How have *you* broken your weight loss streak?

I think for me there are a couple factors. One was having a strong reason for why I was losing weight. Another was having accountability partners to keep me on track. Last I made sure to occasionally treat myself (but staying within my calories, not going overboard) so I didn't feel like I was depriving myself.

Overconfidence without having the moderation gene kick in is one reason for me. My thinking: "I've lost some weight so I don't have to log my food today (which turns into a week, or month)". Then you fall off the band wagon of being really conscious of what you eat. This results into the portions becoming larger and eating calories that are way over your deficit or maintenance calories.

I think for me personally, I lost 28lbs and started looking great...people would comment on how much weight I had lost and some would say I'm too "skinny" this was the permission I needed to go eat when really I should have focussed not on weight loss but fat loss...Whats different this time? I don't know, everyone will always have an opinion, my motivation is different instead of loosing weight I want to loose and maintain so I guess thats another challenge right there...also understanding that one bad meal/ decision will not undo all my work and the opposite!!! Come on guys we can do it!!!

Totally this! I was down a lot and became complacent because people told me I should be happy with where I was and happy with my weight loss. Maybe they were right? I stopped focusing on the calories and started working out very sporadically instead of obsessively...and 30 of those pounds came back on...and I'm back to losing them now. Everyone will have an opinion and I don't need to be happy because they say I should be. I don't need to stop because people say I should. When I am happy with me...I'll be the one to know it!

bump - for inspiration - I'm on a half trying slump which I need to get myself out of

... but the fact I'm half trying ... rather that just giving up IS a postive

I did so during exam period (needed food all day for studying), the post exam period (I was drinking a lot to celebrate then went away to Rome so ate my body weight in Pizza (and drank it again in wine) ) and the next one is coming when I head to Venice and Croatia in a few weeks.

I think the main thing that throws people off is being too strict - every time I have stopped I have done it out of personal choice and it's never thrown me off course permanently. I've only lost 20lbs since January but that's over 10% of my original body weight and I used to eat SO BADLY all of the time. My worst habit was around 10 months ago I ate breakfast, lunch, dinner and second dinner, all meals consisting largely of crap. If I logged how much I ate back then now, it would be well over 3000 calories a day. But now I have got myself into good habits long term I exercise good self restraint but reward myself by having time off - it's no fun to be the only person watching their food and drink at a big event etc. People get fed up and wonder if it's really worth it if you're too hard on yourself all of the time.

The most important thing to remember is that this is a lifestyle choice - it can only be made permanent if you make it sustainable. If you try and force yourself to give up the things you love forever and always instead of telling yourself you can only have it in moderation it's a course for failure. And at the end of the day, moderation allows you to appreciate things more.

I had a 50-ish day streak, at 20 lbs down and it kind of all came crashing down last month. My uncle had a stroke, my boyfriend dumped me, my little sister had a baby, I fainted at work, and I was working 45+ hours a week. That entire month just really went out the window and I gained a little over 5 lbs in that time. Luckily, I'm not even 2 weeks into this month and I'm already back on track. Started a workout regimen, too. Full steam ahead.

Going back to overeating is a signal that one hasn't addressed the reason they turn to food as a drug to medicate the cause of pain, fear, stress, etc.

The mechanics of losing weight is simple and straight forward...but unless one addresses and works through issues that result in food addiction, removing weight and maintaining that loss for any period of time will prove to be difficult and cause much suffering.

Many folks deny they are addicted to food ("I just LOVE the taste of food...but I'm not addicted)..but the evidence of their addiction (i.e. fat) is out there for all to see. Evidence of food addiction can be seen in some folks who have had gastric bypass and because they can no longer rely on food to "fill the void and ease the pain" they turn to the use of drugs and alcohol.

Signs of addiction are:

1) Taking substance and can't stop
2) Withdrawal symptoms
3) Addiction continues despite health problem awareness
4) Social and/or recreational sacrifices
5) Maintaining a good supply of substances
6) Obsession with getting and using substance
7)**Denial**
8) Secrecy and solitude
9) Excess consumption
10) Dropping hobbies & activities one used to enjoy
11) Having secret stashes of substances

May of us on MFP can tick quite a few (if not all) of these boxes when it comes to our overeating habits. If diet and exercise was the answer, most everyone on MFP would possibility qualify for the cover of the next issue of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition or GQ.

The first time I dropped 75 pounds, I didn't address the mind-body connection of my addiction and regained it all back plus 10 pounds.. This time around, I am working through that connection...it's not easy, but I know it is THE KEY to maintaining my healthy lifestyle. I am currently 1 year & 4 months into maintenance.

Like a lot of others I think I've been too harsh and unrealistic with previous efforts where I probably considered the diet a kind of short term punishment until I could go back to 'normal' food. I find that frequent travel for work and holidays are also big contributors to falling off the healthy eating wagon.

Before, I always used to focus mostly on exercise, eat just salad or soup and ignore the more holistic nutrition aspect because I considered myself a hopeless case in the kitchen. I'm trying to make a more equal balance this time- involving exercise because I enjoy it and like seeing results but also trying to prepare healthy (but not miserably restricted) lunches for work.