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.

Well, I've had 2 "breaks" from my weight loss so far.

1st time: My plan wasn't sustainable. It was actually before I started counting calories. I really over restricted and only let myself enjoy a very very limited selection of food (like maybe 10 different things total). While I did lose a decent amount of weight, when the holiday's hit I didn't have the self control to stick to my over restricted diet. I gained about 20lbs of what I had lost back (not to bad when I had almost lost 60lbs).

2nd time: My plan was great. Easy to stick to. I'd probably be really close to my goal by now if I hadn't gotten pregnant. How am I planning to stop it from happening again? I am on birth control now (instead of trying to remember a condom when me and my husband have had 1 to many drinks )

I think what causes a person to slip up will vary. For some people, they aren't sure losing weight is what they really want. For some it's their own insecurities. I know some women who have said they don't want to lose weight because "only skinny girls get raped." :huh: :noway: Some think that losing weight means over restrictive diets and never eating some of their favorite foods again. For some, it's as simple as seeing the scale move up 1lb instead of down or even lose 2lbs a week instead of the 5lbs they wanted (yes I've actually seen posts like this). The list goes on and on.

Things that help prevent slip ups:
- Want: People have to truly want it. If they don't than they will give up easily.
- Patience: People need to have patience. This is very hard for a lot of people. They expect the weight to drop like they see on the Biggest Loser.

- Support: Nothing beats having friends and family who support you. Now support doesn't mean agreeing with every decision a person makes. To me support is steering a person away from bad decisions (vlcd's, diet pills, etc) and cheering on the good ones (exercising, healthier food choices, etc).
- Moderation : I fully believe that cutting calories while allowing yourself to eat your favorite foods in moderation makes this process so much easier. I'm not saying filling your calories with ice cream, cookies, pop tarts, and such, but just make room for a little bit every so often.
- Scale Lies : People also need to remember that the scale isn't the best way to measure progress. The number it shows is a reflection of a lot of different factors. Measurements and pictures are not swayed by near as many factors as the scale. You never know, you may find your goal body weighs more than you thought it would.

Nope - but I do think that a particularly stressful time at work = more drinking, which has a lot of calories and throws discipline out the window. I am (was?) definitely a stress drinker and eater.

Give me a few drinks and all discipline is outta the window. I'm eating everything. Does that come deep fried?? I also eat more and more carelessly when I am over tired. So if the social calendar is full for a stretch or life throws me a curve ball in lifestyle the leaves me wiped out too often, I can blow up like a house.

PMS. I guess you can't relate to that one.

LMAO!

booze

spring hit and the beers came out

cut out all alcohol, most meat, and no sweets. I'm not really craving anything or torturing myself. In fact, I feel like I can just keep on going indefinitely and get to my goal weight (although my weight loss has leveled off at a more normal/safe 2-3 pounds per week)

This...

making my "diet" too restrictive is what made me yo yo for 3 years before I got it.

Moderation is the key and until I learned that I didn't have to give up my favorites while I was losing weight I yo yo'd.

This time I ate what I wanted, I hit my protien goals and stayed in my deficit and now I am at maitenance and have been all summer long...even a bit below due to my activity.

I still drink, I eat my chocolate, have my pasta and nosh on various snacks when they are out.

Being too restrictive or cutting out foods/food groups for me is a recipe for disaster.

In the past,
1. Having a calorie goal/deficit that was too aggressive
2. Cutting foods out.

It's a sure way to failure for me.
Now, I eat everything I want, in moderation.

Currently,
1. Pregnancy.

Weight loss can come after baby. I still track my calories to make sure I don't go too overboard, but I'm in no way restricting calories or foods.

I get bored and want to snap my fingers and have the rest of the weight just come off. But I did NOT quit - I just kept plugging. And it did. This is my first weight loss attempt (I'm 55) and I wish I'd done it 15 years ago, when I put on the first 5 pounds. I've been maintaining now for over a year.

P.S. You're much more aesthetic than I am. I do drink (singular) every once in a while. I have dessert every day (in small quantities). I LOVE to eat and both my husband and I are very good cooks, if I say so myself. What I learned is that SOME is good, but more is not necessarily BETTER. Didn't you learn that about drinking sometime in your late teens? It works for food too.

I had been very obese since my teens, then made changes in 2008 and my weight has not slipped back up since then. After finding this website and tracking my intake daily, it's just been a very steady downward trend in the scale.

However -- once in my early 20's I lost a lot of weight and didn't keep it off. I had been on steroids and completely inactive due to a spider bite & multiple related surgeries. So once I was able to get back on my feet and off the steroids, my weight was dropping off...add to that a bad breakup and living alone on a limited budget, and I couldn't really afford much food. I had pretty terrible habits of living on eggs and rice and loads of diet cola, but not really eating enough calories at all. I dropped 70 lb and looked like crap with big hollow eyes and a sunken face. The weight stayed off for 1 year. The minute I started up a new relationship with a guy who was very obese & loved to cook and eat...all of the weight came right back. I didn't really understand how to make sustainable changes and I refused to own a scale to monitor my weight.

I originally got down to where I am now in the Spring of 2012. Since then it's just been discipline and accountability. I decided that I just didn't ever want to be like that again. I've allowed myself some "off" time here and there for vacations or holidays but then I just get back at it. Don't beat yourself up if you get a little off track, just get back on the horse.

This is my first time actively trying to lose weight, so I have no experience in stopping/starting. Today is day 112 for me and my bottom line is: failure isn't an option. This is my new life and "going back" isn't something I can do. It's the same mindset I used when I quit smoking (cold turkey) 10 months ago.

You can do it :happy:

Aside from physical problems, people quit for one reason: they want to quit.

I haven't been at this very long but a big difference this time around is "education" and "information".
No I haven't found any magic way of shedding the pounds and keeping it off,... I have found what seems to work for me.

Before when I wanted to lose I would go on a "diet" and lose quick,.. then resume "normal" eating and gain it back. (and then some)

This time around no "diet". I eat whatever I want within my calorie goal. So I can have my cake and eat it too.

Knowing what I put in my mouth and what the consequences are has made a real difference. So when I have that cake, I have to "be good" the rest of the day, and maybe exercise a little more.

I haven't weight this little in probably 9 years.
I really feel I can keep it up this time. Because honestly I don't feel like I'm on a "diet"