When did you know?

I have tried to lose weight for the past... 10 years or so. On and off it worked. During my last two years at University I gained 70lbs and when I finished school I realized how much of an impact the weight had on my life. I was unable to do things I wanted, felt uncomfortable around people and could barely handle basic exercise or physical activity.

Joined a program at a local gym and 9 mos later I am not turning back

zharptichka wrote: »

So there are a lot of you out there with amazing success stories but also a lot of you (like me) who have tried multiple times to lose weight and for whatever reason got off track. My question for those of you who are succeeding now was there a particular moment where you realized that this time was different/ would be successful? Did the process feel different from the other times you tried? Or did you just sort of realize you were actually doing this one day? Did something in particular help you when you finally succeeded?

For me, it's early days yet but this time feels different/easier somehow than before. I've managed to say no to things that other people were eating without really regretting it. I've also done between 20-60 minutes of some kind of activity every day and I'm actually enjoying it. I just feel a little more at peace with myself I guess. I'm sure at some point it will be hard again but I'm hoping by the time it happens this behavior will be a habit.

For me it was six weeks into a LCHF diet. I'd tried calorie counting and portion control before, with limited success, but felt hopelessly "stuck" after my third child was born. I started out skeptical (I'd heard all the admonitions about LC - it's unsustainable, it's a fad, it's unhealthy, blah blah blah) but I committed to doing it for six weeks, allowing myself the option of switching back to straight up calorie counting if I wasn't happy (with the diet itself or with the results). In that first six weeks, I'd lost 12 lbs, which was great, but the chronic eczema that I'd had on my hands for seven years (despite numerous OTC and prescription treatments and various home remedies) had cleared by about 90%. That's when I knew, even if I never lost another single pound, that I needed to eat low carb for life. My eczema has been gone, totally MIA, for the three years I've been eating this way . Yes, I dropped 50 lbs (I'd only set out to lose 20-25), but that seems immaterial compared to not having to deal with the intense itching, then the cracking and bleeding! I can't foresee ever going back to conventional dietary guidelines again.

For me, it's been different because I've been taking baby steps. Very small goals, and remembering that this isn't a diet, this is my life, and I have to stop making excuses and make it work. I decided this time to go to a nutritionist/dietitian. She listened to everything I usually eat and all the struggles I have had, and found goals that I could attain while still feeling like I can live my life. In the past, I would rush in and make so many changes, go from being sedentary to working out 5-6 days a week, beat myself up if I allowed myself to eat something less than healthy, etc. and would burn out after a month or two, especially if that scale didn't go down 2lbs every week. This time, I started with small steps, like reducing my soda intake significantly (I could have one can of soda a day if I really wanted it, and surprisingly that's worked really well because I rarely want it), incorporating a serving of fruit or vegetables with 2-3 meals a day, and bringing snacks to work that incorporate a good balance of protein and carbohydrates. For exercise, I told myself that I would go out every day for at least a 15 minute walk, and if I wanted to walk more than that, then by all means, but 15 mins was the minimum. I've increased that minimum to 30 mins as I've found it's easy to walk much further than that and I usually do so.

The moment I realized that these changes are here to stay was about a week ago. I'm planning on going on vacation to Canada in October to visit my best friend for Thanksgiving. He mentioned all the food he was going to have me try, and I decided to make some small goals for myself for this trip. The things I came up with seemed very reasonable and flexible: drink plenty of water, have no more than 1 can of soda a day if I want it, incorporate a fruit or veggie serving in 2-3 meals a day, and split any calorie or fat-heavy foods I order with someone. Then I suddenly realized, that's what i'm doing already. I'm not planning for how i'm going to "go off my diet" and get back on when I get home. I'm going to just live my life, enjoy my holiday, and keep doing what I'm already doing. Now I know, this is for keeps.

MFP has helped a tremendous amount in my journey - support, knowledge and tools to get the job done.

I know I won't go back because I still remember a picture my wife sent me - it was a pic taken on the beach during the family vacation the previous year. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt, shorts and sandals and I honestly sent her a text asking if she had photo-shopped out the harpoon because it looked like a whale had washed up on the beach! I will NEVER let myself go like that again!

kommodevaran wrote: »

I have had several particular moments.

• The first one, I think, was the "anticlimax" when a friend explained to me, as the "lifestyle change" feeling I had been looking for, never seemed to materialize, that it was just a sign that what I was doing, was going to stick.
• Then the deep realization that there is no wagon/track/horse/whatever. It's just "life".
• Then the surreal feeling from noticing that education and liberation from dogma had influenced my eating habits, attitudes and food preferences, and that I overall, automatically, had started to make better food choices without thinking about what I "should" and "shouldn't" eat.
• Then I realized that I didn't worry about regaining anymore - I just have to keep doing what I am doing (but if I stop doing that, I'll regain. But I don't think that will pose a problem, because I like what I'm doing. Maintaining weight and good health is just a pleasant side effect).
• Then I was made aware of why I had this uneasy feeling whenever I ended a meal without being stuffed. Remembering and realizing how tense eating situations really were when I grew up, made me finally challenge that, and I don't feel compelled to stuff myself anymore.

@kommodeveran - this is one of the most "real" and meaningful posts I have read on MFP. Especially the part about the horse/track/rails what have you. Thanks. I'm sending a FR that I hope you will accept.