Something that was posted on the boards tonight that made me think...

So I am on the Weight Watchers boards CONSTANTLY. Particularly the 200+ Pounds to lose board. The posts keep me straight. I read them when I am feeling weak, when I'm out of town and I start making not great decisions, when I am sad/frustrated/angry/scared. The men and women on that board are solid people who have been working the plan for a while. Their experiences are valuable and helpful to me.

So tonight someone posted this topic: What measures will you take to prevent a regain?

The person who made the topic talked about a lot of things, why she quit before, what she gained, how she came back, how she's rejoining again etc.

It really got me thinking about the last time I made this journey and how much I wanted to lose weight and how hard I fell, and all of the contributing factors...but when I began to type, this is what came out:

I regained my weight last time because I gave up. There were outside influences and problems and my life was full of stress and disappointment that I didn't know how to handle, but the bottom line is that I gave up. 

I won't say I failed though. I'm here and I'm on a roll even on the bad weeks. I weigh in when I know I am going to gain, and I'm trying very hard to be honest about my shortcomings regarding my relationship with food. I also have what I feel is a bit of a leg up this time around, because I understand the program so well and I know what works for me, and more importantly...I know I will gain, more than once. I know I will stumble, struggle and get frustrated. I know these things are going to (and have) happen so I'm prepared. 

My extreme measure is to keep doing what I am doing. Track every single thing that goes into my mouth (even if its free I put it in the tracker), eat more fruits and vegetables, and work out when I can. I will also fight my hardest not to feed my feelings, and to treat myself better than I did that last time around. 

This only applies to me, but my favorite quote ever right now is "If you're tired of starting over, stop giving up." I wont make it my signature because it sounds a little tough and I don't want to discourage people from coming back and putting it all out there and restarting. It was exactly what I needed to hear at the time I heard it though. So I tell myself that every time I feel kind of tired of working at this so much and thinking about it so much.

So I feel like maybe I am stronger than I feel. Reading my answer, and thinking about how tired I have felt lately of trying so much I think I must be. My heart and my fingers know what I need.

How about you? What will you do to prevent starting over (again)?