Hey guys,

I am, as well as many others, struggling to keep motivation. I dont know whether is a self sabotage thing or if its im just sick of my life revolving around weightloss, or it constantly being in the back of my mind.

I want to loose all this weight and I can see the skinny person slowly apprearing *Minus this fat roll and that big ass*

I know the benefits of exercise, drinking lots of Water, Protein, Vitamins etc. I just cant seem to consistently do any of them.

How did you guys get into these routines? was it a whole sudden shift or was is a gradual addition to your routine... I just dont know if I will be able to do either... Should I make myself a list and aim to do all of the things on the list by the end of the day? Help =(

My surgeon didnt really give me any rules, and the fill doctor is even suggesting that I should drink while eating, So I dont have much support there.

I love my band and have lost 33kilos (66lbs) with it. Im going for a fill on thursday... I just need to know peoples secrets...How do you stop yourself from eating what those evil boys have put in the fridge. Do you put photos up of your ideal size? What keeps your motivated? Should I make a graph and draw a line of what I want to be doing every week (1-2lbs, .5-1kilos) and then draw my actual? Is it just not letting weightloss be in the back of your mind but absorbing everything you do?

Ive suceeded on diet before - but always put the weight back on.

I need help =(

I love meat! So protein comes easy. I also like vegetables. Nutritionists tell you to start with the meat, then the veggies and then whatever else you have. By the time I get thru the meats, I can't eat all my veggies, much less anything else.

Try to live by these rules. I think you'll do well. I have a friend who wanted to have the band, but found out she had a mass in her stomach and had to have it removed. She can no longer have the band. But she still lives by the same rules I just stated. She has lost a lot of weight on her own. She also walks a lot. So just think, that having the band to use as a tool, you should do great. Good luck on your journey.

I think I had to make a lot of little shifts to my routine as I lost weight. At first it was easy and the weight seemed to fall off. After the first thirty pounds, it was more of a struggle and I had to count calories and stay around 1200 cal/day to lose 1-2 lbs per week. After losing about 65lbs the loss seemed to slow to a crawl and I had to stay around 1000 cal to lose 1lb/week. Now at 80lbs lost and 10lbs from goal I have not lost any weight in weeks and am getting a bit annoyed. Everyone is different and because of some arthritis my exercise is limited so my metabolism is extra slow.

One thing that was very helpful for me was to cut out the liquid calories, like Starbucks. I don't really miss it now, I have a cup of herbal tea instead, and it has saved me a ton of calories. I also don't even attempt breakfast anymore, my band is just too tight in the mornings. Lunch is cottage cheese with a bit of fruit or a cup of light yogurt. Dinner is whatever the family is having but I start with the meat, then the veggies and rarely touch anything else. I never eat bread or bread-like foods. I will snack on almonds or pistachios (tiny amounts)

I hope this has been helpful. Take one day (one hour if need be) at a time and the weight will come off!

I would suggest picking one new habit and sticking with that for a week or something before adding a new one. It just really depends on where you are mentally. If you feel like you can make all the changes at once, go ahead and do it. 3 small meals a day, start with Protein, no drinking with meals, chew a lot and take small bites. If you don't find that you can do them all, choose one and start there. Just start chewing everything more than normal and set the fork down between bites. When that has become more habit, make sure to eat the protein first. Etcetera...

It sounds like you have been successful... so keep it up. Changing those little things will just help you to keep being successful!

First of all, congratulations on your great loss so far. With that success behind you, you've got to know that you have what it takes to succeed!

Motivation ebbs and flows. I have made a commitment to myself not to rely on motivation. If I waited until I felt "motivated" to do things, half the things in my life would never get done.

Think about it. Are you ever motivated to brush your teeth? To empty the dishwasher? To mow the lawn?

No. They're things you do because you have to do them.

Well, if you want to lose weight and maintain the loss, then there are things you just have to do, too.

For me, accepting them as non-optional does the trick. There is no choice involved---I don't require motivation to take a Vitamin. I simply need to do it. If it were something I routinely forgot, I'd find a way to remind myself---set an alarm, place the bottle in a place I can't miss, something.

Getting enough Water? I have a liter-sized bottle. It sits next to me all the time. No way to forget about it then!

As for not eating things that were brought into the house by/for other people? I just don't do it. It is a non-option. I remind myself I am making a choice---that while I could choose those foods, I have limited space, and prefer to give my body the foods it needs to be healthy.

This became A LOT easier once I achieved proper restriction!

Sometimes, rules are good. If you can define the way you wish to eat, those guidelines can be more helpful than limiting. For me, this means following a low-carb regimen. I know that each meal will consist of 2-3 ounces of Protein and some nonstarchy veggies. That I will limit grains, and when I do eat them, choose whole grains. Having these "rules" helps me choose foods that give my body what it needs to stay healthy. But mostly, it removes the brainwork. The focus is removed from food, planning, obsession. I've defined how I eat, and that's that! That's how I eat.

You don't have to conquer everything at once. It's a process. Pick an aspect to focus on first. Vitamins, water, exercise, food---pick one, and embrace it. Incorporate it daily. You'll find that it gets easier each time you commit to a new habit. They'll become routine.

And then, so much less energy will be devoted to it--and you can let go of the worry

Per my DH who swears by this, it takes 3 weeks to form a habit. Force yourself to take your Vitamin every day at the same time, from the same spot. For example, put the bottle next to your toothbrush, then as soon as you finish brushing, take your vitamin. Try very hard for 3 weeks to not forget. Mark it off your calendar, or set an alarm or put a post it on your mirror for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks it will become a habit and less hard to do.

One habit at a time. Start with something simple like your vitamin. Then move to the next one. 3 weeks per habit. Hope that helps.

Hi -- I'm a year out (down 70 lbs) and I have struggled with motivation. At the advice of my therapist I started practicing some cognitive therapy techniques. In short, you start becoming aware of the negative messages going through your head (there are probably lots, just grab a few). After you've identified the messages, first say to yourself (or out loud) STOP. The next step is refuting the message. I thought this was absolute crap at first. WHile I'm doing it, especially if I'm in a tizzy over something, I refute a negative message and I feel stupid -- kind of like, yeah, like that is going to work. But I'm telling you, from a hard core skeptic, that it works. Just do it no matter how stupid you feel.

And yes, small changes at a time. I was on a chocolate kick and I started saying to myself "yay for me" when I ate LESS chocolate. I kept doing it and now I just have it once in a while.

You can do it! We can do it. I hope this helps in some small way.

Tonya