Former successful MFPer trying again after gaining it all back

UpcyclerGirl

This dieting thing is not easy, and sometimes, we crash and burn. But every day is a new day to try again. That is how I am choosing to look at it. My story....

Two years ago, I weighed 60 lbs. less than I do now, thanks to this website. But when I hit a plateau that lasted 6 months with no change, no matter what I tried. So, I gave up - and in one year, I had gained back everything I lost. I admit, it was fun to eat again, but I am paying a terrible price. Two years ago, I could wear clothes off-the-rack. Now, I have to special order or shop at the fat girl stores. Two years ago, I kicked blood pressure meds. Now I am on twice as much medication that I was on before. Two years ago, muscles were toned and my stamina was incredible. Today, I can barely walk a block without wheezing, and my hips and knees burn. My shape has so radically changed, I can't even wear the same fat clothes I wore before I started my amazing journey here two years ago. I'm not looking for pity - in fact, I hope my story will encourage those of you working hard at this to STAY WITH IT! Going back to Fatland is no picnic. At my age (55), it's also bloody dangerous, too.

I am now committed to getting "back in the saddle again", and hope some of you will befriend me.

By the way, my former MFP name was JanaCanada, in case my old buddies are still here.

PinkPixiexox

Welcome back
Don't be hard on yourself - life sometimes simply 'happens' and you shouldn't beat yourself up about that. You've acknowledged the weight gain which can sometimes be the hardest thing to do (I know I was in denial for a long, long time) so well done for that alone. You've done this before, you know what you're doing and you know this is a brilliant place for advice and support so it really is a case of 'getting back in the saddle'. You've got this.

Good luck - I know you can do this.

ms_smartypants

I can relate to your story ...I lost 78lb back in 09/2010 life and tragedy took over ...I gave up and deleted my old account .........I came back this year in Jan. was doing great had lost 36lbs then devastation hit again from May until July I had lost 4 people ...I contined to come on here to talk to friends but I didn't log my food I was in a terrible funk I gained back 30 of the 36...So here comes Aug. and I finally said to myself the people that I lost would not want me to give up on myself so I slowly pulled out of my funk and I am going strong I have lost another 6 pounds...I promised myself I will never give up again ....Wishing you much success

tonyadrakes

I totally get it, I lost 130lbs at 17 years old and I have been fighting since. I have gained about 100lbs back at this moment, I am 37 now, it's a never ending battle. Life will continuously change and we have to be ready to change with it and still stay on track, it's not easy. I am wishing you the best in this journey. I am so ready to lose this weight and get healthy again, life threw me off track (as usual) but all you can do is get back up. You are only defeated once you stop trying.

bvander1

I hear you! I started MFP in February 2014 with my husband. I got off the couch and started excercising and logging my foods. We we were eating clean and feeling great. My husband lost 50 lbs and I lost 45. He has kept his off because he still excercising. My problem was I never figured out to maintain it. I did for a couple month and in May we went on a Mediteranean cruise and it's been uphill ever since. Friday night we were going out and I changed about 5 times because all the great clothes I bought in the spring are tight and look like crap. Yesterday morning I went straight to my treadmill for 45 minutes and tracked everything I ate. I feel like I am back on track but want to use the community to help me lose the 15 lbs I put back on over the summer and even more importantly keep it off. Last time I didn't use the community but I'd like to help others and myself as we journey this together.

Melita666

Same story here. Lost 120lbs in a year back in 2012. Got sick with my gallbladder, had a baby, gained it all back and then some. Feel free to add me so we can motivate each other

debsdoingthis

Similar story here as well. Welcome back! I am taking it slower this time and hope that by doing so I'm retraining my appetite to be content with maintenance calories long before I get there. My issue was never losing, it is the maintaining part. Sending you a Canadian friend request

VegasFit

I can also relate. I had lost about 50 lbs and then life and death derailed me and I gained it back. When I got serious and came back to mfp my profile pic was my after and my goal was to get back to that. It actually motivated when I logged on to see it and knowing I knew what to do to get there again. . Feel free to friend me. Good luck to everyone on this thread!

catlady4520

Hang in there I've gained and lost my entire life. I finally made a permanent change starting in 2004 when I weighed nearly 350. I tried atkins and lost almost 100 lbs in a year..I bounced up and down until 2 yrs ago when I met my trainer and joined his fitness challenge. I started strength training and have since lost another 80 lbs. I have only 10 to go and am the best shape of my life. Still have aches and pains and damage to my back from being so heavy but feel great mostly.

BernieMBurke

Another repeater here. I lost 90 pounds in 10 months back in 2010. I was working out almost every day since there was a gym at work. Then I'm September 2012, my work location moved and I now have to drive 50 miles each way every day in WASHINGTON, D.C. traffic. So I'm February of this year, I had to go see a doctor because I had fallen on ice and had buggered up my arm. When I weighed in, I was back at my original obesity. That, and the doctor (new doctor) started really trying to get me to lose weight.

Well, I'm back and going at it again. It's going pretty well, too. I've lost over 50 pounds since the middle of March.

aclew09

It's difficult to not regain all the weight/fat lost from a diet. One way to not gain too much after a long period of calorie deficit is to gradually increase the calories on a weekly or fortnightly (perhaps even monthly) basis, and increase these mainly from carbs. So, you might start adding 10g of carb to what you are currently doing in the first week, and then add another 10g in the next week. This is called "reverse dieting", and there is info available online. It requires a certain amount of will power, but with apps and determination, reverse dieting is achievable and can help you return to your maintenance calories without adding too much fat.

As you add calories per week in an incremental way your weight loss will slow down. As soon as it starts to go up by more than pound or so in a week, you may have reached maintenance the week earlier, so stick around that level or drop back 40-50 kcal. It is a a bit tricky to stabilise the weight after a diet.

If you've been dieting for a while and have reached a plateau without increasing your calories, and you remain in calorie deficit, your metabolism may have adapted. You can kick start again with one or two days (max!) of eating over your current calories, depending on what your previous maintenance level was. This could be 400-500 kcal, so is about 1 extra meal per day. Then go back to your restriction and you should see the weight come again.

Finally, remember to not be in too much of a deficit. Between 10-20% of maintenance calories, enough to lose 1-2lbs a week, is ideal for all levels of weight loss, no matter what the body type. This results in far less metabolic adaptation in the long run.

Best of luck,
Aclew
(Research and lots of experience)

Traveler120

I've done this before where I go on a crash diet, lose then gain when I go back to eating normally. This time, I decided to estimate the calories I'd require at my GOAL weight. So right from day one when I was 152, I started eating at 1700 (14 x goal weight of 120 based on activity level) Now I'm 126 and still eating the same amount and exercising for the majority of my deficit.

The benefit is that I've had months to practice and experiment with various foods within this calorie limit. I chose to eat foods that I know will want to continue eating long term(that's why I gave up low carb). For example, I prefer to put real sugar in my tea/coffee/juice/smoothies and have been doing that from the beginning. I decided I wasn't going to go through life drinking sugarless beverages or using sugar substitutes. Yuck. Now I don't have to change the calories even when I get done with the last eight lbs. Since my deficit is mostly from exercise, at 10-14 hrs a week, all I have to do is cut that to about 7 hrs and I'll stop losing and will be in maintenance.

5ft9andgettingtrim

Have you tried Agave nectar as a substitute? It's been good for me.

Traveler120

5ft9andgettingtrim wrote: »

Have you tried Agave nectar as a substitute? It's been good for me.

No I haven't tried it. Probably for the same reason as I don't use honey. They still have calories and it's entirely possible to use even more compared to sugar. More important to me is the taste. Most regular honeys in the US taste awful. The best one I found is a German brand which tastes pretty good, but I prefer how tea tastes with cane sugar and I normally use the raw/turbinado kind which hasn't gone through the bleaching process.