember.)

[Mary Ann]

Hmmm, depressed and anxious. Yeppers, that sounds like typical me in typical January.

I'll get through it though. This cold can't last forever.

Right???

[Trailpal]

don't ask me, I'm trying to talk hubby into moving to Georgia! LOL

[DorothyB]

trailpal said:

don't ask me, I'm trying to talk hubby into moving to Georgia! LOL

I think NW of Houston would be MUCH better - and you'd even be close to family!

[Deleted]

I am heading into my 4th week, and feel great!! I've had a couple of tough days where my stomach growled all day, regardless of what I did. But being limited by my points, it was a lot easier to tell myself no and just live with it.

My weigh-in is tonight and I am so excited! How sad is that? LOL

[MJ]

Tee it's not sad at all, you are looking towards the future and I am very proud of you. You're doing great. WTG. Good Luck tonight.

MJ

[Trailpal]

Dorothy - that's pretty much what my sis said