When losing weight, most people set some sort of goal weight that they're trying to attain.  When they hit this, they either re-evaluate to see if they want to lose more, or they say "I'm done".  After that's happened, it's just as important to set a "danger weight" for yourself.  Usually this is the weight that you tell yourself, "I'm never going to weigh that much again."  If you hit that number, it's time to make some changes.  Mine is 190 lbs... and I hit it at the end of last year.

I know exactly why.  November and December were tough months for me, and the fact that my client was in the habit of bringing in a lot free food during that time didn't help.  Then I stepped on the scale.  Shit!  Time to get my ass back on the bike, start watching what I eat again, and stop this before it gets worse.  I also started cursing for more snow so I could ski.  Sorry guys... it was my fault we had as much as we did in January and February.

I tell people again and again that normal healthy weight loss consists of about 1 to 2 lbs per week.  That's it.  In the 8 weeks since I hit that danger number, I'm now down to 182.  Pretty much right on track I'd say.  I could be doing a bit better, but I'm not going to complain, since a lot of what I'm doing is also putting on some muscle.  When I'm at my "fighting weight" as I call it, usually at the height of training in the summer, I weigh about 175.  I'm actually hoping to lean up a bit more than that this year, so this will be a great jumping off point for me.  I'm trying to turn it into a positive.

Remember, set a number that you refuse to go above, but make it realistic.  I suggest about 10 lbs above your goal weight.  And when you hit that number... let it scare you, but then take action.  The point is to make it a number that when you hit it... you don't feel like it's already too late to do something.