This time feels different because...

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rayonrainbows
rayonrainbows Posts: 423 Member
in Getting Started
Have you stopped and started? Does this time feel different? Why?

For me, this time really does feel different. I'm only on day 10 this time around, but I feel committed and optimistic!

The main reason, I think, is that it seems like my body actually really wants to change this time. There's not a lot of resistance and cravings, etc. I've also never been a tea or lemon water person, but my body is actually asking for it now! I don't even own any tea (on my next shopping list now!) and my body wanted it so bad the other night that I just chopped some fresh ginger, lemon grass, lime, and rosemary, and made my own weirdo concoction :D

My current weight (200 lbs) is also the highest I've ever been. I've been dressing well (I think) to fit my body and kind of ignoring the buildup, but when I took my before pix and compared my measurements to the last measurements I had saved on this site from a few years ago, it really sank in that I've really gotta do something to get fit again!

The final reason why this feels different for me is COVID.
CON -- what was once a quite active, on my feet job (teaching middle school) is now largely sitting in front of a computer.
PROS -- no restaurants, no school cafeteria, no commute time, so I have more control over what I'm eating.

Anyway, why does this time feel different for you?
& feel free to add me if you're looking for a motivation buddy :)

Replies

  • JAC581
    JAC581 Posts: 91 Member
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    rayonrainbows wrote: »
    PROS -- no restaurants, no school cafeteria, no commute time, so I have more control over what I'm eating.

    I agree with you wholeheartedly here. I'm working from home now, and can control what I'm eating without the temptation of restaurants and office snacks. Plus no commute leaves more time for meal prep/workouts.

    I've stopped and started on here so many times, and have successfully lost weight in the past, but then I stopped paying attention to what I ate and gained it all back plus some. I finally reached 250 lbs at the beginning of this year and felt miserable, but didn't start on here until a month ago. I've found making friends on here has been a great source of support that I really needed. I've had quite a few (positive) life changes over the last few months, and so this time feels different for me as well as I feel like I am really committed this time.
  • imgwendolyn2015
    imgwendolyn2015 Posts: 347 Member
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    This time is different from me for a couple of reasons. I am working from home now so I can be very flexible with my schedule and focus on good eating and exercise. My daughter also went from living alone with an abusive ex stalking her to living with family so she isn't alone anymore and she is far away from that bad environment. I can exhale a bit and not worry about her constantly which allows me to focus on myself.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    This time was different because I just refused to quit for any reason. I made mistakes. I had weak days. I had periods of indifference. I had fatigue. I had to keep adapting the way I was eating. I have had a lot of life happen in the time it has taken to lose all this weight. I didn't let anything stop me. I fell down. I got back up.

    But that sounds like it was very hard. It was not. I had plenty of easy days, a whole lot of moderate days, and some pretty rough days. If it is hard too often it is time to adapt again.


  • rayonrainbows
    rayonrainbows Posts: 423 Member
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    JAC581 wrote: »
    rayonrainbows wrote: »
    PROS -- no restaurants, no school cafeteria, no commute time, so I have more control over what I'm eating.

    I agree with you wholeheartedly here. I'm working from home now, and can control what I'm eating without the temptation of restaurants and office snacks. Plus no commute leaves more time for meal prep/workouts.

    I've stopped and started on here so many times, and have successfully lost weight in the past, but then I stopped paying attention to what I ate and gained it all back plus some. I finally reached 250 lbs at the beginning of this year and felt miserable, but didn't start on here until a month ago. I've found making friends on here has been a great source of support that I really needed. I've had quite a few (positive) life changes over the last few months, and so this time feels different for me as well as I feel like I am really committed this time.


    Yayy for your positive life changes!! :D Yes!
    I'm a huge fan of working from home now; it's going to be hard to go back whenever it's time to. I suppose the key will be keeping these same eating habits and just cooking breakfast/lunch ahead of time and bringing it with me.
    Congrats on 1 month of logging! Keep it up chica! :)
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 230 Member
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    This time feels different because my health is at stake. I really want to maintain my health so I don't have a choice. I feel good about what I am doing- I have been logging for 90 days and making changes as I go so this is becoming a life style change for me. I find now that often if I see some of the foods that I used to eat they have no appeal for me.
  • rayonrainbows
    rayonrainbows Posts: 423 Member
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    imgwendolyn2015 wrote: »
    This time is different from me for a couple of reasons. I am working from home now so I can be very flexible with my schedule and focus on good eating and exercise. My daughter also went from living alone with an abusive ex stalking her to living with family so she isn't alone anymore and she is far away from that bad environment. I can exhale a bit and not worry about her constantly which allows me to focus on myself.

    I completely understand about the stress factor making it hard to focus on positive changes for yourself.
    I'm glad your daughter is in a better situation. *hug*
    Yay for the work from home squad! Let's make the most of it! :)
  • rayonrainbows
    rayonrainbows Posts: 423 Member
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    NovusDies wrote: »
    This time was different because I just refused to quit for any reason. I made mistakes. I had weak days. I had periods of indifference. I had fatigue. I had to keep adapting the way I was eating. I have had a lot of life happen in the time it has taken to lose all this weight. I didn't let anything stop me. I fell down. I got back up.

    But that sounds like it was very hard. It was not. I had plenty of easy days, a whole lot of moderate days, and some pretty rough days. If it is hard too often it is time to adapt again.


    Congrats on your progress!!! ^_^
    That's some great advice. Take the rough days in stride, the same way you take a random scale jump in stride - think big picture.
    I especially appreciate your last line. If I start getting in a slump where it feels too hard, instead of giving up just reevaluate, how can I tweak this without stopping altogether.
    Thanks for the thoughts! :)
  • AndreaTamira
    AndreaTamira Posts: 272 Member
    edited November 2020
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    This time feels different because last time I never truly considered maintanance. This time I am considering it from the beginning.

    This time feels different because, while I gained back a lot of weight I was able to stop myself to ever go back even close to as height as before (still obese, but there is a difference between 90 and 112 kg). So I know I at least managed to do some things right.

    This time feels different because I seem to have found a balance which works for me, where I am losing but am not often hungry.

    This time feels different because the last time it was mostly the idea of looking better that drove me. Now if is the idea of being healthy for a long time, living a good life. And also, because this time is the last chance for having kids and weight loss helps for natural conception and is needed to get affordable fertility treatment.
  • rayonrainbows
    rayonrainbows Posts: 423 Member
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    AndreaTamira wrote: »
    This time feels different because last time I never truly considered maintanance. This time I am considering it from the beginning.

    This time feels different because, while I gained back a lot of weight I was able to stop myself to ever go back even close to as height as before (still obese, but there is a difference between 90 and 112 kg). So I know I at least managed to do some things right.

    This time feels different because I seem to have found a balance which works for me, where I am losing but am not often hungry.

    This time feels different because the last time it was mostly the idea of looking better that drove me. Now if is the idea of being healthy for a long time, living a good life. And also, because this time is the last chance for having kids and weight loss helps for natural conception and is needed to get affordable fertility treatment.

    All excellent reasons!!
    I'm so glad you've found a balance, and it must feel so good to know that getting healthy might literally change your life in one of the biggest ways -- give you a family! <3
    Awesome! Keep it up! :D
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    1poundatax - join my club - my health is at stage too and I am not going to sit by and leave it, then I am stuck on insulin - no way.
    I have to do something and the time is now as I cannot afford to let myself get to that frightening stage.
    I am taking one day at a time and working from there, also ensuring that I do some kind of exercise each day - whether its 60 minutes on the elliptical watching youtube videos - at least I got my exercise in
    I am logging everything I eat religiously because that is the only thing that will work for me.
    Lost 24 lbs a couple of years ago on here and let myself go, now I have to go through all that hard work again - but this will be the last time for - even if I have to count calories for life to stay keep 30 lbs off.
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 230 Member
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    @socajam- diabetes is the issue I am facing as well and I am determined to do my best to avoid it. I am taking a class on preventing diabetes and the coach keeps stressing the need for exercise. I do Youtube videos regularly and make myself do at least a short one just about every day. We are suppossed to strive for at least 150 min. of exercise and I am rgularly over 200 per week. I lost 65 pounds on WW about 10 years ago, kept it off for awhile but gradually began to put it on until I had gained 40-45 back. I have lost about 20 since March though I never recorded my highest weight. Most of that loss has come since August when I really began to get serious. As I say I made small changes at first so I would stay with it. I want to lose at least 30 pounds more, I will still be overweight but not obese. I will decide my next goal from there. Good luck to you.
  • Kel_7743
    Kel_7743 Posts: 25 Member
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    This is my third week sticking to it. It feels different just because I’m sick of feeling bad about myself and feeling depressed. Not doing anything about it just makes it worse and I keep gaining. So time to stop with my excuses and just move and eat less! And stick to it! 😊😊
  • marganit1
    marganit1 Posts: 13 Member
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    I lost 7kg last November, than I went into maintenance and I was 69.5kg - 70.5kg all year. I got tired of being 70kg and I am 164cm high, I am still clothes size 42. I need to go back to dieting at least till I get tired of it. I started to log again. I started to walk longer routs. I need to lift dumbbells again. I am not very happy, because last time I felt weak and tired. I am on some medication that made me gain weight in the first place 10 years ago (I was 55kg in 2010). Hence I am angry. Still, I know I eat much more than I should.
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
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    AndreaTamira wrote: »
    This time feels different because last time I never truly considered maintanance. This time I am considering it from the beginning.

    This! Last time I lost to goal (and indeed well beyond), but then I just stopped thinking about my weight analytically, and it all gradually crept back (a process that was helped by several factors: medication, a year's sudy leave away from my kitchen and my scale, peri-menopause, and covid loackdown Easter eggs...). This time I started thinking early on about how to transition to maintenance and I realise that it might take quite a while, and that I need to keep logging food and exercise to keep track of things.

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