How do you focus on your eating program?

Hi, I have posted here a couple of times but it's been a while. I am on a 6 month medically supervised diet program through the WLS center. I am 2 months into it and I have gained 5 lbs. I just can't focus on it. My therapist told me yesterday that I needed to focus on losing the weight not having the surgery for now. I don't know for sure if I'll have the surgery but I need to lose the weight desperately! I'm now at 300lbs and am having all kinds of physical problems....knees, back, etc..... Not to mention the fact that I'm just plain miserable. I work full time as a nurse and by the time my feet and legs are really miserable. I'm so tired, I have no energy at all! Well you all know what it's like, I don't have to drone on about my aches and pains. I'm a mom of 3 with a very supportive husband (who has just recently been told he needed to get some weight off as well). Please tell me what helps you to focus! What motivates you to follow your plan???? Thanks, Janie

Hi Janie, You hit on exactly what motivated me to lose weight. Pain. Plain and simple, pain. I had bi-lateral knee surgery in March and April of 2005. Even after physical therapy I was finding it hard to heal myself. At 350+ it was no wonder. I couldn't imagine living the rest of my life in such a debilitated state. I had no other issues at the time, but I wondered how long that was going to last. After hitting 40 and realizing that I may never hit 50, I did something about it. You can read my profile for details if you wish, they are outlined pretty well. I think what people tend to lose focus of is that there is no end to this. You can't lose XXX pounds and then say okay, I'll go back to doing what I did before. Even if it sounds like a horrible cliche, it has to be a change of life. Period. An absolute and unequivocal change of life that includes a change in the amounts of food that you eat, the types of food, and a change in physical levels of activity. What motivates me now is the success that I have achieved, the smaller clothes, the absolute increase in energy I have and very simply the way that I feel about myself. I wasn't an unhappy fat person, not at all. But I am a much happier smaller person. I have always been a huge proponent of being honest with yourself. I used to say that I didn't eat a lot at all. Well, I didn't. Not at one sitting at least. But just because I could scarf down 2 big macs, 2 large fries and a large coke at one sitting didn't mean that I didn't have an issue with weight. I eat very little these days yet I manage to fit in 1300 calories worth of food. I have tried to figure out how many calories were in the foods I used to eat. It's pretty revealing, let me tell you. Good luck in whatever you do. Donna

Hi Janie, What keeps me focused is the fact I have a trip coming up in december and have to take an airplane. Being over 300lbs I didnt want to deal with a 'small' seat issue. I currently write down everything I eat in a little monthly/weekly calendar book so i can keep track of everything I stick in my mouth. This usually works well for me as I can track what I eat, how much, what my weight gain/lose was between weeks, etc. Im a stats freak so If I were you I wouldnt go that far. I always weigh myself everyday, which isnt really a good thing to do most people will tell you, but for me it works because everyday I can look down and see my current weight which reaffirms in my mind Im no longer 308lbs, and this new lifestyle change is working. Im currently working on a low carb, low fat diet, not really watching calories so much, I eat alot of chicken, some beef, lots of fruits and veggies. I gave up my daily starbucks and now only drink SF lemonade or Diet caffeine free Rootbeer. Hey I could give up my coffee's but not my rootbeers, they are my treat to myself. Anyway, Im always checking the boards if you want to chat... I hope you and everyone here on OH have a great holiday weekend. -Ruthe