How many times can a person start over??

I am yes, starting over yet again. I lost 35 lbs this year only to gain 25 back. Before I surrender my body and my wallet to a personal trainer I am going to try one more time. Ideally, I need to lose 100 lbs. I am still fairly active with lots of hiking and outdoor activity BUT it takes such a toll on me, carrying a small person on my back on me all day and night. Anyway, I have to confess to someone my true weight since I hide it from my doctor and from friends (who always underguess me probably out of sympathy lol). I am 351.5 and so here I go again.

Thanks for everyone's honesty on this sight. I do not feel so alone.
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Replies

  • 13suzie
    13suzie Posts: 349 Member
    Here's a good quote to digest: When you are sick and tired of starting over, stop giving up!
  • Smiling_Sara
    Smiling_Sara Posts: 203 Member
    As many as it takes. =)
  • Makajo2013
    Makajo2013 Posts: 8 Member
    I have also started ove quite a few times.....(more than a few)....
    But think of the alternative if we never even tried?
    Just keep plugging along..... you will feel better and then get into it as you lose more weight.
  • Hobb3s
    Hobb3s Posts: 119 Member
    I think the key is to never stop. If you stop and roll back to the old ways, the weight regain is a certainty. I did the same, slid backwards on the progress bar, now I'm back into it and realizing I need to commit to it as a permanent change.
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
    Here's a good quote to digest: When you are sick and tired of starting over, stop giving up!

    Nice quote.

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  • livelovelaugh91897
    livelovelaugh91897 Posts: 27 Member
    You know I ask myself everyday, but now I'm starting over today. All I need is motivation, and I could do this. I have been restarting for over 6 years, but this time I'm SUPER serious. Also I really love that quote up above. Never thought about it that way. :laugh:
  • I think you can start over as many times as needed. Maybe you wasnt fully ready at first and now you're ready to dedicate yourself to becoming healthier. It is mind over matter. You have to do whats best for you and as long as you're doing this for yourself you can do it.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    :heart: "Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist
    but the ability to start over."

    Perhaps think of it as 'continuing where you left off '.... sounds like a positive move to me!:drinker: :wink:

    Sometimes we take breaks, might even gain a bit but it's a continuation of the process of getting healthier. You're back to create a healthier life for yourself... nothing ever wrong with wanting to make healthy changes!

    I think of everyday as a new start for me, a new chance...:flowerforyou:
  • You start over as many times as it takes.. but what I will say is that you should look at each day as a fresh start. So you went over your cals yesterday.. or didn't log.. well today is a new day to get it right.

    Make small goals for that day.. "Today, I'm going to stay within my cal range. or Today, I'm going to drink my 8 glasses of water"

    Celebreate the small victories not the perceived failures.

    Good luck on your journey. :-)
  • Buff2022
    Buff2022 Posts: 373 Member
    I guess you could say I am starting over too. I have been here but have not been putting my all into it. I have gained back 7 pounds this summer. All in the last 2 months. So now my goal is to take off 13 pounds before my birthday.

    When I take off that 13 pounds I am going to treat myself to a pedicure.

    You keep starting over till you get it. You can start over as many times as you need to until you die.
  • tomoswilding
    tomoswilding Posts: 56 Member
    I know how you feel - I lost 70lbs a few years ago, and put 42lbs back on over 2 years. I've started again 5 weeks ago and already lost 23lbs. I think a lot of it is being in the right frame of mind and having some drive behind you - for me it was a relationship breakup. I got angry, got determined and got training and dieting.

    Find your motivation and inspiration, and realise that you'll only get out of it what you put in to it.
  • JumpingJacs
    JumpingJacs Posts: 28 Member
    I'm back in the grind starting today. I need to lose the last 30 lbs to be at goal. I should have been there by now but, I can't look back. We got this!
  • icyeyes317
    icyeyes317 Posts: 226 Member
    As many times as it takes for success. It's like science....a million failures can lead to one amazing success. Also, most scientific discoveries start out by saying "well, that's interesting..."

    Don't get discouraged. You only fail when you don't start again.
  • _Tink_
    _Tink_ Posts: 3,845 Member
    You start over as many times as it takes to get you on the path you need to be on. "Fall down 7 times, get up 8." Best of luck to you! :smile:
  • Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    You can start as many times as necessary. I agree with the previous poster who said if you're tired of starting over, don't quit. Makes sense.

    What I want to know is HOW do you hide your true weight from your doctor? The first thing they do when I get there is weigh me.
  • :heart: "Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist
    but the ability to start over."

    I've started over more times than I can count. I like this quote from someone else - it's a great one to keep in mind. You have good days and you have bad days, but you never give up; just keep on going. God bless.
  • meadow_sage
    meadow_sage Posts: 308 Member
    I am yes, starting over yet again. I lost 35 lbs this year only to gain 25 back. Before I surrender my body and my wallet to a personal trainer I am going to try one more time. Ideally, I need to lose 100 lbs. I am still fairly active with lots of hiking and outdoor activity BUT it takes such a toll on me, carrying a small person on my back on me all day and night. Anyway, I have to confess to someone my true weight since I hide it from my doctor and from friends (who always underguess me probably out of sympathy lol). I am 351.5 and so here I go again.

    Thanks for everyone's honesty on this sight. I do not feel so alone.

    As many times as it takes!!! Try to look at it as rededicating yourself, not starting over. Ever slip up, climb, decline, gain, loss is all part of your journey. The more times you start, the longer you will commit. You can do it. It's not about how many times you fall off the wagon, it's about getting back on and not quitting completely.
  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
    You start over as many times as it takes.. but what I will say is that you should look at each day as a fresh start. So you went over your cals yesterday.. or didn't log.. well today is a new day to get it right.

    Make small goals for that day.. "Today, I'm going to stay within my cal range. or Today, I'm going to drink my 8 glasses of water"

    Celebreate the small victories not the perceived failures.

    Good luck on your journey. :-)

    ^^^^EXACTLY!!! Pick up where you left off! This is a life long journey for all of us (eventhough there are people who hate calling it a journey). I have fallen and gotten back up so many times it isn't funny but, ya know what, I am not where I was when I started so, I keep looking at that! Yeah, I could be a goal right now but, also, I wouldn't have learned so much nor would I have seen the wrong directions for me to avoid them during maintenance.

    This whole process HAS to be for the rest of your life, not just to get to a goal, like I used to think. Once you get to your goal, you'll have to do something to stay at/around goal, right?!?!

    We'll eventually get there. Find certain things or people or events and match them with a small goaol of where you want to try to be. My first goal was to lose 10%...my next goal was to get to a certain weight by Christmas, and so on...my new goal is to drop 15 by my class reunion. Smaller goals equal BIGGER results!!

    GOOD LUCK!!!!!
  • DaveMurphy6
    DaveMurphy6 Posts: 130 Member
    I start over every day..The past is gone
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    It's not about the speed you're going but the direction you're going in.

    Why did you give up before?

    If I have a bad day, I eat too much or I'm lazy and can't be bothered to exercise, I draw a line under it and carry on with my tomorrow. I don't berate myself for it, I don't allow feeling sluggish or lethargic, or the possibility of soreness because I skipped a day, stop me from getting back on the horse. I don't want a bad day to turn into a bad week, or month, or year.

    Even if I underperform today because of my choices, tomorrow or the next day I can do better. It's a blip in the road, but it's no reason to quit entirely.
  • JumpingJacs
    JumpingJacs Posts: 28 Member
    Love it! I reposted it on fb. Thanks
  • Luv2Smile55
    Luv2Smile55 Posts: 133 Member
    It's NEVER too late to try again. Please don't give up on yourself. We are living a "marathon not a sprint." Yesterday is over, tomorrow is yet to be. Live for today and give it your best shot. You CAN do it!!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    As many times as it takes! I can't tell you how many times I tried to lose weight in the last 25 years or so years of my life. Starting with joining WW in my early teens through Atkins, diet pills, shakes, WW again, etc etc. Nothing stuck until I was truly ready. (hm, truly is one of those words that looks wrong LOL)

    The one thing that really helped me was realizing that I didn't have to starve myself. I still have pizza and chocolate but eat them in reasonable portions that fit my calorie and macro goals (mostly, I do go over now and then). I also experimented with making some of my favorite homemade dishes healther and tried new lighter recipes too.

    Also, I started paying attention to how certain foods made me feel. Sure carbs are yummy but they don't stick to my ribs like protein and healthy fats do. Or I at least have to make sure I pick more "slow" carbs like fruits, veg and whole grains.

    Just remember, one bad day (or even a few bad days) doesn't mean you have to quit, it just means you have to make sure you get right back on track the next day. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.

    Best of luck!
  • I know a man who has lost a lot of weight and kept it off. EB is 64 years old, he lost over 100 lbs. (255 to 135) about 25 years ago and has not gained any of it back, this is how he does it: He eats nothing that is not healthy. You know what I'm talking about here: no chips, ice cream, heavy sauces, deserts, fatty meats, butter... If you think it is not health, it probably isn't. Half of everything he does eat is vegetables (fresh or frozen). The rest is small amounts of fruit, whole grains and lean meats and dairy. Now, here's the kicker, his food is very tasty, he is a good cook. You walk away from his dinner table feeling satisfied and healthy.

    These are some of his tips:
    * He weighs himself everyday, when he gets up in the morning. He allows a 3 lb. variation in his weight. If he hits 138 he cuts back on that days food.
    * He eats no more than 1800-2000 calories a day.
    * EB exercises and average of 1 hour per day and does not eat more because he has exercised. His exercise is varied to avoid injuries and boredom.
    * Lunch is very light, usually, carrots, celery, and other fresh veggies (no ranch dip!).
    * Deserts are usually something like apples with dry cheese or sliced mango.
    * There are only 2 holidays where he can eat more: Christmas and Thanksgiving, and not the days after or the at the parties before. Only the holiday meal.
    * He says it took him a good five years before he even began to like eating and exercising this way. It was not easy. FIVE YEARS just to get used to it.

    Are you willing to do that?

    Good luck, stay in touch, let us know how it goes.
  • JulesAlloggio
    JulesAlloggio Posts: 480 Member
    as many times as it takes till you realize that what you're doing the last time didn't work. so change it up and get your act together!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I am still fairly active with lots of hiking and outdoor activity BUT it takes such a toll on me, carrying a small person on my back on me all day and night.
    Getting your calorie deficit in is all that matters. Maybe do it mainly with diet to start with and build up the exercise very, very gradually as you get fitter.

    Good luck"! :flowerforyou:
  • HollyHobbitToes
    HollyHobbitToes Posts: 131 Member
    Start over as many times as it takes until you've had enough and give it all you've got! I was the same as you...lost then gained back a portion each year...this year I am determined not to let that happen and so far so good....usually by now I've fallen way off track...trust me, as long as you get back on your horse and don't let t defeat you, you will eventually get there! Good things take time :) This is year 4 for me :)
  • danarandallreed
    danarandallreed Posts: 132 Member
    As many times as it takes.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I start over every Monday whether I need to or not. It's the secret to my success.

    You're never done with this process. Your eating will never be perfect. You will never get to your scale goal and be able to return to eating the way you do now. You will never meet your fitness goals and be able to stop working out.

    Sometimes you have to start over three times in one day. Sometimes you'll cruise for a period of weeks or months before you veer off course and need to take note of where you drifted and make a plan for getting back to where you need to be.

    How many times? How many times are you going to go off plan? Take that number and add one, my friend.