Stages of weight loss

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Copied this from another board. Hope it helps someone.

Maureen

Weight Watchers eTools article of the week: How To Keep The Weight Off

The Stages of Weight Management

Growth of any kind is tough: It's a daily effort made up of successes, setbacks,

lost opportunities, progress and change - not a thing that happens overnight.

So it's easy to feel frustrated. But when you're feeling down, try to put your

efforts into perspective. You've probably heard your Leader or other Meetings

Members talking about the common stages of weight management; we've outlined

them below.

A lot of people report that they go through these stages, and many say that they

do so in this order. Weight loss won't necessarily happen this way for you, but

if it does, you'll always know where you stand and what's coming next. Do any of

these stages sound familiar?

~ STAGE #1: Honeymoon.

When you're in the Honeymoon stage, you feel eager to do whatever it takes to

lose weight. You can't wait to get to your goal, and you feel completely

committed to your efforts. You probably stay for every Weight Watchers Meeting,

always keep within your POINTS® Target, and are very mindful of your portion

sizes. It's likely that you track everything you eat in your POINTS Tracker,

plan your meals and exercise. Keep it up!

~ STAGE #2: The Thrill Is Gone.

This is the most frustrating stage. You may be saying: Why do I have to be so

careful? It doesn't seem like it's working. Why can other people eat what they

want and still stay thin? Why can't it happen faster?

If you're at this stage, stick with it. Do what it takes to get the support you

need. Re-read the materials you received during Week 1, and see if you can

reconnect with the reasons you decided to lose weight in the first place.

~ STAGE #3: Renewed Resolve.

This is the time when you have a clearer set of expectations, with the added

benefit of understanding how the process works.

When you're at this stage, you know that weight-loss doesn't come easily, and

you're prepared to work hard. You're ready to be more consistent about

exercising, tracking your POINTS values, controlling your portion sizes and

everything else that goes along with building healthy new habits.

~ STAGE #4: Lifestyle Change.

At this stage, you keep up your new habits even when you've had a bad day or

week. You cope with stress and emotions in a healthy way. And you're always on

the lookout for healthy things to eat, and for ways to get in extra exercise.

This is a great place to be!

~~~~~

Five Quick Tricks to Get Back on Track

Maybe it was the Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the office that seemed to be

whispering your name. Or perhaps you celebrated your birthday with a few too

many POINTS® values - for three days straight. Fear not: There's no need to fall

into an abyss of self-pity. We all know where that can lead (hint: more Krispy

Kremes). Here are five ways to get your eating - and your thinking - back on

track fast.

1. Don't Beat Yourself Up

Stress or new situations can throw off the most ardent weight-loss plan. " People

fall off the wagon when life throws them a curve, " said Fred Pescatore, M.D., a

New York City-based weight loss and nutrition specialist. But it doesn't have to

mean doom. " Tell yourself: It doesn't mean I messed it up for the day, for the

week or for my life, " Pescatore says. " It just means I messed it up then. "

2. Get Thee to a Meeting or a Buddy

Finding structure and support quickly is key. Get yourself to a Meeting, pronto,

Pescatore said. You can also contact a supportive friend, to hash out feelings

that may be causing you to overeat, get honest about what you're eating, and

create the next step for re-motivating yourself.

3. Community in your Computer

On Weight Watchers.com's Message Boards, you can find encouragement in a few

quick clicks - 24/7. Post a new thread, read the boards, chat, browse articles.

To get re-inspired, it's crucial to realize you are not alone.

4. Work It Out - Gently

This is not the time to punish yourself at the gym. " Extremes in any direction

are counter-productive, " said -Kovach, Chief Scientist for Weight

Watchers International. This is a perfect opportunity to go for a walk, complete

with deep breaths and scenery appreciation. Also, plan for a bit more exercise

over the next couple of weeks - but not too much.

5. Remember and Re-commit

Have you been lax in self-monitoring? Slacking with tracking? Get back to it.

Try following the Weight Watchers meal plans for a couple of days. " It puts you

back in a structured environment, " said -Kovach.

You can also remind yourself of your goals with affirmations. Pescatore offers

his patients this affirmation: " Take full responsibility. " This means, he said:

" Take responsibility for the 'mistake', take responsibility for getting back on

track. Look at the long term - decide what you want to be one year from now and

don't let anything stand in the way. "

~~~~~

Have You Fallen Off the Weight-Loss Wagon?

If you're like many people, you started the new year with some serious dieting -

and tons of motivation. But it's been a few months now... has your drive begun

to wane?

You may have noticed it happening. A few weeks ago, you were excited to strap on

your sneakers and go for a walk. Now: What a nuisance. You prided yourself on

absolute perfection then; now, well... lots of high-calorie foods are slipping

under your radar. To an outsider, it probably looks like you've given up. And it

may even feel that way to you.

The good news is you're not alone. Running out of steam is normal, even if it's

to the point where you've stopped your efforts altogether. It's a page in every

success story. The difference between those who succeed and those who don't,

though, is what they do when they lapse - give up or keep going.

~ Keep Driving!

" Losing weight is a process, " says J. Rankin, PhD, clinical psychologist

and author of Inspired to Lose (Stepwise Press, 2001), " one that requires work

and naturally involves problems. So falling on and off the weight-loss wagon is

to be expected. "

Think of it like a road trip. When you first get on the road, do you expect to

never have to stop and get gas? To never have to check the road map to get your

bearings? Also, when you get lost, do you get frustrated and say, " Forget it,

I'm going back home " ? No. You keep going. Because the place you want to go is

worth the trip, and giving up is not an option. It helps to look at weight loss

in the same way: You will get to your weight goal, no matter what the route.

Rest stops along the way are only pauses. They're not

failures; they're lessons learned. It's getting over the fear of failure that

stops a lot of people from seeing weight loss as a journey. When you've lost and

gained over and over, the prospect of dieting can become more intimidating,

rather than less. You don't want to be disappointed again. It can be hard to get

back on track.

~ Tips for Resuming Your Weight Loss

Forgiving yourself when your diet goes poorly is the first step, but once that's

done, Rankin suggests putting things in perspective. Wherever you are, from this

point forward it can become better or worse. Then, take it one step at a time to

make things better. Try these tips:

1. Set small, manageable goals to overcome the inertia of getting started. This

usually means tackling one behavior at a time, like cutting down on desserts or

drinking more water. One dieter, , started by substituting water for

soda. " Then I changed from regular potato chips to baked potato chips, " she

says.

2. Reconnect with your motivation as often as you can. Revisit the reasons you

wanted to lose weight in the first place (if you haven't already, write them

down). Are they still true today, or do they need reworking?

3. Readjust your expectations. Finally, accept that if you wanted to lose two

pounds a week and are averaging two a month, at least you're moving in the right

direction.

4. Take each day as it comes. Even if you have a " bad " day one day, start out

fresh the next.

~~~~~

Affirmations for Motivation

" Life is 90 percent perception, 10 percent reality, " says JoAnn Dahlkoetter,

Ph.D., a Stanford University sports psychologist and author of Your Performing

Edge (Pulgas Ridge Press, 2002). Thoughts and words are tremendously powerful,

she says, and affirmations-or positive self-statements-are a good way to

transform them into results.

" People are shocked when they become aware of what a negative, running

commentary they are always making to themselves, " says Tina Tessina, Ph.D., a

psychotherapist in Southern California and author of It Ends With You (New Page,

2003). Comments like " you'll never succeed " or " you'll always have a weight

problem " come from our fears and insecurities, as well as from negative barbs

peers or parents have slung at us in our youths, says Tessina. " Affirmations

counteract those negative messages and, when repeated enough, eventually change

our mental landscape and empower us to reach our goals. "

Because our bodies and minds are so intricately connected, sometimes the brain

can't distinguish between what is actually happening and what we're imagining,

explains Dahlkoetter. So when we create a statement or image of success, the

body will believe it. This is where affirmations come in.

Many people, include Dahlkoetter and Tessina, have had great success using

affirmations. There are a few guidelines, but once you get the hang of creating

them, the sky's the limit. To write powerful affirmations, use the first person

( " I " or " my " ), include your name, then make a dynamic positive statement about

one of your goals. Here are a few examples. I, Cathy, am moving closer to my

weight goal of being a size 8. Or: I, , find my weight-loss program easy and

fun to follow and I'm very successful at it.

" Losing weight is a major life change, and change is hard! " says Tessina.

" Without internal support, external support does not work. Affirmations are an

excellent form of internal support. " But once is not enough, warns Dahlkoetter.

Once you have created good affirmations, say them twice, then repeat them

several times throughout the day, especially when you feel vulnerable. (Aloud is

best.) You can also tape-record yourself saying them and listen to the tape

frequently. Write them down and leave them in key spots, like on your fridge or

computer. Visualizing your ideal self at the same time will enhance the power of

your new positive thinking.

Affirmations can be universally effective, but Tessina suggests figuring out

what your personal weight-loss motivation is and building that into your

statements. It doesn't matter whether it's looking great in your new size-6

wardrobe, being more attractive, or living longer. Once you master affirmations,

you can apply them to any area of life.

~~~~~

Milestones: The Key to Weight-Loss Success

If you ask successful people how they achieve so much, many will tell you that

the secret is to break your goals down into smaller, less intimidating steps.

When you're going after a degree, for example, you work toward the next term

paper, not toward the graduation ceremony. Sure, you dream of the day you'll

wear that cap and gown, but your immediate attention is on what's next.

It's smart to look at weight loss in the same way. The temptation to obsess over

your ultimate weight goal is strong, especially when you're excited about the

prospect of being slim and healthy. But that can make the slow and steady pace

it takes to get there feel frustrating. Better to break your goals down into

chunks - then you can congratulate yourself as you meet each milestone. And

there's no better inspiration than success.

~ Celebrate Small Achievements

" It's important to break overarching goals into smaller ones, because the big

ones are going to seem overwhelming if you don't meet them right away, " says

Misty Hook, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Texas Woman's University

in Denton, Texas. " Setting milestones and

recognizing when you meet them lets you reward yourself for small changes. It

helps you pat yourself on the back. "

After all, why put off rewarding yourself until months down the road?

" Celebrating milestones allows you to experience success, " agrees Jackie Raha,

manager of group service development for Weight Watchers International. " It's

encouraging and is positive reinforcement. It means 'I can do this, I am doing

this.' " And that feels much better than " I haven't done it yet. "

One effective way to make your ultimate goal less overwhelming is to visualize

and write down your first step, then your second, and so on, to plot your path

ahead of time. Then every step can be a milestone!

~ Three Major Milestones

Your journey is about you, and the milestones you set should reflect your

challenges and successes. Members of the Weight Watchers community share a few

common goal posts, though. Here's what they say about them, plus some tips and

warnings for each.

** Milestone: 10% of original weight lost.

" Hitting my first 10 percent was such a great feeling, " says Ann. " Everything

about that goal felt good; I was down at least one clothing size, people were

noticing, etc. "

Reasons to pat yourself on the back: Studies show that losing 10 percent of your

original weight has incredible health benefits - lower cholesterol and blood

pressure, decreased risk for type-2 diabetes, and more. Plus, losing 10 percent

shows that you're capable of doing this. " If you can do 10 percent, " says Raha,

" you can do another 10 percent. "

Things to watch out for: " The closer I get to goal, the harder it has become, "

says Ann. " I'm still a good 11 pounds away from my ultimate weight goal, but the

weight is coming off much slower! "

** Milestone: Halfway there.

" I'm at the halfway mark and I'm getting compliments left, right and center .

but I'm starting to struggle, " says one community user. " Now I have to remember

what my big goal is and head to that. "

Reasons to pat yourself on the back: Look at what you've done so far! " Every

time you reach a milestone you're that much closer to your goal, " says Raha.

Things to watch out for: " About halfway through my weight loss, I had to

restructure the foods I was eating in order to continue losing, " says another

Community user. " But I'm happy to say things are on the right track now! "

** Milestone: 10 pounds to go.

" When I made it to 10 pounds away from my weight goal, I just really wanted to

get there, " says . " I played with the idea of staying 10 pounds above it,

saying 'You've gone down 4 sizes and that's great.' But I didn't - I kept

[tracking my food intake] and waiting. "

Reasons to pat yourself on the back: " When you get this close to your final

weight goal, you can really see clearly how you've progressed, " says Raha.

You've come a long way!

Things to watch out for: " It was taking me a lot longer to lose the last 10. I

realized my physical activity wasn't really there, though, so now I've

incorporated walking into my evening after work, " adds.