I'm happiest when...
 

...I exercise regularly and eat however I want.

The past 2 weeks maybe, I've not been dieting. I've just been eating however I want. 75% of the time its ok...not like I've been living on fried bacon and ice cream, but I haven't been counting or watching. I find that most of the time I still eat relatively healthy (which isn't my down fall)...the problem is I either eat too much of a good thing, or say we go out to eat, I order whatever looks good, or I snack more than I would if I were dieting...obviously I have flaws in my eating habit otherwise I wouldn't be overweight to begin with!!

But even through eating however, I've stayed with the gym, which I do enjoy. I workout about 4-5 times a week, about 1 hour cardio and then weights, alternating muscle groups.

And I'm happy in my days!!!!! (Just not with my weight :( ) Ugh! When I'm counting and measuring, skipping this, can't have that because I'll go over calories, and "how can I make this in a lower calorie version???"..I'm so unhappy. What can I say, maybe I love food, maybe I want something more when I can't have it...either way, if I dont count calories, I'm not going to lose any more weight, and I'm not happy where I'm at. (I've basically maintained the past few weeks)

I guess I cant have my cake and eat it too...lol...but it just stinks. Boooo. I've thought about relaxing during this maintenance phase, and when I get the motivation to lose again, then try and lose maybe another 5 or 10 lbs, then take and break and so on.

Has anyone taking breaks from weight loss? Not the kind of breaks where we gain wieght back! lol, I've taken those breaks before, but breaks where you eat sensibly, but dont restrict and continue with regular exercise until your ready for another go at dieting.

Hmmm...you pose some interesting points.

Yes, I've taken a planned break from exercise and diet for a week and a half to break a plateau. It worked beautifully.

But I wouldn't recommend a break in your situation. You're not in the right mental place, in my opinion. It's hard to come back from.

I think there's probably a middle ground between strict measuring and what you are doing. This isn't the best advice for fast weight loss, but have you considered portion control with an emphasis on healthy whole foods? That's pretty much how I eat. I don't count calories, per se. But the majority of my intake is made up of whole foods, complex carbs, veggies, fruits and protein. When I'm eating only from these foods, just practicing portion control works really well.

Eating "whatever you want", even with a little control, sounds disastrous. It sounds like the perfect set up for a storm of cravings and backslides. :(

While I haven't taken maintenance breaks, I know a lot of folks here have done so quite successfully. The key to a successful maintenance period seems to be keeping on top of exercise and monitoring your weight--in other words, the kind of stuff you'll likely be doing for the long haul even after you've reached your goal weight.

In that sense, it might even be a good thing--you're getting practice early on in how to live comfortably in maintenance. Only you know, though, if you'll be able to shift gears and get back to weight loss when you want (or IF you want, as there's nothing wrong with deciding that you want your goal weight to be higher than what you'd thought).

If there's one thing I miss about the way I used to eat, it's that it was so easy. No weighing, no measuring, no counting, no limiting, no thinking. But for me, although the eating was easy, being as big as I was was tough on me emotionally and physically. I traded good health, stamina, and energy for carefree eating; now I'm making a different trade. You're a little taller and started off a bit lighter than I did, and if you're younger you may never have had to deal with that trade-off.

For me, the counting and measuring has become as much a part of the day as brushing my teeth or taking a bath. I don't like it, I don't hate it, it just...is. Motivation isn't important for weighing/counting/measuring food any more than it's necessary to feel motivated to run a comb through my hair; it's just a thing I do to keep myself in good working order. Was your calorie-counting ever like that for you and you've just gotten sick of it after doing it for a while? Or did you find it intrusive and onerous the whole time you've been losing?

Then keep doing it, but be more vigilant. You've counted, you know what to eat and how much to eat. But you have to put the breaks on and practice self control. Easier said then done right? But maybe not, there are plenty of people who practice intuitive eating and are very successful. I'm not one of those people, I personally rely and will probably always rely on calorie counting to tell me when I've had enough.

What's bothering you about counting? Is it the structure or the limitations? Or do you feel like you're hungry? If you're hungry, then maybe it's time to look at the types of foods you are choosing.

I've done that - twice. Lost ten, stopped and maintained for five years. Lost ten last year and then maintained for a year and now I'm going for more. My plan is to get to 200 and if I get there and want to take a break, I will.

There is nothing that says you have to do this all at once. WHy? We didn't gain it all at once? You just have to do what works for you and when you are ready to give in your all again, start it up again... as long as you maintain and not GAIN. it takes time make a lifestyle change and if you need to do it in smaller steps, then do so.

OR... (there's always an or, right?) relax some of your strictness and keep at it the best you can. If you want to have one day a week you just have what you want without thinking, then do it. If you love Jif peanut butter and not natural peanut butter, don't switch. The difference in benefits is minimal and if it makes you happier and easier to follow your plan, then don't change it. If you can lose 1 pound a week easily without having to give up a lot of things, then do that. No one says you have to go for 2 pounds a week every week.

This is not a race.

Thanks for the replies. I think calorie counting always feels like a burden to me. Its not uncommon for me to find myself with 15 minutes to make lunch and eat it. I'll throw together something healthy. One of my favorite lunches is tofu with veggies! I know all the in's and out's of healthy eating and don't fall victom to hidden calories. Non stick cooking spray, seasons to flavor instead of dressings, ect... And I don't eat like the whole tofu block in one sitting! lol But measuring seems like an extra hassle...HOWEVER...

Its not my tofu and veggie dishes that are the problem. Its if mid-day when I'm out and about if I want a iced coffee (cream and sugar please!) I'm tired of not being able to have it. When we go out, I'm tired of ordering salads, or grilled this and grilled that. I'm tired of being the person at the table that isn't having dessert. For me, its a certain frame of mind to count and watch. But I'd wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that my "occasional" treats basically un-do all my healthy meals and choices. You know, you can have a on calorie day, and undo it with too many cashews, or a big glass of OJ or whatever.

I must say though, I put this much weight on while pregnant and eating out of control. That's the only words for it. When I used to eat intuitively pre-babies, I maintained about 165lbs. Times when I wanted to lose a few (maybe for a special occasion), I'd watch, workout a little more and lose 10lbs. I was by no means skinny at 155 lbs, but I liked how I looked. But once I went back to my regualr eating, I'd gain the 10 lbs right back. But now I seem to be maintaining 185lbs. I'm also getting a wee bit older. lol it was easier to maintain a lower weight pre-babies, when I was 20...than it is now post 2 babies at 30...

I'm physically comfortable now, in that I can workout (I jog), I can get down on the floor with the kids easily, I can cross my legs (something I couldnt do for a while) and sleep comfortably, but I just would look a little better.

If what you're doing makes you happy, then you should go for it. Happiness is what's most important, after all.

i really hate measuring and cal counting too. mostly i just try to eat healthier than i was before. maybe going the whole foods route is for you.

Oh, I DO totally understand that! I'm a counter and a weigher and I realize I've gotten a little nutty about it when I do things like put a little kibble of cereal back in the box because I've gone over my 1.4 ounces. Hel-LO, Nola, you did not get fat because you ate an extra cluster of healthy cereal or dip of hummus on your carrot stick, but because of multiple boxes and bags of junk food!

And it is very tiring being "That Person" at the restaurant--the one who orders a cheerless little salad with dressing on the side or a grilled boneless skinless piece of muscle tissue or textured vegetable protein so boring as to be downright anonymous while everyone else is eating something they chose for flavor, not for nutritive properties. It isn't pretty to confess, but I always felt a little sorry for people who did that as I was eating for taste alone (and yes, I now acknowledge that they probably felt sorry for me for being so big and continuing to eat without a care in the world). There's got to be a middle ground--to order for flavor, yet still remain mindful of how the meal fits into the day. That's the place I'm looking for now.

I actually can't prod myself into making super-healthy choices the way others seem to be able to do. I cook with butter, use dressing, eat full-fat cheeses, bake potatoes, have desserts. I've actually cut very little out (salty snack foods, fast foods, that's about it). They all get counted, so they aren't hidden calories--but there are definitely some foods on my list that are verboten for others. I haven't yet gotten tired of it--but then, I'm also only losing an average of a pound a week.

It's a trade-off: I don't get to lose quickly, but I get to keep my sanity. :D

Nothing is worth trading away happiness and health to get, I believe. I think everyone needs an occasional break from routine. Some might reach that point sooner than others depending on how much their routines vary or how much success they've already achieved. You've had great success, you're feeling good and active and capable, you're getting tired of routine: that sounds like a maintenance break could be just what you need.