Anyone else have the same struggle

deathfromtexas

Ive been off and on the diet and working out thing for a year or so now. From December to February of was going great i went from 266lbs to about 235 lbs. My goal was 195 or so. after a few months i decided to have a cheat day and that cheat day lasted about 6 months until now and i gained 23lbs back, now at 258. This is twice now i have lost a good amount of weight and gained almost all of it back. Currently I'm starting to workout and eat more healthy again but afraid that after all of the hard work i will do the same thing again. Anyone else seem to have this problem.

queenliz99

What kind of weight loss goal per week did you start with?

deathfromtexas

i did 2lbs per week as my goal but i lost more like 2.5 a week or so.

queenliz99

deathfromtexas wrote: »

i did 2lbs per week as my goal but i lost more like 2.5 a week or so.

Maybe your weight loss goal is too aggressive. By lowering you goal to 1 or 1.5 per week will give you more to eat. This is lifestyle not a diet. read this

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

scfrost17

I have had the same problem. Be glad that you caught it before you not only gained it all back but more. Believe it or not, that is a huge accomplishment.
I'd like to reiterate what the person above wrote: "its a lifestyle not a diet". So don't be afraid to eat what you are craving just make sure it is in moderation. This is where the calorie counting really comes into play. If you really need that pizza or shake, its okay! If you don't that need will build up and create far more problems than a few bites of ice cream.

Ninkyou

Perhaps you should look as to why what you've been doing up until now hasn't been sustainable.

Aggressive goal and cheat days raise red flags for me.

deathfromtexas

good points, maybe i should add that piece of pizza and shake on the list instead of depriving myself of the things i enjoy so i don't just binge on it and end up gaining all my weight back after all of that hard work. And i do want it to be a lifestyle i felt so much better and had much more energy eating healthy foods rather than eating mcdonalds or pizza all the time

queenliz99

Moderation is key!

bevtony20

I'm not sure I could survive if I thought I could never have another enchilada! What works for me is I set my calories for the day and keep my weekly average under that set number. So far it is working for me. I'm down 8 pounds in three weeks. My set number of calories is 2000 per day. Seems like a lot until you look at the number of calories to maintain my current weight. Last week I had a margarita and an enchilada plate. Enjoyed every bite of it. My average was still under 2000 for the week. I agree with queenliz99 moderation is the key....and record everything. When I know I have to write it down I think about it before I eat it.

lseed87

How many calories did you have then? Most likely not eating enough. Moderation is great.

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Amberleah21

I've done the same thing. I lost 30 and gain 20 back. Then lost 50 and gained it all back. Not gonna happen this time. Cause I've learned from my mistakes and that is really what it's about this time.

rankinsect

I think your story will resonate with many of us, myself included.

For me, I've sworn off the "cheat day" except for pre-planned events such as a few holidays and celebrations per year. Even on those days, I try to eat in moderation.

In looking at what has worked and what hasn't, I firmly believe you should not eliminate any food from your diet that you are unwilling to eliminate from the rest of your life. As long as I meet my calorie goals, I allow myself to eat whatever foods I want. It's fine to try to eat healthier on many days, but if you want some "junk food", you should allow yourself to have some occasionally - of course logging it and still following your calorie goals on those days!

I have found that holding the overall calorie count sacrosanct and keeping other eating habits as guidelines and recommendations works well for me. So a guideline might be to generally prefer lean meat over fattier meat, and most of the time I'll do that, but I can still eat some of the less healthy meats on occasion without breaking or cheating on my diet. Or I'll have a goal to reduce the amount of cheese in my meals (one of the key things I was significantly overeating before), but I haven't eliminated it nor do I intend to.

Another thing that helps for me is planning my meals in advance, so I make all the important decisions when I'm not hungry. I don't always trust myself to make good food decisions when hungry, and it's easier if all I have to do is follow a decision I already made.

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wewumbo

Same thing happened to me last year I lost almost 40lbs.. I gained 50 back... MT.DEW IS MY ENEMY so 1 cheat day lasted a whole year... very disappointed in myself. I'm trying to lose as fast as I can also. I started Sept 1st. I've lost 21lbs so far. I joined this site to make sure I log all my food correctly. Maybe you should pre-plan all your meals so you won't think about cheating. I know its hard but you can do it

dgbpnb

Are you guys just counting calories? I noticed that MFP gives goals for sugars, carbs, and so on as well as calories. I have also noticed that I seem to pass those goals way before I meet my calorie intake goal. Guess that means that I am eating the wrong foods to get to the calorie goal? I really did not eat badly at all... I thought?!

HeatherCarnes76

I have that problem, too. When I eat clean, I do really well...but as soon as I eat something not on my clean list, it is hard to get back in the swing of things.

derek0311

DeathfromTexas... don't feel like the lone ranger there. You've done it, I've done it, I'm sure everyone here has a similar story. The difference I see in the people that are most successful is that they make a complete lifestyle change. They talk about people who diet and lose weight too fast. They lose the weight and feel they can eat what they want and they forget that they changed everything inside and outside their body. St art small... what are you addicted to candy, cokes, chips, sweets? Give one of those things up and replace it with something healthier. If you love Dr pepper (and what sane person doesnt) replace them with unsweetened tea. Stay away from sweeteners even the natural kind because they make you crave more sweet. Bonus it eases the caffeine headaches. If you love sweets grab a piece of fruit. Chips are easy look for veggie chips 35 make a serving and they only have 130 calories. Plus they come in some great flavors. You're on the right track keep your head up and make the decision that today it the day I'm goin to commit. I'm here in Texas too you need support or advice feel free to add me.

HeatherAshh

Yep happens to me, finally getting back on the horse lol. I was 214 lbs at 18 years old at my heaviest, went down to 153, which was my lowest. Now I'm at 185 at 25 years old. Fluctuated a lot during those years......

PinkPixiexox

I'm familiar with your issue - many of us are!
I used to engage in 'cheat meals' which lasted months! Eventually I realised that this type of behaviour was only going to hinder my progress and my goal became far too important to me for that to happen. Dig deep, stay strong and remain positive. You can do this!

nicole_d_s

@derek0311 I'm sane and I hate dr pepper! Haha

derek0311

Lol I can't win them all @nicole_d_s

dozenmonkeyz

Like many have said, it's a cycle all too common. But, you recognize where you failed, came here for reinforcement, and have the confidence of knowing it can be done based on your past. Keep your head up and maintain focus. Lot's of good folks here to help.

TamLam99

Been there, done that. This time around I am less restrictive, I eat more and lose slower. When I have a bad day I have to make a conscious effort to get right back into it so I don't keep slipping.

You can do this.

zkhanman

For me I tend to gain weight so slowly that I don't even realize it. I was in pretty good shape in my early 20's but I was gaining about a little under pound a month. Doesn't seem like much but that's over 30 pounds in 3 years.

sassywolf2013

I've had that struggle for a while. I am starting again and this time really trying to stick with moderation. I'll do what I can to help support u.

Andrew_peter

Forget planned cheat days maybe?? I know they never worked for me and just led to periods of poor eating choices.

Pretty much went 99% cold turkey off pizza, burgers, shakes, chips, etc. too. There is just no room for a decent amount of that kind of food when doing a big cut unless you love that starving feeling 24/7. Plus side it forced me to learn to cook healthy, tasty, and far more satisfying meals vs opening the frozen pizza box or grilling fatburgers all the time.

Also focus on macros if you are not already!! No need to get stupid with protein, but for me at least if I end up going carb heavy for the day I almost always feel like I'm starving unless I grossly overeat.

deathfromtexas

I always tend to go over certain macros like sugar

deathfromtexas

Im still going for the 2lbs a week goal while adding in those sugary and greasy foods and its worked for about a week at that 1900 cal goal

deathfromtexas

My heaviest was a year ago at 266 im 254 now and my lightest was around 215 a few years ago mine has fluctuated alot in the past few years my goal to hit now is around 205 i want to turn this keg to a six pack