I'm officially obese

It might be easier to just get started step by step, instead of tackling everything at once?

I would also like to mention that some of the things you mention are possible ways to lose weight, but not strictly necessary, and others aren't relevant to weight loss:
- drinking 2 litres a day: it's good to be well hydrated but it's not a requirement for fat loss, for fat loss it's about calories (also: to be well hydrated will require different amounts of water according to the weather, exercise etc. so 2l isn't necessarily a 'magic' number)
- no eating after 8PM: this can be an easy way for people to reduce their calorie intake (especially if they're prone to evening snacking). If you find it helpful, go for it, but it's not strictly necessary, nor is it a guarantee for weight loss (your overall calorie intake is what matters)
- smaller portions: that was my preferred approach for weight loss, eating the same foods but smaller portions than before. And with time (and logging) I learned to make smart substitutions as well (foods with a similar taste but lower calorie/more filling etc.)
- walking: exercise is great for health, and walking can increase the 'calories out' side of the CICO equation, but strictly speaking it's not necessary for weight loss. it's also important to watch your food intake at the same time (it's easy to eat more food, without realising it, in response to being more active, sometimes in a way that it cancels out the calories burned.

To come back to the beginning of my post: it's often easier to change habits if you take a more gradual approach. For example: start by just logging your current food intake for a week or so and try to look for easy changes you could make (smaller portions, substitutions etc.). Then the next week try to apply those changes. The week after, you could a goal for increasing your activity level: for example something simple like taking the stair at work instead of the elevator, or parking further from the building, or taking ashort walk after your lunch break.
The trick is to make the changes as easy as possible (low threshold) so it doesn't seem as daunting.

Wishing you success!

I've had many restarts, and some of them didn't last very long. What has helped me to be successful is starting with one focus. And then adding in other objectives gradually.

I restarted June 2 and at that point, I was paying attention to my total daily calories to be around 1400-1600 per day and drinking some water each day. (That is a good calorie range for me.) I wasn't even logging at MFP at that point, but either keeping a mental note or writing it down each day. This is not terribly precise, but for me it felt like a way to ease back in to food logging.

Around the end of June I decided it was time to start being more active, so I set a goal to walk briskly 2-3 miles a few times a week. (Confession, I have not yet hit 3 miles but I have met the goal of walking briskly 2+ miles 3+ times per week.) And using my under-desk treadmill most afternoons for 30+ minutes. This is not cardio/brisk walking (slower pace) but it is more movement than SITTING all day.

And a little over 2 weeks ago, I got back to logging at MFP and making more of an effort for accuracy in logging. I am also setting long term goals in terms of my activity/fitness level. For me, having fitness goals and making that a priority is key.

estherkohn wrote: »

I know what I need to do. Drink 2 litres a day, no earing after 8, smaller portions, walking etc. Why is it so hard to just do it?

Maybe you are wasting your focus on things that aren't actually necessary?
None of the things you list are required for weight loss and if they are making your job of being in a sustained calorie deficit harder they are counter-productive.

Personally I think walking is great (for health) but if the rest is making dieting harder or more unpleasant maybe this rules based approach isnt helpful for you?
Dieting involves restriction of course but adding additional restrictions on top of the one necessary one may not be your best approach.
Worth putting some thought into what would make a difficult task easier for you.

e.g. I like big portions and eating the majority of my food allowance in the evening but also find breakfast an optional meal. Makes my compliance easier to skip breakfast and enjoy those calories when I would feel deprived by restriction to smaller dinner portions.