The hardest thing you had to overcome to lose weight?

Limiting my candy intake. And starting to do physical activity. In the beginning I couldn't even walk half a 1/4 mile without being out of breath! Now watch me! I'm walkin' 5-6miles a day!:bigsmile:

Mindless eating. I can rack up way too many calories without realizing it or even feeling full. Having a little bit here and there really adds up. Keeping a food diary and making a plan is the best way for me to avoid extra calories and weight gain. I even feel better and have more energy when I eat the right portions of healthier foods.

The hardest thing I had to overcome was to continue to workout when I was working 60 hours a week! Also continuing to workout when the scale is stuck!

This.

I was pretty serious from about December to March and lost about twenty pounds (and kept it off). I still have another 25-40 pounds to lose to be healthier and happier but fell off the band wagon as my work schedule picked back up to alternating 45hr to 60 hr work weeks, plus a 45 minute commute. I'm getting back into it now to try to get the rest of the weight off but my hectic schedule is always the hardest part for me, both in regards to getting to the gym and to cooking better (e.g., not being lazy).

When we retired in 1998, I weighed 252 pounds. From 1998 to 2011, I lost down to 220 pounds using the South Beach diet and kept it off by becoming more aware of my food choices. What I started doing was using an "in place of" diet. Instead of eating nachos, chips and dip, snacks, Blizzards in addition to a meal, I eat the treats in place of. About three years ago, in 2011, I had an issue with my stomach and got completely turned off to sweets and could only eat a small amount and got my weight down to 185 and held steady there until now in June 2014, I would like to get down to 150 pounds. Over the years, I have tried TOPS, Weight Watchers, Liquid Protein diet, and South Beach diet. Most successful was the Liquid Protein, when I got down to 140 pounds, but then gained it all back up to 252.. Now down to 183 and keeping the journal of food, exercise, and knowing what my calorie count is helps. I exercise daily. Be honest with yourself when logging the calories and exercise. The loss may be slow, but it will be there. Almost all the women in my family have been overweight so genetics may play a part. It took me years to put it on, I can't expect to take it off in one month.

Consistency is the thing that's made it hard for me over the years. I'd start, try to change too much too quickly, and would quickly lose steam as soon as I was stressed or went out to eat. But for whatever reason, I've stuck to it this time. It's also extremely difficult for me to ignore my overeating cues and stick to healthy foods. It doesn't happen every single day anymore (usually when I'm PMSing, like now), but there are times when I get a terrible urge to eat everything in the house that's made of chocolate, peanut butter, and dairy products. I've avoided super mega major horrible binges, but sometimes the urge is so hard to fight off.

Oh, and getting the motivation to exercise. It's not so bad anymore, but sometimes I gotta bribe myself to get off the couch.

Another one is finally accepting that this is going to take a *long* time. I didn't put on all this weight overnight, it's slowly been packed on over the course of 10+ years. I'm not going to lose all of the weight in the next six months, probably not even in the next year. But every loss is better than the alternative. I try to take it one day at a time and remember how far I've come.

Mainly just tightening up the diet. For me the hardest thing is lowering my carb intake because most of the foods I liked have tons of carbs (and calories). So once I eliminated most of them, it's been slow and steady but successful so far. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy what I eat now though, I defiitely do. I make healthier substitution that taste just as good and I still do at least one high carb day a week.

Overcoming the fear of success.

Finally looking and feeling the way I desire, the way I've always desired, is an amazing and terrifying prospect. Being fat is a great excuse to avoid doing things that you know you must, but that make you face your your fears, and potential failure.

I already knew, deep down, I had incredible will power to do this. But while I loathed, loathed, loathed being fat, it still served some purpose that didn't become apparent until I have gotten closer and closer to goal.

Exercise and eating less sugary foods