Keep at it!

In the blogs in the last couple of weeks, I've noticed a certain amount of disillusionment.

Most of us did pretty well at maintaining or only gaining a little over the festive season. On the whole, those who put on weight have since taken it off again.

But now some lethargy seems to be creeping in. I see lots of comments about how difficult weight loss is at the moment.

Everybody needs a good shot of OOMPH!

One of the questions in the tag that's going around is what you'd do if you were a millionaire. Well, I would visit each and everyone of you and appoint myself as your personal cheering squad and motivational expert.

But, I can't do that - at least not without selling the house! So it's up to you to do it for yourself.

And you've been doing a good job of it up till now. Most of you have come a very long way. Many of you don't actually have very far to go. You need to find that motivation again.

Motivation is different for each of us, but here are some general thoughts about it from me:

• Think about why you started losing weight and how you felt at that time. Many of you have these thoughts in writing - in diaries, in your WW books, on your blogs. Go back and read all this stuff again. Remember why you are doing this.
• Remember the first time you looked in the mirror and could see the difference? How great did that feel? How much better will it be when you look in the mirror and see what you look like at goal?
• Go back to some of the techniques we all used early on. Visualise what you'll look like, how you'll feel, what great clothes you'll buy, how much energy you'll have.
• Sit down today and write a Pollyanna list. Philippa has just written a great one. That list will help you remember how strong you are, how much you've achieved, what you are capable of doing.
• We've all used the 'back to basics' method at some time. No matter what plan you're using, go back and start all over again. Read the literature, follow the 'rules', track, weigh portions, plan your weeks food, the lot.
• There are lots of people - family, friends, colleagues and the blog-world - who are cheering for you. They all care and they're all important. But YOU are the most important person. You need to be doing this for yourself.

Maybe it's time for some more changes in your life. If you feel like you've been doing this forever and it's all a bit dreary, change some things to make the journey more interesting, rather than abandon it all together.

Try some new recipes - lots of people who are less lazy than me post their recipes, so they're easy to find. Try one or two new dishes every week. Try the 'rainbow' approach - there must be at least 3 vegetables of different colours on your plate for dinner every night. Next time you're buying produce, pick up something you've never tried and work out how to prepare it.

Change your exercise routine - and make sure you challenge yourself. If you go to the gym, tell your consultant you want a new programme. Add an extra 15 minutes or a couple of big hills to your daily walk. Become obsessed with the science of exercise (like me, I'm such a nerd), so you understand what works, why it works, when it works.

Do you think about it too much? Maybe you need to introduce something into your day or week that has nothing to do with your weight loss. Read books by authors you've never read before, repaint the spare room, go along to the kids' sports practices, help out at the local soup kitchen.

I've rambled about this for long enough. My main point is - you can do it!