The danger of MFP working.

kevinindelaware

I wonder how many people are back for a second or third try at this. In 2013 I was way to successful at this. I lost about 65 lbs in 3 months. Then I decided I could slowly go back to my normal ways of eating, drinking, lack of exercising, and most importantly I stopped logging. Within a year I gained it all back. 2015 was a second turning point. Acid reflux was back, no energy, couldn't get enough sleep. I came back. Fast forward 250+ days I've managed to lose 54lbs. It has been a lot harder this time. I realize that this time I have to continuing logging when I get to my goal. I feel great, my clothes no longer fit, and I'm ready for the beach. Hopefully first time users can see this thread and realize that fast weight loss is great, but the long term commitment is where it's at. Good luck everyone.

flowerhouse

Hi similar story to mine - I lost 40lb in 2014 over 5months - loved it, felt great and swore blind I wouldn't be overweight again - I put 22lb on over the next year. I am now back and it's way harder but I think I just need to stick to it and learn how to maintain it

Mersie1

Yup! My new strategy is I picked a weight I think I'm comfortable at- don't want to get too hung up on numbers- and set calories to maintenance. That way I will learn how to eat:nourish/enjoy life and when I'm where that weight is, I won't have to change anything

BobbieLee1959

I lost 60+, gained back all but 27...yep on this journey again and wondering why i ever quit logging...it makes all the difference in the world to know what you are consuming and walking off....gotta stay here...that is the bottom line...

nowine4me

Lost 75 in 2011 -- project complete. Stopped tracking, went back to poor eating habits and quick walking. Gained it all back in 2 years and am back at it now. I'm not finding it harder, but I'm certainly annoyed that I'm putting myself through this again, when it would have been so much easier to maintain.

littlewomensmom

This is my first time around and I am amazed at this tool! I had all but given up and now have lost almost 20 lbs in 50 days. Thank you so much for reminding me to never take this for granted...and don't stop logging! I can almost believe I could actually reach goal!

rileysowner

Mersie1 wrote: »

Yup! My new strategy is I picked a weight I think I'm comfortable at- don't want to get too hung up on numbers- and set calories to maintenance. That way I will learn how to eat:nourish/enjoy life and when I'm where that weight is, I won't have to change anything

I have experienced the same thing, although while I had put most of the weight I lost back on, I am still more active than before and other health markers were better as well. The weight, however, is causing issues.

If I understand you correctly, you are doing what I am doing. I figured out maintenance for my goal weight, I eat that every day. It will take much longer to lose the weight than it did the first time, not that I intentionally rushed things, but I did eat at a much larger deficit than I should have. The advantage of this in my mind is eating at my goal calories means every day I am learning how to eat the proper number of calories. When I get to my goal, or at least close to it, I will not have to change anything, just keep eating the way I have been all along. Right now my trend tracking app saying my goal weight will be reached sometime in the middle of 2017. That is fine with me. At the moment my big focus is getting my cycling endurance up so I can get in a 100K bike ride on my 50th birthday.

Mersie1

Yes! That's exactly what I'm doing. Minus the biking. I'm getting back to running after a fractured hip. Just turned 45- not expecting to do that w a walker/crutches! Add me if you like- we can high five each other while we work on our brilliant strategy!

BigGail

I'm on my 3rd round. I'd like to lose 3 stones (42lbs) but am concentrating more on my fitness than the numbers. I have a painful hip condition called bursitis and I'm having physiotherapy to help. I am a gym member and a lapsed Slimming World member (which is fab and does work, by the way). I'm taking back control. I will go back to Slimming World for the group support and get back on track, but for these next 2 weeks before pay day, I am eating clean and just focusing on becoming more mobile. Good luck everyone.

snowflake930

This is not unusual. Over 80% of the people who lose weight, gain it back (some gain even more) within 5 years. I am 27 months into maintenance and my long term goal is to keep the weight off. So, I will continue monitoring and logging as long as I am able to . It will be a lifetime commitment for me. Just the way it has to be. Some can do this without monitoring, I, unfortunately, can not.

Cave_Goose

I join MFP back in 2014 to get into shape to climb Mt. Rainier. Finished that goal last September, and then ran a marathon in October 2015. In the process, I lost 46lbs. Within 2 months of my marathon, I had gained 12lbs back. So now I'm on this trip for good. I have 2 choices: stay with it or get fat again.

benjaminD02

I am in the same boat too. 2014 I was 220 and then went down to 194. Was very happy with my weight / health / body and now I am at 219. I need to get back into the mindset but that is hard at the moment. Eughhh

punkrockgoth

Yup! Lost 50 lbs using MFP. Gained 80. Lost 20. Gained 15. Now I'm back again and it's a lot harder to take it off this time around. So I've been going slower, focusing more on fitness and building strategies for when things start to go by the wayside. Learning how to handle being away from the gym, budget/time constraints, illness, vacation, etc. I read the stories in the forums and on my newsfeed to see where and why people are failing, regaining, giving up and learning from that. Also a lot of trying to make peace with feeling like a failure for gaining back so much weight. I'm 6 lbs away from where I was when this all started. I can feel it coming!

Mersie1

You can do it! Fall down 10 times get up 11. Believe that this is the last time and you will be done bouncing. Add me if you like. I'm climbing my way out of the darkness for the last time too!

Heirgreat

I'm right there with everybody else! Lost 30 pounds in 2014 to 2015 came back 15 pounds now I'm down another 20. So it feels good to be on the losing side of things but it's much much slower. I'm focusing now on strength and I'm eating at my calorie level I should be eating at my goal weight. I'm training for a marathon in July kind of scary-but It's something I've always wanted to do. This is definitely a lifelong thing

kevinindelaware

Glad to see I'm not the only one that screwed up and got a little too cocky with it. I can appreciate the loss much more this time since I've had to work harder for it. I hope people starting out see this and some can avoid the same pitfalls we fell into. Good Luck everyone!

woznube7

Right there with you! I hope this time, I won't have to come back... i'll keep walking forward!

HannahInHawaii

Same. Lost 30+ and gained back 20 of it. Now starting again.

sarahanncarson

This time I truly vowed to stop the yo-yo weight issues by not just being here and logging, but seeking help from my doctor. I was at 218 lbs at my heaviest. From there I went to 144 lbs. But I didn't do it the right way so I had no problem going right back up to 185 lbs. Once again I got down to 142 lbs, but once again, I hadn't done it the right way. This time I made a commitment to myself. I got back up to 165 lbs and went straight to my doctor. I was honest about the things that I had been doing to lose weight in the past and told her I didn't want to do that anymore. I want to be healthy. I want to run a half marathon. I want to enjoy food and life, and I don't want to worry. Being on MFP is a part of my program and it may always be, I don't know yet. I do know that it will be for the foreseeable future. Good luck everyone! Feel free to add me as a friend.

debsdoingthis

Mersie1 wrote: »

Yup! My new strategy is I picked a weight I think I'm comfortable at- don't want to get too hung up on numbers- and set calories to maintenance. That way I will learn how to eat:nourish/enjoy life and when I'm where that weight is, I won't have to change anything

Where is the "high 5" button?
I have adopted the same strategy as opposed to every other lose weight quickly and gain back just as fast strategy I used in the past.

AddieOverhaul

Yup, in 2013 I was down 44 pounds and only 6 pounds from my goal weight. Then I hurt my back and had to stop running. That drastically affected my motivation and a slacked on the food side of things and gained back 24 pounds.