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Moroset905 · June 14

Hello,

So I have way more day ones then I should, but that's okay because it means I keep trying. I haven't given up, this is a road that I've been on for so long i couldn't even tell you when it began. I want change. What's different I don't know, nothing, everything but I'll never stop trying.

I have workout machines, bands, and mats I have videos, YouTube and apps.... I have access to gyms and running paths. I have everything i need i just need to start, which seems to be the hardest part. I think i need a friend to go through this with but i really just need to start. So this will be it. i will come here and even to say i didn't quite this will be my accountability place. No judgement, just a reminder that I've never quite and i still won't.

I have plenty of reasons to do this; my health, my family, to just look amazing in the little black dress and all these reasons are valid. I just need to make time like i make time for my family and friend, like I make time for work, to pray, for school and for therapy. Now I will make time for the physical.

Will this be the difference from the last time I tried, I don't know it could be, it could be the start to another day one that will be added to the pile of day ones that I have. This could be the last of my day ones... how great would that be.

Sincerely,
Msdayone

cmriverside · June 14

Msdayone,

Good decision. That's basically what it comes down to - A Decision. Like getting married or having a baby or buying a house. Decision made, lots of steps to follow afterward.

I don't think losing weight was that difficult for me. . .but like you it wasn't so much, "I'll never over-eat again." It was more, "Okay, how can I make this work long-term?"

Keep posting every day. I do that, only in a journal. I continue to learn about myself and food every single day.

It doesn't need to be time consuming. It just needs to be somewhat consistent over time. If I have to eat, may as well make it a chicken sandwich and carrots instead of a cheeseburger and fries. Milk shake? How about making that myself with non fat yogurt and fruit?

Logging food takes a couple minutes.

neanderthin · June 15

Well they keep saying eat less and move more, maybe you can find the formula where almost all fail, I mean they must be right and suspect the world of overweight people just aren't doing it right.

girlwithcurls2 · June 16

I understand. I was in that same space for months. Actually, it was probably years. And then I spiraled into the "what difference does it make?" or "I'm fat. I'll always be fat." Then something changed and I gave up hanging onto this idea that I had to do it all. I decided to log my food and aim to hit the target. Then I realized that I could eat more if I moved more, making more wiggle room. Then I realized that if I was moving more, I needed fuel for those workouts, not just using the exercise calories for the fun stuff. I didn't own a scale, so I weighed myself once at my parents' house. I didn't step on the scale for another 3.5 months, and it was 22 pounds less. I got so caught up in the process of learning what was sabotaging myself and making changes, that I didn't realize that the weight was coming off. It was eye opening. I WON'T always be fat.

Hitting a mental rock bottom helps. At that point, there's nowhere to go but up. It's frustrating to work really hard at something and not see results sooner. But if you let go of your own expectations and consider the work a long term thing, it's going to help. I am someone who will probably need to log most days. It's just the best way for me to stay accountable. I had lost the weight and kept it off for years, but when Covid came and shut down pools and gyms, I lost my steam. I lost my routine. I cooked and baked more. And I stopped logging.

You're not alone at starting again. There are lots of threads of people reintroducing themselves. At some point though, you just make the decision to make the next Day 1 your Day 2 instead. And go for Day 3. If Day 4 is total rubbish and you are so far off goal, it looks like starting over, log it, go to bed, and get up for Day 5. For me, losing weight isn't that difficult. Maintaining the loss, however, is my struggle. But that's for another day

Check in here and celebrate small victories. People will cheer you on and they'll reach out a hand when you need someone to pull you up.

MargaretYakoda · June 16

One day at a time.
One step at a time.

Building habits is a process.

Fall down twice, get up three times.

Keep in mind that you can’t rely on motivation. Build habits. When you’re not feeling the motivation, make yourself do the logging and at least a minimum level of exercise. Every day. Treat it like a job if you have to.

Hobartlemagne · June 17

Put exercise on your calendar. Don't just squeeze it in at the last minute each day.

penjen2010 · June 19

Wow, reading the past comments makes me feel like I have alot of company in the "starting over", yet again! Club. I m such a rebellious soul and telling me I can't eat the delicious food I want makes me mad!!! Lol. I guess that's why I m 35 lbs overweight and unhappy about it. Ugh!
I m gunna log my food everyday until it becomes second nature and keep reading what you all, very eloquent people, post. and draw strength from your wisdom because, clearly, I m not very good at telling myself NO!!
Have a happy day all!
Penelope

girlwithcurls2 · June 21

@penjen2010, one thing I sometimes do is tell myself, "Sure! You can have that! Log it first though..."

Oh boy. The number of times I stop and think, "Nah. It's not worth it." This is why I'll probably have to log for a lot longer than I want to. It just holds myself accountable to actually see the numbers. If I run off the rails at a work party or lunch or whatever, what's left for dinner? And eating a 150 calorie dinner is not an option. And I'm not "earning" food either, so a 2 hour workout to make a plateful of treats fit isn't an option either.

We were at a farewell dinner last night for friends who are leaving. It was an incredible dinner, full of delicious, amazing things that I don't know how to cook. Yes, I did make sure I had a good workout yesterday to bank some extra calories, and to stick to my routine, but did I enjoy myself? Yes. Every morsel. And today, back to the routine.

We've got this. It isn't just physical. There's a mental and often emotional component too. Figuring all of that out takes time. But if we do the work, then we get more time in the end (hopefully!)

ech9570 · June 22

Well here I am back again. I seem to get stuck in a cycle of over-controlling my eating, quitting whatever program I'm on (MFP, WW, Noom, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, OA, etc.) Mostly joining and quitting Weight Watchers. I want to overcome this cycle - it started in childhood with my mother over-controlling what I ate or didn't eat. Maybe I need to use a fail-proof policy - no matter what I happen to eat for whatever (usually emotional) reason - I can't "fail". I'm just experiencing my reality and I need to just focus on healthy eating most of the time. And I need to look at the daily food logs as a TOOL and not a requirement so that when I don't log my food it is not a failure. It's just my reality. Too busy, too chaotic, get back to it when I calm down. But not a failure.
I'm glad for this discussion and I know that this support will help me out.

AnnPT77 · June 22

ech9570 wrote: »

Well here I am back again. I seem to get stuck in a cycle of over-controlling my eating, quitting whatever program I'm on (MFP, WW, Noom, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, OA, etc.) Mostly joining and quitting Weight Watchers. I want to overcome this cycle - it started in childhood with my mother over-controlling what I ate or didn't eat. Maybe I need to use a fail-proof policy - no matter what I happen to eat for whatever (usually emotional) reason - I can't "fail". I'm just experiencing my reality and I need to just focus on healthy eating most of the time. And I need to look at the daily food logs as a TOOL and not a requirement so that when I don't log my food it is not a failure. It's just my reality. Too busy, too chaotic, get back to it when I calm down. But not a failure.
I'm glad for this discussion and I know that this support will help me out.

@ech9570, good perspective!

If we try some new tactic (or program), and it doesn't work out, that's absolutely not a personal failure. It's just a useful learning experience about what doesn't work for us as a unique individual. We can cross that off the list, and try something else.

And a rare day that departs from our normal healthy routine is a drop in the ocean. What we do most days, as a matter of routine: That's the ocean. Finding daily routine habits we can continue long term almost on autopilot is where the results happen, IMO.

We don't need to be instantly and consistently perfect in order to succeed, just pretty good on average the majority of the time. That can work.

ech9570 · June 23

AnnPT77
Thanks so much for your reply. I do get caught up with being "perfect" with one diet or another. And if I'm not perfect, I fail. I like this: "being pretty good on average the majority of the time". The food tracking and goals on this app tempt me to be a perfectionist. But I don't have to be. Just eating healthier meals - that are enjoyable and not contrived (like the 6oz tuna and mustard sandwiches I had on the original WW program) - I think that could be a "pretty good" way to go.

curry306 · June 26

Ok, this is my 1st post. You all are very encouraging, inspiring and insightful!! Thanks. This gives me the push to get back up again. I’m glad to have found you and this community will be my accountability partner and support.

ech9570 · June 27

curry306 - welcome! I am relatively new here, but have been at this weight loss thing for a long time. I should say - losing weight, gaining it back, losing, gaining, etc. all of which got my up to my highest weight ever. In the morbid obesity realm. I am coming back to this after a couple years for another try. I am dealing with emotional eating and letting go of all the scolding and disapproval of my childhood about my "weight" - which was chubby but still at or near the normal for my age. Right now I'm working on meal planning - and getting a good baseline of meals into the food tracker. It's pretty difficult to look everything up every time you fix a meal, but once you have a few listed, it's one click and done. I'm also working on eating more vegetables and fruits.

Again, welcome. I hope you find this to be as useful a site as I have.

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