New, Back to Calorie Counting, and Happy!

This is my 20th day logging in so I thought I would introduce myself.

I have had issues with weight gain since I was young, but when I was in my twenties, it was pretty easy to control with exercise.

Then I went to law school in New Orleans. Law school can be stressful and all I did for four years was sit on my butt studying, eat pasta, and go out drinking. It is pretty socially acceptable, or at least more common to be fat in New Orleans, so while I didn't feel great, it didn't seem like that big a deal.

Then after Hurricane Katrina we moved back to Boston and I started an office job. All of a sudden I noticed that I was older, much fatter, and couldn't keep up with my colleagues. We would walk three blocks to lunch and I would be a block behind, panting and drenched in sweat. Not cool.

First I worked out with a personal trainer, and then six months later I started counting calories on MyPlate. I lost 80 lbs. over about two years and felt pretty good. I maintained that loss for awhile, and then all the good habits fell away. I stopped calorie counting. I love going out to eat and drinking. Then I hurt my knee running with my dog and then got bronchitis, taking me out of the gym for 3 months. When I finally got healthy I had gained 20 lbs. back.

I tried Weight Watchers for about three months, and then a "Clean Eating" plan and didn't lose any weight. I had no interest in going back to my old gym where you do the same routines over and over and over again.

So! 40 days ago I launched Plan B. I joined a gym based on functional movement: power, strength, and stamina, and started doing workout classes based on kettlebells, squats, and other exercises and have been going 3x a week. And 20 days ago I came back to calorie counting.

I've lost my first 5 lbs. and I feel awesome and under control. It's great to be "back" and I'd like to meet some new online friends.