Starting over and am totally lost
 

So 3 years ago I started losing weight I was 274 and got all the way down to 207 Yea Me! Then I had to move and I hated the move and my job that I loved and moved for turned into a job that I hated. I sat on my couch and ate my way through the year until I decided money wasn't everything and moved back home where I was happy. I have know bounced up to 220-224 while it could be worse I went from starting to feel really comfortable and the weight (magically) dropping off to being stuck.

This is gonna sound stupid but I can't really remember how I lost all the weight last time. I mean I kind of remember but not really and am now feeling completely lost in starting over. I didn't really follow a plan I just changed stuff that I knew wasn't good i.e soda, fried stuff. I have started changing those things again but can't really get a grip on it all.

Any suggestions I am feeling really lost and overwhelmed??

I miss my clothes being loose. I feel like a sausage today!

First off, Congrats on maintaining a 50 plus weight loss for so long! That in and of itself is an amazing accomplishment.
My advice would be to track everything you eat for a week. This will give you an idea of how many calories you are eating. I am guessing by your stats to lose weight you should eat around 1400 calories per day. After you have the information, begin tracking you food with the goal of keeping your calories in this range. There are several free apps that will help you with this.
Drink lots and lots of water and try to incorporate some type of exercise into your daily routine, even if its taking the stairs or parking further from the door to your office or stores.
Most of all, stick close to this site for tons of support!

Hi Lady,

Like many here, I've been where you are, too. Now, when you say you had given up the bad foods before to lose weight but can't get a grip on it all, what exactly do you mean? You still can't remember all that you did or you can't get motivated to give it up? That part was a little confusing to me.

I know that for me, every time I've been really successful in losing weight was when I had a plan and just didn't "wing it" or half-heartedly tell myself, "Well, that diet worked for me before...I guess I'll give it another try". I call it the Eeyore (from Winnie the Poo) symdrome. lol

But you really need to be psyched about which ever healthy weight loss plan you're doing or you're just not going to be doing it for long. I realize that it's hard to stay motivated on a daily basis; everyone has ups and downs. But that's when I head over to these boards for inspiration on the challenge boards and the goal/mini-goal boards. Reading about other peoples challenges and successes re-fuels my desire to keep going.

I really hope you find what works for you again and come by here often to keep inspired.

I had previously lost weight simply by exercising and eating when I was hungry and stopping when I was no longer hungry (though I certainly wasn't eating the best quality foods - lunch could simply be a bowl of ice cream if that's what I wanted, and I stopped when I was satisfied). I got ten pounds under my "set-point" doing that, and I wasn't intentionally losing weight.

After having children, that method no longer worked for me, and in fact, I was slowly gaining weight. So I had to do something more structured. Weight Watchers ended up working for me because it gave me a box to stay inside every day - I could still eat just ice cream for lunch if I wanted to, I just had to count the points and record them and stay within the range. Gradually I realized that I felt much better eating healthier foods, so my eating has changed a lot since I started. You can do WW with most any other diet style - Atkins, South Beach, etc. WW just gave me the boundaries I needed in order to eat happily within the style that worked well for me (which has turned out to be Michael Pollan's Food Rules).

So, bottom line, you may need to make more of an effort than you did in the past to lose weight. Having a "plan" of some sort definitely helps. I highly recommend the actual book Three Fat Chicks on a Diet - it gives an overview of the major diet plans out there and the pros and cons of each. It is also a very laugh-out-loud read. That book might help you figure out what plan might work well for you.

The closer to you become to your goal weight, the harder it is to get those last few pounds off. You had incredible success just making small changes but now you need a more structured plan. Its going to take some trial and error but you'll eventually find what works best for your body. When I started buckleing down on my weightloss, I calculated my Basal Metabolic Rate, and added in how much I was burning a day for excerise and other activities(IE movement)...Based on your stats you need about 1700 calories just to lay in bed all day. Factor in your excerise and figure out how many calories you will need to create a deficit of 3500 calories a week to lose a pound...:) There are so many plans and everything but in the end, just watch your calories :) Good luck

Don't think of starting over as a bad or negative thing! Think of it as taking that next positive step to a happier and healthier you. :) But yes, I do understand that it is very overwhelming trying to find a plan that works best for you. I have tried it all in the past and the thing that worked for me best was low calorie (for me, started at 1500 and worked down to 1200) and low carb (100-150g a day) plus exercise. If I didn't work out I'd eat lower carbs. And I also do intermitten fasting. My eating window is only between noon and 7pm so I'm only eating 2 meals a day and get all my calories in then. But I have never been a breakfast eater so that worked well for me.

There is SO MUCH info on this board that will give you different ideas. All reputable diets work but the key is finding one that works for YOU. And you will, I promise! And once you do you are going to be looking and feeling so great come this summer! :D

the only way i can seem to stay on anytime of set thing is by watching what i eat and i write everything down from everything little thing that goes in my mouth to my workouts for the day. I have only started back the last few days but i can already feel the good impact it is having on me. I have also cut out sodas and junk food. I just keep telling myself that the only way i am going to get that "high feeling" i get when i workout is by getting off my butt. I also have felt like a better mother cause after i get in a good workout and since i have been eating better i dont feel depressed when i workout and i am just over all happier! Try staying at about 1200 to 1400 calories, eat things that are high in protein you will stay fuller longer and working out helps to keep hunger off!

Thanks for all of the good advice. What I meant by the above is that I really cannot remember the steps I took to start or keep losing. I just remember that I decided I was going to lost started reading about a bunch of different options changed some stuff (cant remember exactly what stuff) and then voila started losing. I remember that I changed my lunchtime routine and started eating a really low carb lunch and I quit drinking soda I know that wasn't it though. I got some great ideas in my responses to my post though so I will just start moving forward.

Thanks everyone. You are all so great. Just like I remembered from the last time I bounced around here for a few months. I so appreciate you all taking the time to encourage me and give me some directions to head off in.