What did you do differently this time?

This time I decided I was going to do it no matter what.

No Matter What!

If I had to be selfish to get it done, then I was selfish. If I thought it would hurt someones feelings 'cause they brought in sugar cookies and I didn't have any, I still didn't have any. Strangely enough, no one's feelings were really hurt, once they realized how serious I was with my fitness goals. If it meant getting up at 5am in the morning to make sure I got my work out in, I got up at 5am.

I also firmly made myself go into it slowly and steadily at the start. All too often in the past, I would go into it whole hog (if you'll pardon the unhealthy pun ) and hurt myself one or two weeks in...then never get back into it. Not this time. I didn't use it as an excuse to not Bring It, but I was hyper aware of where the line was and that I did not want to cross it.

What's different for me this time, is I know how to do it. Before, I thought eating less meant basically starving yourself. I would only eat 900 calories a day. Then, when I couldn't stick to it, I would beat myself up and think that I didn't deserve to be thin. I had no idea how many calories I was burning per day, no idea what my basal metabolic rate was, and no idea what all the sodium was doing to my body.

Now I have a tool that I didn't have before. It helps me keep on track, it educated me on what I didn't know before, and best of all, it has introduced me to others that are in the same boat who ARE doing it. I've learned that if I fall off the horse one day, that doesn't mean I can't get right back on. I don't have to hate myself for being fat... I just have to do something about it!

I made it about what i want for myself.

There were a couple of things I did differently. I started by realizing that this change would happen one step at a time. I even wrote on my bathroom mirror, "The road to success is traveled one step at a time." Then I have been keeping track of my weekly weigh-ins since I started back at the end of June. It is a daily reminder of what I am trying to accomplish.

I set a specific goal. Again, back in June, I stated that I wanted to weigh 190 pounds by the end of the Year. I set this goal based on what I projected I could lose at two pounds a week and then gave myself some wiggle room for those "unexpected" weeks where things didn't go completely according to plan. I quote the unexpected because I know myself better than to say I would be completely perfect in my eating and exercise habits. I planned for those unplanned struggles.

I realized that I couldn't completely eliminate all the "bad" foods all at once without failure. Even today, I still enjoy going out to eat both with friends and on my own. There are meals I just don't feel like doing the work. For these times I created a rule, I will only allow myself to spend x amount of dollars, or only buy x amount of whatever at this restaurant. There have been deviations, but there has been enough time being on track that those slips are canceled out.

I made it my rule to focus on my successes rather than my failures. When I would have more fast food, or a larger meal than I had planned. I would look on my mirror and see where I started. Each week I wrote down how much I had lost during the prior week to see my steps and this served as a reminder that I was succeeding. The change wasn't happening over night, but it was happening despite the times I wasn't perfectly on track. If I missed a workout one day, I would remind myself of how many times I *had* worked out.

I changed things up. With exercise, I knew that doing the same thing for prolonged periods of time becomes less effective. This summer I did a lot of hiking. This was my primary exercise activity. When I didn't feel like hiking, I would go for a bike ride. There were some days that all I did was put on my shoes and go for a walk. When the weather turned cold, I discovered exercise DVDs. I started with Jillian's 30 Day Shred and am currently doing Insanity.

I limit the amount of 'junk' that I actually purchase. I don't buy packs of soda, large bags of chips or candy, and try to avoid processed foods as much as possible. Instead, I buy fruits and vegetables that I enjoy and am constantly trying to find new healthy recipes. If I must purchase candy, I only buy the smaller individual bags, rather than the larger bags. If I must have chips, I portion it into individual baggies and only eat those portions.

I maximize my water intake. If there is anything that I have learned that will help in weight-loss success, it is the proper consumption of water. Life cannot succeed without water, and our bodies work the most efficiently with a steady supply of it. Keep a container of water with you at all times and refill it the moment it gets empty. This may mean more frequent visits to the restroom, but it flushes out so much that it is worth it.

I track my food. Being on MFP probably makes this aspect obvious, but you can't make changes if you don't know where you are or where you have been.

I share my goals with others. It helps to have a support system and people that you can share the journey with.

Lastly, I never stop learning. I am always seeking new information on diet and exercise. When I find particularly good information, I bookmark it so that I can go back to it.

I allowed myself time to adjust, learn, figure out what was working and what wasn't- WITHOUT quitting! Before, I tried to do a lifestyle 180 degree change overnight- which often led to resentment, a binge, and giving up. That was a diet. I went into this wanting my life changed and it was gradual. I have had no resentment or feelings of "doing without." I put no restrictions on myself- none. That puts ALL of the control in my power- not the foods. I started taking responsibility for my choices and stopped making excuses. I realized that I held the keys to my future and either I could keep being an excuse making chubby mama or get busy!

I found tools that works for me.. I found MFP and I purchased a HRM. For me, using MFP really is THE BEST way to log. Since I started this back in the summer, I have never once felt like I was dieting. I didn't have to count calories to convert to points to see how I was doing... I didn't have to exclude a food group or eat only rice for 9 days. I just enter what I eat.. and I already know what to eat.. I simply focus more on portion sizes. Using the HRM has allowed me to more accurately gauge how exercise helps me .. I can eat more as long as I put in some time on exercise. Pretty simple, huh? And there is a bonus.. because of MFP, I have made some vitural friends that help me stay focused and keep me going. I read all the success stories, look at the B & A pictures, check out the advice that everyone has..that is what really works. Yep, for me - MFP is what I am doing differently this time. And I think it is going to stick!

I love this thread, btw.

The first thing I did diferently was to decide, "I'm tired of being fat, so I'm not going to do it anymore." For some reason, that resonates with me because I finally acknowledged that it had always been a choice I was making, and now I'm making a different one.

The second thing, I never realized before how much of my weight, was me punishing myself for being fat, or failing before. So, I had to forgive myself and start looking at where I am going instead of where I had been. I started believing I could do this, so I didn't need to focus on the past failures.

And, others have said this, but really understanding how simple it is. If I just keep track of the calories, I don't overeat. If I want to eat more, then I exercise more. This site certainly makes that process easy and it certainly is something I am doing differently. And having some on line friends here with similar struggles and goals helps a lot too!

This sounds VERY familiar to me

This is what I did differently:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/superwmn/view/what-i-ve-learned-since-2007-part-1-48846

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/superwmn/view/what-i-ve-learned-since-2007-part-2-48848

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/superwmn/view/what-i-ve-learned-since-2007-part-3-48849

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/superwmn/view/what-i-ve-learned-since-2007-part-4-48850

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/superwmn/view/what-i-ve-learned-since-2007-part-5-48851

Charmagne

I realized that I'm in control of my life - while I can't control everything that happens to me, I can control how I react to everything. For me, eating has been tied to emotions - I eat when I'm depressed, upset, etc., and I also tend to overeat at social functions because I'm very introverted and uncomfortable in crowds. However, eating doesn't solve anything and by submitting to emotional eating, I'm giving up my control over my own body. I now remind myself and hold on to the fact that I have control over what I eat and the exercise I do - excuses don't cut it - if it's important to me, I'll make it happen. If I say I want to be healthy (and I really do!) then my actions need to reflect that, or I'm talking a big talk without walking the walk.

I don't WANT to be fat. I know that I CAN be a healthy person if I want to be. I want to live for a long time and experience all the joys that life has to offer, and being obese and being at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. should NOT be a part of that.