An idea for anyone who may be struggling

[louise41]

Andy you have hit the nail on the head when you said you have to work on it for the rest of your life! People often ask questions about what about maintaining the losses and as many of us have experienced it is very easy for the kgs to creep back on! I no longer think about this in terms of achieving goal but in terms of sustainability. We all need to realise that getting to maintenance is by no means the end of the journey but just the beginning of a new phase. Whilst many people lose contact with the diary once they get to goal I think it is a good idea to maintain some sort of contact to help with accountablility. Obviously we are accountable to ourselves but I think the forum gives us an extra motivation!!

[cathbug]

I completely agree. While on plan, I always said if asked if Cohen's was difficult, - the tricky bit will be keeping it off - that's when the hard work begins.

Just popping into see Mark's progress over Christmas has motivated me to keep up the fight.

[Never Give Up]

I cant agree more with Andy - this has been one of my mistakes, thinking that I can relax a bit after I finished refeed - there's no 'relaxing' as such!
AJ, I liked the idea, but i don't know if the reward thing would work for me - the reward i want is to fit into my clothes, but also look ab fab - dont' think my idea of ab fab is achievable for me - I think I'm a perfectionist. when I got to maintenance this last october, I still wasn't 100% happy - the first time I completed the program in 2004 I was so wrapt because, in part, I got a result i never even thought I would get, and that helped me keep alot of my weight off for a few years. How I looked then has sort of turned into a bench mark - and it just zaps my motivation, because maybe i won't get there again. ( I'm not as fit as I was then) I try not to think about it. Maybe the journey for me will include accepting what i probably won't be able to change...

[Annabelle Joy]

NGU it's not something that works for me either in the sense of needing frequent rewards. Once I'm motivated the goal is all the reward I need to keep me going. However, we're all different. I thought it might help some of those who have difficulty getting through a party without a deviation, or just through preparing dinner for the the family.

AJ

[Gemsta]

I spoke with a nutritionist at a party recently who suggested thinking about the deviation you're craving being poison, Visualize symbols like bio hazard, scull and crossbones whatever resonates with you. A new maccas has opened just down the road from my house, it really helps when I've forgotten my Saladas!

[findingme]

With this program is the understanding that food is our medicine, we have been given our individual prescriptions by the good Dr C and all we need to do is follow it. I would NEVER not follow my GPs instructions or medicine advise, so why start with Dr C? This approach really works for me and I love the fact that I am told what to eat and when.

[TiniWeeniMe]

I have a different take on this and it may seem a bit out there .. to some.

This diet is my reward.

Let me explain. I am not happy being over weight, but I am a good person and I deserve to be happy. Like Louise Hays says in one of her poems,

... I love myself therfore, I take loving care of my body. I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages, I lovingly groom it and dress it, and my body lovingly responds to me with vibrant health and energy. I love myself therfore- I provide for myself a comfortable home, one that fills all my needs and is a pleasure -to be- in. I fill the rooms with the vibration of love so that all who enter, myself included, will feel this love and be nourished by it. ....

There is more, before and after, this is just a part of a poem from "Heal your Body" so it says, at the end of page it is written on. I have it printed and laminated. and in my kitchen where I can see it and remind myself, ' to be nice to myself ' . It's been there for years, but I haven't looked at it for a while. Weird that we have to remind ourself, but in our ' busy lives ', we do. This is the best thing I have done to take steps to Love Myself

I decided to pay a large amount of money to do this diet. To spend a few months of my life to lose the excess kilos that was making me miserable and preventing me from enjoying being me. THIS IS MY REWARD I have given myself the money and time to treat myself to a better life, feelings, health, whatever. I was not happy being overweight. I was miserable. I don't want that for myself any more. I always reward myself. By allowing myself to relax occasionly, watch a nice movie or something. Buy myself something I want. Lose weight that is recking my happiness. This is a reward. I decided not to spend it on food or bills. or petrol. I decided to spend it on Me.

Loving yourself is a reward in itself.

[nixoline]

I love the poem- I have people say to me why do you eat that, when are you going to be doing something different, I don't know how you do it but to me- I don't want to live every moment makign everything about food!! I find I am happier, more energetic and less interested in when I get to eat something!!!!!! I think I went wrong (and possibly others) over the years with thinking diets were deprivation. My reasons for this program were different- I want to live and I need to treat my body right if I'm going to do that if only other people could want to live like we do!!

[Dezzy]

This a great thread. TiniWeeniMe's post really resonates with me. I have neglected ME for a long time. Feeling unworthy, unhappy in myself, undeserving etc... I deserve to treat myself well and this is my main reward. I had decided to reward myself with pandora beads for every few kilos lost. I'm nearly twenty kilos down and haven't bought a bead yet. I'm more than happy with the feeling I have of being slimmer instead of buying stuff!