Hi there, Molly - I've been there, as well. My issue was always when I tried not to obsess over my weight, I would obsess over not obsessing - which, of course, means that I was still obsessing.
I've had to completely rework my relationship with food, activity/fitness and myself over the last few years. It hasn't always been easy, and even though I've been maintaining for over 4 years now, I still struggle at times. I began binge eating in college, and really developed a completely disordered way of thinking about food, exercise and my own body. I 100% blame restrictive dieting for developing my eating disorder - I was 135 pounds my freshman year of college, but still felt fat & ugly compared to my friends and that started it all. UGH!
My journey really started in pieces - my husband felt he needed to get in shape and he lost about 45 lbs. I still wasn't doing anything at that point, but we were eating better, not going out much, etc. Just having his support was
super important. I lost a few pounds as he was getting in shape, then I got some Zumba DVDs for Christmas (I asked for them) and started doing that at home - realized I really enjoyed it, so I stuck with it. About a month later I joined Weight Watchers online. A couple weeks after that I joined the YMCA so I could take more classes. I didn't do it all at once (though that definitely works for some people) - I kind of just chose one thing to work on at a time and when that became habit, I moved to something else. I didn't really plan it that way, but it totally worked.
Not to mention, I started this a few months before turning 40 - which was a major turning point in my life. I really reflected a lot on my 20s and 30s and just didn't want to live another decade like that. We can't have kids, so it's just the 2 of us - and I couldn't expect my husband to take care of me if I wasn't willing to take care of myself. I also destroyed my knees playing sports in high school and was facing total knee replacement. Losing weight helped (though I did end up having one knee replaced this past December) - it's tough knowing that my weight all those years really was responsible for having a total knee replacement at 43. It was
brutal, absolutely brutal - and I still haven't fully recovered, 8 months later. I am getting down to my "ultimate goal" now to hopefully save my other knee for a few more years. I can't even
think of going through that again.
Variety was really important for me to 'stick with it' all these years. I've tried a lot of classes and activities, I've read many books, watched documentaries, tried different tools (WW online, MyFitnessPal, WW meetings, etc.) and tried different gadgets (my current favorite is my FitBit Charge HR). When I get bored with one thing, I try something new.
Finally, having a support network has been key. My husband has been great, I've made friends at the YMCA after taking so many classes and also here on 3FC, in WW and other friends & family. My ortho surgeon and my primary care doctor were also both really supportive and excited for my weight loss.
Good luck to you - I struggled for many years, and still do, but it's definitely a journey worth beginning.