Does it.... why and how?

[SkittleWarrior]

I have had numerous setbacks in the 3 months rolleyes that I have been on my most recent weight loss journey. But this place always gets me back on track once I realize I'm not alone in this struggle, and it's wonderful. I don't think I would have found the motivation to keep pushing forward on my own. I owe so much to this place.

 

[slimby43]

its definitely helped me, - the advice, support and reading about others has really helped to motivate me. normally if i fall of the wagon so to speak i stay off. this time i have picked myself up, usually by the next morning. i also love watching my ticker heading in the right direction. slim

 

[TomO]

I've tried to lose weight and keep it off for 40 years, without success, so who am I to say I could have done it on my own? Support is one of the key elements of success, an element that I never really had before, and this site fits the bill for me.

The other thing I've found on this site is a LOT of knowledge. I've asked a ton of questions, and the responses I've gotten have made so much more sense than anything else before.

In the end, of course, it's up to each one of us individually to succeed or fail. However, encouragement and knowledge are such key ingredients that it's hard to imagine success without them.

At a younger age, I would have proclaimed I could have done it alone. This time, I am less confident of my ability to do it alone, but MORE confident of my overall chances for success than I ever have been before.

If the internet died tomorrow, could I still make it? With the knowledge I've gained from this site, I feel that I could. But I would miss it terribly. I've never been a "journaling type of guy." The act of doing it every day, though, has forced me to reflect on my progress and has had a very strong and positive impact.

I also have been a "go it alone" and "suffer in silence" type of guy. After 8 unsuccessful attempts, I admit that these are not good strategies for winning this battle. While I don't care to attend any weight watchers or overeaters anonymous meetings, this site fits my needs more than any other.

 

[Kaika]

I am pretty new around here and no where near my goal but I can honestly say that so far, this site has been invaluble to me.

For example, I had a cheat evening last night but got right back on track today. Now had I done that before reading a "cheat days" thread I stumbled across, I would probably have consumed 2000 calories today by now and it's only 1pm. I never allowed myself a cheat time before, I thought that once I "cheated" that it was futile so I always ended up going back to my old ways when ever that happened. It seems like common sense to know that one ice cream isn't going to blow all of your efforts but to me it wasn't, I always saw any cheat as me blowing it completely. I know now that if I do have a cheat moment (as long as I don't do it everyday or so much that it interfears with my weight loss) that it doesn't mean the end of my program. I looked at it last night as I deserved to have that small DQ Sundae, heck I lost all most 20 pounds, and it was by no means going to stop my motivation. I did not feel guilty, I realized that everyone needs these moments and I moved on and got right back on track this morning. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have done that anyway because I am pretty determined but I honestly can't say for sure.

Also, the before and after pics and storys people post are of great help. It's also great to know that things like plateus and week moments happen to everyone but that doesn't mean that we can't and don't reach our goals in spite of them.