Motivation

OK so its week 3 of my diet and I lost 1lb. Hmm. After my huge weight loss in the first week this has done nothing for my motivation. I think, "This week I will really make an effort and lose lots of weight!", but then five minutes later I think, "What's the point?" This may explain my yo-yoing.
So what do I need to do to keep up my motivation?
I have tried all the usual things in the past, like putting a fat photo of myself somewhere prominent and convincing myself I don't want to look like that any more. Trouble is, I never thought I looked that bad.
Pick a goal and stick to it. I have a goal. I want to fit in a pair of jeans I could wear 10 years ago. At the moment I can barely fit one leg in to them so it seems unattainable.
Pick a smaller goal. I have no imagination so I can't think of one. Maybe I could try to fit in a dress I bought last summer which has never fitted. If I aim for Christmas and don't make it, how is that going to make me feel?
What about focussing on losing 1 stone at a time? That might be easier. I have 5.5lbs more to go until that milestone. That seems manageable but I have so much to lose that it makes very little impact on fitting in to my clothes.
I need help.
Back to the hypnotherapist for another session? I felt that the first one was a waste of time - she said she could also stop me from nail biting. No joy so far. After almost 40 years of it, it is a hard habit to break. She also promised me a free half hour session if I didn't think I had my money's worth. I may have to take her up on that. I am waiting for her to call me to talk over how I felt it went. She recommended another 2 sessions which I will probably also do as I have nothing to lose (except weight!)
Next time I post I hope I have something more positive to say, but if anyone has a suggestion on keeping motivated, I would love to hear it.

The Alcohol Dilemma

OK. So, in the first week of my new diet I lost 7.5lbs. Brilliant. Trouble is, my other half was away on a business trip and I had flu. These things together meant I have had no alcohol for a couple of weeks.
Its now Friday and I have arranged to meet a friend I haven't seen in a while for a drink in a local pub. I've been good and tried to save my "points" for the day by having salad for lunch. I like salad, but I also like alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories, or at least the alcohol I enjoy is. Don't get me wrong, I'm Scottish, so most alcohol is acceptable. But red wine is my main love. I can happily sip a glass of red wine over an hour or so when I'm at home, but for some reason when I'm in the pub I feel the need to gulp it down like its the last glass of wine I will ever see. I had a bit of an incident a couple of years ago at a Christmas night out when I set my hair on fire after drinking too much red wine too quickly.
So here's my dilemma. Do I risk drinking red wine which I very much enjoy and using up all my calorie allowance for the day, or do I drink vodka lime and soda which is low in calories but which will get me very drunk, very quickly and not taste that good. Of course there is always the option of no alcohol, but as I mentioned, I am Scottish so its not a real option.
Seriously though, if I give up alcohol in order to reach my target weight, will I be able to continue losing weight when I go back to drinking again in the future? Should I not learn to build alcohol in moderation into my new healthier lifestyle? Its easy to say I won't drink, but in reality I know I will, especially with Christmas fast approaching. I am weak willed and all it takes is for someone to say "oh just have one..." and all my good intentions disappear.
I think I will try to alternate between soft and alcoholic drinks tonight and leave quite early. I'll see how that goes.
Wish me luck!