What are you doing during weight loss to prevent future relapse?

lemurcat12

Kalikel wrote: »

There is no way in hell I will be weighing every bite of food for decades, though. That just won't happen, lol.

For me I'm not sure, but when I maintained before (and when I lost before) I didn't log. I think I could stay at about the right calories without logging--it's not like I use logging as really more than a check or a keep me honest now. For the time being I find the numbers aspect of it--the calories but especially the macros and just seeing what I eat--to be motivating and kind of fun, and keeping me interested in the process is helpful.

I think this is a wonderful thread. I'm very interested in people's plans, but even more interested in hearing from people who lost weight and then gained it back - why they think they did it and how they'll avoid that in the future.

I agree about the thread and find it interesting to see what others do and plan to do.

I mostly like how I eat and how active I am now, so I expect to keep that up, which is what I did before too. Before I kept myself into it (while I did) through activity-based goals (I was doing first runs and then triathlons) and am starting that up again, but I'm also going to try to add in some physical goals about generally continuing to improve my body, strength, etc. I think before I just was shocked to get lower than I'd expected without it being too tough, and I never really believed I could do more, and it was pretty easy to stay where I was (120s) for a time, so I didn't focus on that at all. I also stopped weighing and let myself (eventually) grow out of clothes, which kind of shocks me now.

I never yo-yoed. I just gained slowly and then very quickly over the years. I never failed to keep weight off, so it's all new to me, lol.

I haven't really yo-yoed either. I was always sort of average and then gained weight reasonably quickly in my late 20s/early 30s and then lost it pretty quickly and maintained for 5 years and then regained similar to the pattern the first time. I know I lost by incorporating cooking and activity and started the slide by one day just quitting the activity entirely. I didn't change my eating much until later, but I started to gain because at less than 130 and 5'3 being sedentary means you don't need much to gain. After I was already feeling kind of frustrated with myself I started eating worse more often (mostly going out a lot) and then started to slip back into a pattern of emotional eating. The latter wasn't helped by the fact that I quit drinking and started over-compensating for a while with food, and was too scared/insecure in my sobriety at first to want to stop that, as I was afraid I'd slide back to drinking. And then after I'd regained a bunch it took a couple of years (when I was gaining more) to care enough to change it, since it's easy to feel like it will take forever to lose it again and so can always be put off a day or two more, especially since a payoff of being fat and sedentary is not having to get active again (which sucks when you are completely out of shape) and being able to eat whatever you want (or whatever amount you want), because who cares. (And contra what some seem to be saying most of the time I was gaining I continued to eat "real food" and all that; you can gain on it.)

Ugh. I know to some extent why it happened and some of that won't be happening again, but my ability to stop caring and change back from what certainly seemed a complete lifestyle change still bothers me some, or makes me wary.

I did refuse to weigh myself after I knew I was gaining (kept saying I'd lose it and then weigh, which doesn't work for me--knowing the number is owning it for me), and I did switch my social circle some from people who were really into fitness to people who were really into dining out and watching plays. I still love and hang out with the latter but am getting back into more social fitness activities so it's not just me imposing the incentive to workout.

astrose00

When I gained a ton of weight, I didn't get on the scale for 2 years. I was in denial. I knew if I got the scale it would snap be back into eating responsibly. So my #1 rule/step will be to weigh myself regularly. The next rule will be to make the right food decision the majority of the time. I will not let an indulgent snack or meal become a day or weekend. And last rule is to never forget how awful being fat feels (mentally and physically). Working out and eating healthy food makes me feel great. I will never let that go out of my life. I will continue to have fitness and activity goals even after I get the body I want. So there will always be something to work towards.

I agree with some of the posters who said they would give themselves a buffer. Mine will probably be 3lbs in any direction (after I reach my goal body composition). It's pretty easy to lose 3lbs and I will never put it off until it snowballs into some crazy number.

Losingthedamnweight

I think about it all the time. I never forget the pain of being fat and the guilt/shame after i eat like crap for a week straight. Once you understand those feelings and have the foresight to see "i'm really going to feel crappy if i mess up", you'll have perspective. And with that perspective, you understand what you need to do.

I also visualize myself skinny and forget about what i look like currently for awhile. I imagine "i'm 150 lbs and i have only 1 chin and everything!" so when i really look in the mirror, it's shocking and i want to do something about it. Sounds weird but it works for me

Kalikel

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Kalikel wrote: »

There is no way in hell I will be weighing every bite of food for decades, though. That just won't happen, lol.

For me I'm not sure, but when I maintained before (and when I lost before) I didn't log. I think I could stay at about the right calories without logging--it's not like I use logging as really more than a check or a keep me honest now. For the time being I find the numbers aspect of it--the calories but especially the macros and just seeing what I eat--to be motivating and kind of fun, and keeping me interested in the process is helpful.

I think this is a wonderful thread. I'm very interested in people's plans, but even more interested in hearing from people who lost weight and then gained it back - why they think they did it and how they'll avoid that in the future.

I agree about the thread and find it interesting to see what others do and plan to do.

I mostly like how I eat and how active I am now, so I expect to keep that up, which is what I did before too. Before I kept myself into it (while I did) through activity-based goals (I was doing first runs and then triathlons) and am starting that up again, but I'm also going to try to add in some physical goals about generally continuing to improve my body, strength, etc. I think before I just was shocked to get lower than I'd expected without it being too tough, and I never really believed I could do more, and it was pretty easy to stay where I was (120s) for a time, so I didn't focus on that at all. I also stopped weighing and let myself (eventually) grow out of clothes, which kind of shocks me now.

I never yo-yoed. I just gained slowly and then very quickly over the years. I never failed to keep weight off, so it's all new to me, lol.

I haven't really yo-yoed either. I was always sort of average and then gained weight reasonably quickly in my late 20s/early 30s and then lost it pretty quickly and maintained for 5 years and then regained similar to the pattern the first time. I know I lost by incorporating cooking and activity and started the slide by one day just quitting the activity entirely. I didn't change my eating much until later, but I started to gain because at less than 130 and 5'3 being sedentary means you don't need much to gain. After I was already feeling kind of frustrated with myself I started eating worse more often (mostly going out a lot) and then started to slip back into a pattern of emotional eating. The latter wasn't helped by the fact that I quit drinking and started over-compensating for a while with food, and was too scared/insecure in my sobriety at first to want to stop that, as I was afraid I'd slide back to drinking. And then after I'd regained a bunch it took a couple of years (when I was gaining more) to care enough to change it, since it's easy to feel like it will take forever to lose it again and so can always be put off a day or two more, especially since a payoff of being fat and sedentary is not having to get active again (which sucks when you are completely out of shape) and being able to eat whatever you want (or whatever amount you want), because who cares. (And contra what some seem to be saying most of the time I was gaining I continued to eat "real food" and all that; you can gain on it.)

Ugh. I know to some extent why it happened and some of that won't be happening again, but my ability to stop caring and change back from what certainly seemed a complete lifestyle change still bothers me some, or makes me wary.

I did refuse to weigh myself after I knew I was gaining (kept saying I'd lose it and then weigh, which doesn't work for me--knowing the number is owning it for me), and I did switch my social circle some from people who were really into fitness to people who were really into dining out and watching plays. I still love and hang out with the latter but am getting back into more social fitness activities so it's not just me imposing the incentive to workout.

Thank you for sharing all of that.

I cannot read enough stuff like this. It's a big help.

FortWildernessLoopy

I will never gain my weight back. Never. Want to know how I know? Because my weight loss is a habit, not a diet. Most people who gain it back (and then some) go on and off diets. They diet to get to the weight they want to be at then think they can maintain by going back to what they were doing before, gaining back weight, then figuring they can't do it because, see?!?, it doesn't work for me! Want to fail quickly? Deny yourself food groups: Low carb, low fat, low sugar, no eating after midnight, all soup all the time, etc, etc ad nauseum. It isn't rocket science. Just watch your calories, nutrition and exercise. Everyone wants a quick fix.

I intend to continue logging long after I hit maitenance weight. It isn't a struggle to do it now, it won't be then. I've been doing this every single day sinch March and I've lost 100lbs. I can already, with confidence, say that I am looking at my heaviest in the rearview mirror and have been for 8 months. I suppose if you only have 20 to lose you may end up yo-yoing simply because you don't have the time involved to truly build up a habit before you quit due to reaching your goal, but I think, even for those with only a few pounds, if you make the conscious effort to change your lifestyle there will be no stopping you.

1. Indulge for God's sake! You aren't being punished. There is no need to go to extremes. Just eat within your calories and if you go over, burn them off.

2.Use the support network you've built up. Spouses, friends who are truly supportive and MFP friends and community.

3. Don't ever, even for one day, say "Well, this doesn't count because it's [insert holiday or milestone like birthday in here]." That's BS and you know it. By all means, go over, but log it as well. If you don't know that the chocolate melty cake was 2000 cals all on it's own, now you know. You aren't logging to gloat, you're logging to track.Good days and bad.

4. Hold yourself accountable for your own actions and lifestyle. Stop making excuses.

5. Always remember where you started and how that felt. Re-read why you started from your own profile. If you never want to feel like/look like that again, then don't. It's up to you to make the decision.

6. This is the time it's beneficial to be stubborn. It isn't willpower, it's determination.

Docbanana2002

I'm one of those folks who swore I wouldn't re-gain the 70 pounds I lost because I wasn't like those foolish quick-fixers who didn't know to make a lifestyle change. And then a bout with depression and some work related drama led to my losing focus after a couple of years, and my sedentary and binge-eating habits came right back while my will to fight them was not very strong.... with the result being a 100 pound re-gain.

I read some of you saying "It will never happen to me" and can't help but think you are a bit overconfident and naive.

Don't get me wrong, I don't plan to regain this time either, and I'm trying to learn from my mistakes the first time so I'll have a better chance this time... but I'm wise enough to know that sometimes our resolve to do all these wonderful things we are doing now (eating right, exercising, tracking, weighing, etc.) can wane when life gets in the way. NO, you say, I'LL ALWAYS FEEL THIS WAY. Yeah... so said a lot of divorced people when they were on their honeymoon... lot of 300 pound people while they were in the midst of a successful weight loss... so said addicts checking back into rehab, back when they were clean and sober for a few months and felt so strong.

Not trying to be a downer here... Just saying don't swear "it won't happen to me"... and then let your guard down. It isn't easy to beat the odds against you. You have to work hard every day to stay focused because it actually CAN happen to you. There are a lot of foolish weight loss plans out there, and a lot of foolish people following them... But a lot of those regainers are just like you, people who did everything right and were strong and motivated... until suddenly they weren't. So stay vigilant and don't get overconfident.

onelentilatatime

Docbanana2002 wrote: »

I'm one of those folks who swore I wouldn't re-gain the 70 pounds I lost because I wasn't like those foolish quick-fixers who didn't know to make a lifestyle change. And then a bout with depression and some work related drama led to my losing focus after a couple of years, and my sedentary and binge-eating habits came right back while my will to fight them was not very strong.... with the result being a 100 pound re-gain.

I read some of you saying "It will never happen to me" and can't help but think you are a bit overconfident and naive.

..... So stay vigilant and don't get overconfident.

Thanks for sharing this salutary lesson. I plan to proceed with the belief that this is a solvable problem, the humility to realise I haven't got it all figured yet and utter terror at the thought that I will be back where I started 2 years down the line.

Sabine_Stroehm

FortWildernessLoopy wrote: »

I will never gain my weight back. Never. Want to know how I know? Because my weight loss is a habit, not a diet. Most people who gain it back (and then some) go on and off diets. They diet to get to the weight they want to be at then think they can maintain by going back to what they were doing before, gaining back weight, then figuring they can't do it because, see?!?, it doesn't work for me! Want to fail quickly? Deny yourself food groups: Low carb, low fat, low sugar, no eating after midnight, all soup all the time, etc, etc ad nauseum. It isn't rocket science. Just watch your calories, nutrition and exercise. Everyone wants a quick fix.

I intend to continue logging long after I hit maitenance weight. It isn't a struggle to do it now, it won't be then. I've been doing this every single day sinch March and I've lost 100lbs. I can already, with confidence, say that I am looking at my heaviest in the rearview mirror and have been for 8 months. I suppose if you only have 20 to lose you may end up yo-yoing simply because you don't have the time involved to truly build up a habit before you quit due to reaching your goal, but I think, even for those with only a few pounds, if you make the conscious effort to change your lifestyle there will be no stopping you.

1. Indulge for God's sake! You aren't being punished. There is no need to go to extremes. Just eat within your calories and if you go over, burn them off.

2.Use the support network you've built up. Spouses, friends who are truly supportive and MFP friends and community.

3. Don't ever, even for one day, say "Well, this doesn't count because it's [insert holiday or milestone like birthday in here]." That's BS and you know it. By all means, go over, but log it as well. If you don't know that the chocolate melty cake was 2000 cals all on it's own, now you know. You aren't logging to gloat, you're logging to track.Good days and bad.

4. Hold yourself accountable for your own actions and lifestyle. Stop making excuses.

5. Always remember where you started and how that felt. Re-read why you started from your own profile. If you never want to feel like/look like that again, then don't. It's up to you to make the decision.

6. This is the time it's beneficial to be stubborn. It isn't willpower, it's determination.

I hope you're right and you've figured out how to make it work for you. Time will tell, but I hope you're posting just for you, and not what's best for others, which it sounds like from my read. Again, best of luck, and I truly hope you'll be a success.

DeWoSa

FortWildernessLoopy wrote: »

3. Don't ever, even for one day, say "Well, this doesn't count because it's [insert holiday or milestone like birthday in here]." That's BS and you know it. By all means, go over, but log it as well. If you don't know that the chocolate melty cake was 2000 cals all on it's own, now you know. You aren't logging to gloat, you're logging to track.Good days and bad.

^^^This is it for me.

Ten years ago I dropped 75 pounds. I felt great and started training for a mini-triathalon -- running, biking, swimming. I looked and felt great and said "I'm never going to get fat again!"

Then I had six surgeries in five years, moved a bunch of times, had some major disruptions -- life happened. I couldn't sustain an active lifestyle and I gained 40 pounds.

Coming here to MFP has been eye-opening. It's the first time in my life I've counted calories, and counting calories has demystified food for me in so many ways.

I plan on weighing, measuring, and counting calories every day for the rest of my life, mainly because I know I can easily fool myself by simply eyeballing what I think is a serving.

And weighing my food is super easy. I just put my plate on the scale, set the scale to 0, then weigh each bit of food I put on my plate.

Usually what I do is just give myself 100 or 150 grams of everything except veg, which is 300 grams. 100 and 150 are easy numbers to remember, so I don't forget to log. I used to measure in ounces but they are a pain in the *kitten*. Grams are so much easier.

forevermaryb

Over my adult life, I've probably gained and lost about 300 pounds (4 full term pregnancies were part of that). In 2006, I was at, what was then, my highest weight of 206 pounds after not dropping hardly any weight after my 4th child and back problems that resulted in a very sedentary life style. I used what I called a modified South Beach diet plan and exercised moderately. I lost 60 pounds over 7 months, felt great and kept it off successfully for about 3 years. I thought, wow, I've done it! I hit that "magic" number of 3 years, so the weight is off for good! So, I let my guard down. Started eating more unhealthy than healthy and increasing portion sizes. My sporadic exercising became nonexistent. I stopped stepping on the scale and had to keep buying bigger clothing sizes as I had given/sold all my fat clothes thinking I would never be that size again. Eventually, I had to get on the scale at the doctor's office and I was at 215. That switch in my brain flipped on and I got my motivation. It took me 18 months to lose 70 pounds and I have been on maintenance for 8 months now.

This is what I'm hoping is different this time around:

1. In the past, when I lost weight, I eliminated entire food groups, so once I got to my goal, I craved those foods. This time around, I incorporated foods I craved into my daily calories one way or another. I've never felt deprived eating in a deficit this time around.

2. I have developed a love of exercise. I used to use exercise as a weight loss tool. I HATED to exercise. Once I got to goal weight, I lost motivation to keep exercising. This time, I've kept exercising in maintenance just as much as I did when losing. It's turned into a social activity, which makes it a win-win for me.

3. I have to weigh myself. I'm trying to get out of the daily weighing, which I can't seem to break, but I need to weigh at least once a week and stay on top of any gain. I agree that losing 5 pounds is A LOT easier than losing 70.

4. I've learned so much more about calories and nutrition using MFP. Knowledge is power! Losing weight in the past was kind of random. I didn't really know what I was doing other than trying to eliminate/cut down on fats or carbs or red meat (I was really in the dark about "diets"!). Fortunately/unfortunately for me, I was able to lose much easier in my 20's and 30's. Not so much in my 40's. That required research. Hopefully my better knowledge of food will keep me making better food choices.

So far, so good. I have gained 6 pounds (+/-) since my lowest weight (which I inadvertently reached post-surgery with lots of complications). My goal weight was 145 (I'm 5'9"), but I changed it to 142 to allow for fluctuations after increasing calories. I got down to 139 (not on purpose) and stayed there for a while. I'm now at the top of my goal range, so I'm adjusting accordingly. I am in this for the long haul.

FortWildernessLoopy

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I hope you're right and you've figured out how to make it work for you. Time will tell, but I hope you're posting just for you, and not what's best for others, which it sounds like from my read. Again, best of luck, and I truly hope you'll be a success.

The question was "What are you doing during weight loss to prevent future relapse?" and I answered it completely and honestly. And yes, I am positive I will not gain it back because it's not a choice taken out of my hands. My future, and future choices, is mine and mine to own. I know me and know my own determination. There gets to be a point when you refuse to give up and I am there. People who were once blind and can now see rarely run around trying to poke their eyes out.

I did not say anything I would hesitate to give as advice to others, either.

gothchiq

It is mostly a commitment to not go back to my old ways, because if I do, I will go back to my old weight. The new way of eating and exercising has to be permanent.

Kalikel

FortWildernessLoopy wrote: »

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I hope you're right and you've figured out how to make it work for you. Time will tell, but I hope you're posting just for you, and not what's best for others, which it sounds like from my read. Again, best of luck, and I truly hope you'll be a success.

The question was "What are you doing during weight loss to prevent future relapse?" and I answered it completely and honestly. And yes, I am positive I will not gain it back because it's not a choice taken out of my hands. My future, and future choices, is mine and mine to own. I know me and know my own determination. There gets to be a point when you refuse to give up and I am there. People who were once blind and can now see rarely run around trying to poke their eyes out.

I did not say anything I would hesitate to give as advice to others, either.

You might wish to refrain from telling people they will fail if they go low-fat or low-sugar. You don't know everyone's issues. It is quite possible to lose weight and follow individual dietary guidelines.

What works for you is great. The suggestion that it will work for EVERYONE...not so much. The statement that they will "fail quickly" if they don't do it your way is a little over the top.

radiosilents

This is such a great post, OP, with so many great responses, everyone. I agree with so much that has been said here. I have yo-yoed almost my whole life – from age 9 when I was put on my first diet. I am determined to stop the cycle now at age 44. In the past few years I have lost about 50 pounds three times, and each time gained it back plus some, even when I thought I had found a way to make what I was doing a lifestyle change. I was doing the right things, but I always let something derail me for whatever reason.

I'd like to think that I've learned from those experiences. This time feels the same (a switch turned on), but even better. I think I have a better support system in place, more enthusiasm and more a sense of urgency. Getting older is a really good impetus. More than ever before I am crafting a way of living that includes balance in all things – the way I eat, the activities I do. There are so many things I want to be able to do that I just can't until I lose the weight for real.

I'm still relatively early in this – just over six months and just under 60 pounds with at least another 150 to go – but I have such a strong need to JUST DO IT that I really think I will.

• It is not a race. I'm just keeping on keeping on until I get there, even if it takes five years or however long.

• Keep logging food no matter what. Keep exercising no matter what and keep track of it. Make it as fun as possible. Fortunately, I am kind of a nut for data so I really like this aspect of the process.

• Stay involved in the community. I love it here and I get inspired by everyone who shares their stories. Blogging also helps me a lot – I love to write and getting things down as something written is a great form of therapy for me.

• Do it all until it is second nature. I can already feel this happening in some aspects – I am now to the point where I want to get some form of exercise in every day. Every day! Wow!

NikonPal

For me, long term loss will require continued activity / exercise. Old eating habits need to remain buried…for good…not as a temporary measure. It is that canned speech about “lifestyle” change.

I am not spending over a year of my life working at all this weight-loss only to regain. I love not shopping at only "Big" stores for clothes. Being seated at a restaurant booth beats asking for a table or being forced to choose another restaurant because the first choice only had booths. Nice to go to the movies and not feel cramped. The positives are numerous & far out-weigh (pun intended) the negatives.

Calorie counting has impacted how I look at portions, nutrition and activity.

Sabine_Stroehm

FortWildernessLoopy wrote: »

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I hope you're right and you've figured out how to make it work for you. Time will tell, but I hope you're posting just for you, and not what's best for others, which it sounds like from my read. Again, best of luck, and I truly hope you'll be a success.

The question was "What are you doing during weight loss to prevent future relapse?" and I answered it completely and honestly. And yes, I am positive I will not gain it back because it's not a choice taken out of my hands. My future, and future choices, is mine and mine to own. I know me and know my own determination. There gets to be a point when you refuse to give up and I am there. People who were once blind and can now see rarely run around trying to poke their eyes out.

I did not say anything I would hesitate to give as advice to others, either.

Fair enough. Again. Time will tell. Good luck.

bellesouth18

Not reverting to old habits is my number one priority.

1) Overeating=Sure I have overeaten on occasion. But I don't do it every day any more.

2) Portion control=Watching my intake is going to be a lifelong habit now, not just a once in a blue moon occurrence. I have learned that if I eat as much as a man, I will weigh as much as a man. A 5' tall woman should not eat as much as her 6'4" husband.

3) Taking cues from my body=If I'm full, I stop eating. Now when I eat too much, I get queasy. I must learn to listen to my body!

4) Move it, move it, move it!=Getting up and moving around is a high priority now, too, like it was when I was younger.

5) Watch my fat intake=My body has done better at losing weight since I've limited my total and saturated fat intake. It appears that will always have to monitor this.

6) Favorite foods=Moderation is the key. Instead of doing without, I weigh it and eat a much smaller portion.

7) Weight loss=It's a marathon, not a sprint. I will take my time losing weight so my body can adjust to the new me during the process and not try and defeat my progress.

All of these changes must last as long as I do.

alphabetsoup2013

I don't know how many of you spotted this post on the blogs a few weeks back, but I found it really inspiring. I should make a list like this, too -- a list of all the reasons why going back to my pre-MFP lifestyle and gaining back the weight I've lost is simply no longer an option....

Great discussion, by the way.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ShannonMpls/view/why-i-m-never-going-back-709782

Iwishyouwell

I lost, maintained for years, and regained plus double. Been there, done that. What lead me back wasn't even any specific food "rule" or regulation, it was a total inability to acclimate my mind to my lower fat body. My body changed, but my mind didn't. So by the time I started regaining I didn't even comprehend just how far I'd come, and therefore didn't see how much I was giving up.

The only shot I have at making this last a lifetime is to fall in love with the "new" me. My body, how I feel in my body, how I look in that body, and how all of this affects my mind. I have to totally renew my mind and see the "new" me as the only me. I already am in a much stronger state of mind, and have been putting in the work of transforming how I see self.

But good luck to me, and everyone else. The statistics suggest that most of us in this thread will be right back where we started, no matter how resilient and assured we feel today. It's sobering for some, but I prefer knowing the obstacles. I'm not a special snowflake immune to rebound just because I really want to keep it off, and I won't kid myself by acting like that.

Iwishyouwell

FortWildernessLoopy wrote: »

I will never gain my weight back. Never. Want to know how I know? Because my weight loss is a habit, not a diet. Most people who gain it back (and then some) go on and off diets. They diet to get to the weight they want to be at then think they can maintain by going back to what they were doing before, gaining back weight, then figuring they can't do it because, see?!?, it doesn't work for me! Want to fail quickly? Deny yourself food groups: Low carb, low fat, low sugar, no eating after midnight, all soup all the time, etc, etc ad nauseum. It isn't rocket science. Just watch your calories, nutrition and exercise. Everyone wants a quick fix.

I intend to continue logging long after I hit maitenance weight. It isn't a struggle to do it now, it won't be then. I've been doing this every single day sinch March and I've lost 100lbs. I can already, with confidence, say that I am looking at my heaviest in the rearview mirror and have been for 8 months. I suppose if you only have 20 to lose you may end up yo-yoing simply because you don't have the time involved to truly build up a habit before you quit due to reaching your goal, but I think, even for those with only a few pounds, if you make the conscious effort to change your lifestyle there will be no stopping you.

1. Indulge for God's sake! You aren't being punished. There is no need to go to extremes. Just eat within your calories and if you go over, burn them off.

2.Use the support network you've built up. Spouses, friends who are truly supportive and MFP friends and community.

3. Don't ever, even for one day, say "Well, this doesn't count because it's [insert holiday or milestone like birthday in here]." That's BS and you know it. By all means, go over, but log it as well. If you don't know that the chocolate melty cake was 2000 cals all on it's own, now you know. You aren't logging to gloat, you're logging to track.Good days and bad.

4. Hold yourself accountable for your own actions and lifestyle. Stop making excuses.

5. Always remember where you started and how that felt. Re-read why you started from your own profile. If you never want to feel like/look like that again, then don't. It's up to you to make the decision.

6. This is the time it's beneficial to be stubborn. It isn't willpower, it's determination.

That's a lovely shade of naivete you're sporting there. Or is it arrogance? So hard to tell sometimes.

On the road for a few months and already you not only know you'll be the one to never regain, but also you're so smart about the reasons other people do. It's because they "diet", and you're, a few months in, the one who made a "lifestyle" change, therefore you're immune.

Yes. I'm sure everyone who made a "lifestyle change" has experienced perfect weight maintenance. And only the big, bad "dieters" are the ones who regain. Sure.