How many times did you 'start again' until you finally put your all into loosing the weight?

As you know, weightloss isn't simple.
Many people try so many different things and start again on numerous occasions.. Before that *last* attempt when they actually stick to it and ditch the weight.

How many times did you start again and what was he difference in the final time?
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Replies

  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    LOL... too many times to count. Too many different diets that I tried and failed... until I realized I didn't have to deny myself any food to lose weight, as long as I stick to my daily calories. So simple and easy - wish I had learned this so much sooner.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Actually, I'll disagree. It is simple. It isn't easy.

    I attempted many times, with varying success. Some attempts only lasted a few days or weeks, others for many months. Many times I "put my all" into it, but wasn't successful.

    The difference: tracking everything I ate and all my exercise. I then realized it was a numbers game and that I was in control. I didn't have to suffer constant hunger, I didn't have to blindly restrict. I just had to make sure I followed my calorie budget.

    With that, 4+ years later, I have maintained my ~50 lb loss and I'm in the best shape of my adult life.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited March 2016
    30 years of yo yo dieting following one fad after another, signing up for one programme after another until my head was so full of rules and tips and tricks that I finally said STOP

    So I changed my focus, decided to try to get fit, booked a personal trainer who said sign up to MFP

    So I did ...well actually it had been one of my temporary fads 2 years before ..but this time I threw away everything I knew and just went on calories

    And saw my trainer

    And steadily lost, and read discussions and listened to the mean people and read the science, screwed up my face trying to understand it...failed more often than not ...kept reading...got a little offended, got over myself

    Focused on CICO

    Got into my fitness gains, started moving more and going to gym on my own as well as with trainer

    Kept losing

    Started to get macros ...

    Hit goal, 52lbs down, kept logging, kept my PT, got stronger, got injured, kept going, recovered eventually, getting stronger still and certainly fitter

    Here I am ..still logging a year into maintenance, still reading about fads and quick fixes on here and sighing

    It's till CICO and not a fad in sight

  • wonderchu
    wonderchu Posts: 53 Member
    I lost decent chunks of weight (40lbs/50lbs) twice and put it all back on -- plus smaller ups and downs in between -- over the course of about 7 years before I reached my highest weight 2 years ago. I don't know what made this time different but I'm down over 80lbs this time and I know that I'm never going back!
  • DeeDeeC541
    DeeDeeC541 Posts: 6 Member
    I am trying this for the 6th time.. my problem is being consistant and logging in everyday.
  • missblondi2u
    missblondi2u Posts: 851 Member
    This is the only time I've ever made any effort to lose weight (other than just talking about it). I've lost a little over 50 pounds in about 8 months, and I'm looking to drop another 20 or so before I'm done. I feel 99.9% confident that I will not gain the weight back, but the crazy low statistics for people who actually keep the weight off for good give me pause.

    I'm curious. For those that said this was not their first time to the rodeo, do you think that if you had started with MFP the first time, you would have needed a second or third time?
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
    I have lost weight three times throughout the last two years. Throughout these periods, I restarted more than 200 times, pretty much every day, and would fail at the end because I found it difficult to last one day.

    One week consistently logging in, and you are having a lot of an easier time just logging your food, and saying 'no' to the Cookie Dough.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I don't know if this is my last time, though I hope so. To be honest using this app and scales grew to be obsessive and it triggered a mental break down that I'm still working through. I lost 100lbs in my past with crash dieting. I believe my time on MFP has taught me a lot about food and about weight loss (ie faster isn't better, no need to be miserable, etc.) so I think even just using these forums with well informed people has helped quite a bit.

    I don't think I will go back to logging like I was, but I am working on changing the habits that got me here and working on my mental health while simply being aware of my weight food choices, and exercise. I hope to see progress with those alone.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    One shot, one kill...just like when I was I the Corps.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,597 Member
    Sort of a complicated question to answer.

    I've been slender most of my life, even underweight. But occasionally I put on a little bit of weight and when I do, I take steps to lose it again before it gets out of hand.

    Each time I have made any sort of effort to lose the weight, I have lost the weight.

  • mirchonom
    mirchonom Posts: 2 Member
    Gbgddmsanmbvffd

    Dare
  • tnm7760
    tnm7760 Posts: 109 Member
    I think I started every Monday for six years. :D That's a slight exaggeration, but you get the point.

    The difference this time:
    I decided that I had to trust the process and just keep going.

    I realized I often gave up when I felt it wasn't working, assuming I would never get there. So, I told myself that consistency would get me there eventually, even if it was slower than I wanted. But I was just going to keep going. "Trust the process" has been something I repeat daily.

    In an effort to "trust the process," my only goal is to log every single day, every single bite, and in the most accurate way--until I hit my goal weight. So far, tracking everything has kept me from eating too much because I hate to see my deficit ruined with crappy, not-worth-it choices. So, I'm mostly proud of myself for logging everything everyday and being honest with myself so that the process can work.

  • SKME2013
    SKME2013 Posts: 704 Member
    edited March 2016
    I started once in 2013 and kept my goal weight successfully ever since. I made "dieting" a life changing exercise, throwing out bad habits and introducing good ones. Reasonable healthy eating, with some treats and a lot of exercise are now part of my life. I never gained my weightloss back, but I keep it within 4lbs up and down.
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    0 times

    I do have the advantage of being young and didn't have much to lose but I recognized the path my eating habits were taking me down, found MFP and have had no issues ever since. I knew I was never going to try a fad diet, or eliminating certain items as I knew it wouldn't last. It was not worth living without pizza.

    I do have calorie breaks for holidays/special occasions, so you may call that a "restart" but I don't feel a planned break is a restart.
  • vixtris
    vixtris Posts: 688 Member
    edited March 2016
    I had many failed and half *kitten* attempts at losing weight in the past. January 2015 was the time I actually succeeded. It was new years, we all know how it is then. Every year I would get a little burst of motivation to lose weight and usually fall through around February. However, around that time, my jeans were getting so worn in that a hole formed on the inside seam (thigh rubbing). I needed new jeans, so I ordered the same pair, same size (16), from the same store, and when I got them, they were too tight to get into! I had to go out to and buy a pair in the next size up. At my highest weight I wore a size 20, so although I was still heavy at a size 16, I was happy that I was in a better place then than I was before. I was so upset with myself for gaining again. I made a mental promise to myself that I will not let this continue. I did a lot of reading online, mostly here in the MFP forums, learned a lot about calories in/out. I began counting calories properly by using a food scale, I started exercising nearly every day, and I started a lifting routine early on, as well. I was extremely motivated throughout my whole weight loss journey. My past attempts failed because of my lack of research/knowledge about calories in/out, nutrition and macros, motivation, and especially because of not counting calories properly. I finished my weight loss journey in February 2016, losing a total of 90 lbs in 13 months, and a grand total of approximately 150 lbs from my highest weight.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Once I figured out I needed to count calories, I never had to try again. Because science and adherence.
  • samchez0
    samchez0 Posts: 364 Member
    A lot. It never lasted more than 2 weeks usually. I wouldn't see reults right away, get discouraged, and binge on all the things.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I did it once when I was 20, then gave up until I was ready to really do a lifestyle change, because I knew that it was pointless otherwise... Took me 14 years, but I lost the weight and been maintaining for 1.5 year so far.
  • Reecebullet
    Reecebullet Posts: 141 Member
    Easily at-least 100 times. Sometimes it wouldn't even be as long as 2 days.

    I've put everything I have into it this time. I know that if I want to progress both physically and mentally, I need to put all I have into changing lifestyles.
    Jruzer wrote: »
    Actually, I'll disagree. It is simple. It isn't easy.

    I agree with this, though. It's very simple, really. Just eating less (and better) as well as moving more. The motivation, self-control and persistence is, for me, what makes it not easy.
  • DrusiliaDD
    DrusiliaDD Posts: 71 Member
    I've never been significantly overweight (5ft and 60kgs at my heaviest), this is my second attempt. Last time I lost around 9lbs I think of about 20 I was trying to lose. This attempt my starting weight is around the same and I'm trying to lose 14lbs, on a 16 day streak and have purchased a food scale. We'll see how this goes.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    xxteeleexx wrote: »
    As you know, weightloss isn't simple.
    Many people try so many different things and start again on numerous occasions.. Before that *last* attempt when they actually stick to it and ditch the weight.

    How many times did you start again and what was he difference in the final time?

    Interesting question. I'd say it is simple once you find the right calorie level.
    How do I know this is my final time? I'm at my lowest weight in 5 years but not at my goal yet.
    I do know this time has been the easiest and most succesful of all my attempts in 15 years. It isn't like I never lost weight before or never made an effort.

    What made this time different:
    I used mfp and found out the right calories for me. I had never counted calories or logged food before. I find it surprisingly easy to do this. Why did I do dumb diets instead of this?
    This time I did not give up a bunch of foods or do extreme things. I pretty much eat the same stuff so it is very easy to sustain long term.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    edited March 2016
    How many stars are there in the sky?

    Okay, not quite that many. I have to admit - I actually believed in CICO and mostly did calorie counting all the time, apart from one attempt at Atkins. My main problem in the past was simply being unrealistic. 1300 calories/day as a 300+ lb man was over a 2,000 calorie deficit - weight loss was fast, but compliance sucked and I was always ravenously hungry, then I'd have a bad day, eat a ton, and then promise myself I'd start again "tomorrow", which of course was always a day away.

    I think I've now gotten a handle on setting appropriate calorie goals, and I now don't get so worked up if I was to have one bad day. The really funny part is, over time I actually lose faster this time, because I'm not oscillating between restrict and binge.

    Although, I also wouldn't say I "put my all" into it this time, either. I worked this time to build habits to keep me on track even when I don't particularly feel motivated. Largely, it's pre-logging my meals the night before, so I just have to stick to the script. Even when I'm not motivated, I appreciate it because it means I don't have to think, I just have to do.
  • ashleyjongepier
    ashleyjongepier Posts: 130 Member
    I've started and stopped about 10 or more times. I was 250lbs at age 10. Got up to 360+ before I stopped stepping on scales.

    Basically I have done everything from not eating, atkins, eating in "moderation" being vegetarian to netting 500 cals plus hours at the gym.

    I dont feel bad about starting and stopping so much with each failed attempt I have learned something and applied it to my next try.

    I am re starting again in fact. I went from 305 to 210 and then started to binge. I was netting a low amount of cals and over working out, which lead me to rebelling and eating all the "bad" food I wasn't allowing myself to.

    I'm working on a life long health approach now using TDEE vs NEAT and focusing on just eating for health with a treat here and there. Working out because I want to be stronger and its good for my body :)
  • steponebyone
    steponebyone Posts: 123 Member
    I constantly start and stop again. About 10lbs left to go, but I find myself not logging for weeks, and then going back to it after gaining a couple. I don't think we have to have it all figured out all the time. Just go at your rate and the pounds will fall off, even if it takes a little linger than expected.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    This is the only time I've ever made any effort to lose weight (other than just talking about it). I've lost a little over 50 pounds in about 8 months, and I'm looking to drop another 20 or so before I'm done. I feel 99.9% confident that I will not gain the weight back, but the crazy low statistics for people who actually keep the weight off for good give me pause.

    I'm curious. For those that said this was not their first time to the rodeo, do you think that if you had started with MFP the first time, you would have needed a second or third time?

    Nope @missblondi2u

    I think the difference is an eye on maintenance rather than the specific tool that is working for you

    every time I've dieted I've done it on an "If I can lose this weight then I can go back to normal when I stop losing" but normal makes me fat

    I approached this from the start with no end - sure I had goals but no end - so the fact that I continue to log and follow habits I took up during loss just with a few more calories means this is my new normal

    The thing is it took me decades to realise that there is no 'going back to normal' there is just 'try to create a new normal' which generally doesn't need much focus because logging is 2nd nature but sometimes still I could retreat to old me - so sometimes I need to kick myself in my proverbial butt

    I actually think today is one of those days
  • emmaprocopiou
    emmaprocopiou Posts: 246 Member
    This is the only time I've ever made any effort to lose weight (other than just talking about it). I've lost a little over 50 pounds in about 8 months, and I'm looking to drop another 20 or so before I'm done. I feel 99.9% confident that I will not gain the weight back, but the crazy low statistics for people who actually keep the weight off for good give me pause.

    I'm curious. For those that said this was not their first time to the rodeo, do you think that if you had started with MFP the first time, you would have needed a second or third time?

    This is my 3rd time
    I wasn't motivated enough before and became slack, I gave up too easily and thought of it as a diet. It's not , this is a lifestyle change, now that I get that it all falls into place.
    Just CICO , I knew the obvious , but some how thought I had to add in other restrictions ( like paleo, gluten free, etc etc ) when really it's all about eating correct portions for my size , moving a bit more ( I only walk) and now I am consistently seeing changes.
    I can go out , enjoy special occasions , have a treat or too, I'm not deprived.

    I don't think it was in my head the first few times , that's why I gave up.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited March 2016
    The first time I seriously, or rather stupidly, tried to lose weight quickly I was 14. I lost weight quickly and contracted pneumonia from the weakened immune system caused by my horridly unbalanced nutritional intake. I ate only air-popped popcorn and drank only Diet Dr Pepper. After surviving the pneumonia, I quickly regained all the recently lost weight and then gained as much as 20lb per year for the next 20+ years. At the age of 37 I experienced a mental toggle switch flip and decided to cease doing the things necessary to maintain a weight of about 370. Since Y2K, I've been making small adjustments to my life and my food intake, experimenting with nutrient balance and variety, and just generally looking to continue losing weight the way I lost in Y2K. That wasn't working. I found MFP in January of this year and finally had the tools I needed. It's not really possible to answer "how many times I started before I got serious", because I might not be serious. At the moment, I'm logging my food and planning my meals and hitting my calorie, protein and sodium targets. It seems that I haven't given up on me just yet.
  • alicetl4
    alicetl4 Posts: 15 Member
    tnm7760 wrote: »
    I think I started every Monday for six years. :D That's a slight exaggeration, but you get the point.

    The difference this time:
    I decided that I had to trust the process and just keep going.

    I realized I often gave up when I felt it wasn't working, assuming I would never get there. So, I told myself that consistency would get me there eventually, even if it was slower than I wanted. But I was just going to keep going. "Trust the process" has been something I repeat daily.

    I think that's the difference for me too, although hadn't realised til I read this :-)
  • DeadsAndDoritos
    DeadsAndDoritos Posts: 267 Member
    Probably about 5 or 6 times over the course of a decade. This time, I have decided that I am going to keep logging forever. I'm not on a diet. I don't deny myself birthday cake or treats on holiday. I just log it all and accept that if I go over my allowance, I'm not going to lose weight and it will take me longer to get to my goal. Sometimes I decide that my goal is more important so I don't drink alcohol on a night out or go out for pizza. I can choose how fast or slowly I get to goal, but I know I will get there. As far as exercise goes, my fitness goals are separate from my weight loss goals and I prioritise my training because those goals are important to me. I don't see any of this as temporary anymore. This is my lifestyle now. That is the big difference between this time and all the previous attempts.
  • runningalice
    runningalice Posts: 71 Member
    I have given up so many times... I feel loosing motivation is a key! I lost someone in my family and feel that weight was a key issue in this, and this is the motivation I needed! I have lost 26lb in 2 months! The commitment I have to continue after a bad day and the accountability I feel now is so different to the previous times. This time I have set me smaller targets and am now so close to half way! (2 lbs to go) I eat all foods and have everything prepared! if you look in my freezer at home you will find 30 pre prepared meals, no excuses for a stressful day as i did the prep earlier. I have never been so organised with my weight loss before! i even have my mum helping :)