What's so different this time? Why will this work when nothing else ever.....m Board: 100 Pounds or More to Go Date: Jan 10, 06:36 pm EST From: cl-dianez1

has? I asked myself that question over and over before I started last year. In fact, all during the year I was always waiting for the real Diane to stand up and bring all the walls crashing down around me again. At first I thought it was my initial enthusiasm. Everyone loses the first few weeks on a new eating plan. Then I thought it was the fact that I was just SO BIG anything I did was an improvement and had to work. The next thing that came to me was that it had to be the board. There isn't anywhere in the world where you get this kind of support and help. This is like a lifeline for me--both reading all the responses and posts, and answering other people because that makes me think through what I would do. Now this is one of the biggest things in keeping me going.

But you know what I just realized today. It isn't that I am following a new plan with exercise, water, journal, posting, and woe---But, what so different this time is those things are teaching me to MAINTAIN the losses!!! Any other weight loss quest I've been on has ended when I started gaining again. There is no end here so that doesn't happen. One of our buddies (pink_elephants) once said, "Maintaining starts with the first pound you lose". That's the whole secret! Once you lose it don't let it creep back on. Oh I am not talking about a little fluctuation that is normal in everyone's weight. We all go up and down a few pounds here and there. I am talking about not quitting during those fluctuations. I am talking about realizing that "NORMAL" people have their weight go up and down a little but they don't get nuts and start eating everything in site as a reaction to this. They don't think that they've blown it now and they are just a failure! Yes, the difference is I have lost all this weight and I am still losing---but even if I stopped right now and didn't lose any more--I not only know what to do to keep my weight right where it is=I KNOW I CAN DO IT!!!

So, if you find yourself wondering what is so differt about being here and following the values of this board--remember you are using all the right tools to learn to never gain your weight back again!!!

Ya gotta love this board!

Diane