I was always chubby as a child and my mother signed me up for "Weigh-In" (knock-off of Weight Watchers) when I was in my early teens. My first real weight-loss success was as a sophomore in college, when I went from 166 to 132.
One of the reasons (though certainly not the most important one) I joined the military was that I thought it would be incentive to keep the weight off. Boy, was I off base. I went from being a slight overeater with lousy eating habits nearly to a full-fledged eating disorder, and I was so happy to get out of the military in the fall of 1986 that I gained about 70 pounds in a year (up into the 210's).
My next real diet was in 1989, when I went from 225 to 173. My diets always involved a lot of deprivation, though, and I never improved my eating habits, so I'd usually start gaining weight as soon as I was "done" dieting. By 1994, when I moved to my current city, I was back in the 210's and crept up to the 240's after a few years. I lost about 25 pounds on a low-carb diet some time in 2002 or 2003, but ended up at 260 by the end of 2008.
And I'm not even counting the aborted micro-diets that didn't last more than a few days.
Despite my track record, I really think this time is "for real". I have developed better eating habits, in a way that has me rarely if ever hungry. I do regular (mild to moderate) exercise. And I'm prepared to do it for the long term.
Best wishes to you!
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