8 replies to this topic

[ASAllen]

I have been on the Jenny Craig program for almost 2 years. I have had great success until the last 6 months. I got within 4 pounds of my goal & then it a brick wall. Nothing was coming off & I became very frustrated. I have now gained back 11 pounds & need to figure out a way to get back on track. I think my problem is that I am very happy at my current weight (especially compared to what I use to be) & just tired of trying to lose weight. Any motivation tips would be great...I just need to get myself back in the right frame of mind!

Angela

[Blessed4Life2]

If you are happy with your current weight and you are in a healthy BMI range why do you want to lose more? I believe a huge part of life is being happy in your own skin.

[ASAllen]

Melissa,

I am finally very happy in my skin, but am just outside of my healthy BMI (currently 25.1). The healthy BMI for me is 18.5 - 24.9, so I need to do a little something. I am not sure that I will want to hit the goal I originally set, but would like to at least lose the 11 pounds I have put on out of frustration.

Angela

[Blessed4Life2]

Melissa,

I am finally very happy in my skin, but am just outside of my healthy BMI (currently 25.1). The healthy BMI for me is 18.5 - 24.9, so I need to do a little something. I am not sure that I will want to hit the goal I originally set, but would like to at least lose the 11 pounds I have put on out of frustration.

Angela

Thats understandable Angela. I think its awesome that you are happy in your own skin......many of us STILL struggle with that. I am looking forward to the day I can say that as well.

Best of luck to you!

[LesterLou]

BMI is not and hard and fast rule for what healthy is. What does your doctor think?

Did you do the maintenance program? If not, I'd suggest rededicating for a few weeks or to lose a few more pounds (whichever makes sense to you) and then converting to full-blown maintenance. It's better for your head to concentrate on doing something positive than to keep banging it into the wall frustrated that you're not losing. After being successful at maintenance, you can always go back to lose the last few if you really want to.

[NorthShoreGirl]

Angela, maybe you should move into maintenance mode if you can't get your head back in the game. I really feel like I relate to what you're saying, from my LAST attempt at weight loss.

The only other time I've successfully lost weight was 15ish years ago through Diet Center (an aggressive, low cal, low carb/low fat/lean protein program, center-based with counseling, but we did our own foods). I was in my late 20s and needed to lose about 18-20 lbs. I got to within abt 3 lbs of goal (122ish), work got busy, I got distracted, I was quite pleased with myself at the lowest weight I'd been at since probably before puberty, and I dropped out. Most importantly, I didn't follow through with their maintenance program -- telling myself, of course, that NEXT week I'd get back to it and lose those remaining 3 (and growing) lbs.

Of course, it never happened and before I knew it, all that HARD work (and a lot of money) was wasted. And now, again having lost 20lbs -- but this time just 1/3 of the 60+ I need to lose -- I seriously regret not choosing differently in that moment.

If you do maintenance now, maintain where you are and get your emotional/physical balance, then you can come back at a later time to knock off those last few lbs, if you decide you want to.

Do some soul-searching, journal, read around here, and if you can get your head back in the game, great!!! But if you need a break, do it with the information and support you may need to maintain so you don't undo all your hard work.

Take care and very best wishes--
Susan

[Blessed4Life2]

Awesome Awesome post Susan!!!!!

[The Nu Me]

Very well said Susan....I really needed to read this post. I have also been on the program for 2 years and am really struggling. I have been at my half way for a long time now and every day seems so hard. I will do great for a few weeks and them put it right back on. I had a long talk with my consultant and we talked about what my motivation is now. I sat there and said, I don't know. I know that I feel so much better now than I did before but it's not where I truly want to be. I still have a ways to go. I feel that I don't have much of a support system and it's sooo hard to do it by yourself. So that's why I came online....hopefully I can find the motivation I need.

[NorthShoreGirl]

Oh, Nu Me, it's so funny, yet of course it's not. I woke up this morning thinking about this. What is the difference between when our heads CAN get in the game and when they can't? The difference is so real, however, and it's like a switch is either On or Off.

I know that difference painfully well, and for me there have been these 2 episodes when the switch was On. But in between, why ever not?!?! And why is it on now?

I do think there's an opportunity for us to cultivate some of that ourselves, through reading, journalling, boards like these. I got a lot of inspiration reading Valerie B's 2 books and going through her & Sara Rue's blogs here. There's a power in immersing ourselves in this mindset, and that's partly why I intentionally started right after Labor Day, when our son went back to school and some previous work obligations of mine had cut back. I knew I would have time and mental space to really focus on my mind and emotions (and exercise!) as I go through this.

Where are our magic wands as we go through this?!

Best wishes to you -- try to find something (Linda Spangle) to help re-ignite your spark of energy. Maybe you can't "find" motivation -- maybe you have to build it. What are some of YOUR building blocks? Is it an upcoming event? Do it for loved ones? (I know it's always supposed to be about us, but why then were my eating habits best -- and quite Jenny-like! -- when I was pregnant?!) Create a reward system for yourself that really motivates you. Hang a still-tight pair of pants up where you can see them. I'm excited to go for my OB/Gyn annual this week to show off my best number since I've been going to her!

String a bunch of these kinds of things that work for you together, and maybe just "fake it til you make it"?

Stay in touch!
Susan