Restarters: What's different this time?

I like evaluative questions....

1. What's different about the diet you're using this time?
Basically, I 'm doing the same as last summer: counting calories, but there are a few differences:

No foods are off limits as long as the calories are available. If it goes over calories and I still want it, I log it and move on. But this is occurring less and less.

I have drastically cut back on diet soda at my husband's request after he read an article bemoaning its evils. For some reason, (not because he makes me feel like I should) I always let him know or ask him if I can have one. I feel so much better not drinking them. Water or teas are my preferences now.

I am making better choices when eating away from home.

Weighing vs measuring..

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

The biggest change to what I'm doing is that I retired from teaching. My day is now determined by me instead of a schedule arranged by someone else, so "no time" to exercise doesn't work. I can eat according to my hunger instead of the clock, and lunch lasts longer than 15-20 minutes. Now I have to make good on "I'll lose weight when I retire".

This time, goals are more realistic. I'm am looking at success is small increments, as well as different ways...some of them silly.

Focus is on health.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it....this time.

I am planning on this time being different. I just got a smart phone, which has made it easier to log. I just started logging everything again. It helps me stay focused, especially when I make lunch for myself, then my daughter asks me for something...then an hour later my son asks for something. It seems I am always in the kitchen. From what I am reading, I think I need to add a food scale to be more accurate.

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?

This is my 2nd time around. I lost 50 lbs 2 years ago with help from MFP, counting calories, and exercising. Then I quit exercising and stopped watching what I ate and eventually gained 30 lbs back. Breaking my ankle and leg and being inactive for 2 months didn't help. This time I want it to be a lifestyle change and after I reach my goal I'm going to work hard to maintain it.

Last time I lost my 40 lbs and got to goal I calorie counted via MFP, followed an intermittent fasting protocol (Eat. Stop. Eat. - Brad Pilons style). I did some walking and light running but most of my exercise was daily elliptical.

This time around I am still using intermittent fasting because it fits my schedule perfectly. I gave up the elliptical and decided all my exercise was going to be training for fitness goals and mostly outdoors because I find that more enjoyable. I love running so that is my exercise of choice now because I'm training for road races and several mudruns.

I know why I gained if back. I went on vacation and started eating in my old habits of huge portions and lots of sweets and stopped exercising. After the trip I never got back on board and spiraled back down my old path. So this time I am hoping to continue setting new fitness goals so I see constant improvement and don't stop working out.

I lost 80 lbs. in 2011. I stopped eating right and gained it all back. I know now that I have to remain vigilant and committed. That's it.

This time I'm making sure I'm not undereating since last time that was my main problem. I never counted calories and only a couple of months ago I realised I had been undereating - apparently I was consuming under 1000 calories a day for months!! So this time I'm making sure I'm eating enough in order to achieve my goal and finally go to maintenance.. Also, I'm not restricting the types of foods I'm eating as much. I allow myself to have a treat even if it's a bit over my calories for the day = simply trying to establish long-term habits.
I'm also following a 90-day exercise program which is a lot more challenging if I compare it to the exercises I did last time I tried to lose weight. Last time I was doing 2-3 sets of various exercises like plank, squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. and this time I'm doing 20-25 min workouts - cardio, toning, HIIT and I find myself really pushing myself and sweating a lot.
So hopefully I'll finally get to my goal weight (actually I don't weight myself often.. all of this is more about how I feel in my body) and keep exercising not only for weight loss.

I'm logging everything even when I totally have a non diet day -- I am exercising most days for an hour. I'm not thinking / expecting to lose the weight fast or lose more than 2 pounds a week

Hi! I'm Nat. I'm a binge eater and I'm lazy. I tried low carb/low cal/low everything with the Dr B diet 2 years ago (husband did it and I followed along) and I lost 20 pounds in 3 months. But all we are was egg white and veg for breakfast and salad with chicken for lunch and dinner. It was easy because I like repetition and knowing what to make (I cannot multitask) and we have 2 young kids who are both very picky eaters (and ASD). But it got boring. And once we fell off the wagon we really fell.

Now I'm trying to log my calories and just portion control. This way I can have a slice of pizza - but not 6!! So there's a treat but it's not insane. My plan (wishful thinking?) is to find recipes I like and that my husband will eat (not easy) and to just make a weekly plan of easy, fast meals. I cannot multitask and I have major kitchen anxiety each time I have to cook. It's frustrating but this has to be a life choice not a bandaid fix.

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?

There's a few differences between this time and my last venture two years ago. Mainly the weight I was back then during my first attempt is my current goal!

1. Same diet, actually. Fewer calories and that's it.

2. My reasons for wanting the loss are different now (I want to have a healthy weight when we begin trying to start a family next year) and my goals have massively changed (last round I wanted to go from 150 to 135; now I was 180 and aiming for 145). Obviously I'll be very happy if I don't stick around my goal weight very long.

I finally came to grips with the fact that I cannot handle having sweet, sugary treats around me. If they are in the house, I'm going to eat them. For a long time, I've told myself that I can make brownies and cookies and just have them every once in a while as a special treat. But in reality, I don't just eat one every few days. I eat 2, 3, or even 4 every single day. I can't restrain myself. So I've realized that I just can't have them around me on a regular basis. I also realized that the only way to stay within my calories and not feel starving and miserable is to truly change my diet. I need to be a on a plant-based diet so I can eat lots of nutritious food, but still be eating low calories and staying full.

1. When it comes to eating and exercise I am focused on health not appearance. My limits or goals for foods are per Doctor's orders to help with emerging and existing health problems. Limited carbs, sodium, animal fat. Higher goals for fiber and lean protein.
2. I have decided to choose life! If I want to live I need to eat the same way I am now and exercise as long and as best I can, for the rest of mortality.

1. Not restricting any foods
2. Knowing what my true maintenance/losing calories are... Understanding weekly calories.
3. Finding exercise that is enjoyable and sustainable.

I lost about 45 lbs previous to starting nursing school. 1/4 of the way in, I made a decision to stop my focus on weight loss because it was way too stressful to do that and be a full-time nursing student, mother, employee. I gained the weight back very quickly - every pound of it in 10 months. After graduation I felt so bad that I let myself down, that I undid all of that hard work that I knew I was going to start it over. 14 months later and I'm down 68lb, and I've learned patience and that this is a lifestyle now. I should be just focused on maintaining weight loss during school, instead I went the complete opposite direction, but I made that choice, and now healthy eating, regular exercise is a priority in my life.