I'm impressed with Strong Women Stay Slim but I wonder if I'll manage to keep the motivation going. For example last year I joined a gym and went on a programme of diet and exercise and lost nearly 30 lbs. Then my work became more demanding and my eating habits slipped and my workouts went down from an hour 5 times a week to 2-3 times a week and often missing entire weeks of exercise. As a result the weight has crept up by 14lb. I started the SWSS programme yesterday (I know it's early to worry about losing motivation but there's that deja vu feeling). Any tips?

First, congratulations on your previous success - you managed to lose nearly 30 pounds, and you've kept most of it off. Changing habits is *hard*, not like moving to a new address where you just make a switch and that's it. Research on smoking cessation suggests that it takes several serious tries before you can expect new habits to stick. So you shouldn't feel discouraged because you were only partly successful in the past. Remind yourself that each attempt brings you closer to success.

I suggest you go through the planning process described in Chapter 10, taking time to focus on what worked - and what didn't work - in your previous program. Consider getting fresh input from a nutritionist or personal trainer, or maybe both. Sometimes just one or two sessions can provide new ideas that make a big difference.