Non-newbies: when is the hardest part?

In previous attempts at weight loss, the most difficult part was when I started feeling good enough about how I looked and confident in my eating habits to think I didn't need to bother with the counting anymore (usually about 5 pounds away from my goal). Probably why I always found myself back up to my starting weight within a few months of getting there--losing the same 10-15 pounds became an annual event. This time around, the toughest part it is transitioning to maintenance. There is a change in mindset that needs to happen that I have never experienced before--and I'm still working on being ok with logging without losing.

To be honest this first month of maintenance I lost 3 more pounds. I like the cushion room, but I am noticing that I keep telling myself "maybe just 2 more pounds".

I've been regularly logging since about May of this year and have lost 16lbs. For me, the hardest part is the mental aspect. Some weeks are better than others and it is in those not so good weeks that are the toughest. For example, hubby and I went on a road trip recently and trying to stay within your goals while eating out everyday is hard. I knew that I wouldn't lose that week but it can be hard to bounce back from. I also find I weigh a bit more during that time of the month and I will "forget" and get down on myself when I step on the scale. Sometimes I get frustrated at how long it is taking to lose the weight. I have my goals set to loose 2lbs/week but it doesn't happen, its more like 1lb on average. But I remind myself that each day is a new day and if even if it is slow, I am still less than when I started and I did it on my own without injections, surgeries, pills, or whatever the latest weight loss fad is.

When I started, I had medical issues and ate nothing but air, dirt and leaves. Well, not quite, but it was all healthy, all the time and no fat. Giving up all the junk food and processed food was the hardest part. After six weeks, I was much happier because I felt so much better.

But the first few days, while my stomach shrank and I had to eat food I didn't really want, while watching those I ate with have burgers, pizza, ribs, donuts, ice cream, et cetera - that was the hardest.

When I began weighing myself, I had to get used to scale fluctuations. That wigged me out a bit, at first, especially at period time.

Periods! I got very down on myself for overeating...then I realized that at the end of it, I was less hungry! So I overeat before and undereat at the end. That's nothing now, too.

Giving up pop. I was on and off that crap for so long. It was a HARD addiction to stop. But I did it.

Watching the weight loss slow down wasn't the best. It came off so fast at first! I was sure I'd be skinny by Christmas! But the more you lose, the harder it gets. So, accepting that was a bit of an adjustment.

Now, nothing is really all that hard. I'm so driven. I can't wait to be thin. I know I'll get there. Patience!!

And my MFP friends are so damned inspiring.

The first month was hardest for me. After the first month I'd won the war (mostly) against habit/boredom eating. Also, it took about a month for friends and family to stop being shocked when I didn't take seconds or thirds.

I think there are 3 equally "hardest" parts in the process. The first 2-3 weeks, when you are learning new eating habits and your stomach and brain still want you to consume large amounts of food, and you have to deny yourself the amount you feel you really "need" in order to stay at your calorie goal. After that time period, your stomach shrinks a little (this process continues for a month or two) and you are more mentally adjusted to eating less, so it gets a lot easier.

The second hard part is when you've been in a deficit for a few months, and it really, really starts wearing on you-- it's just tiresome to track food and exercise all the time, and you start feeling really hungry and deprived. This happened to me as I was nearing my goal weight, so I started eating at maintenance, stayed there for a week or two until I felt better, then went back to losing the rest of the weight.

The third hard part is starting to maintain-- by the time that happened to me, I was so used to eating my weight loss amount, I had a really hard time eating enough to stop losing weight. I logged through this process, found out my maintenance calories are about 100 cals over MFP's estimate for me, and then stopped logging eventually, which works. I'm losing weight again because being way, way way too busy stopped me from exercising, so I ended up gaining to the top of my maintenance weight range and I want to be at the bottom of that range instead.

I don't know if everyone encounters the second difficult stage-- but I think most of us go through those first few weeks of being hungry and miserable and wondering if it's sustainable, and then the challenge of beginning maintenance, too.

The first couple of weeks seemed the hardest thus far. Now, its habit, now its life.

I have been at this for eight months. Most months I feel like I work out like crazy, eat moderately but don't lose anything. I feel very frustrated. But I keep trying at least to maintain, I tell myself. E ven tho it's slow, uneven and crazy, I am still averaging a 1# a week loss. But every day after those first two months, I just want to quit going to the gym and eat and drink whatever I want. Every day is just frustrating. But if you don't let go of the end game...it will happen. But it seems very slow!! underline every every in this post.