Success - Part 1

@pacsnc6 No magic here ... diet (no special "name" diet ... just eating less than what I expended), daily tracking and exercise.

Diet ... it did take me a while to figure out what works for me. I tried a few different approaches (Keto, WW, eg.) and kept experimenting until i discovered what eating patterns kept me energized and minimized cravings. Ended with about 115 g protein, 70g fat, and 150 g carbs on average (not rigid about anything). When I started MFP I had gone through that process and was ready to commit.

Exercise - I really had no plateaus in this effort. I think that is because I gradually upped my exercise efforts over time. I started with just riding my horse. A month or so into the process I added the rowing machine. A couple of months after that I added weights (starting at 30 min and working up to 60). Finally, I added pool exercises (mostly range of motion) for the weight lifting recovery days. With both weights and rowing. I consistently up the intensity w/o adding additional time. I typically eat back 30-50% of exercise calories (slightly more as I got closer to goal).

Tracking ... I pre-track food and exercise every day. It helps me to know what I can eat to stay on plan, depending on exercise for the day. It also makes sure that I don't get to dinner to find out that I only have 200 calories left for the day! I usually plan so that I have calories available for an evening snack.

Support ... I joined The Ultimate Accountability Challenge in October. This challenge focuses on process (vs lose x weight in y petiod of time). It is a good group, and I found the daily reporting very helpful ... particularly for getting back on track quickly after a bad day.

My message to everyone ... take the time to really figure out what works for you, then work your plan and find a good support group to help you be consistent.