Starting Over...AGAIN

forest0spirit555

Hello everyone,

This will be my fourth time trying to lose the extra love handles. I have been really discouraged and reluctant up until now because I feel like I will never conquer this monster. I always drop 15-20 pounds easily but then I begin to fall out of my healthy eating habits and begin to regress. Naturally I have found it difficult to maintained a positive attitude. I tend to be the kind of person to become obsessed with losing weight. I will push myself, become stronger, maintain a strict diet but it ll comes crashing down within 5 months. I am getting tired of this battle but at this point I do not know how to try and reach my goals without overdoing it so that I get burnt out, discouraged and upset. What are some of the ways you have maintained a positive attitude, lost weight, and not overdone it on the dieting/exercise?

forest0spirit555

bump

vanguardfitness

Long term dieting with a calorie deficit is difficult to begin with. How strict are you? After 5 months of calorie deficit I am not surprised that you're getting burnt out. You should periodically structure refeeds into your diet where for about 1 day or for a full week you're eating above maintenance calories.

pkw58

I hear you on losing/gaining the same weight. I can tell you what the difference was for me , 13 months into my new healthy lifestyle.. it was the commitment to embracing a new lifestyle. And that staying the same number on the scales for 3 weeks was ok as I set my weekly goal to 1/2 a pound. My goals were to log every calorie for a year, then I recommitted last month to do it for another year. Good bad or indifferent, I log my calories.

Make your diary private and keep going.

rherington

Every 4 to 6 weeks schedule a week where you eat at maintenance calories and lighten up on the exercise. I also don't go real low calorie to begin with. I plan to still have the sweets, "bad food" etc while dieting. First you don't burn out as fast and I try to make it so when I reach my goal I can still enjoy life at lower calories.

4C_diva

I know exactly how you feel. I am starting over....Again myself. Hopefully this time will be different for both of us.If want an online support buddy, feel free to add me as a friend. Maybe we can keep each other motivated.

BettyandVeronica

Hello everyone,

This will be my fourth time trying to lose the extra love handles. I have been really discouraged and reluctant up until now because I feel like I will never conquer this monster. I always drop 15-20 pounds easily but then I begin to fall out of my healthy eating habits and begin to regress. Naturally I have found it difficult to maintained a positive attitude. I tend to be the kind of person to become obsessed with losing weight. I will push myself, become stronger, maintain a strict diet but it ll comes crashing down within 5 months. I am getting tired of this battle but at this point I do not know how to try and reach my goals without overdoing it so that I get burnt out, discouraged and upset. What are some of the ways you have maintained a positive attitude, lost weight, and not overdone it on the dieting/exercise?

Your talking about my lifestory right there. I lose big and gain big as well. It's a vicious cycle. I'm trying to lose the weight now and keep it off FOR GOOD as I'm reaching 30 now and want to be healthy for when I have babies.

Feel free to add me (anyone) and hopefully by spring we can be singing a different tune. There is so much support on here it's great.

forest0spirit555

Thanks for the tip. I usually am very strict and I believe that that is part of my problem. I am trying to be less strict this time around. I pan on making small goals and trying to meet them.

shaunap3

Ditto honey. I've been on and off the wagon for the last 5 years. It can be exhausting, but I find switching things up keeps me motivated. A new workout (or machine, or routine), new foods, new cooking utensils/machines, seasonal changes, etc. You still need to live your life while trying to lose weight, keep things interesting!

KaseyWolf

I've been at this for over a year now and I know it can get to be frustrating. I read an article recently about an aspect of changing my eating habits (refuse to think of this as a diet since I'm sticking to this as a lifestyle change). It gave me a perspective I didn't have before and helped.

http://www.coachcalorie.com/how-to-say-no-to-unhealthy-food/

BTW, they have great articles throughout.

Here's another that might help

http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/

geekyjock76

Unreasonable rigidity will cause most interventions to fail. If someone told me I had to cut out ice cream while doing 60 minutes of intense cardio five days a week, I wouldn't stick with such a plan. Establish a plan that closely mirrors how you will eat and exercise once you reach your goals and maintain.

supercatie18

I feel you, I feel like I have been trying to lose weight for years. The past year has gone well for me however and for once I am not making that New Years Resolution again, only to find myself equal to if not greater in weight than the year prior. For once Now, I try and think about healthy eating and exercise as how I am, not a "diet". I pretty much eat a little below maintenance for my ideal weight and consider it the way I will eat for the rest of my life. I also try to work out for the fun of it versus to "lose weight". It has to be a sustainable change, that way it's not "starting over" it's just "the way it is". Granted, it does take a lot longer to actually get the weight off (1/2 per week or less), but that's okay because it's better than starting over again and again.

dont_give_up

I've started over several times since starting MFP and I just started again here recently. I just get burned out on counting calories and exercising that I just need a break, that is until I look in the mirror and notice that ton of flubber I need to lose. I guess thats what motivates me to stay on track, knowing that one day I will look in the mirror and it will all be gone,and I did it the healthy way, without any pills or surgery. It just gets frustrating at times because it takes forever. I have been here since June 2011 and I've lost 49 lbs, and I've managed to keep it of, with the exception of gaining a lb or 2 here and there, but I lose it again. One day all this hard work will pay off!! Just gotta have faith!!
Feel free to add me, I need all the motivation and support I can get from anyone!!!

Firefox7275

Thanks for the tip. I usually am very strict and I believe that that is part of my problem. I am trying to be less strict this time around. I pan on making small goals and trying to meet them.

To get the weight off and keep it off you need to make a change for life not engage in a strict temporary diet.