Restarters: What's different this time?

I decided to stop dieting and to make sustainable lifestyle changes instead, and that is making a world of difference in my mindset

Good question!
1) Try to work treats into my daily calories and avoid all out binge days,etc.
2) Stay accountable on MFP and actually stick to it until I reach my goal and into maintenance a little as well,so I know how to eat to avoid bouncing back(which I know all too well, unfortunately).

Same diet. Now using a food scale.

Butterflies_And_Chaos_ wrote: »

I decided to stop dieting and to make sustainable lifestyle changes instead, and that is making a world of difference in my mindset

This!

My goals are also totally different. I'm not focused on purely image and how I look. I'm more concerned with how I feel in myself.

I'm on an anti-inflammatory diet due to severe back pain and arthritis. This means no sugar, no wheat or grains, no trans fat or vegetable oils, not drinking calories, and avoiding all processed food.

Before I was on Weight Watchers and I've done calorie counting. They both work at losing weight, but my body can't handle 'regular' foods anymore.

I've been on this new diet since January, lost 63 lbs so far, and have ZERO pain in my body.

I am now calorie counting, but keeping with only my foods allowed. It's hard. I do slip up occasionally. I need my ice cream, but it's maybe once or twice a month.

This time...I am starting with basic steps and adding a new habit each week. I find I try to do everything the first week and when that doesn't work, I give up. This time, I am starting with checking in hear each day to find people to motivate me who will hold me accountable. (by the way, if you would like to be one of those people, let me know). I am working on weekly goals instead of total goals. I am changing the way I eat instead of trying to only eat a certain way for a brief period of time. and I am going to celebrate every victory!!

1. I've been a stereotypical crash dieter for my whole life. In big numbers too, not "just to lose the last 10 lbs" This time around, my focus is on nutritionally dense food in a reasonable amount of calories.
2. Basically, focusing on changing my mindset. Diets were always temporary. "When I get down to xyz weight, I can eat what I want again, and monitor any gain so I only have to re-lose 5 lbs, instead of 50"

For me, my motivation was always to be skinny, to fit into smaller sizes, etc. My motivation is drastically different now. I have my daughter now, she deserves a happy, healthy, active, energized mom who can keep up with her for a very long time. As much of her life as possible. She's 8 months now, it's the perfect time for me to adopt a healthy lifestyle because it will keep me around for her longer and also instill healthy habits for her early on!

This time around I'm eating more calories, losing weight at a reasonable rate, and eating the same foods I will be once I'm at my goal. No more "good" or "bad" food. No more unnecessary restrictions. Even though I may be hungry some days, I don't feel like I'm dieting at all.

My mindset has also changed, too. Instead of thinking "if" I get to goal, I'm already planning for when I get there.

I'm different than most. Selecting "good" food instead of "bad" food has been a tremendous help. I focus on my health and not what tastes the yummiest...and I've found many good foods that are really very yummy! I've put a huge focus on eating for nourishment.

I don't "cheat" because I don't want to! Different way of looking at food now. It's not about how I look. It's about being healthy and I'm not going to cheat myself out of health. I don't look forward to frozen pies. I look forward to good blood tests. I'm not all, "Ooh, I can't wait to have ribs and fried cheesecake!" The berries with granola are even better! Well, better than the cheesecake, maybe not better than the ribs. There might not be anything that tastes better than ribs or barbecue. But what I can't wait for is to beat a personal best.

Lifestyle changes. Lots of people say it, few actually do it. I've done some and continue working on others. If I gain the weight back, it won't because I changed one single thing (like "eating more") - I'd have to change a LOT of things to fall back into old habits. I'm trying to make the new ways be as entrenched as the old ones. Lots of work and lots of time spent there.

Also, this time is the first time that ever worked because I got a quick thyroid surgery and a pill that gives what I lacked. So, now when I try to lose weight, I lose weight! I always have to credit the pill because I couldn't lose before I started taking them.

This isn't the first time I tried to lose weight, but it's the first time I have been successful.

I have restarted twice.

My first time was a year after my Son was born. I was counting calories and exercising everyday I was eating veggies chicken and eggs everyday. I lost 10lbs and weight just stopped coming off. Yes I hit a platuea and yes I gave up because I deprived myself of the foods I loved.

The 2nd time I started was a little over a month ago. Started counting cals again and exercising all the time. But was stuck. Id fluctuate everyday. 185 then 183. Then 184. Then 185. Then 182. Then 181. So I stopped again. Felt like I was going nowhere. I was having the signs of hypothyroidism. So I went to a primary Dr to find out why I couldnt lose weight. All test came out normal. Other then my thyroid is enlarged and my T4 numbers were high not low. Which means it should be easier for me to lose weight. He also said I was vitamin d defecient. My hearr, lungs,kidneys. Everything was healthy.

6 days ago I restarted. Im pretty much eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. 3-4 Egg whites cheese wheat bread and a piece of cheese. A chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread and dinner I have whatever my family wants for dinner but I use portion control. I also got vitamin d supplements. Exercise 5 days a week. 1 day strength. The rest cardio. In 6 days I went from 185 to 183 to 182 to 181 to 180 to 179.

So what am I doing this time?

This time I am logging everything accurately. Drinking more water. Taking vitamin d supplements everyday. Exercising 5-6 times a week. I also have 1 cheat day where I eat what I want but stay in my calorie range. And the biggest thing I am not giving up. There was always an excuse. Oh its my birth control making me gain weight. Oh its my thyroid. But really in all honesty it was me. I do not need 5-6 cans of pepsi everyday. I do not need 4-5 pieces of pizza drizzled in ranch dressing everytime we eat out. I do not need 2 servings of whatever were having for dinner.

When I first started MFP I logged a typical day of what I would eat. Pop included. 4500 calories a day was approx what I was consuming. That number made me sick to my stomach.

No excuses this time. No giving up. Thats whats different.

Good question! I closed my diary in hopes that I can overcome the urge to stop logging entirely whenever I overeat significantly.

wiggawaggle wrote: »

1. What's different about the diet you're using this time?

2. What are you doing differently this time to make sure you can stick to it long term?

1. Nothing, just trying not to beat myself up if I have some days at maintenance. I try to remind myself that at least it's not a gain and I'm still doing better than the days of not logging at all.

2. I've started lifting weights this time after a lot of advice I've read on MFP. Last time I 'only' walked which actually resulted in Plantar Fasciitis in one foot which is still causing bother. I've had better results this time in that I've come down a trouser size within about a month although my weight loss is slower. Last time I was losing the weight but not the clothing sizes.

wiggawaggle wrote: »

If you're here because you're restarting, have previously tried losing weight, but didn't quite work out and so now you're trying again... then i have two questions about how you are ensuring success this time

1. What's different about the diet you're using this time?

2. What are you doing differently this time to make sure you can stick to it long term?

Guess, I can technically answer this twice. :laugh:

First Restart 2013:
1) My first attempt at losing weight was full of mistakes. I over restricted what I could eat and with as fast as I lost weight I'm pretty sure I wasn't eating near enough. I wasn't counting calories and only ate from a very small pool of foods. I am positive I wasn't eating enough because I lost 60 (possibly closer to 70, but I know I had lost at least 60 lbs) in a 6 month time frame. I was only able to do it for about 6 months before I couldn't stand the restriction any more (also happened to be around holidays in 2012). I ended up regaining about half of what I had lost before my restart on March 13, 2013.
So what changed, I started counting calories/using MFP in March 2013. My only restriction this time around was to try my best to stick to MFP's calorie goal. A few months later, I added in a food scale and a fitbit as well. I followed MFP's plan for weight loss (eat goal + eat exercise calories).
2) Following MFP's plan was easy and definitely something I could do long term. No other changes needed.

Second Restart 2014:
1) Nothing. I'm continuing where I left off in 2013.
2) Avoid getting pregnant. That's the reason for this "restart". I had to stop for 9 months due to pregnancy. That said, the plan I had started in 2013 was easy to jump back into. It's been 14 months since my restart this time around and I am down to my last couple lbs before switching to maintenance (working on a plan for that currently).

I'm trying not to have unrealistic goals and I don't eat under 1200 calories. I'm also looking at this as a long term process and I don't have an end date anymore