How many times have you tried to lose weight?

Umm serious? Twice
Both times here! Lost 30 pounds the first time before I met my fiancé and stopped caring.
I'm not sure what makes it diff it still sucks but I know if I stick with it it will be worth it. I'm lacking motivation this time:(

I hope I can keep with it it's frustrating when you don't see the scale move:(

First time was when I was 20 with a dietitian who put me in that weird elimination diet (you cut everything but veggies and 'fromage blanc' then reintroduce foods every 2 weeks). I lost 20 pounds or so (to a good weight), then I started a new job and could not follow it anymore because it was too restrictive and I couldn't bring my own food, and I gained all the weight back plus some. Maybe if I had been able to keep going I would have learned to follow a healthier diet but let's be honest, I grew up on cheese, croissants and pastries, and cutting those out was just not going to happen.

This is my second time. Not cutting anything out, tracking calories so I eat things in moderation seems to work much better for me (I've been maintaining 3 pounds from my goal weight for almost a year).

Notice that it took me 14 years to be ready to do it again, because I didn't want to yoyo more (I got the stretch marks from it), and I needed to be mentally ready to do a lifelong change this time.

Twice

This time with MFP

Last time got a cold and just lost all motivation.

This time on focusing more on what I eat than training (already passed the cold test), which is where MFP joins the equation. Most successful I've ever been and still motivated.

How many times have you tried to lose weight?

I've dropped about 10 lbs every summer since I was a teenager.

How many times with MFP?

This is probably my third go-round with MFP.

What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?

1. Thyroid disorder causing EPIC edema and other... issues... (TREATED!)
2. Pregnancy (SPAWN EVICTED!)
3. Megaloblastic anemia (TREATED!)
4. ASIA/SIIS (SOLVED!)

What is making this time different for you?

I know how to lose weight, and I do it reliably and steadily over my own predictable timeline. It works when I'm not trying to destroy myself with an interesting new auto-immune problem. When my "system" stops working because I'm too tired to work out, too insomniac to rest, in too much pain, or just retaining OMG WATER ON MY FEET for NO GOOD REASON, then I need to go to the doctor. Having the log created by MFP and my fitbit helps me convince my doctors faster that I am NOT crazy, I DO eat pretty healthy/not too much, and I DO get sufficient exercise that my XYZ measurement JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. At this point, I feel like I should stay on MFP for logging purposes forever, even after I hit my goal weight, just so that I can get everything under control more rapidly the next time something goes off. Because it will. And I don't want to have to suffer and put on 30-50 lbs over a year or 6 months before figuring everything out this time.

Jenny9000 wrote: »

K3rB3ar89 wrote: »

Umm serious? Twice
Both times here! Lost 30 pounds the first time before I met my fiancé and stopped caring.
I'm not sure what makes it diff it still sucks but I know if I stick with it it will be worth it. I'm lacking motivation this time:(

I hope I can keep with it it's frustrating when you don't see the scale move:(

I try to look at that as it is not moving UP

Lol it's all over the place most weeks lol

How many times have you tried to lose weight?
Once...I did do Atkins for about 3 days way back when to try to drop a couple Lbs, but I wouldn't exactly call that trying and I was already very lean at the time anyway
How many times with MFP?
this is it
What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?
hasn't happened yet...I'm going on three years; I lost 40 Lbs in a bit over 9 months and I've maintained that loss for over 2 years...I logged when I was losing, but not for maintenance
What is making this time different for you?
I'm committed to living a healthful lifestyle...it really doesn't have anything to do with the scale...I want to be healthy and fit. losing the weight and maintaining that weight are a bi-product of doing the things that one should be doing to be healthy and fit...eating well...eating in appropriate quantities...exercising regularly...moving more in general....getting plenty of rest

Twice.

Twice.

Phone broke and couldn't log food for a while.

Using IF as a tool to maintain deficit.

How many times have you tried to lose weight?

I half-asssed it loads of times, got fed up and quit.

How many times with MFP?

This is the first. The longest I've stuck to something, too.

What has caused you to fail/stop in the past?

Not seeing results right away. And I always did stupid and unsustainable things.

What is making this time different for you?

I'm taking an analytical approach. I have accepted that I am eating X amount of calories, not guessing that I am eating under X. I am setting fitness goals.

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maybe a dozen times Confessions of a YOYO dieter

*1st Weight Watchers - lost 18 lbs food changes only, no exercising (I was skinny fat Lol)
Stopped because I got lazy and complacent and It sucks sometime to have to plan everything, track everything and there are times where I wanted to be free of the mental burden of food. (that is a false way of looking at it though)

*Tried the odd cleanse here and there with minor results but nothing that lasted

*2nd Weight watchers - lost 10 lbs Joined again with a friend but had a hard time committing the second time around - inconvenient meeting times busy schedule etc and failed.

*Took a break for a few years from any form of dieting. Then started to exercise a bit, lift weights and then started an exercise DVD "Insanity" lost mostly inches 13" in a month but not weight and was miserable, in pain every day due to extremely sore muscles. Then again got lazy and complacent.

*Got engaged and thought ohmg photos all the friends and family staring at you etc. better focus and get healthy for life not just the wedding. Tried using a personal trainer who made a workout routine but didn't workout with me just gave me the plan.... that didn't stick either.

*This is when I started doing my own research and found KETO. (ketogenic diet, high fat, moderate protein, very low carb). Really interesting science behind the diet, and I am a nerd like that so I really started reading medical studies etc on it. I started this with a friend and was fairly successful on it, probably lost 15-20 lbs in 2.5-3 months. This is also when I found MFP, how else can you track macro nutrients.

I went away for my destination wedding and spent just over a month in Europe not dieting just enjoying life. It has been downhill from there. I have gained a ton since I got back and just have been struggling to find the motivation since then and at first it only seemed like a month or two had gone by and I was tired of tracking and then just enjoying a little break, then it was xmas time, so too busy and want to indulge. then before I knew it 8 months flew by and now I am worse off than square one.

So.... I would say don't diet for an occasion, strict diets may work but they are not sustainable, dieting without exercise isn't a great option, nore is zero to Iron Man exercising a good idea either. I think slow and steady gradual life changes may be key but hey I have not reached my ultimate true potential yet so other people on here may have better suggestions.

One thing I can say is that weight watchers gave me the knowledge of food I never even knew existed, it changed my life and I became a much more informed eater. Once you have that knowledge you will never look at food the same. Keto also changed my perspective on food, specifically on Fat. I thought fats were the enemy and low fat everything is better but how can someone lose 20 lbs by almost an all fat diet...?

It is also really easy to get complacent when life gets hard or busy and if you are like me, your metabolism does not afford you the luxury of not eating consciously for weeks or months on end.

I haven't given up though. I have lost weight before, I can do it again, I know so much more now than I ever did before I just need to find the right balance of enjoying life while working towards my health goals.

(constructive criticism welcome)

By 'try' do you mean seriously or half-heartedly? Cause the half-heartedly is alot and the seriously is only once.

How many times have you tried to lose weight? Once
How many times with MFP? None, found MFP as I was transitioning into maintenance
What has caused you to fail/stop in the past? n/a
What is making this time different for you? n/a

I've lost weight one time and have been successfully maintaining the loss for just over two years now. Just turned in my first survey to the National Weight Control Registry today

How do i share my diary sorry im new

I've been big since I was a baby. I can remember 7 specific, real attempts to lose weight. Added all up, my losses equal 350+ pounds. I have not kept any of it off. I actually gained much more weight than what I started with after one of my most successful attempts. Contrary to popular belief, most of these were not extremely restrictive fad diets. All of them (except for 1 Slimfast experiment as an overweight 14-year-old) involved counting calories and exercising. I really believed in the 2 attempts that brought me within a stone's throw of goal. I really thought I was making a permanent lifestyle change. This is the first time I have used MFP.

I'm on week 4. I don't know that this time is any different. What I do know is that this time, I don't care how quickly I lose it. I have MFP set at 1/2 lb per week because I want as many calories as possible. My personal goal weight is also substantially higher. I really just want to take care of my body in a realistic (for me) way. I do believe that I can honestly say that outside pressures, for the first time, have nothing to do with this attempt. I'm okay with being fat. I'm not okay with my eating and exercise habits and the way my body feels.