Simple Ways to not gain back the weight you lost.

2

Replies

  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    cee134 wrote: »
    Please note (for those that didn't read everything): these are loose suggestions. Please use common sense to apply some if not all of it to your life. The idea is the science behind the suggestions.

    The science is that a healthy diet and exercise can help prevent weight gain.

    For example: If you like to eat in front of the TV is not the point. The point is be mindful of your eating, which most people lose track of when watching TV/reading while eating.

    Actually, not eating more calories than you burn will prevent weight gain, just as eating less calories than you burn will result in weight loss. This is fact. If you overeat, you will gain weight.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    snowflake930 wrote: »

    Actually, not eating more calories than you burn will prevent weight gain, just as eating less calories than you burn will result in weight loss. This is fact. If you overeat, you will gain weight.

    FYI - I never once mentioned you should not count calories. I'm getting tired of people posting negative comments about stuff they inferred but was never said.

    The point is healthy living which leads to a sustainable goal of your maintenance weight over long (Decades) periods of time. Some people (myself included) are burned out on calorie counting by the time they reach their goals.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    Note: At no point was any food off limits.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    cee134 wrote: »
    snowflake930 wrote: »

    Actually, not eating more calories than you burn will prevent weight gain, just as eating less calories than you burn will result in weight loss. This is fact. If you overeat, you will gain weight.

    FYI - I never once mentioned you should not count calories. I'm getting tired of people posting negative comments about stuff they inferred but was never said.

    The point is healthy living which leads to a sustainable goal of your maintenance weight over long (Decades) periods of time. Some people (myself included) are burned out on calorie counting by the time they reach their goals.

    When you post a list of rules/guidelines for weight loss/maintenance, people will pick at it. Most of it is good advice, just not things that I can follow 24/7/365.
  • SavedByGrace26356
    SavedByGrace26356 Posts: 544 Member
    My friend lost weight several years ago. She maintains her weight and pretty much eats the same things she ate when she was losing only a little more. From logging she knows the approximate calorie count and keeps track of it in her head. When she reaches her calorie range she stops eating. Sometimes she may have some jello or a celery stick if she feels she needs something more. She works out a few days a week at the gym or runs.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    cee134 wrote: »
    Please note (for those that didn't read everything): these are loose suggestions. Please use common sense to apply some if not all of it to your life. The idea is the science behind the suggestions.

    The science is that a healthy diet and exercise can help prevent weight gain.

    For example: If you like to eat in front of the TV is not the point. The point is be mindful of your eating, which most people lose track of when watching TV/reading while eating.

    There is no science to maintaining.

    For starters a person does not have to exercise to maintain their weight. All the recommendations out there are for a person to eat healthy diet and exercise to prevent weight gain lead a healthy life and live longer. I get that. But realistically, a person can eat pizza everyday and not exercise if they know how much pizza to eat to not go over their TDEE.

    This is why I stated that this thread is not for the majority of the MFP community. There is a lot of people that do not fit into a particular category of needing strategies to maintain. Most folks have new habits they have acquired a long the way and do not forget all the failures along the way and times of stumbling before getting it right.

    I think the target audience is for those that have had a really bad relationship with food, have been yo-yoing all their life and even those that are actually just trying to loose weight as their single goal in mind without looking a head at what they are to do when the goal is met, ther may be some people that are single minded in which they have their eyes on the "prize" of weight loss only, but this is probably fewer in number than those that fall into the first categories I mentioned.

    I think perhaps the thread should have been named something different.. just my opinion.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    What a lot of us are trying to say, (which we have said probably many other times in other posts) is that losing weight has absolutely nothing with "healthy eating" or avoiding processed foods, or eating fast food or what ever. If you choose to avoid some kinds of foods, because it makes you feel healthier, that's fine, but that's not causes weight loss, which in turn will generally cause to you be healthier anyway. Caloric deficit or staying within your range. That's it.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    @benevempress nicely said.

    And to add to the mix here, there is another thread called "stopping logging and weighing" that fits right into this topic of discussion. It mentions a lot about how to stop logging, and those that will not stop logging, my self included and give a lot of take on how people are dealing with their maintaining process.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10414244/stopping-logging-and-weighing#latest
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,257 Member
    OP, I think those rules sound pretty reasonable, if applied in the "loose guidelines" sense, as you suggest. I'm sorry you're getting some push-back that feels like negativity.

    I'm thinking that by posting in "maintenance" - which does seem logical! - you're getting a higher percentage of folks who've been around for a while, who've often seen other people post "rules" in a more rigid or religious mindset, and who are therefore more likely to pick a bit, perhaps thinking new folks will take the rules more rigidly than you're presenting them. IDK.
  • swim777
    swim777 Posts: 599 Member
    dcdickerson2 wrote: »
    I'd like to weigh in (so to speak) on the gaining back what was lost theme... I work really hard at adopting healthier habits and avoiding processed foods, sugars, additives, etc., etc., but that doesn't mean I don't still like the nasty things!!! So I get tired of being so "good" all the time, tracking all the time, and hit a week or so when there are celebrations, more eating out than usual, extra stress, etc. with foods that are hard to figure out how to track, and BOOM! I'm eating poorly again, which triggers the desire to keep eating poorly. When I eat poorly, I don't want to track. When I don't track, I fool myself into thinking I'm not eating as many calories as I really am. It's a vicious cycle. I'm in my 60's now, so I'm feeling a kind of desperation to once and for all, get this eating thing figured out and under control! I gained back (from goal weight) about 10-15 lbs during the year my husband was in chemo and had 4 different surgeries, and I'm having a devil of a time getting those off again.
    Eating within your calorie limit sounds so simple... but it's not!
    I do agree that no food should be "off limits". That creates a deprivation scenario in which you will overeat that food when you get the chance... which is the problem with just eating healthy and adopting healthy habits... I miss the unhealthy habits, and when I let down my guard, I get into it full swing for days. It's difficult to swing the pendulum the other way! That said, I know I can do it, but I can't seem to do it fast enough to suit me!!

    Hang in there! You can do this.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    cee134 wrote: »
    I read this and thought I would share it.

    (about me - I lost 100 lbs, but did not do maintenance and gained back the 100lbs. I know better know, and agree with this as a simple way to keep your weight down.)
    • Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
    • Avoid eating in front of the television or computer.
    • Eat more vegetables and fewer starches. (In other words, gravitate toward foods that fill you up for fewer calories.)
    • Take slightly smaller portions.
    • Stop at a single cocktail or glass of wine.
    • Have fruit for dessert—or no dessert, most of the time.
    • Drink water or tea instead of soda.
    • Make time most days for a 20-30 minute walk at lunch or before dinner, or both.
    • Take time on weekends to shop and do a little cooking so that you’re not as dependent on take-out and prepared foods to get you through the busy week.

    http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting?page=1

    [*] Don't use butter
    [*] Drink your coffee without sugar
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Good post, IMO, although yeah, too vague and probably not enough for most people.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    cee134 wrote: »
    I read this and thought I would share it.

    (about me - I lost 100 lbs, but did not do maintenance and gained back the 100lbs. I know better know, and agree with this as a simple way to keep your weight down.)
    • Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
    • Avoid eating in front of the television or computer.
    • Eat more vegetables and fewer starches. (In other words, gravitate toward foods that fill you up for fewer calories.)
    • Take slightly smaller portions.
    • Stop at a single cocktail or glass of wine.
    • Have fruit for dessert—or no dessert, most of the time.
    • Drink water or tea instead of soda.
    • Make time most days for a 20-30 minute walk at lunch or before dinner, or both.
    • Take time on weekends to shop and do a little cooking so that you’re not as dependent on take-out and prepared foods to get you through the busy week.

    http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting?page=1

    They could've made it simpler. All the other stuff is arbitrary.
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    I'm about 168-170 right now I think I might try to lose down to 160 on the head and then continue weighing everyday and if I ever see a 7 as the middle number I know I have *kitten* up and correct. I don't want to log the rest of my life but at the same time I want to learn to eat healthier and try new stuff and having my nutrition broken down so accurately helps me make better choices. It's not particularly hard either most days.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Alluminati wrote: »
    cee134 wrote: »
    I read this and thought I would share it.

    (about me - I lost 100 lbs, but did not do maintenance and gained back the 100lbs. I know better know, and agree with this as a simple way to keep your weight down.)
    • Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
    • Avoid eating in front of the television or computer.
    • Eat more vegetables and fewer starches. (In other words, gravitate toward foods that fill you up for fewer calories.)
    • Take slightly smaller portions.
    • Stop at a single cocktail or glass of wine.
    • Have fruit for dessert—or no dessert, most of the time.
    • Drink water or tea instead of soda.
    • Make time most days for a 20-30 minute walk at lunch or before dinner, or both.
    • Take time on weekends to shop and do a little cooking so that you’re not as dependent on take-out and prepared foods to get you through the busy week.

    http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting?page=1

    They could've made it simpler. All the other stuff is arbitrary.

    Problem is, "eat less, move more" doesn't sell any books or fill out any articles.
  • srcurran
    srcurran Posts: 208 Member
    When I started my weight loss I had already made a mental and emotional commitment that any changes I'd be making were for the rest of my life and didn't have the "I'm done" mentality. For me, maintenance became a slight adjustment and not a major change. Maybe that's why I'm at a year and a half still at goal. It gets tough, and I adjust (a pound or two up - a pound or two comes off). It's forever for me.
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
    Fitness requires a fit lifestyle. If you elect not to continue the lifestyle, you become less fit.
  • superpowers2016
    superpowers2016 Posts: 76 Member
    xmichaelyx wrote: »
    Fitness requires a fit lifestyle. If you elect not to continue the lifestyle, you become less fit.

    Drop mic.
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
    I went from 272 lbs and got to my lowest at 169 pounds.. Between passing out when I was hungry and finding out i was anemic and going thru treatments.. Plus going thru a bad separation leading to divorce I started gaining. I recently seen 187 on scale and that really bothered me. I am currently training for half marathon and doing some weight training so hoping I finally got a grip on things.
  • mmmpork
    mmmpork Posts: 133 Member
    edited July 2016
    zamphir66 wrote: »
    I'm curious too, but I don't want to be a jerk.

    So let's imagine a theoretical person who lost X pounds, then gained them all back.

    What goes through this person's head when they reach .25X, .5X and .75X pounds regained?

    I ask because maybe in talking about it, I/you/we can identify some thought patterns that can be nipped in the bud.

    The reason people may gain all their weight back and not pay attention to it until it becomes a problem could be tied to a mental health issue. It can also be due to physiological issues, like chronic pain or chronic fatigue. At least that's how it was for me. I knew I was gaining the weight back, but felt powerless to do anything about it.

    I started at 225 lbs and got down to 160 lbs.. and then gained it all back over a period of 2 years. I lost it on the Keto diet and had to go off of that diet because I started having other health problems, mainly hormonal/metabolic due to the long term effects of Ketosis and VLC. I also had nutrition deficiencies despite supplementation (including B12) and was borderline hypothyroid. I had no blood sugar or other health issues prior to being on that diet.

    I was aware that I was gaining the weight back, but because I had been brainwashed by Keto I assumed it was because I was eating carbs and I couldn't do anything about it. At the time, I was healing my digestive system and trying to find the cause of the chronic fatigue I'd been battling that originally caused me to try keto. I knew I was gaining weight and I knew it was because I was eating a high amount of high calorie refined carbs. I couldn't help myself and I felt so powerless to control it. I also had stopped exercising because I began experiencing chronic fatigue and chronic pain, and had to telecommute to work as a result, meaning I did not have a lot of physical movement happening.

    Eventually I actually took the time to do proper research on weight loss. I reflected on the habits I'd developed as a teenager and as an adult. I did fad diets like SlimFast and yo-yo dieting was the norm for me. I never learned the essential logic of calorie restriction, for me it was always tied to a product. If you don't use that product, you won't lose weight. If you gain weight, you have to use that product to lose it.

    So this time, I set a realistic calorie deficit, no special diets or gimmicks, I eat whatever I want as long as it's within my target, and I have lost 25 lbs since January. I don't care about macros or additives or sugar or fat or anything, I just listen to my body and watch my quantitiy.

    It turns out the root cause of my weight issues has been ADHD. I was diagnosed recently and started on medication. When you have ADHD, your brain doesn't transmit enough dopamine into key areas in the frontal cortex. Meaning, you do strange things to get more dopamine and you feel out of control... like binge on sugary carby things when you know it's going to make you fat.

    I have not experienced appetite suppression side effects on the ADHD medication I'm on, but I do find that if I don't eat enough I crash pretty hard. It seems like my glucose needs are higher than before and I find that including whole grains seem to work best for me. I was worried about this increase need for glucose causing weight gain, so determined a set of snacks under 100 calories and stick to those (yokids squeezable yogurt tubes, hard boiled eggs, and string cheese).

    The medication has "fixed" my chronic fatigue and chronic pain issues. I do Reformer Pilates 1x per week and I swim laps 2-3x per week as both are low impact enough to not cause me pain but very effective in building strength. Pilates is really amazing, it's changed my life by healing so many things. Pilates really is building strength and if you are trying to lose or maintain weight, low impact activities that build muscle mass is like the best physical component to your weight loss program (in addition to a calorie deficit).

    If you're suffering from a mental health issue, you may have challenges with weight loss. Consider getting evaluated at that level if you continue to struggle despite your best efforts. If you suffer from physical limitations and can't exercise, try Pilates. You don't need to do a crap ton of high impact cardio to lose weight.
  • Redwineandmuscles
    Redwineandmuscles Posts: 46 Member
    A fitness goal, like a 5 km run or 20 km bike ride?

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