That dreaded "restart" button

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tallieterp
tallieterp Posts: 257 Member
in Motivation and Support
So who else will be needed to hit that lovely restart button at the beginning of the year. I hate falling into the cliche and using the new year as a new start but oh my did I fall off the wagon just so super hard after a bad back injury this fall and I'm coming to terms that the "fat depression" as I like to think of it has crept back on it and I've got to do something...

What are people's plans for food, diet, exercise, a jump start that will actually be something that can be maintained?

What are your support systems?

Let's talk about it! Get those ideas flowing and maybe not flood the gym on January 2nd but still find a way to kickstart the passion we all had at one point right?!
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Replies

  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I applaud your motivation, and your enthusiasm. I've been at this (weight loss) for 6 months. I am now about ten pounds from goal, give or take, and I have my 8th full marathon next year (I started putting on weight after the last one).
    You can "kick start" "JumpStart" whatever you want to call it--your lifestyle change at any time. You need not wait until the first of the year. You are motivated and ready to go now, so why not start NOW?
    Calculate your BMR, (basal metabolic rate, what you would need to consume to maintain your weight if completely sedentary) TDEE(total daily energy expenditure) (you can go on sites like myfitnessfrog to do this) find a number between those two points to create a calorie deficit and you will lose weight. Make a plan to incorporate exercise into your day for health reasons, as well as increasing your deficit for weight loss.
    I tend to observe that those who are gung-ho, flooding the gym or overhauling their diets with their new years "resolutions" and all fizzle out by march when the newness of the year (and their motivation) has waned. Don't be that person. There is no better time than TODAY to start.
  • tallieterp
    tallieterp Posts: 257 Member
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    I was actually dreading starting at the new year! Just kept putting it off and putting it off and now its Dec 29 ugh.

    I plan to stop by my gym today after work and get in a quick session I just am such a planner that I know in the past I've thrived off of having a set plan in place... And someone was holding me to it but my friend who was also a personal trainer moved, took a new job and I got hella lazy! and excuses excuses injury excuses excuses! lol...

    Congrats on the EIGHTH marathon that's incredible! Keep up the amazing work!
  • taraja88
    taraja88 Posts: 9 Member
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    I started as of yesterday. After a 20 pound weight loss last year in September I zig zagged while overexercising, under-eating and binge eating. I struggled for a year and eventually got sick of the food I was eating. So I began my journey (again) yesterday and clicked on the restart button, the road feels long but one day in I already feel lighter and thinner haha, the mirrors are looking at me in a positive way and I know that physically I didn't change but my mindset made me look at myself in a positive nurturing way, free of "fat depression". So I agree with caracrawford1, there is no better time than today but it has to happen naturally, like, you have to feel intrinsically motivated otherwise you'll fail and dread dieting. You need to want it and the beautiful thing is that there is no pressure, take as long as you need, it WILL happen and once it does it won't feel like restart as much as an opportunity. So sit back, relax and when the time comes, hit the gym, more importantly, eat proper nutrition and watch the weight come off. This new mindset is beautiful and makes every day feel full of life and excitement as you get to see your body transform into an even better version it might have been before. Good luck! :smile:
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    edited December 2014
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    caracrawford1 wrote: »
    There is no better time than TODAY to start.

    Quoted for truth. I started on Jan. 7, 2013, the morning after I got home from my holiday travels to visit family and friends.

    If you need advice for a restart that focuses on the tools you need to succeed, I have a couple of suggestions: (1) The MFP "Guide to Get you Started…" thread by SideSteel, and (2) Dr. Yoni Freedhoff's book The Diet Fix, which has a 10-day restart that emphasizes developing skills.

    Good luck!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
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    Honestly - if Seeing Jan 1 on the calendar gets you moving towards being healthier, then there's nothing wrong with that.
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    edited December 2014
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    why can't you start and hit the reset button right now?
    for me a change in the way i thought about my health and weightloss was a game changer. there was not reset button it is all part of the journey. there is no "ill start monday" madness anymore. i just make my next choice the next best thing. so i didnt eat well one day, ok the next day i made better choices thats all. don't beat yourself up. the words you use have a huge weight in how you think about your journey. take time to reflect in all that and change the language. good luck!
  • tallieterp
    tallieterp Posts: 257 Member
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    thanks everyone :) I'll certainly check some of these things out. I wasn't putting off my start until Jan 1, just happened to be when I was finally getting healthy enough to get going again - guess I didn't word it just quite right... a few years back when I was so successful my restart button was actually in november so yes you can start at any time...

    with this colliding with the beginning of the year i just didn't want to fall into the fads that so many ppl do - I already belong to a gym... and i'd rather do other things than find myself back there with the rest of the world on jan 2 haha so I'll def follow some of this advice... jump start now...
  • coyotegrowl
    coyotegrowl Posts: 18 Member
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    I need a restart button... I used to be moderately addicted to health and fitness but stopped logging my foods a long while ago... just can't keep it together for any length of time. I just discovered that the app now has access to the community and forums so I think this is just what I need to hang my hat on. getting up and stretching was the start for me a few years ago and it's going to be my starting point again. here goes :-)
  • corsolo
    corsolo Posts: 12 Member
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    I hit restart yesterday -- (feel free to add me on here!). I couldn't wait til the 1st. I went to a college football game this week with old friends from high school and college. When I saw all the pics posted on facebook the next day I just couldn't stand it any longer. And then when I got on the scale, oooof! I'm doing a couple of weeks of cardio and weightlifting at my gym and traveling a lot, so hotel gyms. And in a few weeks when I'm feeling strong, I'm going to start the body combat class at my gym. I've got about 27 lbs to lose. I love food. And when I travel (a lot) I eat soooo bad. No more! I've planned things out and set goals and rewards for myself. Going about it very organized and logging everything.
  • hermann341
    hermann341 Posts: 443 Member
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    I like to take December off and enjoy the holidays and all the treats. I've been keeping up with my marathon training, so it hasn't been a total disaster for the month. I'm actually looking forward to the restart button, as I want to drop a few pounds below my previous goal.
  • Bukawww
    Bukawww Posts: 159 Member
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    I have only ONE problem with 'starting' on January 1st. The first day is the hardest day...what if you 'fail' according to the terms you set forth for yourself on your first day? Like many 'Monday' starters, failing on that first day gives them (me) an excuse to say 'screw the whole week, there's always next Monday'. Thats a lot of pressure for a first day.
  • NikonPal
    NikonPal Posts: 1,346 Member
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    I took a bit of a different approach when I started.

    I started to cut back a bit just prior to Thanksgiving 2013. Like death - there is never a good time - so I set a start date for using a calorie app on 12/1/13 and tracked my weight loss religiously.

    I did not count the few pounds I had already lost, as I wanted to document "exact" progress from an easy to remember starting point. I decided not to wait until after the holidays.

    It as been more than one year now -- and must say MFP was the answer for me. I'm very close to the finish line.

    Your eCard post caught my eye - it was hilarious, so I copied it to share! Thanks & best wishes.

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  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    Bukawww wrote: »
    I have only ONE problem with 'starting' on January 1st. The first day is the hardest day...what if you 'fail' according to the terms you set forth for yourself on your first day? Like many 'Monday' starters, failing on that first day gives them (me) an excuse to say 'screw the whole week, there's always next Monday'. Thats a lot of pressure for a first day.

    see i think this is an issue with many people, make a few mistakes and then think there is no point anymore. when i started mfp i had the dreaded 1200 allowance. i failed because it was too little and i quickly realised i needed to up my intake. Also to this day i still mess up. i might lose track of what i have eaten for the day or go through a week without exercising.. The trick is to slap yourself back straight onto the track and get going. You leave it too long and then you start from scratch with even more weight to rid. I think people need to relax just a little with this failure talk. Also you cant fail on the first day, logging all your food is a really important step of this process. it was a big eye opener for me. Good luck everyone

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