I can't count the number of times I started a food plan, and felt, 'this is it, I got this, I can stick to this until I am back down to a size 10." Nor can I count the number of times I have screwed up, and given up, and gained. I lose very slowly, sometimes the scale goes up 4-6 lbs overnight for NO reason. i get discouraged, I get mad. I don't know that this time is gonna be any different, but after a discussion with my Dr, I do have a different approach. I also saw the words MORBID OBESE. on my checkup print out, YIKES!!!

I am 68 and I have to remember my metabolism isn't what it used to be. I use Fitbit to track my steps and log my food, and I set up a daily calorie goal of 1200. Well she said NO NO NO, I need to be at 1400-1500 per day. Low carb, so zero grains, watch the sugar in all of its forms. She also told me not to get on the scale but to listen to my body and how my clothes fit. I can have a small treat 3 or 4 times per week, it could be a glass or 2 of white wine, half cup pasta or potato salad if I am at a cook out. I am back to write every6 bite, working hard at getting in my 5000 steps ( I have 2 bad knees so this is a good starting place for me)

I am only on day 3, and I have to accept that while I thought I would have my sXXX together at my age, I have to work at it. Meals are lean protein and lots of veggies. There is a bit more work to prep but I am loving the meals. I live alone and often don't want to go to a lot of trouble for just me. Last night I made myself a nice dinner of skillet chicken breast and steamed broccoli. I used the good plates and sat in the dining room. Tonight I am just not hungry at all. I might just scramble and egg to get in some protein. I did Atkins years ago and the fat just fell off, those were the days.

I did try to weigh myself this morning so I would have a starting point, but the screen said LO meaning a new battery, after finally getting the tiny tiny screw out, I put in a new battery from a fresh package, and now it doesn't work at all. so battery is junk, I just put the scale away. So that is what I am doing for myself. Breakfast has been a Chobani zero sugar yogurt mid morning, a big tossed salad for lunch with oil and vinegar and 3 strips of bacon, afternoon snack is fresh fruit.

Time will tell, but I am starting this thread for accountability

When I did Atkins, I thought I would never be fat again. The one biggest takeaway was that I was NEVER hungry. I felt in control of what I put in my mouth for the first time. I had no cravings, no urges to be BAD. I am not doing strict Akins but I am following low carb, lean protein, and lots of greens. I love veggies so that is a help. I live alone so no need to have anything like junk food in the house, and I do not like sweets. Easier to say NO once in the grocery store than 100 times in the kitchen,
I am finding that at dinner time, I am just not hungry, but I am making sure I get in enough calories. I am hoping that getting the carbs low, I am going to be able to stick to this. I know I can have an occasional treat, so I don't feel I need to wish for certain foods. I am also trying to keep busy, doing heavy duty cleaning in my house. UGH but it burns calories and is much needed. It also makes me feel good to be productive.

I really hate laying in bed at night beating myself up for what I did or didn't do during the day, whether it was what I ate or what I did not get done.

It isn't a diet, it is a food plan to improve my life, weight loss will be a side effect.

Thank you for posting. I appreciate your courage. Then my litany of excuses would come rolling off my tongue. I did not honor my self-promises and lost faith in my abilities. For myself, I either find I am making excuses or making it happen. I had a recent health scare to propell my actions to "Do It Now",or it really be too late. And, specifically, how much time did I waste in not dealing with this issue? Most onlookers would call it insane. My denial was ridicously thick, my excuses even moreso...I am finally ready to Make It Happen. It is simple and not easy. For the past three days I have had 3 desserts in my face. I keep repeating: my health and reaching my goals is worth more than this food. It is hard at times not to celebrate with my family. If not Now, when? I've allowed to eat whatever I wanted for years. Where did it really get me besides more inflammation and worse health? Truth be told.

I meal prep to stay on track and have real fruit for dessert. It is easier to grab and go then go off track and wondering with a food coma.

I hope more people jump in. No one has a perfect journey. I think all my failures will lead to success this time.

Instead of beating yourself up, compliment yourself and pat yourself on your back. List all the things you did right. Over time, I am becoming more confident. There is a reason why only 5% of adults keep the weight off. I look at people who have lost several hundred pounds more than me. What kept them going? Consistency, dedication, tenacity, fortitude, grit, and never giving up, to take them over the finish line. We all have that in us!

It took looking at my own denial and bs and making a commitment to change my maladaptive behavior. I'm not done. Progress not perfection. I have my own checklist at the end of the day and write win or loss on each indiviual day. I am counting up the Wins and Losses. I am validating myself and doing this for myself.

Good luck to those who read this. Get off the sidelines of life and stop your life from passing you by...what do you have to lose? Time will pass anyways. Take care.

i completely agree. Too often I would mess up and quit, give up, and go back to my old habits, telling myself " I knew you wouldn't stick to it" I would sometimes reason that I was going to screw up sooner or later so just do it now and get it over with.
Years ago in WW the Leader asked what we would do if we were driving to a place we really, really wanted to go to and we took a wrong turn. Would you just give up and go home ? Or make a YOU TURN and get back on the right road. You might get there a bit later, but you will get there.

5 days in and still going strong, planning meals 2 days in advance and making a shopping list as I use items up. I am fine with the same breakfast and lunch over and over, Tonight I have a pork tenderloin to grill-if it stops raining, otherwise I will cook in the oven, having with a nice caprese salad.

I have made it an entire week without screwing it up. Feeling good and optimistic about myself. I don't feel like my clothes are any looser and I have no battery for my scale, Dr told me not to weigh, really hard to do. But maybe it will keep me from being disappointed and soothing with food.

I am trying to get things done that I have put off that wear on my mind. I have an outdoor swing I bought 13 years ago that has broken and I haven't been able to fix, so in May I bought a new one, and it is sitting in my garage in a pile Today I am going to get it put together, it would be helpful to have another person here but at this tiime I don't so I will figure it out and plan to sit on it tonight and enjoy the peace of the backyard.

I have errands to run in town : go to the dump, pick up my chainsaw, get gas for tractor, but the afternoon is for the swing.
Late today and off and on tomorrow we have more rain, hoping I can also get the lawn mowed, It takes me a little over 2 hour with the tractor. Trimming will have to wait.

My low carb food plan has been easy so far, After the carb withdrawals I am no feelng hunger or urges to binge. Dinner for the last week has mostly been boneless chicken breast with steamed veggies, I need a plan and list for this week. I am out of all my fresh veggies so will need to shop for them as well,

I made it through the carb withdrawals. I am a carb addict, I would take a piece of crusty bread over a piece of cake any day. After a week of low carb, I once again feel in control and I don't know why I didn't stick to this before. Hunger is pretty much non-existent, no cravings. I kind of have to remind myself to eat and I know I need to keep fueling my body for weight loss. I took advantage of Amazon Prime day and I ordered 4 twelve packs of meal replacement shakes. This way when I don't feel like making a dinner, I can have a shake. I just need to step up my exercise and get my steps in. Every day I remind myself I should be on the recumbent bike as it helps out the knees, and everyday I find an excuse not to. One day at a time, getting my eating under control is priority one. Sort of killing me not to check the scale, but I am afraid that even if I have lost in the last week that I might be higher than I think and that would affect my attitude, I need to sit down and make a meal plan, my go to is boneless, skinless chicken breasts with broccoli or asparagus, but I need something else for variety. My list has turkey tenderloin, pork chops, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and salad veggies so far.

I have to say that my self esteem is up, I am starting to feel better about myself. This afternoon I tackled a project I really wanted to do, but put it off because I knew it was going to take a long time and be difficult. But I went out at 1 and decided to work on putting the swing together, I got the large frame together in an hour and a half, then took a break in the house. It was almost 90 here and I was only half in the shade. I went back out around 4 and finished it at 630. Was tough and tricky to stand the frame up alone, but I did it. h

I have another great day in the books. I imagine I am stringing them together like pearls. Steps were 5689, was another very hot and humid day. I did tackle a project that has been giving me fits for over a month and I may have figured it out. I will see today. I got some more organizing done in the garage, things put away so guest can park on the other side.

I cooked turkey tenderloin with a sauce of chicken broth, whole ground mustard and zero calorie 'maple; syrup. I sliced it and froze it in 2 pouches so I have emergency dinner when I am too tired to make something or I am craving something bad.
Here in the North East we have more hot and humid weather as well as T storms and flood warnings, This has been the rainiest 3 weeks I can recall.
I have a delimma; The Dr told me not to weigh myself, and in a way it is freeing, but i am dying to know where I am-at least I think I am. My fear is that I am going to be 5 or more LBs over the last time I weighed in March. I could have lost 5-7 lbs since I started but still be over what I was in March. I took a battery out of a candle and it sits here on the table as I wrestle with what to do. Will being higher spur me on or set me back??? I will think on it some more.

I am closing in on 2 weeks, without a mishap. Feeling more confident, hoping to feel some looser clothes but at the weight I am starting from, it is going to take a bit before I feel it. I am logging all my food in Fitbit so I know I am on track.

I had a grilled porkchop and steamed broccoli for dinner, then finished off the evening with a treat I make with 1 cup of almond milk and half a cup of mixed frozen fruit. Not really a smoothie as it is so thick so I call it a smushie. I need to work on getting more steps in and getting back on the recumbent bike for my knees. One step at at time, Just glad to be sticking with this.

I have 2 small sirloin tips I am going to make a stir fry with that, mushrooms and pea pods for dinner,

We have sun today and i just finished lunch, going to get myself out in the yard and get things done.

I am realizing that I have 'All or nothing' mentality. Either I am so on board and in control or off the rails. There are a number of foods I just cannot have in the house. I did some snack prep and arranged my fridge so the first thing I see when I open it is my containers of cut up veggies, cottage cheese, watermelon, or zero carb yogurt.

If I cannot eat it or control it, it can;t come into the house. I live alone so for me that is doable. I also live 8 miles from any store and being so rural there is no food delivery another plus for me. Today is my 2 week marker-I had planned to allow myself a gift but cannot remember what it was. Under no circumstances would it be food, funny that it was so important the first few difficult days and now not so much.

I am still lacking in the exercise department between the constant rain and T storms we have had high heat and humidity and not the weather to be outside in for a long time.

I will keep trying to get in more steps but my main focus is keeping to my food plan. Easier and more effective to control the calories in.

Today I plan to be productive. I am going to tackle a project I have shied away from. I took up woodworking when I retired and I made a chess board, now I need to get busy making the chess pieces.

Last night my order of meal replacement shakes came. Since I am not hungry for breakfast before 10, I decided that I would have a shake for breakfast, saves me time, dishes, prep and clean up. Lunch is always a big green crunchy salad with oil and vinegar and I allow myself 3 slices of lean bacon crumbled into it. For snacks I have zero carb yogurt, fat free cottage cheese and lots of celery and carrots to munch on. Dinner will be grilled chicken and steamed asparagus. I am almost scared as how well I am sticking to this. I see my Dr for follow up in October and I just have got to be down 20 lbs .

I have been busy and productive, still feeling strong. Almost impossible to find a decent head of lettuce for my lunch salad. I ended up with hearts of romaine and they are really fresh. A quick trip to town to pick up the salad stuff and more coffee and I am all set through Monday.

Today I was down 4 lbs from last Sat, very happy but I have such a long ways to go. I am 100% on my food plan and committed for the long run. I ordered some new sneakers that are made to help with knee, ankle and foot pain, we will see if they live up to it. Ran into town and bought some cushioned new socks.
Fri
2 3 oz boneless baked pork chops
3/4 lb steamed asparagus

I am having a really good day but here is where I find myself having doubts. According to Fitbit I have eaten 742 out of 1500 calories, I am not hungry, but I am idle enough that I start to think of what I could eat. I had thoughts of getting some lite beer, but was able to talk myself out of it, I have yogurt in the fridge, fresh fruit and veggies, but I find myself tempted. I know I need to eat to get closer to my daily target and there lies the problem. I have been drinking zero calorie selttzer and it helps because it is so filling, but I know I can have food. I am going to have to keep myself busy folding laundry and cleaning up the kitchen, I think I will have a meal replacement shake, only 180 calories but it is something healthy.