What are the main reason behind your failed diet attempts?

elsie6hickman · August 2018

Inattention on my part. When I stopped paying attention to my diet and forgot my goal, my diet failed.

HDBKLM · September 2019

bump

h2HOcanaduh · September 2019

Thinking too black and white, all or nothing. This time I am forgiving myself, focusing on health and sustainability, and carrying on no matter what happens. Also running out of healthy food. Im trying to be more flexible now.

Annie_01 · September 2019

For me...it was mainly because I didn't take the time to get to know myself well enough. I just jumped in and started counting calories, making what I thought were good choices in food and not asking myself what I wanted out of this change in diet. Everything was working fine and I lost over 75lbs. Everything was working until...it didn't.

This time around I have spent more time by taking a look at what I enjoy eating, what I wanted out of this experience and where I saw it fitting into my life down the road. I have taken time to look at my good habits and my bad habits. Kept some of them and then started working to change the others.

While weight loss is definitely important to me it is only just a part of changing myself. I don't want to just exercise in order to burn a few more calories. I want to eat and exercise in a way that will help me get to where I want to be. The big picture for me is getting to a point where I can enjoy life...do things that I have always wanted to do and finding a way to do all of this without being miserable. What I do now affects what I will be able to do in the future with however many years that I have left.

To sum it up...find a way that gives you what you want beyond losing weight. Find the motivation but mostly find the discipline to achieve what you want.

One of the best quotes I have read recently..."If you are tired of starting over...stop giving up.".

LyndaBSS · September 2019

My failed attempts were mostly due to lack of knowledge. I never really understood calorie deficit until I joined mfp a few months ago.

I was also an emotional eater. I've finally got a handle on that.

brenn24179 · September 2019

I did not weigh often enough. Because of this I did not see the consequences. I did not weigh because I wanted to eat, I got the scales out this time!

jhanleybrown · September 2019

Alcohol.

And not just the alcohol Cal's. If I have one drink....then I will delete an entire day's worth of cal restriction with every bad snack in the cupboard. One drink is all it takes.

So, when I'm sincerely trying to lose weight I have to cut alcohol entirely. (Although I can maintain weight with alcohol in diet.)

On the positive side, if I go 100% dry I can consistently lose weight. And then having a drink becomes the incentive to get the weight loss work done.

lgfrie · September 2019

All my failed diets failed for the same reason. After a binge, I didn't get right back on the horse the next day by weighing in and eating right. I could write a thick book going into more detail but honestly, that's the whole thing in a nutshell. I've learned.

benprime1986 · September 2019

At one time I dropped a alot of weight a couple of years ago. Went from 340 to 199. Around 20 pounds away from my goal weight. Well while physically I did everything right, I didn't prep myself mentally. So now I been hanging around 260 to 280. If I had to pick one thing tho that contributed to the weight and not losing weight would be alcohol. I gotta stay away from that if I'm have any success again, along with seeing a therapist and staying on my meds

Bedazzled35 · September 2019

I lost 100 pounds, for the first time in my life I was hot. I got out of a bad marriage, got some friends and had an absolute ball. All the partying, trips away and hectic life gradually let it all creep back on until I wasn't so hot anymore.
Now back at it with a more balanced view, I'm no longer either on a 'diet' or eating and drinking everything in sight. This time is forever 😊

pontious11349 · September 2019

Focusing on physical goals only with ridiculous deadlines. For example: I want to be a certain weight in 4 weeks and then have abs by 6 weeks.

LOL

I had Zero regard for how I was feeling. I'd be absolutely shattered going out and training at stupid o clock in the morning to chase a goal generated entirely out of vanity. This was often compounded by my stupidly aggressive deficit made out of chicken and tuna because PROTEIN BRO!!!

. It was always only a matter of time before I give up and went back to eating like an unsupervised child.

Once I decided that I was going to stop being an *kitten* I focused on eating (mostly) meats, fruit, veg, nuts and seeds and my goals were performance based. I.e. Do 20 pullups unbroken; Do 100 burpees in under 7 mins; run a sub 6:30min mile. Just always trying to get fitter and more difficult to kill,hahaha.

etherealanwar · September 2019

I could not commit to tracking my calories beyond a few weeks. I suppose maybe I did not want it badly enough until I ballooned to a weight I had never been and enough was enough.

MercuryForce · September 2019

I'm going to echo a lot of people here with "restrictions." My mom is far and growing up it was always a "I'd rather be fat and happy than thin and sad." And as I got older coworkers trying to lose weight and so refusing to eat things they enjoy. And people around me with orthorexia, and my cousin who is the dictionary definition of a yo-yo dieter. Every time I tried, it was always trying the total lifestyle change and just couldn't sustain it, especially when I wasn't seeing instant results.

Then, I started reaching a point where I was feeling uncomfortable in my body at the same time the university I work for was like "hey, employees get 50% off at the nutrition center". I started seeing a dietician that started off with things like "hey, stop skipping lunch, that way you'll stop binging when you get home" and "cheese is fine, but this is what a serving looks like". Now we are moving into more of the bigger dietary changes, like ways to cut fat and sugae and incorporate more fiber. But it's still never "don't eat cookies ever again, except as a very special treat once a year".

Between here and MFP, I've learned I can lose weight and still be happy. I can eat that pizza, but maybe walk a little extra or eat a big salad with it so I only want two slices to feel full rather than 4. It's not been long enough to say "I'm going to be able to stick with this forever", but I've stuck with it 10x longer than I have anything else.

memurph88 · September 2019

I straight up was exhausted of having to pay attention to what I was eating every. *kitten*. day.

wmweeza · September 2019

This is my first attempt, and since I'm doing pretty good at it I wouldn't call it an attempt

poisonesse · September 2019

Geez, what makes you think I failed?

I might gain back a few pounds here and there, and I might have to count calories for the rest of my life, but fail? Nah, not me! I'm down by 56 pounds right now, and I've never gained back more than 20, and that was only once... I'm good to go!

maureenkhilde · September 2019

I can admit I have been a yo-yo dieter for too many weak excuses for way too long. And um yeah tried way too many off the wall diet plans, and yes I can raise my hand and say they are not realistic, not sustainable and boy did I waste money.
I did use WW and was pretty successful twice. But once I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic, the real facts are WW did not work for me anymore. Yes I could lose weight on it, but it did not help with blood sugar control.

in 2018 I lost 78 pounds. Then in 2019 I started drifting away from the challenges here, stopped logging food. Some big issues going on in life, and I got big time distracted. My good news, I woked up and was like oh oh, you have put on 15 pounds time to turn this deal back around and get back on track. Remember not a diet, is a lifestyle change. As a diabetic, for me what works is low carb, no not keto. But really watching carbs, as they have a direct link to blood sugars. And of course making sure I get my daily exercise in. When I let those two slip. I get into trouble. And for me, I have also realized I fall in the category of I cannot keep ice cream or frozen yogurt in the house, I will not eat in moderation.

lois1231 · September 2019

Not knowing how to keep it off. Last year I lost 68 pounds then I injured my left ankle, then the holidays came and then my partial knee replacement went sour this year. I stopped tracking, stopped weighing, still walked a little because I have a dog and pretty much ate what I wanted until I gained back 43 pounds. I managed to keep 25 off only because the doctor told me he wanted to lose weight to have surgery. I think it is a mental thing. Even though I add foods I enjoy when I am tracking there is a part of me saying why can't I have a bigger portion or why can't just eat what I want. Bad habits come back like drinking soda instead of water and eating in bed, skipping meals, not weighing myself, not exercising enough. I really don't love water. I drink it because it is healthy. I like it when it is hot outside but it is not my favorite. I guess i lose motivation. I am good at losing weight, have lost probably a couple thousand pounds over the years, I am not good at keeping it off.

psychod787 · September 2019

Well, biggest issue for me was I was TOO successful! 220lbs lost. Basically became a anorexic. Actually diagnosed. Regaining weight on purpose. I never actually feel sated. Always background hunger. I mean the chronic pangs are lessening after gaining 20lbs, but NOWHERE near where I need to get I may end up pushing back to over 270! Better than the 400 on which I started. There has been an upside. It sparked a learning thing with me. I probably know more about weightloss, maintenance, obesity, regain.. ect than many so called experts. I continue to learn all the new research I can. What is sad is knowledgeable is power, but it's also a curse. I know the up hill fight many of us overweight and obese have. The longterm prospect is grim. Though I now look at weight from an angle of ideal vs best. Ideal is a place where you feel pretty good, are not miserable, and live a pretty good live. It might not be the number on a chart, but one WE choose. For all those pushing to hard remember that. Your "goal" might not be the place you need to be. Change your habits and let your body guide you. Yeah, it's a little hippie ish, but it's just my opinion. A quote I love, "if you do everything the best you can, everything happens for the best." Resist and Bite!

threewins · September 2019

Yummy food.

What are the main reason behind your failed diet attempts?

Replies

Categories