Starting Over

Same boat here, except I did a half marathon and that was 2 years ago. I've been yo-yo'ing 15 lbs every 6 months from overeating/ no exercise and stringent calorie counting/lexercising ever since. I get to where I'm looking good then slack off and gain it back. Get pissed to hit my high weight and kick it into gear to lose it. Problem is not figuring out how to maintain once i get there.

Starting over I suggest just doing what you did to get there the first time. You know it worked for you. The real work will begin once you get there - have to learn how to transistion from dieting to maintainence and somehow make that maintence lifestyle easy to follow.

You've taken the first step by starting over. I have always been on the heavier side until about 5 years ago when I lost about 50lbs. LOVED my new body. Kept eating right & working out for awhile. But, had a weekend where I didn't and didn't gain but, that weekend turned into a few years. And, a few years turned into a few pounds. I also had my son in the middle.

Start small & stick with it. Drink lots of water, exercise regular and include fruits, veggies, protein & fiber into your reg diet.

We can & will do it once & for all.

Feel free to add as a MFP friend

I tend to over think it as well, but if I plan things out, I'm better. Oh, and being busy always helps! Try to be creative in what you're eating and it also helps the boredom! I look up new recipes all of the time; trying at least one new recipe a week. On Sundays I cook my little heart out and plan my entire week's menu. Healthy, clean eating can be really delicious. It just takes time and practice, cooking and experimenting with the ingredients. Try The Eat-Clean Diet website for some yummy recipes. Also, here is a great recipe for something sweet. I eat this as my in between meals snack. YUMMY!

Pumpkin Protein Bars
Nutrition Facts:
Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein
Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein

Ingredients:
½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (This can be found at King Soopers/Kroger in the baking aisle. It's natural and sugar free)
1 - 4 oz. jar baby food applesauce (or no sugar added, naural applesauce)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground clove
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 - 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin
2 C oat flour (I find this at Sunflower, Sprouts, Vitamin Cottage or Whole Foods)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein
½ cup almond milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk which is great in coffee too!)
½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.
Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.
Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.
Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min.

Makes 24 squares. (I eat 2 squares as a snack) YUMMY!

I LOVE the idea of rewarding yourself with a massage! (I may even steal that idea). LOVE IT!

Keep up your hard work. You won't see a change on the scale everyday but you'll see changes. In fact, you might not ever see them on the scale but you'll see them in your clothes, energy level, etc. You've got this!

Let me know what you think of the recipes, if you try them out. I recently made a white bean soup recipe that turned out pretty good as well (and easy to make). I can share if you're interested in that one as well.

I never seem to drink enough water...

i've been drinking upwards of 150 oz/ daily...and it's crazzzzzy how much difference it makes!
but i am getting really sick of it, so trying to change it up with at least 1 perrier a day!

DAMN IT! i'm stuck! i haven't lost anything (i'd be happy with a quarter pound) since Sunday morning.
What do i do to break this plateau??!

You said it's making a crazy difference, but you aren't losing weight? What is the difference you're talking about?

I have lost everyday for two weeks until the past two days, where i have stayed put...
I was saying that the water makes a big difference in how i feel, sleep, etc. Just overall well being.

Two days is not a plateau. Sorry, it just ain't.

Reading back through the thread, you started with a very large weight loss. That was water weight you lost by drinking more water. That's the "free starter" everyone gets when they start drinking more water (the benefits of high water intake continue, but the weight loss is a one-shot deal).

Your goal should be, at most, 2 pounds a week. If you weigh daily, you'll have variances based on a lot of factors, such as how much sodium you ate the day before (causes water retention).

I can't see your diary, but I'd recommend you take your food control to the next level. You've been watching calories, but now start tracking the following things:
- Calories
- Protein
- Fats
- Carbs
- Sugars
- Sodium

Try to keep ALL of these things as close as you can to the recommended numbers without going crazy about it. Once you get these things in proper balance, if you're logging your workouts and eating your workout calories, you should be losing weight at the rate you set when you went through the initial setup.

In fact, it might be worth going through the setup again, just as a refresher of what your weight loss goal was.