I've gone back and looked at when I've been successful with weight loss and when I haven't and I think I've finally found the key.

For me, I'm successful when I elevate the importance of my eating plan to the importance of my marriage or my job. When I do the following things, I continually lose weight:

1) Hold myself accountable. I have people here and in my real life who know how important this is to me and encourage me.

2) Keep a journal of my food. This makes me accountable to me.

3) MOVE! Probably more than anythign else, when I find myself in an extended semi-vegetative state, I know I'm in trouble.

4) Be concious of my plan. This one is probably the most important thing of all. When I actively plan, and am proactive, not reactive I exhibit much better control. I have to make constant active choices about what and how I eat.

I have gotten so frustrated by my weight gains in the past, but I am 100% accountable for them. And yes, it's a medical condition, like Liz says. We can't put sugar and flour in our bodies and expect no consequences. I can't eat out of vending machines, I can't live off of drive-throughs, I can't eat in my car. Those are all bad triggers for me.

So that's it for me. Journaling and positive self-talk help me a lot as well, but putting in the hours to make this WOE successful is what matters. Kind of like my marriage, it's hard work. No matter how much I love my wife, having a good marriage is hard work. No matter how much I love my job, it's still hard work. If it's a priority every single day, then it will work for me.

-H-