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MyFitnessPal Community

So what makes this time different?

mandeenicoleb

Is there one single, identifiable factor in your decision to lose weight?

I'm sure this isn't the first attempt.

Personally I had a birthmark on my back which I hated all of my life. I always felt so self-conscious.

This year I spent over $2,000 for surgery to get rid of it forever.

After removing the stitches and healing.....body toning time!

I've always wanted a better body, but without the fear of exposing my back...I'm ready for the kinds of crop tops and backless dresses I've always wanted.

Replies

BreeFeelinFree

I wanna be a hot Mom and Wife oh and live a long life

JasonT1973

I want to be my old self again... Fearless in crowds, not winded after stairs and I want to fall back in love with being outdoors instead of dreading it. Renn Faire, amusement parks, boardwalks, and I have a future goal of doing a castle tour in Ireland / Scottland

thistimewillbedifferent

Given my user name, I feel compelled to answer this question!

For me, the difference is that I finally really, truly, genuinely made my health my number one priority. In the past, I always said I wanted to lose weight, but my actions didn't reflect my alleged intentions.

When I began to commit to my health at the beginning of this year, the first thing I did was to sit down and map out what elements in my life were hindering me from focusing on my health. I eliminated as many of those elements as possible, making room for things like advance food prep and working out, and each morning when I wake up, I say to myself "I take my health seriously and make conscious choices to protect and enhance it."

And then, most importantly, I ensure that -- for the most part -- my choices reflect that.

I'm not anywhere near perfect when it comes to my choices, but I'm light years ahead of where I was last year.

KristenRidl

I had a dream (actually, it was more a nightmare) the night before I officially decided to change my life for the better. In my dream, I was attempting (very unsuccessfully) to run. It was uncomfortable, frightening, and near impossible. Plus, I was larger in my dream than in real life... It was like a glimpse into my future. The following morning, I recounted the dream to my sister, and we popped in Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred then and there. (Of course I had purchased the DVD several months prior to this, without ever opening the case.) This was around September 12, 2012. Nearly 9 months later, and I have dropped almost 65 pounds!! I workout 4-6 times/week, and feel stronger than I ever have before. I am so happy now, and so thankful that I have created this new life for myself!!

beepaz

25 years of being overweight and obese, i dont want to add another 5 years of burden to my body. i want to be good to my body and be healthy, and feel GOOD! i dont want to be 30 and still be obese, i dont want to put on any more weight, i dont want to stress my body any more!

ikudbne12

Diagnosed with MS. Talk about motivating!!

A_Fit_Mom

I have the right mindset now. It is a lifestyle change not a quick fix. I also know we will not have any more kids, so now I have a lot more motivation knowing all my hard work won't be undone at a later time.

fitelisa

It finally hit me when I kept going to the hospital for different medical reasons and each one the cause of it was being overweight. So I knew I had to do something especially with the last time I went to the doctor that they put me on a strict low sodium diet. But really I began to think about how single I am in my 40s already, not married, no children and I need to do something about my weight so I can feel good to find someone in my life its never too late. But this time I really felt the calling for weight loss due to health and being still single. It came to a point I was constantly switching friends cus this one found someone that one got married. Its different this time around I have taken it seriously.

ZumbaFreak2329

I am tired of being fat! I have been trying for a really long time and I think finding MFP is the best thing that happened to me!!! I get so motivated and I actually feel supported!!!! MFP is changing my life!!!!! I know it's up to me if I wanna change and I'm doing it for me!! TIME FOR A CHANGE!!!! (: Add me peoplee!!!(:

auteurfille22

This might sound very weird, but I think it really was MFP itself. I, like millions of others, resolved at the end of 2012 that come January 1st, I would lose weight. I had bought a notebook, and I told myself I would write down everything that I ate every day. I thought that psychologically, if I saw just how much I was eating, I would eat less. Well that's not really what happened. I forgot about the notebook, and even when I remembered I couldn't be bothered to write in it. Then I had exams for school and didn't think about it at all. That brought me to the beginning of February. On February 9, I found the notebook once again. I had just gotten my new IPhone 5 and I was looking for fun apps to download. It occurred to me - "Hey, what if I just downloaded a calorie counter? I could write down how many calories I was eating in this notebook too!" MFP was the first thing that came up, so I downloaded it. At first, I was going to delete it. I just wanted something that would tell me how many calories were in different foods, and this app was asking me about what my height and weight was and how many pounds a week I wanted to lose. I didn't want to join some sort of weight loss plan. But then, for some reason, I decided to just try it. And less than 24 hours, I was OBSESSED. I literally LOVED logging. It was so exciting to me to enter different meal ideas and see how I could make them fit my calorie goal. I loved seeing how my macros broke down. And it was actually something I could stick to, since I have my phone on me ALL the time, and the novelty of the new phone made me even more attached. And from that point forward, I made a commitment to losing weight. Now that the novelty has worn off and logging is not the exciting event it used to be, I'm motivated by the progress I've already made. I look at my body and I'm so proud of how far I've come that I can't even think of stopping. I honestly think I owe it all to MFP.

dangerousdumpling

My decision to start was completely different than my reason for sticking with it. I got started in January knowing that I would have a good amount of time to get pretty good results by summer. I did not want to spend another summer trying to hide my fat and feeling embarrassed about it.

I am sticking with it because I finally get it. I get that I can't eat like I used to eat and look like I want to look. The food choices I make throughout the day, day in and day out, add up. I get that I can't eat mindlessly as much as I want. I get that I can't turn to food for comfort - that's not what it's for even though it's certainly very enjoyable at times. I get that it's not about dieting. It's about making a permanent change in my eating habits because if I can't learn to eat less now I will never maintain successfully. I don't mean to make it sound like I'm dealing with nothing but deprivation. I still eat well, but it's a reasonable amount.

MFP has been a great help, too. I've found that when I've hit my calorie allowance for the day and I feel like snacking (like tonight), just looking at my food diary helps me not want to "ruin" the day.

quiltlovinlisa

I've lost 70 pounds in the past twelve years, and have put 40 back on. What's derailed me in the past was pregnancy and babies. I am sooooo done having babies and my kids are old enough, they don't need non-stop care.

It's all up to me now. No excuses.

kdeaux1959

Honestly, this site has helped me immensely this time around (yes, you are right, there were 3 prior tries)

1. 1986 - quickly lost from 260 to 170.. Was very thin. Felt good. Finished my master's . Could not find a job for a while and put the weight back on as quickly as it came off.

2. 1992 - started running and dropped from I guess about 260 to about 199. Was feeling great. Changed my diet somewhat after my trip to Honduras and starting to date the lady who was to become my wife.

3. 2004 - Started dropping some weight by walking and watching what I ate... Was using a computer program for a while to monitor my intake but when the trial period went away, I did not keep up with it as well and after dropping from about 310 to about 260, I put it back on when Summer came and I changed my diet to a "healthy" diet (no real junk food for quite a while) but not monitoring intake of real food.

4. 2012 - Started as a relatively half-hearted attempt but it took hold. Found this site toward the end of January that year and joined the YMCA. Dropped from 344 to my current 217-200 and have been dropping slowly toward my goal for a little while now. This site helps me to keep up with what I am doing and several times I have seen by logging that I have had some trends and made adjustments. The site has helped me keep the weight off... I am now in month 18 of this journey but really, most of the weight was gone about 9 months ago or so... Just rocking alone and keeping it going.

gogoboobzilla

Oh man. So many factors this time.

a) I moved across the country away from my family and all their delicious, awful food.
b) I recently got married, and though I'm not interested now, the thought struck me that if I were to get pregnant I'd be an extremely high-risk pregnancy. Awful thought.
c) As part of moving, I no longer work in a gas station surrounded by delicious junk food.
d) As part of moving, I now live nearby an AWESOME inexpensive taqueria that I can eat a meal at without blowing my calories for the day. Great fast food replacement.
e) I did one of those all in one blood pressure/weight/etc machines at Walmart. I boasted that my blood pressure is perfect, and my husband reminded me that my pulse is high and even though I may be okay now it means my heart is working harder than it should and it will cause problems later.
f) As part of moving, we left a lot of our food behind and we've replaced it with healthy food.
g) This time, my vision isn't clouded by a million different recommendation/etc for weight loss. Eating less than I'm burning is the objective, and the weight is falling off. 1200-1500 calories a day and I'm down to 228 from 244 in just a couple weeks.

kindasortachewy

I have never wanted to lose weight for me, I've wanted to lose weight for my family, I've wanted to lose weight for guys, I've wanted to lose weight for society, but never for myself. When I went wedding dress shopping, I fell in love with a dress. The dress was amazing, I looked... fine. I wanted to look as amazing as the dress.

That is what started the whole process that got me started, I wanted to lose 10 pounds, that was 21 pounds ago and now I want to be fit and heathy more than anything

mandeenicoleb

I have never wanted to lose weight for me, I've wanted to lose weight for my family, I've wanted to lose weight for guys, I've wanted to lose weight for society, but never for myself. When I went wedding dress shopping, I fell in love with a dress. The dress was amazing, I looked... fine. I wanted to look as amazing as the dress.

That is what started the whole process that got me started, I wanted to lose 10 pounds, that was 21 pounds ago and now I want to be fit and heathy more than anything

I love that! When we do it for ourselves I think that's when we have the most success.

JustDeke

I just reached critical mass and had to change. 35 over 400lbs, single, pre-diabetic, blood pressure, depression, and moving to a new job that I couldn't get insurance in due to my size. Something had to give, and I was determined it wouldn't be me.

Over 50lbs down now. No blood pressure or depression meds needed. Blood work is great. Long ways to go still, but every day I remember I finally made the right choice.

–Deke

Follow my progress:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/JustDeke

mandeenicoleb

I just reached critical mass and had to change. 35 over 400lbs, single, pre-diabetic, blood pressure, depression, and moving to a new job that I couldn't get insurance in due to my size. Something had to give, and I was determined it wouldn't be me.

Over 50lbs down now. No blood pressure or depression meds needed. Blood work is great. Long ways to go still, but every day I remember I finally made the right choice.

–Deke

Follow my progress:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/JustDeke

Congrats on that huge loss!!! Inspirational indeed. It's always great when we don't have to rely on medications and our bodies cooperate with us!!!

This thread is making me pumped to work out.

dettiot

I had already resolved to start working out again and become healthier this year. At the end of April, I started using MFP, had just started up Zombies Run again . . . and my father passed away at the age of 60 on May 1. That, more than anything else, has inspired me to stay focused. I don't want to miss out on years that I could have because my body gives out.

Of course I want to be thinner, to look better, but more than that I just want to be healthy. It's been easy for me to pretend that I'm okay, since I have good endurance and a lot of stubbornness. But I'm tired of pretending. So voila, it's time to replace the stubbornness with determination and actually become healthy.

mandeenicoleb

I had already resolved to start working out again and become healthier this year. At the end of April, I started using MFP, had just started up Zombies Run again . . . and my father passed away at the age of 60 on May 1. That, more than anything else, has inspired me to stay focused. I don't want to miss out on years that I could have because my body gives out.

Of course I want to be thinner, to look better, but more than that I just want to be healthy. It's been easy for me to pretend that I'm okay, since I have good endurance and a lot of stubbornness. But I'm tired of pretending. So voila, it's time to replace the stubbornness with determination and actually become healthy.

I'm sorry to hear about your father. I am happy you want to live a long healthy life. All the luck in the world to you. You can definitely do it and this is a great place to get there.

Qskim

"It's not that some people have will power and some do not. It's that some people are ready to change, and others are not."

I wish I could remember who that quote is by, but I have it written on my bathroom mirror as a reminder. I'm ready to change.

I will also add that willpower is overrated. It's only meant for that first walk past the cookie jar. If you are silly enough to walk past it again...well. People beat themselves up too much over willpower. It's fleeting. Once I realised that I needed to set myself up for success, I either removed the cookie jar completely or planned for two cookies. Adherence comes with being somewhat flexible. Fitting in what you know you can't resist or if you go overboard, realizing that it was only one minor incident and just start again the very next meal.

I decided to set no goal either. It was too much pressure and gave the scales too much power. I just focused on improving health by making better choices. I accepted I would have days where I had the foot off the pedal. If I have a slack week, I tell myself it's not the end of the world and just start over. It's the first time I have confidently kept at it. Being too rigid in the past, believing a diet must look a certain way, almost like punishment, made me give up at the first sign of failure rather than just picking up and starting again. This time with health as a focus, the victory is any better choice daily. Scales are somewhat further down the list.

kitten9786

This time is different because I have for the first time ever LOADS of support. Not only at home now with my husband and family but here. Thanks to all of you it has helped. I know I haven't lost much yet but I had to get a new swimsuit this year and was able to get one a size 20 instead of the size 24 which is where I used to be!!

schaapj2

I always hated exercise. This time I started lifting and lifting heavy at that....I found something I love! Never looking back

katy_trail

everything is different.
I am different. (nside)
I want to change like I need air to breathe, and my 'plan' makes me happy. tasty food that is healthy and filling.
workouts that help me destress and feel proud.
My workouts and food prep are short, simple, sustainable.
Great support.

they are all important, and without one of them, everything falls apart.

katy_trail

I always hated exercise. This time I started lifting and lifting heavy at that....I found something I love! Never looking back

agreed addicted to lifting has helped. although, i loved my workouts before, but without consistency, it doesn't matter.

butterflyluv1218

Honestly I had a WTF are you doing moment. I knew about my health problems but because I don't have any symptoms I just did whatever I wanted. I'm still early in my "journey" but I really think this is it. I have met many wonderful people on here you help keep me motivated. I have no support at home so I come here. It's been great. I am finally learning that it's okay to take time for myself. I spend so much time being everything to everyone else that I just didn't care. I know all of us can do this. It just takes that WTF moment.