@fessmom We all have those struggles. I lost a lot of weight, my incentive being to lower my BMI before the liver transplant which I hoped to have, and now have had (transplantiversary coming up on 09.23). I kept it up afterwards for a while but I've really been struggling recently. I think just today I may be back on track. It's so difficult though. You have to find some motivation. For me now it's my daughter's wedding and an upcoming vacation.
My dear son is my biggest cheerleader. When he was home during the summer he reminded me that the pleasure of eating something tempting was over very quickly but the results were there and harder to reverse. Of course he himself is very disciplined and an exercise addict. I have a fitness tracker and when I go occasionally go way over the goal I have set I will take a screen shot and message it to him. His boss has the same fitness tracker and my son tells me that I would "crush" his boss. 😉 He gives me incentive too. I do wish I had someone I could really sort of go back and forth with, encouraging each other. Maybe we should start a conversation for that, for people who are struggling to lose weight... or is this just that?
The last time before my recent loss when I managed to lose a lot of weight was when I was working at the Inn and I had all of these tiny young woman working for me. I was determined to get out of plus sizes and I DID. That was such an achievement for me because I had been a "plus" for quite a while.
OK, here I go... my weight had at some point, probably about 15 years ago, been up to 235. I was at 145, have now put on about 8 pounds that I HAVE TO LOSE because I have a whole new wardrobe and I will not buy another wardrobe in the next size up, that would be admitting defeat.
Good luck, private message if you want and we can encourage each other.
Oh, and regarding exercise. I belong to a health club and do pool exercises a lot. When I do not make the class I go later in the day and job/march/ up and down a lane as vigorously as I can, swinging my arms to make it a cardio workout too. It helps my knees and everything. I sometimes go to the gym but I HATE the gym, it makes me feel totally inadequate. I find that going to the class or on my own gives me more energy afterwards. If I do nothing then I end up feeling sluggish, but some days admittedly I do nothing. I love the class I go to, there is a great group of women (and a couple of men) in there. The W and F instructor is fabulous and she will be 70 next month. She never lets you stop all through the class which generally goes 50 - 55 minutes. Then I do a bit on my own to burn up some additional calories.
Now it's late, I will not make the 9:00 class tomorrow morning so I will probably head to the dreaded gym. UGH. I know it's good for me, so I do try to do it a couple of times a week.
JK