Serial Starters

Options
nfelkel
nfelkel Posts: 86 Member
Yo everyone! I feel like I have a standard serial starter story. I took MFP serious a few years ago and it was awesome - got down to my ideal weight etc.

Now 2 kids, job, house etc later I’ve gained it all back + some.
I’ve tried starting off and on for the past year. But I’m getting sick of half assing it - so here we go. Would love to add people and encourage each other.

Replies

  • rowyourboat
    rowyourboat Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    Hi fellow Serial Starter! I've logged on for 140 days but have managed to keep gain weight. Now that I am habitually logging on, I need to log my food. I started 7 years ago and got down to a decent weight, but now I am at my highest weight. However in those years I was diagnosed with Hashimotos and am now mid 40's. I want to eat healthier and hopefully shed some inches!
  • nfelkel
    nfelkel Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    Yeah it takes some work to really commit. I hate that I let myself gain the weight back - kinda depressing. But that’s the past gotta move forward!

    Best of luck in your goals - you can do it!
  • rosalie115
    rosalie115 Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    Totally understand and you’re not alone in this journey. Feel free to add me. Need help in keeping myself accountable
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    Options
    I've been a serial starter in the past. I recognise now that it was because I was 'super motivated' to lose weight.

    I'd get all inspired and decide to lose weight. I'd be 'super motivated' and make all these changes. I'd completely change my diet to be 'clean' and 'healthy' and I'd get a gym membership start working out frequently.

    The problem was that the things I was doing weren't natural to me. I was eating food I kinda liked but didn't really love because it was 'clean and healthy'. I was in the gym doing workouts that I never really enjoyed but they were the 'best workouts for losing weight'. This was fine while I remained 'super motivated' but motivation is limited. Motivation is the force that makes a change happen but it's not what keeps things moving.

    So eventually 'super motivated' would become 'motivated' and the 'clean and healthy' food would start to be replaced with the same eating patterns I'd tried to replace. The excuses to skip the gym became more frequent and boom! I'd be right back where I started.

    So this time I decided that I was going to take motivation out of the equation by simply only doing things I genuinely wanted to do. That meant eating foods I genuinely like to eat in away that allowed me to maintain a deficit. No motivation required. To workout when I wanted, how I wanted, IF I wanted. Again, no motivation required.

    Essentially I realised that a 'pretty good' approach that didn't require motivation was a million times better than a perfect approach that petered out as it took 'motivation' to maintain
  • teresaa1860
    teresaa1860 Posts: 18 Member
    Options
    You can do it! Getting support is a good way to quit half adding and make sure you get it done right.

    I have also stopped and started a few times. Lost 100 pounds, then got apathetic. Luckily didnt gain any back, but still have 15 to go!

    Feel free to add me.
  • ttt123123
    ttt123123 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    I feel like this time will be different for me, as I too am a serial starter. If you're looking for a friend to encourage and keep you accountable, add me!

    Let's DO THIS
  • kzzr
    kzzr Posts: 53 Member
    Options
    Serial Starter here too
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    Options
    Something occurred to me while pondering this topic.

    If serial starting is in our nature then why not embrace that and use it to our advantage and chain serial starts back to back.

    So for example if you started OMAD and did that for 4 months then got bored or whatnot and stopped but, then immediately started Keto and did that for 4 months then cooled on that idea but, immediately started a weekly meal prep regime and did that for 4 months. That's a whole year under your belt and all the serial starting tendencies satisfied =). Then you just go from there, starting one thing after another but all serving the greater purpose of calorie control.

    I tend to do this with exercise. I'll start to cycle and will do that for a while then get bored so I'll stop and start lifting but I'll get bored with that so will quit and start swimming until that's not as fun any more so I'll start running for a while before deciding that I kinda miss riding my bike and start cycling again.
  • mkculs13
    mkculs13 Posts: 612 Member
    Options
    Hello?