Am I alone?

This is my thoughts too. I know I'm getting healthier, when i have my cheat days (times really not days anymore). I get right back on track. I look great now and I don't want to go back to what I was ever again so I will make choices every time I put something in my mouth but won't feel guilty if I eat whatever I want.

I wish I could look at it that way!! I spent my entire teenage life in the high 100's and the rest of my life in the high 200's, when I went over 300 I was NOT doing it any longer, something snapped in me, I weigh myself daily sometimes multiple times since my scale is in my bathroom, I am a nervous eater and it is extremely important that I keep a close eye on myself and be very hard on myself if I get to leniant, I want this so bad~! I want to be atleast 150...its so hard I go up and down, I am doing it right, I have good days and bad, I do not deprive myself however its always on my mind...I feel extremely bad when I mess up...maybe I will one day get to this point like you guys are...but yeah I have to say you are on your own with this one....good luck and congrats that its working for you!!! :drinker:

I am with you!!!

Its tough to argue with you except to say that for me I became obese with a BMI of 44 because I was 'bad'. The fact that I have not had the most healthy relationship with food is what I am currently trying to fix, weight loss is both the side effect and measuring stick.

I will also say guilt is under rated. Guilt can work both ways either as a motivator or demotivator depending on the personality type. For me I feel not guilt as much as I do disappointment in losing a day or week of weight loss even though my bad days now are better than my good days before I started this process. The only guilt I really feel is on really really bad days such as when I have an entire pizza (a couple moths ago). That guilt stays with me to remind me of the experience of losing all self-control, and motivates me to do better in the future as that mistake cost me about a week of weight loss.

I do weigh every day because it is a measure of success and more easily quantifiable measure than any other option. Additionally,since weight can fluctuate so much it gives me a way to track the overall trend as opposed to one day a week.

Each of us has to find our own methods, I will agree that I feel a little bad for people who come on these forums stress about a red number even if i t is within 1 or 2 percent of their target, but maybe being that aggressive works for them, it would not for me. I would also say you attitude is probably more healthy, but don't look to me to join your club anytime soon.

I'm with you, although everyone here is losing weight for different reasons and some people really need to stay focused to get healthy. It also depends on what people are going through at any given moment.

When I started on MFP, I had a pretty healthy eating routine that I tracked pretty well. Now I'm going through a nasty breakup, which sucks, but it has also led me to get a personal trainer, take a GMAT class and start applying to business schools. This is a lot of pressure (albeit, all good things) to pile on top of the breakup, so I'm giving myself a break on having a perfect food diary. I think being too focused on it would push me over the edge.

I'm sure (or I hope anyway) that when this all blows over Ill get back to my regular food routine. In the interim, as long as I keep working out (which helps my stress levels), I'm not going to worry about it.

I'm with you too! I had to put the scale away and stop weighing myself every d*mn day. My clothes are feeling lose. I feel soooooooooo much better even with only walking 3 miles every other day (quick pace)..that's more than I normally would be doing. I'm eating way better than I ever have. I have to stop myself from getting on the discourage train and just keep focusing on what I am accomplishing. It took me YEARS to put this weight on I can't expect it to fall off in a matter of weeks.

I still absolutely want to look good (to me), but I found it was more motivating to me to have a fitness related goal than a weight goal. After a couple of weeks of working out and attempting to watch what I eat, the scale hadn't budged much but I noticed that I could walk faster and farther without pain or extreme fatigue. Noticing that made me feel a heck of a lot better than smaller numbers on the scale ever did!

I have two goals right now. Finish my first 5k on the 25th, and be able to run a mile without stopping.

Everyone achieves their goals in a different manner. There's not ONE magic way that works for every one of us. I am somewhat laid back - I know that I will mess up, stumble, eat a piece of cake, not exercise every day, etc.....but some people might not be able to bounce back so easily. I have certain goals for myself, but I don't stress out and panic if I don't meet them. "Fall down 7 times, get up 8." I've realized that this isn't a "temporary" path...it's a "forever" one.

For example, I have a friend who has just decided to get on the healthy train. The week that she started, she gained. So, within a week she expected to lose what she had gained PLUS what she originally wanted to lose. I just didn't think it was realistic...and I wasn' t going to lie to her. Told her to be patient and do the work...the rest will follow eventually.

It's the constant stream of mental chatter that tends to play on a loop that I chose to eliminate from my weight loss journey. The one that nags and nags at the back of our heads, the one that criticizes then praises then criticizes then praises. The voice that interprets our eating and exercising in terms of good and bad. Ate a whole pizza? Bad day. Bad person. Almost killed yourself with that exercise program? Good person. Good day.

Value judgements are what made me fail the first time I lost a huge amount of weight because I was not able to ever please the critic who had taken up residence in my head. It was just easier to put all the weight back on...and more...even if I had transformed myself into a very attractive, fit and healthy (physically) person. I won the physical battle, but not the mental one.

This time I chose to not rent any space in my head to a critic. I trust my intuition. I trust my ability. I trust my choices and I trust that I will get to my destination and stay there for the long haul.

I like your outlook. Its about a healthy head space. I also agree with the whole good verses bad person thing.... i dont like seeing it that way. It creates an inward battle. And this journey can be tough as it is without adding the internal bullying. Thanks for sharing. And no, you're definitely not alone.

I have to say I do have a goal, but not a time frame. I am trying to re-establish a healthy approach to activity and food and I would like to fit into my old clothes, but I figure by following a reasonable plan I will eventually reach my goal. So you are definitely not alone.