[AthenaZG]

Ugh, I'm frustrated. Ever since Christmas Eve I have completely lost my focus. Even with the phen I can't seem to get back into the mindset of focusing on diet and exercise. I admit I've been busy, but still...I feel disorganized, preoccupied.

I hate wasting a phen day! I mean, I can only stay on them for so long. So every day that I'm on them and I lose my focus it's a wasted day.

Any suggestions on how to refocus and get back on track?

[Dawndownunder.]

When you find out, let me know. I think its a common way to feel at this time of year. I am thinking we just need to sit back and rethink our goals and why we want to reach these goals. And we need ot think "dop i want to undo all the hard work i have done over the last feww weeks,/months.
Good luck to you, and good luck to me..i need it! lol

[babydoll2]

Dawn, you are right we all lose focus this time of year. The bills we owe are stressing me out along with teenager problems. Lets all try to get back on focus here. I'm going to start by taking my dog for a walk today we both need it. My children are 18 and 16 they are both very slim. Where did I go wrong with my weight?

Babydoll2

[therightrhodes]

Good morning Athena, Dawn, and Babydoll - I got off focus for a couple days. Mainly Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but a little bit on Monday also. In fact, yesterday I caught myself eating popcorn, which I would have never done. I understand about wasting a Phen day. I felt the same way on Christmas Day. It's easy to get unfocused when we're caught up in other things in life, like the holiday or kids (young or teenage or adult) or bills, or many many other things. Sometimes I think there is a little fat fairy out there just trying to get our focus off of weight loss. Right now he must be hovering over you all. Okay, I'm a ritard. I don't know why I thought a fat fairy. haha. Anyway, forget that part. Instead of just trying to get back, why don't you all just reply to this post and type out all your troubles. Type out everything you're focusing on rather than your weight. I know you listed some, but there's got to be more. Let it all out. If you are taking on the stress of these things by yourself, then no wonder you're not able to focus. Give some of the stress to us that are willing to listen and help. Losing weight is stressful enough and if you're carrying a lot of other stress, there's not more room for the weight loss stress. Does that make sense? Whatever you are willing to share, share it. It will help, I promise. More than likely, there's a hundred other people going through the same thing.

[AthenaZG]

Trent - You are so funny! LOL and BTW you're newest picture looks FAB! WTG!!

Thank you for the suggestion! Just remember, you asked for it.

What's on my mind:
I still haven't gotten my replacement bankcard pin number so my Netflix account is past due because I had to cancel my old card and I don't have the new info yet to replace the info on Netflix.

Spending the holidays snacking and nibbling has reinstated the habits and I find myself wanting to graze all day.

I feel out of control. Getting the house back in order over the holidays is so overwhelming. I did take my Christmas tree down yesterday and packed away all of the holiday decorations. So that has helped some.

My laundry is taking over my house.

I bought an old quilt machine for $500 and then dang thing keeps breaking my thread! I spent another $150 getting it serviced and it still is breaking the thread! Is it operator error?? Am I a moron? Why can't I get this thing to work! And it kills me that I paid that much money on myself. My husband won $500 on a lottery ticket and so we bought ME the machine that is now taking up half of my basement because it's freakin 12 feet long! So I feel kind of like I pissed away $500 dollars. I can sell it I guess. But that is eating me up.

I've been thinking about my future lately. I always do that around New Year. I hate New Year. It reminds me that time is marching on. That another year of my life has passed that I won't ever get back. That I am just getting older. I turned 40 this year and it was official, I am no longer young. Not even youthful. It's depressing. So what do I have to look forward to? Bifocals and Depends??? That's what ahead of me? Medicare and cat food because I can't afford real meat?

My van broke down earlier this month. Some hose in the cooling system. The guy at the shop was telling me my whole engine would eventually need to be replaced. The guy said I might want to consider buying a new car (I took my 2001 Ford Windstar to the dealership. This was from someone in the service department). My husband says what a load of cr*p. He says the guy only wants to boost low December sales, which may be true but if my 2001 FORD is falling apart I certainly wouldn't buy another FORD! Says he wouldn't have said that if he had dealt with my husband. Still, makes me nervous. I'm afraid I'm going to be out with my kids somewhere and the engine is just going to FALL OUT of my car!!

I didn't pay my cable bill or phone bill in December JUST IN CASE I needed the money. But I'm doing okay and so now I have to back track and pay them. Not that it's a big deal, I just need to get it done.

Whew...I think that's it. Nothing else is coming to mind.

Wow, I do feel better.

Oh wait!! I can't figure out how to post my picture to my replies! I am pretty much a computer retard and I have TRIED to figure it out. Do I need to have a website that the pictures or posted on and then link the picture to the reply? And what about the ticker? How do I get that to come up? And what about goals and stuff, does everyone just retype those for each post?? I'm so not a textual learner. I'm an audio visual learner so if someone SHOWS me how to do it, or TELLS me I'm usually okay. But to read it and try to figure it out myself, well I'm just a moron.

Okay, now I'm done.....I think.

[Educator]

Alrighty everyone...cut the whining out, get your a s s es up off this computer, take the dogs out for a walk, go to the gym, walk the shopping malls, just put the damn snacks AWAY! Clean the house, it's GREAT exercise, put a smile on your faces, look in the mirror and be prepared you are gonna get ready to meet the most beautiful person in da entire world!

I luv you all, let's snap out of this, let's get the butts in gear and get back to this post and I want to see NEW YEAR GOALS put forth...I'll be checkin' on you this evening!

Tammy

[jcat]

All I can say is get back in the saddle ASAP.. I lost my focus for only a month and a half and gained back 10 pounds after losing 40...oops have to update my counter

So I'm getting back in the saddle too, but my advice is to just try to nip it in the bud before it gets harder.

[missus]

Eh, what Tammy said. Tammy, drop it like it's hot baby. Snap that whip and make us sweat

Missus

[iwannabeabigloser]

I got so busy the 2 weeks before Christmas just with all the preparation, shopping, wrapping, decorating the house, basketball games, Christmas programs.....it was hard to keep focused on the weight loss. I didn't lose sight of my goal though. I didn't gain any weight those 2 weeks, I did maintain!!

I will tell you what has helped me to get back on track when everything just felt so out of control - I got myself out of bed early Tuesday morning and I walked 4 miles. It felt sooo good too. It helped me to focus on what I was going to eat the rest of the day, no more temptations because I have another 50 pounds to lose!! Then, I got up Wednesday morning and walked another 4 miles, and I tell you what, I am pumped now to continue on my weight loss journey!!!

Today when I weighed in, I have lost 1 pound. This means that I am finally in "onderland" baby!! Now I'm at 199 - and 49 more to go!!! I am motivated now!!

Hang in there! I just think that you have to get back to the healthy eating and exercising immediately. There is no reason to put on any extra weight. You have worked too hard to give it up for food!!

[Educator]

I have been waiting, but NO ONE is posting....

Personally, if I know it's going to be a day like Christmas, when there is a chance I will stray from my normal food plan, I don't take the phen.

I eat what I want, but I limit my portions. I don't go for seconds. I put my fork down between bites and use a small plate. These tactics may help you re-focus. For me, this is not a "diet" I'm on. I want to be able to eat in the real world without alerting everyone to the fact that I'm "dieting". However, I have a food addiction, so I'm trying to fix my brain too so that I can stop the cycle. Being on a "diet" automatically makes me feel deprived and brings on binges. Since I've started using these tactics, my binge urge has almost completely disappeared.

Good luck, you can do it! Get back up on that horse!