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Old 06-29-2014, 11:25 AM   #1  
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Talking Weight Loss Attempt #3: "Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.”

Hello Friends!

I feel the need to write one of those all-too-frequently seen "third time is the charm posts." I have walked this path of weight loss two times in the past with some success: In 2010, I dropped from 287lbs to 247lbs before regaining back to exactly where I started over a two-year period. Never one to be permanently felled by a short-term failure, I dusted myself off and tried again in 2012, managing to lose back down to about 250lbs or so. However, at the end of 2012, my grandmother passed away and I allowed my grief to serve as a license for undoing the habits I had developed over the years. Over the past 18 months, I have gained a whopping 70lbs, bringing me to my current 320lbs.

Given my higher starting weight, the task before me this time is in some ways more difficult: if I wish to reach my ultimate goal weight of roughly 170lbs, I have to shed a total of 150lbs, no small feat! To avoid being deterred by the mammoth task ahead of me, I have decided to split my journey into two (roughly) even legs: getting out of morbid obesity and getting to my ultimate goal. Undoubtedly, these two sub-goals will be further divided to increase their accessibility as well. However, in a lot of ways, losing weight and (keeping it off!) for a third and final time should prove to be easier than ever; I already know what works for me (straight up calorie counting and light exercise), I know how my body responds to certain foods and exercises better than ever, and I am in a much more stable place in my life financially than I was the last go round, meaning I'll have additional resources at my disposal throughout this process.

Even though I am not pleased with having let my body reach such a state of disrepair and disuse, I am grateful that I've reached my line in the sand and I'm finally ready to turn it around, once and for all.
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Old 06-29-2014, 01:05 PM   #2  
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I know *exactly* how you feel.

I just posted one of these "Third time's a charm" threads about a month ago. My losses and regains and goal are about the same numbers, too.

I went from 300 to 245(ish) then back up to 280, then back down to 250, and then rocketed back up to 330, and have now managed to get back down to 308. My fail-trigger was moving half way across the country right after my mother was diagnosed with MS. I hated my job, I had no friends, and the only thing that made me feel better was food. In the roughly 2 years from the time I found out about the move, until the time I decided to restart is when I packed on those 80 pounds.

I'm still trying to forgive myself and think of those first two attempts as practice runs, and will eventually get down to 165 (because it will please my doctor for me to finally have a healthy BMI).

Here's my most helpful image, I have it printed out and hanging next to my computer:



Good luck.
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Old 06-29-2014, 04:11 PM   #3  
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Thanks for the response! It's great to talk to someone who gets it. Super crazy that or numbers are so similar! I think you are absolutely correct in thinking of previous weight loss efforts as trial runs; my efforts definitely taught me that I need to be much more focused on maintaining my weight right out of the gate. Each shed pound is a precious treasure worth guarding from the moment it's burned off, not just from the end of the weight loss road.

Thanks for sharing that image with me, it's very applicable to a lot of areas of my life right now. Best of luck to us both as we embark upon this journey for the final time!

Last edited by PixelatedTimeMachine; 06-29-2014 at 04:12 PM.
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Old 06-29-2014, 04:57 PM   #4  
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Oh, and to keep yourself motivated, I suggest you reward yourself at the 10 pound intervals. That's what I'm doing. Since I'm an avid reader, I get to buy a new book every time I lose 10 pounds (which will hopefully be about once every 5-6 weeks).. I've already gotten 2!

Pick something small and inexpensive that you enjoy (I have a $10 limit on the 10 pound rewards). Nail polish, cheap earrings, cross stitch, a skein of yarn to crochet/knit something, a new board game or DVD for your collection, a small scented lotion or spray, etc. Whatever you enjoy. I've found it to be very helpful and motivating.

And, as you can see in my sig, I've got my bigger mini-goals laid out, mostly based on the top number on the BMI scale for when I change classes. I'll get something a little better than a book for those goals. Trying to figure out what I want for 299.
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Old 06-29-2014, 08:27 PM   #5  
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Also a very good idea! I think my rewards will be some mix of books, makeup, clothes, video games, and home decor, with the "grand prize" being either a week-long vacation or a new computer. Setting a $10 limit for the smaller, 10lb increments is a very good idea!

I'm a person who loves having things pre-planned so I'll probably make a "rewards spreadsheet" at some point super soon and use it as a motivating tool.
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Old 06-29-2014, 09:28 PM   #6  
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Awesome mind set. Best wishes on your WOE.
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Old 06-30-2014, 12:24 AM   #7  
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It sounds like I wrote your post... it's amazing, the similarities... This is also my third time. We weigh the same and my goal is to be 200 pounds. Three years ago I lost 74 pounds, I was doing great! Then my mommy-in-law and my granny both past away, 51 days a part. I was devastated to say the least! I gave up on eating right and gained all the weight back and then some. My mommy past away when I was 18... then at 23 I no longer had my granny or my mommy-in-law... It was really really hard on me. It still is.

I'm so so so sorry for your loss! I understand how hard it is.

I think it's great you are getting back on track! You can so do this. I have officially been back on track for 21 days & I feel great! I wish you the best on your journey.

Last edited by Blueeyedhay; 06-30-2014 at 12:25 AM.
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Old 07-05-2014, 11:31 AM   #8  
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Thank you for all of the support, everyone! It's great to have a community such as this where we can encourage each other. Best of luck to you all, too! =)
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Old 03-22-2019, 05:27 PM   #9  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PixelatedTimeMachine View Post
Hello Friends!
Given my higher starting weight, the task before me this time is in some ways more difficult: if I wish to reach my ultimate goal weight of roughly 170lbs, I have to shed a total of 150lbs, no small feat!
I realize this is a super old thread, but I wanted to come back, almost four years later, and update now that I have lost 150lbs. After making this post, it took me another 2.5 years (and another 7lbs of weight gain) to actually draw a line in the sand and start changing my life for the better. After losing 7lbs from a terrible bout of food poisoning in January 2017, I decided that I wanted to clean my diet up a bit to avoid gaining back that hard-fought loss. Well, that intended small change turned into cleaning up my diet a lot and starting to exercise regularly for the first time in my life. During the period between January 2017 and October 2018, I lost 147lbs, dropping from 327lbs to 180lbs and from a size 26/28 in pants and 4x in tops to a size 8/10/12 in pants and medium/large in tops. I've spent the last 5.5 months maintaining between 177lbs and 187lbs and recently decided that I'd like to push my maintenance range about 15lbs lower so I am beginning to shift calories downward again; today I saw my lowest weight ever, 176lbs.

Again, sorry to revive a long-dead thread, but I just wanted to share the message that no matter how many times you fall down, you can always get back up that final time and make it to your goal.
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Old 06-06-2019, 09:03 AM   #10  
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What an inspiration!! I’m always super impressed with people who lose massive amounts of weight, gain it back and try again. It takes courage and determination to keep getting up and trying again.

I’ve been yo-yo dieting since 2005, losing 30lbs here or there but my biggest loss came in 2012/2013 when I lost over 100lbs. I quickly decided that my weight issues were cured and went right back to eating as I had before. The weight came back with a vengeance and I found myself at my highest weight ever...294.

I knew what I needed to do and I knew that I could do it because I’d done it before but it took several years before I was able to get myself started again.

So so here I am with all the lessons I learned. I know that there is no cure for my emotional eating. It’s something that I will always have to keep in check. I need a firm plan in place with my eating. It’s too easy for me to binge and pack on calories without even realizing it.

Im just super happy to be back.

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Old 06-06-2019, 06:06 PM   #11  
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Wow PixelatedTimeMachine that's an amazing story. You must feel fantastic. And October til now is a good stretch to have practiced maintenance, so a good time to spread the inspiration. Extremely well done!!
What do you like best about your new size?
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Old 09-18-2019, 08:52 AM   #12  
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Thank you for posting an update, PixelatedTimeMachine! Congratulations on your AMAZING weightloss and all your hard work! This was just the inspiration I needed right now to push on forward.
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