This lifestyle change is difficult, but not for the reasons I expected

I went through an eighteen month weight loss, averaging just under a pound a week over the whole process. The only time it felt hard for a long stretch - as opposed to just a bad day - was toward the end when I was close to my goal weight because at my height, age, and weight I needed to get down to 1400 calories or so to come for a soft landing at a half-pound a week loss.

It's simple, but not so easy some days. There's only two things on my "banned list" of foods - sugar sodas, and trans-fats. Otherwise, I eat ice cream, cheeseburgers, drink my coffee, devour chicken by the half-pound, etc.

As far as it being difficult for some, it's been my observation the people who have the hardest time with it are trying to make too many simultaneous changes; they decrease their calories too much, try to move from what they're familiar with eating to "more healthy" (without quantifying what that means), and markedly increase their exercise in both duration and intensity -- all without regard for how these interact and affect each other.

Is it any wonder they feel like crap because they're severely under-powered, adjusting their gut flora in major ways, sore from working out too hard, and grumpy because all of these stressors in combination trash their ability to recover?

I tell people who ask for advice (after the twin disclaimers of I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist), start by tracking your food intake. Change nothing - just track for two weeks to see what you're eating, what your macro- and micro-nutrient ratios are, and work from there.

This is such a great post! While I was losing my weight, people asked me how I was doing it, and I said just calories in, calories out. They wanted to know how hard it was and I always felt funny saying it was pretty easy because they would tell me they just couldn't stop their bad habits. I think, to them, I may have looked like I was being superior to their habits, and really, I wasn't. It's the"click" - there IS a click, I agree. For years, I had been following healthy eating habits, and regular exercise, but not any kind of portion control. So the weight piled on and I couldn't figure it out. Once I found MFP and starting actually seeing what I was eating, calorically, it made sense to me and I knew what I had to do. SEEING it helped me to DO it.

Now, two years into maintenance, I agree with a lot of the above, about the click, about not eating something until you really want to eat it. Sometimes I go to a restaurant or someone's house for a meal, and there is literally nothing I want to eat. Note the operative word: "want" , not "can" or "will". I always check a menu online if it's there before I go, and, if not, I try looking at Yelp photos for ideas. I have an easy salad that I will have them make as a standby if all else fails. It's harder when I go to someone's house and there is literally nothing I want. Fortunately, most of my friends are very accepting of my "habits" and there are usually veggies or a salad or something for me. Worst case scenario (and this is very rare), I carry a protein bar with me in case it's a long night and I get really hungry. But I never consume that in front of anyone because I don't want to insult them.

So, yes, I can still say it's easy. And I think its easy because my choices are second nature to me now and unhealthy foods do not call to me. I have my moments, of course, but they are few and far between, and it's interesting that my body always tells me that it's not used to what I consumed, and didn't react well to it! Sugar just does a huge number on me and makes me feel wonky and tired - not worth the consumption. And overeating just isn't in my repertoire any more. It makes me too uncomfortable and I can eyeball a plate immediately to tell me what I will consume and what I won't. I also never take anything home from a restaurant for the next day unless my husband wants it. I have had it and I am done.

It's really a nice life, this maintenance. Because it's natural. And each of us have to find what works for us and make that an easy part of who we are.