I've been doing a lot of thinking about weight loss lately. I mean, let's be fair, I think about it almost constantly, but lately I've been doing a lot more thinking about how people lose weight. Looking back on my weight loss journey, I have tried a lot of different methods. The two that stick out the most are Medifast and Weight Watchers. This post is probably going to sound like a bash against Medifast and a plug for Weight Watchers, but that's NOT what I'm intending. Just trying to get some thoughts down.

When I started doing Medifast back in 2010, it was like an answer to my prayers. I had tried to lose weight for so long, and now I finally found something that was working, and it was working fast. In three months I was down just shy of 30 pounds and I felt better than I ever had in my life. But as much as I loved Medifast (the results that is) ... I HATED it at the same time. I hated eating out of packets. I hated having to miss out on special events. I hated the food, towards the end that is - I just got sick of eating the same stuff over and over and over. And the irony of the whole thing is that after every stint with Medifast I always regained the weight. I tried three times. The first time I lost 30 pounds. I got cocky and thought I could do it on my own, and gained the 30 pounds back. The second time I only lost 15 pounds before I got sick of the food, and shortly after I was back up again. Then the third time, I lost 25 pounds, and although I only gained 5 of those pounds back, still - I gained back.

I'm not saying that now that I'm doing Weight Watchers I will never gain the weight back, but I think the reason I gained all the weight back before is because Medifast didn't teach me anything. The thing is, I don't really have to learn anything. I know how to eat. I've read so many meal plans and nutrition journals and food blogs that I could probably publish a best-seller on how to eat right. So it's not really that Medifast didn't teach me anything ... Medifast never made me use my knowledge. I was eating what they were telling me to eat. I was eating five of their little packets, and one meal of a limited meat and vegetable. Of COURSE I got sick of their food. I was eating the same things, over and over again. It was so hard for me to go out to eat with friends - I couldn't have bread, or dairy, or FRUIT. I couldn't even have a glass of wine with dinner. I couldn't do anything! Yes, it worked. But it was so restricting, so tedious, and so not right for me. I tried it three times, and I failed three times.

Now, on Weight Watchers, I don't see myself failing. I may slip up here and there, and I have, and I will again. I'm human. It happens. But the difference this time is I don't feel deprived. On any normal day I don't feel like I'm on a diet. Sure, there are times I have to stop myself from doing something - like if someone at work brings in donuts, or if a friend suggests we go get pizza instead of going to a restaurant with more options. But, even if I decide to have that cake, or go for that pizza, it's not the end of the world.

I can't tell you how many times on Medifast I went to a party or a BBQ or a social event of any kind and I couldn't eat or drink anything because NOTHING was on their limited plan. I can't tell you how many times I was invited to brunch, or to a benefit, or to some other function and I simply didn't go because I knew there would be nothing for me to eat. That's not living. Sure, the weight came off, but it went right back on! Because I was FINALLY able to eat the things I wanted it eat. Finally I was able to go to those events and indulge, and because it had been so long since I'd indulged, I over-indulged. And boom. Back to 185 pounds.

I'm really confident that this time things are different. Yes, the weight is coming off slower, but it's coming off! I'm down 10.4 pounds! And I'm eating food that will stick with me forever! Turkey, low fat cheese, yogurt, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, sensible portions of desserts. I'm really engraving the concept of balance and moderation. I'm molding the way I used to eat into a way of eating that will help me maintain my weight forever. I really do believe that. I really do believe this time is different. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's slow. And yes, I just want it to be over - but you know what? It will be. Before I even know it. One day I'll wake up, look in the mirror, and not even recognize myself. And I'm getting there... one pound at a time!