I'm back....

Welcome back!

In a sense, you now have an advantage: You know some things that don't work for you. What did you learn from your previous attempts that will help you find a different, more successful approach this time?

Personalizing the tactics can be a really useful path to success. If we understand our own preferences, strengths, and limitations, we can use that knowledge in making a workable plan.

Generically, watching folks here in the MFP Community, it seems like a common scenario that doesn't end well is some combination of picking an aggressive calorie goal (trying to lose weight fast), simultaneously trying to stop eating all "bad foods" (whatever the heck those are), eat only "good foods", and add some punitively intense unenjoyed exercise alongside. Bonus points if there's a fancy named diet and a particular exercise routine that are super-touted in the blogosphere, picked because "everyone says" they're the best "diet hack" or "fitness hack" ever.

That pretty much never ends well. But maybe that's not similar to what you've done in the past - I hope not! 😆

I've been hanging around here through a year of weight loss (50+ pounds, obese to healthy weight, at age 59-60), and 6+ years of maintaining a healthy weight since. Watching others, it seems like those who last and ultimately succeed generally take a more moderate approach, find a way to revamp their eating habits in manageable ways, maybe gradually add in then ramp up some exercise routine they enjoy (or at least tolerate).

Losing any meaningful amount of weight is realistically going to take a long time, weeks to months and maybe even multiple years in some cases. IMO, that puts a premium on figuring out how to make the process relatively easy and very sustainable, rather than fast and brutal.

Regardless of how you decide to work the process this time, I wish you much success: I wish I'd started earlier myself, because the quality of life improvement is pretty remarkable.

Good luck