160-585 pounds then down and up again, well, never again.....

Hello everyone! I am not new to blogging, had a blog since 1983 when they were not even popular to do them. In the past 40 years my weight has been from 160-585 pounds, down to 170 and back up to 260, down to 165 and back up to 385. Well the up and down syndrome stopped for me in 2010. In 2010 my doctor discovered I have a protein blood disorder. This disorder causes issues in my blood and in my weight management. My Thyroid was nonexistent, B12 and D depleted to the point I had to have weekly shots of the supplements. I had to go through removing a long list of foods from my diet, period, and no exceptions. BUT, not what you would think. It was the fat free products I was using for the most part and dairy protein sources. Then I added them back in one at a time each week, had blood tested, and if protein level was good, I could have that item. Long and short of it foods I was eating to lose weight was causing my gains back to original weight. To lose I had to literally exercise 5-6 hours per day and eat under 500 calories which is not healthy and I looked like a skeleton a few times in life. But every time I went back to "normal" portion eating and "normal" exercise I gained it all back over time. Not overnight, over time. In 2010 when the doctor discovered the disorder, it took about a year of testing to get products I could have. Now it was not just fat free products, but more the different brands. For example I can have low fat or fat free daisy sour cream, but not Kemps. So not just products but brands and how processed. That first year I lost 30 pounds just learning the restrictions. Now in 2016 I am down 140 pounds. I have changed what I do a lot. I plan normal portion controlled meals and snacks daily (even weekends). I do not deprive myself of anything except if on no list for disorder, which is really more in just a brand. If I want chips I have them in portion size. I have what I want in moderation. I do not eat within 2 hours of sleep and that close no more than 100 calorie snack, I exercise 4 times a week minimum for 60 minutes per time, and this is swim pool fun. I made the necessary changes to go down to goal one last time, but this time be able to stay there. No fad diets, no quick fixes. Lifestyle change. If you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. Period. That is it. It is not rocket science, but it is will power and consistency in portion control, eating every two to three hours and exercise. You cannot expect to do the same thing over and over and get different results. Support of others is also very helpful and an exercise buddy. Make it fun! God is my co-pilot in my daily plans. He is the best buddy ever as He sees all!