getting discouraged

watermelonthighs

i lost 70 lbs, and i've gained about 30 of those back, putting me at 245 right now. i'm just really discouraged by this, and even though i'm doing this whole thing again (lost 5 lbs so far) and i'm sticking to it... i just feel like what's the point, because i already did this and i ended up gaining it back. anyone else feel like this? i guess i'm just looking for some support on this, because it's so much effort for potentially no gain.

tdbetts77

I share your pain, I lost a great deal of weight and gain even more back. I fell off of everything, eating right, exercise etc. Once I regained focus I began to look like ME again. Remember, 1 day at a time.

PennWalker

I'm guessing you gained it back because you lost a lot of weight, then felt you could relax and live the lifestyle again that made you overweight. That's the critical point where you need to change -- include some food you enjoy this time, or good replacements, and work on the mindset that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet.

I've been there too but can't slip up again. This time I am dealing with health problems.

seska422

Don't do things that you aren't willing to do forever. Weight loss is just the first part. After that, you'll be maintaining that loss. If you go back to the way you used to do things then you'll end up back where you started. Experiment to find a way of eating that's similar to your old way but with fewer calories.

Exercise is great but not required for weight loss. Find something that you like to do, such as walking or a sport. If you have to drag yourself there in order to exercise because you don't like it then you'll likely quit.

As for calorie intake, try to stay close to your normal way of eating by reducing portions or making satisfying substitutions. That way, maintenance will be the same as the weight loss phase but with a few more calories in your budget.

li1luna

You cant beat yourself up for slipping up. You are human. Think about how you felt when you had lost the weight, did you feel better? If so, use that as motivation, if not, something needs changed, weight loss should make you feel great. Were you doing a diet that was not sustainable long term?

Even with gaining some back you have lost quite a bit, youre a different person now. Even if you had gained it all back, you have gone through a process that a lot of people give up on way before reaching what you did.

You are strong. Youve got this!!

Little changes help. It can be very hard to jump right into everything again after taking a break. Use the motivation that you are starting up again, you made a choice that will benefit you. Everyone says that being selfish is bad, but when it comes to weight loss, it's a good thing. It's all about you, making you feel better. I hope you stay motivated to keep going and feel better.

Arizona_C

Courage! When you put on unwanted weight, try to deteck what happened and make a strategy so you won't repeat it next time.

It has taken me years to figure out how to loose weight and an endless numbers of trying/failing. It Is very discouraging. But if you learn from it every time, it brings you closer to how to manage next time.

Have you got an idea of what made you put on these 30 lbs?

MadDogManor

I do feel the same - I lost 40 lbs slowly since 2014, and have since gained 30 back this past year. It seems like if I stop paying attention to my food intake, if I stop weighing and measuring every thing, then I lose focus and just binge away. I'm back to binging every night again :-( It's definitely mental, in my case, and I just can't get my head right now. But, I keep trying, and have just recently started weighing food again, even though I really don't like doing it. I just wish I could eyeball portions, but I know I can't. Good luck to you!!

JillyLovesSmack

You got thia s just keep trying you'll do it and keep it off.. xoxo

brenn24179

I keep thinking about my clothes I like to wear. I have to log or I cant do it. I tend to eat when I am not hungry for some reason.

socioseguro

@watermelonthighs
I concur with other posters.
You have to adopt a lifestyle change, not a diet where you go back to old habits,once weight has decreased

I found this helpful thread
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10040368/some-thoughts-on-starting-over/p1
Good luck in your healthy journey

watermelonthighs

Thank you all for your kind replies! I think I gained the weight back because I just got lazy. I studied abroad and enjoyed food, didn't count calories once I got back, and just got too comfortable. I'm not giving up this time!

karenstep

Even if you've gained back 30, you are still 40 pounds down from where you started! That is great! It has taken me 7 months to lose 30 (I just hit that goal yesterday) by doing 6x a week exercise (cardio) and improving diet. It's a slow, continual process. I wasn't always tracking my food, I started out but then quit when I thought I knew enough to do it in my head, now I'm tracking again and losing again. I hit several month-long plateaus where I thought I was doing good but the scale never moved, I completely wanted to quit. But after those month plateaus I could fit in pants that were previously too tight, even though I wasn't losing numbers on the scale, my body was changing. You've done it before which proves you can do it again! Stick with it...you got this!!!