Weekly weigh-in: Keys to success

Last week's weight: 175.6
This week's weight: 173
Difference: -2.6
Total weight lost since January 2010: 98.8

I've been lamenting a lot lately about gaining a few pounds over the past few months. I'm pretty frustrated that since April, I've basically maintained my weight. But then I started thinking about what I did to be successful in the past. This is by no means an exhaustive list and what works for me might not work for others, but here are the steps that seem to have helped me the most since I first started losing weight in January 2010.

1. Keep track. I've used the Weight Watchers online tracking system from the beginning. Time and again, I've learned that when I log everything I eat and drink, I lose weight. This is true even when I indulge because I tend to make up for overdoing it one day by being very strict the next day. For those who don't know, Weight Watchers assigns a points value everything and you get a certain number of points each day based on your current weight, height and typical level of physical activity. You also earn extra points for exercising and you get 49 weekly points to use however you want. Some people find it difficult to keep track of points, but it's easy for me and I can do it through an app on my phone.

2. Plan ahead. One reason I lost weight this week is because I planned everything I ate in advance. That takes a lot of effort, but losing weight is never easy. I even planned my splurges this week. It also helps when I decide what I'm going to order before going out to a restaurant. If I can stick with the plan, I lose weight.

3. Exercise. I don't do enough, but walking a few miles at least 3 to 4 times a week (or riding my exercise bike) simply makes me feel better. I do earn a few extra points from it, but mostly it just makes me feel good about myself.

4. Don't deprive myself. The times when I've been the least successful and I tend to binge eat seem to revolve around me trying to be too restrictive. (For the record, my binge eating also coincides with particularly stressful situations.) For example, we had a bake sale at work this week. I was tempted to try to avoid it. I might have been able to do it, but then I probably would have gorged on something awful later that day because I wouldn't have been able to stop thinking about the bad foods. Instead, I limited what I ate. And it was a little more than I should have eaten, but I didn't go overboard. I also do better when I build snacks such as popcorn, lowfat ice cream and cheese into my daily plan. I also can't eliminate pasta and potatoes. I just have to limit how much I eat of those things.

5. Be realistic. This is probably the biggest mental hurdle. My whole life I've been the kind of person who can do whatever I want as long as I set my mind to it. I don't usually shy away from a challenge and I don't usually fail when I take something on. So when the number on the scale doesn't change like I want it to and I start to think I'll never lose the last 20 poounds, I get frustrated and I feel defeated. That's probably never going to change. But I have gotten better about cutting myself some slack. I work really hard at seeing the big picture -- I've lost almost 100 pounds. I used to be a size 22/24 and now I'm comfortably a size 12. I used to be unable to walk a block, but now I can walk miles and miles. I used to sit at home and eat all the time. Now I go out and enjoy my life. If I never lose another pound, I have been successful.