My Lifetime Journey
by Dotti

Back to Goal 1st Year Graph
Sept 2005 ~ Sept 2006
Faithfully using my "Enjoying Weight Loss" Hypnosis CDs

The greatest thing you have is the 24 hours in front of you.
The past is gone; the future is distant.
Today you CAN succeed.
Set a goal you can achieve in the next 24 hours.

	The "Enjoying Weight Loss" hypnosis CDs help me to be the best I can be On Program. ~Dotti~ If you are struggling on your Journey these CDs are a great tool to help you stay focused & positive. Click Here to Learn More and Order
	Getting Thin, Staying Thin Al's Weight Loss Essays & Articles Dotti's Free Newsletter Click Here to Subscribe
	DWLZ Cookbooks Since the DWLZ Cookbooks Recipes for a Lifetime, Volumes One and Two, went out of print, we have had many requests to make them available once more. So, by your request, we have put them together into one PDF file, viewable in your free Acrobat Reader. Click Here to get your copy today!
	2008 Weight Loss Graph Click on the graph to see the full size. Come Join the Fun!

It may have been a while coming, but now it is here!

My, where does the time go? It has been a long time since I've checked in, hasn't it? It looks like February 8, 2004 was my last update. WOW!

Since then my life has been inundated with lots of twists and turns down roads I would rather not of visited. Unfortunately, most times we don't have a say in it, we just have to handle what life throws us and hope we can get to the other side unscathed and refocused. I quit a 2.5-3 pack/day smoking habit by hypnosis on May 20, 2002 and have not wanted a cigarette since that day. I am very proud of that accomplishment.

For those of you who are interested in a more detailed description
of our year 2004 (our worst in a very long time) please
Click Here
It was written by my wonderful husband Al.

On September 15, 2005, I found my FOCUS. All these years since I've quit smoking I have not been able to find my FOCUS to get back on Program and stay there. I know that's not unusual when you quit smoking (especially 2-3 packs/day) but throw my last couple of years into the mix and it was virtually an impossible task. This is not to say these life detours were the reason my weight steadily went up. My weight went up because I did not find the time to re-FOCUS and get back on track.

When I lost weight the first time around (1998) I had only myself to deal with. I could selfishly FOCUS on only me. I had no other obligations. FOCUS is the key. FOCUS is 99% of the Journey. I had the FOCUS I needed to succeed on my path. I had the FOCUS I needed to be able to stay on my path and be a help to others. I MADE GOAL! I not only made GOAL but I went on to create Dotti's Weight Loss Zone to help others to make their dreams a reality and to make their Journey as easy as possible. I was FOCUSed! For those reading for the first time you can read HERE about how I lost 95 lbs and made LIFETIME with Weight Watchers. I kept the weight off for 3 1/2 years until I quit smoking in May 2002.

Over the next couple of years the weight crept back on until I saw myself at 223 lbs again (still didn't gain ALL of it back). I knew I had to do something. I had been very good about keeping DWLZ.com updated and posting on our Message Board trying to keep in contact with all of you who helped me to NEVER GIVE UP. That was never an option. But... my heart wasn't in it the way it was. For the last couple of years I have been very upset that I now have to deal with a chronic illness (rheumatoid arthritis). I've been upset that I have to relose the weight. I've fought the process all the way.

But...ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

I needed to find my FOCUS again because I knew if I could find my FOCUS again I would go all the way BACK TO GOAL. I had the knowledge; I had the Support (all of you); all I needed was the FOCUS!

On September 15, 2005, I found my FOCUS.

For years I struggled with my smoking habit. I found that hypnosis was the key to winning my freedom from that slavery. On September 15th I started a hypnosis series on weight loss (CDs), Enjoying Weight Loss, that has been able to give me my FOCUS on Program back! Suddenly, I found that I was On Program everyday again. I was eating within my program every day. I was weighing myself every day, and all at once, I was seeing the scale drop again on a regular basis. I was drinking my water, every day. I left food on my plate at the end of my meal. I only ate half of the same dessert I always finished before (secretly wishing there was more). Today I am living with FOCUS again, and the results are better than I could have ever hoped for.

I've seen my new FOCUS put to the test several times since finding it. I am recuperating from shoulder surgery (9/22/05) and stayed On Program the whole time without missing a day while simultaneously dealing with a very stressful situation with my extended family.

I learned the program and how to lose weight, and even how to maintain my weight back in 1998, but it wasn't until I got my FOCUS back that I was once again able to practice what I knew. With FOCUS things work smoothly and I feel strong; without it, nothing seemed to work right. Today my hope is very strong, as is my confidence, that I will return to goal, and I will be able to maintain my goal weight when I get there. Follow my weekly updates to see if my hope is fullfilled in my Journey to Return to Goal, and to stay there. I will see you there.  Dotti

Success is...achieved and maintained
by those who try - and keep trying.