Weekly weigh-in: Looking for inspiration

Last week's weight: 175.2
This week's weight: 175.2
Difference: 0
Total weight lost since January 2010: 96.6

I thought I made better choices this week, but the scale didn't show it. In hindsight, I can see that I fell victim to a few pitfalls this past week. I avoided the binge eating that has plagued me for a couple of weeks, but I didn't avoid the foods that cause me to gain weight.

I also can see that when I ate junk food this week, it wasn't because I was hungry. Instead, I ate because of stress and anxiety. Naturally, I turned to carbs and sugar. And I exercised only two days.

Today is the first day of a weeklong staycation and I'm hoping to use this time to de-stress and to refocus. Sometimes, I crave time at home alone, but that's also when I find it hardest to avoid mindless snacking.

The first step to success this week will be planning what I'm going to eat and when. This always makes a difference and almost always results in weight loss.

Second on my list is to read "Weight Loss Boss," written by the president and CEO of Weight Watchers. I'm hoping the book gives me the inspiration I need to stay motivated and move past the plateau I've been in for months now.

Finally, I'm going to take time to truly clean out my closet and dresser. I still can't bring myself to part with the clothes that are too big, but I want them in boxes and out of reach. If I gain a couple of pounds, I'm going to have to wear the clothes that feel too tight or I'm going to have to lose weight.

I've been suffering from very low self-esteem and poor body image lately, so I hope these steps help. Throughout my journey, I've struggled to see how different I look now, but the difference in how I felt was very evident. Lots of stress in the past year has weighed me mentally and made the journey more challenging. The good news is that while a week ago all I could think about was giving up, as of today, I'm feeling more positive and at least I'm looking for ways to stay motivated. My most successful times during the past three years have come when I had something to inspire my weight loss. I can't fully describe what it was but I always knew it was there.