has newness worn off for long timers on MFP?

brenn24179

been on here 4 months, was with WW for about a yr and newness wore off, got bored with it and gained weight back. Just wondering if some of ya have been successful with the calorie counting long term. Or maybe you just get new eating habits (oh I wish) and maintain. Have some of ya been successful for a long time? Tips, like do you take a break now and then, vacation, etc?

Raddichio

Hmm, not sure how to answer. I guess I LIKE that the newness has worn off because I'm not looking for razzle dazzle and constant change in a program. I'm looking for consistency, reliability and, most importantly, sustainability of a plan. I knew that, for this to be successful, I need to find a way of eating that becomes a natural way of living---a habit that I can HAPPILY sustain. The Food Diary has been one of the the most important components of that process for me. The longer I have been here, the easier it has become to use the diary (it takes just a few minutes each day); and the more I use the diary, the better my food choices become.

I will admit that I recently went through an extended period of extreme stress and demands on my time. During that time, I failed to use the Food Diary and, admittedly, ate more and exercised less. I gained back some of the pounds that I lost, but not as much as I would have if I hadn't already integrated the principles that I had learned.

I am back on track again, and I'm amazed how quickly and seamlessly I've resumed weight loss and better eating---exercise is next (starting next week).

So I like MFP, not because it keeps me engaged, but because it is NOT intrusive in my life and it doesn't dominate my life---it just teaches me the basics and enables me to integrate it into my life without much fuss. I have always planned our meals a week ahead, so I just consider this an easy way to do my meal planning (but with more attention to the nutritional balance of the meals)---not an extra chore to be performed.

mydeloo78

Commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do, long after the mood you said it in has left you. -Darren Hardy

mydeloo78

Commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do, long after the mood you said it in has left you. -Darren Hardy