How many times have you tried to lose weight?

Kst76

Wow...lets see. I started when I was 13 years old the first time back in 1989/90. I think the number of times I have attempted to lose weight is in the 1000's..lol...no kidding; and it is always the lack of support from family that caused me to quit. When I am the only person trying to lose it makes it hard. I have never had allot to lose really. Maybe around 30-50 pounds at the most and I have been successful many times.
With MFP I have been on and off for a few years. Before MFP I used Fatsecret and Sparks People.

BusyRealtorDad

I've tried to lose weight seriously 3 times. One in 2011 I went on a 28 day cleanse and lost 30 pounds. But I went back to my habits and gained it back. 3 years ago I started a plant based diet and did it for about 5 weeks. Lost about 12 pounds. But started grad school and didn't really fit. I hope this time is different because I can see a life with health problems and no energy in my future. I want to feel good about myself and encourage others. This is my first time with MFP. I started an office challenge about a month ago. I'm 10 pounds down.

Merkavar

I would say this was my first serious attempt.

Other attempts were things like giving those drugs a go that if you smell a pizza you find fat and oil in your pants.

atypicalsmith

Four of five times at least, then gained back all plus some. This time I'm DOING it!

SergeantSausage

asflatasapancake wrote: »

How many times have you tried to lose weight?
Once
How many times with MFP?
Once
What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?
Haven't failed
What is making this time different for you?
I kind of know what I'm doing

My story exactly.

54 pounds down. Abs, sweet abs.

Bshmerlie

I've been on and off many times since 1993. I didn't have very much to lose back then...maybe 15 pounds. So I'd lose it then stop paying attention. Next time it would be 30 pounds. ...then 50 and next thing you know it's 100 pounds. So I'm not doing any more diets. I'm just going to eat healthier and do a minimal exercise routine I know I can stick to and that's just how I'm gonna live from now on. I don't weigh myself everyday as I really need this not to be all about weight loss. I'm eating the healthiest most balanced diet I've ever eaten in my entire life. No more fad diets or quick weight loss programs...just healthy foods in reasonable portions. That's why I know this is going to work. No more crap...from me or the food.

Machka9

How many times have you tried to lose weight? -- I have successfully lost weight several times.

How many times with MFP? -- This is the first time with MFP. I have used other sites in the past.

What has caused you to fail/stop in the past? -- I didn't fail ... I stopped because I reached my goal weight.

What is making this time different for you? -- This time is one of the fastest weight losses I've had + MFP is one of the easier sites to use.


For me, it's more about minor adjustments.
I maintain my weight within a "normal" range for a while (years).
I gradually increase my weight over a period of years, usually corresponding with a reduction in exercise for one reason or another.
I reach a point where I figure I should make an adjustment again.
I drop back into the "normal" range again (or lower within the "normal" range).
I maintain my weight within a "normal" range for a while (years).

Crumpet_Girl

This really made me stop and think and the truth is I have been on so many "diets" it's embarrassing. I've done WW, Cohen clinic, diet shakes, lean cuisine meal delivery, personal trainers, bootcamps, beachbody dvds, LCHF, IFing, Atkins, I Quit sugar... the list is endless.

And I did lose weight on most things. And then I put it back on.

Why? Perhaps if I knew the answer to that I would finally win this battle...

malibu927

How many times have you tried to lose weight? Seriously, once
How many times with MFP? once
What has caused you to fail/stop in the past? I quit after two days because I wanted "bad" food
What is making this time different for you? I eat the "bad" food and lose weight, because I know now there isn't good or bad

JanetMMcC

How many times have you tried to lose weight?
I have no idea.

How many times with MFP?
This must be my second. I was surprised when I tried to log in that I already had an account.

What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?
Boredome. The feeling that to stay at goal weight I had to continue obsessing about my diet and my weight.

What is making this time different for you?
I don't know yet that it is.

However, I was able to lose 40-plus pounds *without* obsessing, after the doc told me to cut out all "white carbs". I've kept that weight off. Now I'm trying to get below that long plateau.

tracie_minus100

This is my third time. The first time, I lost 63lbs on Weight Watchers. I gained back 30 after deciding to do the "cheat day" thing, which turned into cheat weekends, then cheat weeks, etc.
Second time was for my wedding and I lost 40lbs. I went about it all wrong...I ate as little as I could get away with, and exercised as much as my body could handle. I came crashing off the wagon pretty much the day after my wedding, and gained it all back fairly quickly. (I was also doing weight watchers then too). Then two pregnancies, with lots of weight gained.
This is my first time really giving mfp a real try, and this is the first time I feel like I've got it right. I'm sticking to my calories, which are a healthy amount (1800), exercising regularly as well as lifting heavy. I'm repairing my relationship with food, and I feel like I'm finally in control.

CooCooPuff

How many times have you tried to lose weight?
I can think of three periods in my life prior to my most recent attempt: once in middle school, once during high school, and one summer a year or two before this go-around
How many times with MFP?
This was my first time with MFP
What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?
Too restrictive with what I ate, didn't understand CICO / weigh out my foods, never actually enjoyed any physical activity I did, couldn't wait for it to be over and go back to overeating
What is making this time different for you?
Tracking and CICO

victoria_1024

I've tried a million times since I was in high school. Usually I give up after the first few weeks. When I was 21, I made my first very serious attempt and was able to lose about 50 pounds and kept that off for quite a while. Then gained it all back (plus more) throughout all my pregnancies.

I joined MFP in the spring of 2013 and tried it for about 2 weeks but lost motivation while on vacation. Then started again in Winter of 2014, lost 35 pounds (was highly motivated this time around), and then got pregnant. So this is MFP attempt #3, I've lost 37 pounds so far, with 37 left to go.

In the past I gave up because I love food and I basically deprive myself of everything whenever I tried to lose weight. MFP has taught me that I can still eat the foods I enjoy and lose weight. I feel like I have more control over my weight loss now.

CM_73

How many times have you tried to lose weight?

Around 427 times now (warning, post may contain mild exaggeration)

How many times with MFP?

Two or Three times. (There are auto-posts in my news feed going back nearly 5 Years)

What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?

Got bored/made excuses/laziness/lack of belief in myself.

What is making this time different for you?

Getting actively involved in the community (didn't even know this side of it existed before) Having the support of an amazing bunch of "virtual" friends and encouraging them which really helps me.

dalem48

How many times have you tried to lose weight? This is the first time.
How many times with MFP? This is the first time.
What has caused you to fail/stop in the past? I haven't failed nor do I plan on it anytime soon.
What is making this time different for you? I am 100% motivated and I know I can do it.

156 pounds lost in 15 months, with 30-35 to go.

kickassbarbie

How many times have you tried to lose weight?
If you mean drop a 3-4lbs - more times than I can count but I find that fairly easy! But efforts to lose large amounts of weight/total life change? once
(maybe twice as I have about 8 to lose this time I guess)

How many times with MFP?
Once about 8ish years ago, lost over 100lbs give or take logging on here. Left mfp, I'm back and mfp has changed alot!

What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?
Never failed, was becoming obsessed though so left the Internet diet community for few years/logged on paper/other apps, had forgotten mfp to be honest.

What is making this time different for you?
I'm older and wiser, my goals are no longer just my weight. I use this mainly for fitness advice tbh.

atypicalsmith

Jenny9000 wrote: »

How many times have you tried to lose weight?
How many times with MFP?
What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?
What is making this time different for you?

I'm interested, as I am currently trying to answer these questions for myself

I lost 30 - 40 pounds after having each of my children. Got back to 110, and stayed there both times. Once I got up to 125 when I was working in a restaurant, and stopped eating their food; got back to 110 and stayed there. I quit smoking in 2004, gained a ton of weight, and have started and stopped losing it about five times. Closest I got was 125. This is the last time, and I'm not stopping until I see 110 again. 27 pounds lost, 33 pounds to go. I'm so grateful for the experience and discipline it has given me.

Hannahp1402

4252652 times

duddysdad

I am 34. When I was 17 I went on a low-carb diet at around 320 lbs. I lost around 100 pounds very quickly, mainly because I didn't eat at school so my calories weren't very high. I gained it all back. When I was 27 I lost over 100 pounds doing Weight Watchers. It took less than a year. I gained it all back plus another 35 pounds. This time I have lost 112 pounds in 5 months using MFP. I will not gain it back. Why? Because I will keep logging when I hit maintenance and I will hold myself accountable for all that I eat. I failed in the past because when I hit my goal I thought I could go back to my old eating habits and maintain. I was wrong. I have the tools this time to keep the weight off and I will keep this weight off. I currently eat 1400 calories and at my goal weight (185), for my height (6'5/male), my maintenance is 2300 calories. There is no reason why I cannot eat 2300 calories and not maintain. So this is my final journey. This is where I succeed when I failed in the past. I am doing this for my family and myself.

Liftin4food

How many times have you tried to lose weight:
I've been at least overweight for most of my adult life. I've never been happy about it, so I've tried to do something about it way to many times to have a guess at. I'm another one that's tried everything going, there's been WW, Atkins, 5:2, Supplements (yes, I tried acai, green tea pills, some weird Chinese herbal thing, raspberry ketones etc), Alli, Military diet, some plan I read in a trashy magazine. Some of these have featured repeatedly.

How many times with MFP?
This is the third time. The first time I came here straight from months on weightwatchers - I was so sick of feeling hungry at this point that I was ready to completely throw in the towel. I didn't last long here.
The second time I faired better - I lost a good chunk of weight (not enough - but still a good amount). I hit the dreaded plateau point, got injured, and basically felt a bit sorry for myself. I decided that I would give myself some time off, and try to maintain the weightloss I'd managed so far. I did for a few months, but the number on the scale started to creep up, so I come back to finish what I'd started. I'm still here.

What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?
Believing / desperately hoping that a fad diet would work;
believing / desperately hoping that it didn't matter how many cakes I ate - the raspberry ketones would magically burn away the calories;
believing that it didn't matter what I did, I was always going to be fat;
feeling like a failure for not being able to stick to the ridiculously restrictive diet I was following and giving in.

In all honesty - not really understanding what I needed to actually do to lose weight. I mean - I knew I should eat less than you burn, but when it came to it I couldn't actually work out how to get that right. So it was easier to buy into a miracle supplement / fad diet that would do it for me.

What is making this time different for you?
My fitbit and MFP combined has taken a lot of the guess work out of calories in / calories out for me. It's easy to see what I'm doing, and what I need to change to keep going. This the combination worked for me last time I was here too. And I trust it to work for me again now.

Oh - and accepting that I don't have to lose half a stone a week to be doing well! I'm here for the long haul - as long as the scale number / measurements are going down I'm happy with that.

matt88uk

Few times reason of failing was believing to much bs that you read in magazines and diets now I know about nutrition it's helped loads along with this app 90days going strong so far just over 2 stone down and I'm getting more motivated each day plenty more lbs to go aimed for December for my target weight and body fat percentage.forgot to add this is not a diet it's a change in lifestyle you don't want to go back fat and that's what diets do believe in yourself keep consistent and you will be there soon enough

bago08

136

DeguelloTex

Once.
Once.
Nothing.
This time isn't different, since it's the only time.

MoonCatKDT

This is my third 'try'
First - I did Herbal Magic. Lost 40lbs before my wedding. I have successfully kept most of it off not including my pregnancies. I stopped because I realized I'd be able to pay for a brand new SUV with the amount of money I was spending at HM. No brainer there. Oh and I ended up with gall stones which the doctor attributed to losing too much weight too fast/the pills I was taking (and almost died a week before my wedding when one of those stones got lodged in my pancreas)
Second - After my first pregnancy, when my daughter was about a year old, I just tried to make better choices with no help. Got to my lowest adult weight at 209, but quickly gained it all back when I got pregnant with my son.

This is my first time with MFP.

The main things that have caused me to stop in the past were the mental idea that I'd be getting pregnant or I was pregnant so what was the point. If I was just going to get fat again there was no point in trying now.

This time is SO different. I'm done having kids, so pregnancy is no longer an excuse for me. I'm motivated to become a new person before my children are old enough to remember the fact that mommy couldn't keep up with them all the time. If I can stick to my goals I CAN do this. I will do this. It helps to surround myself with people of the same goals, and since I'm seeing the weight come off really helps too. I'm not cutting any of the things that I love out (other than chocolate, I love it so much and know I don't have full control of my impulses yet to be trusted with chocolate in the house - I proved that theory when I made cupcakes a few weeks back) so I'm not feeling deprived of anything either. It just seems... easy this time.