so I am over 3 years out. I have never reached my goal weight.... started gaining and gained 30 lbs. I have only lost 5lbs in the last year. I now have a total of 65lbs to lose. I have lost my motivation.... anyone out there have a similar story? Or maybe some good suggestions?

I'm just over two years out and haven't experienced any loss in motivation. But after reading your post, the first thing that came to my mind was what was your motivation three years ago? If you have 65 lbs to go after gaining 30, then you were within 35 lbs of your goal weight. That's a pretty amazing accomplishment in and of itself! What was your starting weight and what kind of plan did you follow to lose weight? What worked best for you? When did you start struggling? What may have changed in your life that resulted in your losing focus? What health benefits have you seen from your weight loss? What quality of life improvements have you seen from your weight loss? How important are those things to you? Sometimes I think we all need a "refresher" course in the things that work best for us as individuals and why we started this journey in the first place. If you did it once, you most certainly can do it again. Tell us more!!

Thanks for sharing your story...we're here for you.

Dave,

Thank you for your great questions. I did the math. I originally lost 60% of the my expected weight...I am now at 38%. I started to slip when I went back to college to complete my degree....poor eating habits, stress, lack of sleep, while working full time. It took me just over a year to complete my degree---then I realized what was happening. I still feel great, but I kick myself for letting this happen. The health benefits are still there....my diabetes has not caught me yet, but it is breathing down my neck.....this in itself I enough to get me moving. I just found out my insurance will not cover bariatric services of any kind so for now I will skip this years visit. I did speak with the nurse over the phone and we chatted for awhile. Back to basics she suggested. I also went to the support group meeting not much help there. So I am reaching out to you here in hopes that I will get some support and make some connections to keep me on my path.

As for motivation, I was bound and determined to be successful, I still dream of reaching my goal weight, or close to it if possible. I have set small goals for myself, like getting another 10 pounds off before Feb. I need to stay away from the junk, exercise more, and regulate my intake of Protein and carbs. This sounds so easy.....I wish it was.

I'm just over two years out and haven't experienced any loss in motivation. But after reading your post, the first thing that came to my mind was what was your motivation three years ago? If you have 65 lbs to go after gaining 30, then you were within 35 lbs of your goal weight. That's a pretty amazing accomplishment in and of itself! What was your starting weight and what kind of plan did you follow to lose weight? What worked best for you? When did you start struggling? What may have changed in your life that resulted in your losing focus? What health benefits have you seen from your weight loss? What quality of life improvements have you seen from your weight loss? How important are those things to you? Sometimes I think we all need a "refresher" course in the things that work best for us as individuals and why we started this journey in the first place. If you did it once, you most certainly can do it again. Tell us more!!

The connection between both stress and lack of sleep and weight regain is well documented and the subject of a number of studies. There have been successful treatments from a psychological perspective but that is well beyond any help I can offer.

But I love your determination and having completed your degree has hopefully reduced the stress you are under. If you are not doing so already I strongly recommend maintaining a food log. I use and highly recommend My Fitness Pal but Spark People is recommended by many folks on the forum as well. In my experience, the key to weight loss and subsequently to weight maintenance is managing your weight. And the key to managing your weight is maintaining a food log. And the key to maintaining a food log is understanding what I call "The Law of Averages".

You've set a goal of losing 10 pounds by Feb. So your goal is to lose a little over a pound a week. Configure the settings in your app to lose a pound a week. The app will calculate a daily calorie goal that you'll need to achieve in order to meet your weight loss goal. It is unrealistic to expect to meet a calorie goal every single day for the rest of your life. More importantly, it's not necessary. That calorie goal is an AVERAGE. So on those occasions when you go over your goal, you simply adjust your goal down by 100-200 calories for the next day or two and you're right back on track with your average. It's all about control, not denial.

So you try your calorie goal for a week and then check your weight. If you lost a pound, great! If didn't lose anything or even gained a little, adjust your calorie goal down - don't get crazy, 100-200 calories should be enough. Follow that for a week and then check your weight. Repeat until you find the number that works best for you. It's simple, it's easy and it works like a charm. Your log helps make you accountable - to you. It also works amazingly well in helping you understand the relationship between what you eat and the effect it has on your weight. It teaches to manage your weight instead of your weight managing you. When you see the changes in your weight in response to those minor calorie adjustments, your confidence soars. You log allows you to react quickly to changes and that makes all the difference in the world.

Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress. There are tons of very knowledgeable folks on the forum that are more than willing to help you along the way. You're gonna love the new you!!

Edited December 19, 201312 yr by DLCoggin

Dave you are very inspiring. Thank you. I will give it a go. I am glad I found this site. Just what I was looking for in support.

so I am over 3 years out. I have never reached my goal weight.... started gaining and gained 30 lbs. I have only lost 5lbs in the last year. I now have a total of 65lbs to lose. I have lost my motivation.... anyone out there have a similar story? Or maybe some good suggestions?

How are u doing? Has ur weight loss continued? I seen ur post and just wanted to check on u and see how you are doing and where you are with it. Take care! Misty!

_{so the past week hasn't been as successful as I have hoped. But that's okay...I'm going to try to do better this week. I have a hard time getting in my Protein, and well since I didn't log much I'm really not sure. But his week I will do better at logging my intake. I need to get a handle on this because my life at work is going to be crazy during the month of Jan.--year end close...ugh.}

good luck with your log, I am in the same boat, 2 1/2 years out not at my goal, struggling with the last 40 or so, I keep bouncing between 5 lbs, and trying to get past this. I feel like my mind is starting to go back to the old me. I hated that me. always giving excuses of why I couldn't lose weight, now I have lost 150 and something in me is slipping back to that old mind set, I am really worried, I just started logging 2 day ago so I will see if that helps, thanks for you help DLCoggin.

AWWW..the elegant Mr.Coggin..I couldn't have said it any better

Hello cb..I'm Dee..4 years out...Remember the foods you were eating while you were in 'Maintanence'?..You might want to start there. The pouch test is a different thing than what your looking for, I should think, although I suppose its an option also. When I neglect my eating (which results in weight loss not gain)but it's still frightening. I stop, slow down, gets my thoughts to line up (not always easy) and look back at my log..which I kept diligently the first 3 years. Its my sounding board. My ACCOUNTABILITY measurement. The foods I eat (and still eat) while in maintenance (which I suppose I'll be in for the rest of my life) are what I eat, and always revert back to. Unforturnately or fortunely weight loss takes focus and disciplined. I've kicked the word "willpower" out of my vocab..I have the willpower to do anything I put or set my mind to..but DISCIPLINE is a whole other ball game, for me anyhoo. Be watching your success with utter joy. Thanx for listening...much luck. Talk often.

P.S. I am a (lifetime) recovery sugar addict. And that my dear is where the DISCIPLINE comes in. soooooo not easy. But "This Body Feels Better Than food Tastes"!!!!!

Hello there.. I'm new here but not new to the "struggle" to you I can also say with confidence you can and will get back on the road to success and attain your goal this is but a bump in the road! It is so frustrating I know but I agree with the prior post's all wise advise! I had to just get ahold of myself and say I have come to far to stop now I'm going to get back on track and just keep going I myself had to keep that log and I had to cut all sugar that affair ends back to the beginning boot camp for me personally it is what I needed for my success I get serious shakes, vitamins get back to health your mind get lazy too then I monitor my weight it won't lie like my old stretch pants did after a few days of the proper amounts I was feeling on too of the mountain and then step 2 the diet for life your weight dropping off again your back in your game feeling great !! no more feeling sluggish and down and your inspiring us it's a hiccup you can and will do this ! What a support system here and accountability is huge... Excited to see your journey and any discouraged ones out there keep your chin up your not alone the scale is on the downward slope :-) Belle