Starting back after 1 year.

I also love to bake and love my wine. I'm just a lot more careful.

I take very small servings of baking, give lots away, and freeze more than before. I estimate on the high side of calories if I've not calculated carefully during prep.

For wine, I'm more modest with amounts, too. So I'll have two 3 oz glasses (1 during supper prep and 1 with the meal) instead of two much fuller glasses. If you have those gorgeous big glasses, buy smaller ones. Finally, I get in at least 30 min of intense exercise every single day, which is necessary to burn off enough calories to make room for that wine!!!

Good luck!

I also love to bake, and when I started on MFP I just had to stop for a while because I had trouble moderating myself. After a few months of working on new habits I was able to take it up again, and now I can have one cookie instead of half a dozen. Everything gets weighed and tracked. If I make something that's more calorie-dense than I'd like to have sitting around the house I send it to work with my husband

Welcome back! Just start where you are... I'll admit, I'm not cooking and baking as much as I once did. I have made little bites, like fresh fruit or nuts dipped in melted dark chocolate, my signature dessert at home if people come over. And I really only cook a 'recipe' a few nights a week. Mostly it's a high protein wrap at lunch and a seared protein + big salad at dinner. Pretty simple!

mrst0 wrote: »

I am back also after a hiatus of nearly a year. My challenge is living in a senior retirement center, where food is abundantly shared, and if I don't go where it is, I can resist but then I miss out on companionship. Dang it. I need the companionship, I'm going to try chewing nicotine gum for awhile to see if that helps when the food appears.

Tell a nice member of the staff about your predicament. I'll bet they'd be delighted to help you and just never thought of having a healthier option! If you're thinking it, it's a safe bet that someone else is, too...or will be, in the future! So, you wouldn't just be helping you, but someone else, too.

I lost about 25 lbs two years ago. Then my world crumbled (lost my dad, grandfather and uncle and had kidney issues that required 5 day surgeries). I gained all of the weight back and an extra 5 lbs. I too love to bake. I don't drink much wine because even a little bit gives me a headache.

I have cut back on sweets quite a bit, but I am leaving room to give myself a treat each day. In order for this to be a lifelong thing for me, I have to learn how to not go overboard, but let myself enjoy the foods I like at times. I have not denied myself anything that I wanted.

Things I am doing differently this time:
*Weighing everything that goes into my mouth.
*Eating back 1/2 of my exercise calories.
*I now have a fitbit to keep better track of the calories I burn daily.

Good luck! You can do it!