Wanting to post here more. Thinking a lot lately about motivation...

Nancy..
Form my experiance - I am starting having glances of the "normal me"
It doe s not last all day or every day, but I do have moments. 
You are 1 year past me (in surgery). Work on it - I had to put mirrors in my house (all over the house - full length mirrors) since most days I can see in a mirror what people see.  So - that is my solution. 
I also try to dress up nicely and use makeup. That helps to work on the mental image.
But when i look down at my legs... thighs - or my boobs - I still feel fat... some days.

You know me, Nik, I almost have the opposite problem, not wanting to eat. Ever.

I only eat because I get all funny in the head when I don't.

I pop in here every now and then, but as you said, it's not very active.

I have the same book. I read a bit of it, but then set it aside. Although she has some good points, I'm not sure where the "God" part comes in, and -- that aside -- it seemed like just a bunch of anecdotes and personal reflections.

As far as motivation... it is harder once the weight has stopped coming off. For me, it is also harder because the body I have now -- while a FAR cry from the size 28, 4X body I had 3.5 years ago -- is not the body I wanted and I did not get the pain relief in my knees that i expected (should have had them xrayed BEFORE surgery and then I would have known that the damage was already signficant and I might not lose the aching knees). The scale hovers just under the 150 mark after getting down to 143 (for about 2 weeks)... and my size 10/12 clothes fit, but I still WANT to be a single-digit size. I know I cannot be... you've met me in person and have seen the muscular thighs and enormous boobs... I simply do not have a size 8 body type. For me, that is demotivating. If I cannot be an 8, does it really matter if I am a 10 or I am a 12? Nope. A 14? Well, probably. Until I can get from 50% acceptance of my body to something much higher, it feels like there is no point in putting any more effort into eating and exercising than I have to to just maintain my current weight... so the only motivation I have is that I refuse to have gone through all of this (the RNY, the hernia and repair, and the giant necrotic hole in my belly after the TT) to fail and regain. Call it pride (in either a positive or negative sense), call it tenacity, call it stubbornness, call it my ex-Marine father's voice in my ear ("failure is not an option!"), call it whatever... but that's the primary motivation I have right now.

Lora

My motivation at first was a number on the scale and a fream of looking and feeling normal. I think my main motivation now is health. I do not want to be a diabetic, or congestive heart failure, etc...
I am almost 6 and a half years out and have never made it to "goal", not sure what goal is except a number of 169 pounds that would give me a "normal" BMI. I am at an all time low for me right now of 184 and a size 12. I have never been this size during my adult life.
I love the way I feel after running or other vigorous exercise and am kind of hooked on it. I like doing, 5, 10 or 12 K's and want to do half marathon in June. I would say that is my motivation now.
I too am afraid I will regain even though I have fairly good habits for eating and exercising but still get those "fat: thoughts in my head.
Mary

 Well, I don't know if I'll be any help since I'm not into maintenance yet and I'm only almost 14 months out.  But there are a lot of things that motivate me.

Number 1 is my health.  I know you didn't have any co-morbilities when you did this, but I was diabetic (not yet on insulin but heading that way), high blood pressure, high Cholesterol, bad knees, swelling ankles, run down, and living on the sidelines while my active family had fun.  Now all my labs come back fabulous except for absorption issues, so I just take more vitamins and protein shakes (I've become anemic and am still upping my iron dosage, but not good yet).  I try to remember where I was every day and how much healthier I feel.

Number 2 is my husband.  He runs 4 days a week and works out at the gym 2 days a week.  He loves going on hikes and in general is very fit and active.  I want to live a long and healthy life with him (we'll have been married 26 years this April), and I want to be as active as he is.  Between him and my soccer playing kids, they set the example for me to exercise and stay fit.  Also, to keep healthy food and serve healthy meals in the house.  We're Californians, eating healthy is natural for us.  LOL  All our Farmer's Markets, fresh produce, free range chickens, ...

Number 3 is how nice I look in clothes, though that's never kept me from re-putting on the weight before, so ...

Number 4 is signing up for these half marathons.  Got to keep in shape if I'm going to finish them.  Got my 3rd one next Sunday along the Beach.  Surf's up!

Jan

Hi Nik, good to see you! My biggest problerm is that I've found that I can pretty much eat what I want and not gain - but then, I don't lose, either. I'd like to lose 30-40 more pounds. I'm glad I dump, or I would probably be in trouble. It seems that right now, whether I exercise or not, I stay the same no matter what I eat. I need to get serious and get the rest of it off, I guess, but so far apparently  I don't want it enough to do it. It's up to me. I do have a goal to get at least half of that off by June, which is when my nephew is getting married. My daughter and I are planning a big, all day, get-a-new-outfit-for-the-wedding shopping trip, and I'd like to be able to buy at least one size smaller. That's my motivation right now!

Hope all is well with you. :-)

Jenny