Newlywed/illness plateau - need motivation!

I have been on WW since 6/24/08 - so just over a year. I have succeeded in losting 40.2 lbs - which I'm psyched about. I want to lose probably about 30 more lbs.

We got married in April, honeymooned in Dominican Republic for 2 weeks (all-inclusive - do I even have to mention how scared I was to gain?!). I ended up only gaining 3 lbs, which I was able to take off.

Here's where the problem lies. My mom was diagnosed with cancer the day that we left for the honeymoon. She didn't tell us until the weekend we got back from the honeymoon (which happened to be Mother's Day).

Since finding out about my mom, dealing with her surgery, and then her being readmitted with pneumonia, I haven't been great with the WW. I have been counting, but eating whatever is there at the moment. I surprisingly have been making good food choices for the most part, but it's hard to find the energy to exercise, which I know is what I need to do in order to lose again. I'm basically maintaining - not gaining, but not losing.

So my question is - how do you find the motivation to work the program when "life gets in the way"?

I'm on WW, make sure youm go to your meetings, meet with your leader, remember its a process and take it one day at a time, good luck!!!!!!!!!!!

I use exercise as my time to forget about life getting in the way. Sometimes it is hard to push yourself to get there, but it can be good time to sort things out in your head. Or if not to, a time to work hard until you are too tired to be angry or sad. I always feel better after that.

I hope your mom will be okay!

So sorry to hear about your mom....I hope everything turns out okay

Thanks guys, for your thoughts and advice. She goes in for the next surgery in a couple of weeks.

Get this - this morning I decided to weigh some of my lunch items in grams vs. measuring spoons - and it seems I have been giving less points for some things. This would totally explain the lack of loss. We that coupled with a total lack of exercise.

Next on the agenda - get back on the elliptical that's sitting in the living room!

Hey Frazali,

I hope your mom will get better ! I know how hard it can be when as you say, life gets in the middle. Motivation is hard to keep like that, what with other worries ! I am personally very bad at my diet when I have to work like a dog - about 4 times a year in closing - like now (I'm n the office whereas it's sunny outside and it's officially a bank holiday ! So of course I took munchies... oops).

Things that help me in these case, is :

- to try and NOT HAVE any things on which to indulge at home. Because even if I think "i'm gonna be good", well, I'm not. So first, I don't go grocery shopping when I'm hungry. This is REALLY important ! Then, if I buy something to indulge in, it's : an individual portion of chocolate (those little boxes with only 3 squares) ; or weight watchers popsicles ; or Boursin "light (only 1 point for a quarter of the pot !) ; unsalted, roasted soy nuts (full of protein, and after 3 handfuls you're stuffed ! Better than nuts. And makes your drink). Well stuff that I know if I have a bad time, will not end TOO bad.

- DRINK a lot. water. Zero calory aromatized water. Coffee or tea with fat-free milk.... name it. It has to be zero calory though !

- eat less at night. Try to eat your points in the morning / lunch / afternoon and do dinners with 5 points or less : home-made soup ; veggie salad (lettuce, cucumbers, fennels, celerys, radishes, herbs, tomatoes, a few olives eventually, shredded carrots...) with fat-free dressing ; there are a lot of recipes on the site for less than 5 points. That REALLY helps, even with no exercise.

- last but not least... if I crave for something... I eat it. Otherwise, you end up trying to satisfy your crave with other things, and you will eat 5 times as much ! Better have that potion of cheese cake, than eating a yogurt, a fruit, a slice of low carb bread with low fat cheese, another fruit... you see what I mean. Again, a hint : get the stuff you crave for. Share it in pieces, weigh in what you WANT TO eat (count your points), and THROW AWAY the rest. Yes. It sucks. But it helps....

Good luck ! I registered for a 5K tomorrow morning in order to get back on track too ! I fell off the wagon and did PUT BACK weight. Ewwww. I started to note again everything I was eating and realized I was eating WAY TO MUCH. It even surprised me how much I could eat... lol !

Have you tried the WW forum ? You might find help there !

Also on the site they give tricks for when you don't have the time to exercise... simple things that take 5 min hre and there... easy to get back on track !

Wow, thanks Ayita for all of the information! I had no idea that Boursin lite was so low point.

I used to be on the WW boards a lot - and I'm just now getting back on them. Lots of helpful advice, recipes and tips.

Your tip about eating a lower point dinner is exactly what I do. I tend to graze throughout the day. I've been eating a lot of Core foods this week, but counting the points. I love seeing all of those green diamonds when I track!

I also started weighing everything in grams instead of ounces or measuring spoons. That has helped immensely. I was completely underestimating the points value of items like reduced fat feta that I would put in a measuring spoon. A heaping TBS is not the same as a TBS.

Congrats on your 5K - how was it?

I almost died in this race lol ! You should see the pics ! Ironically, the photog took pics at the beginning and at the end of the race. At the beginning I'm all like "lalala I'm so good at this", and at the end I'm like " huffffff.... puffffff.... will I make it...... only 20m to the finish line....". lol !

I went to the board a lot this week to try to re-gain motivation - I've lost successfully 20 lbs super quick ; then paingully the next 5 lb (it took me as long to lose 5 than to lose 20 !) ; and after the wedding I put on 10lb back... so I've been on the Boards and it really helps re-focusing. I read these great advises :

- give yourself short-term goals. It's true that I've been trying to do too much, and then my goals are not realistic. Or, I'm depriving myself too much and I last... 4 days ! So, for the last week I've been focusing on my short-term goal which is simply, not to eat over my points. Just this - it's difficult ! Proof that I was really off-track. I do what you say - back to weighing everything. My biggest fall-off : bread !!!

- give yourself time. Same thing - I've been all like " I want to lose so much by that time". Well, that is key to failing because - if it does not go quick enough you get discouraged !

- drink your water ! I've been measuring it...

Just doing this I managed to put off almost 4 lb in 10 days !!! Remember - I was stuck on an ascending slope before that !!!

So, I'm gonna stick to this for now. When I see I manage the points + water thing, my next small goal will be exercise !

Good luck - it's hard some times, but so rewarding. And one of the only diets I know works in the long run (I'm a pro in dieting - I must have tried them all, except Jenny Craig !)

For the fun (I'm not proud of it but it is so hilarious) :

EventPictures View Event: Run Wild 5K - Houston, TX