I started my weight loss journey the week before Thanksgiving, Sparkpeople for a couple of weeks, then Weight Watchers. I have no idea why I picked that day, I guess I was just ready.

For people who are "starting" today - why today? Did you not want to be healthy a few weeks or months ago? Did you not think you could enjoy the holidays with different behaviors? Did something happen over the holidays that sparked you into changing? Did you want a last hurrah with food?

Just curious what drives people to start on Jan 1.

For me, I started today because along with many other people, it's my new years resolution to be healthy and happy. Some people quit smoking others choose whatever. Its a goal you set for the new year.

Speaking only for myself...

I'm a very calendar-oriented person. My birthday and New Year's are my two favorite events. Even though it's only a one-day difference, I used to get really excited about the shiny new year in which I was perfect...so far.

Of course, the inevitable disappointment would eventually find me.

(Just to clarify: I still love New Year's, but I'm much happier now, so I don't have as much of a need or desire to put the old year to bed.)

That having been said, one way I knew that this time was different touches exactly on your point, I think. I was going to start a new eating plan on January 1, 2009; however, on December 29, 2008, instead of eating everything in sight for three days, I decided that It Was Time and I Was Ready. And it was, and I was!

Some people, like you, get an internal "I'm ready" signal--I guess some people use the calendar as an external push.

No matter what day you start, someone can ask "why today, why not last week, month, decade?"

And not only time-related, a similar result oriented question can be asked "why this weight, and not 5, 10, 50, 100, 150, 200..... lbs ago?


I don't think either question is very important, or even very interesting. Starting now is all that matters, not why you didn't sooner.

I think they are interesting, which is why I asked. Isn't it great how we all have different interests?

idk I think people are all different and unique. What works for one doesn't always work for another. Nothing wrong with that.

Some people find it better to just boom start right when they get the urge. Others need a good starting date.

I chose today as the first day to start anew for many different reasons.

One I knew the holidays would do me in. I KNEW I would pig out and I was not going to tear myself up for it. Well actually the only bad thing were cookies really & ordering pizza twice because of just being too busy to go shopping lol

Secondly I am a planner & have serious control issues lol. I need to create a good foundation and plan or I will fail right away. I needed to work out a schedule of days/times to work out. And work out meal planning, shopping lists before I began. Good preparation is always smart IMO!

I think I started the week before Thanksgiving because I needed to kind of sneak up on myself. If I had set a day to start, I would have just kept pushing it off. This way it was some random day and I was like, Ok let's do this.

I think the problem with asking "why not sooner" is that it generally comes across as blaming. "What's wrong with you that you didn't start sooner?" "Why were you so stupid until now?" "What makes you think this time will be different?" "What's so special about now?"

I know that's not how everyone sees or even asks the question, but it has been the "subtext" of so much commentary from "loved ones" over the years, since I was a small child, that I cringe at all similar questions.

For me, viewing the question as unimportant or uninteresting keeps me from saying or doing something hurtful to myself or the person asking.


I caught myself "almost" asking it of my husband yesterday. I've been trying to get him to more actively participate in diet and exercise for months, but he just wasn't interested. Then yesterday he decides he wants to join a gym (hallelujah I've been asking for months, and his response was "too expensive.")

I caught myself before I actually asked him, because I realized the question would either come off as blame or annoyance (and it probably would have been a little of both).

I've just decided to be happy for the opportunity, and let it go.

I can see how you'd think that, but since I'm on this same journey, I'm asking as a fellow traveler, not a spectator.

I posted a similar thread in WW about how shocked I was to find that almost 50 pounds crept on to me without my noticing enough to do anything about it. It was disturbing to me that my own body could change so much and I could just go along with it when it was because I was ignoring my feelings, betraying my body that was built to move and sweeping everything under the rug and saying "no that giant bulge under the rug is fine, no problem, we'll just move around it. nothing to see here. move along."

To me, it sounds worse coming from a "fellow traveler." Having someone ask me who's never experienced it before, I can attribute to ignorance. Of course they're curious, because they have no point of reference. But from someone who's on the journey it sounds like "why haven't you learned what I have?" or worse "look what I've accomplished, that you haven't."

It's why I kept my mouth shut when I wanted to ask hubby "why now" when I'd
been bugging him for months about a gym membership.

If you had been a January 1 starter and had asked "why didn't/couldn't I start sooner," I might have felt somewhat differently, though I still would have probably said "don't worry about the why, just take advantage of today's motivation."

I'm not trying to be argumentative, or saying you have no right to ask the question. It's just that if you do ask the question, you also deserve an honest response, including emotional ones.

I think it's the kind of question that hurts more than it helps, which doesn't mean you don't have the right to ask it. Anyone who finds the question hurtful doesn't have to answer it, though they certainly have a right to express their feelings on the question.

I think it's an interesting question! America is absolutely obsessed with weight loss for one month out of the year. I find that very interesting.

Even more interesting is the statistical follow up I'd love to do. We know that the grim statistics are that only 5% of us will successfully maintain a weight loss. I wonder if the same percent of New Year's start will result in success. Is it lower? Is it higher? The same?

It doesn't matter what day anyone starts, of course. But January 1 is a good time to start because the only real holiday coming up now isn't until Easter.

There's a wide-openess about the first day of the year. The view to the horizon seems so clear. There's a wistful hopefulness about the brand new year. Anything can happen.

It drives me crazy too. I didn't start today. I started August 18!!

for me, the new year is time to reaffirm my commitment to diet and lifestyle changes. I'm not starting, and last year, well, 2009 actually, I didn't wait either. I started changes in December, with the simple goal not to gain weight over the holidays, and to lower my carbs, keep my blood sugars stable. After the New year, I got onto Atkins more formally. I didn't think I could just plop into Atkins over the holidays, so didn't try, but got ready for it.
The other thing about New years, is most of the holiday feasting is done. Its easier to keep to a new diet for a while when the temptations aren't in front of you constantly.
We aren't big on resolutions but do affirm our previous decisions.

Oh, I like the idea of affirming previous commitments. I'm going to borrow that!