For those of you who re-gained weight

vanmep
vanmep Posts: 410 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
There are a fair number of posts on here that are along the line of - I lost a whole bunch of pounds and then regained most of it and now I'm back. I'm wondering if you would mind to reflect on what happened that you regained the weight? Was there a problem with your original weight loss plan? Was there a problem with maintenance? Did your motivation just dwindle? I have a ways to go before I get into maintenance, but I thought I might be able to get some wisdom or at least things to watch out for :smiley:
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Replies

  • akamran1
    akamran1 Posts: 78 Member
    For me, it was two things: first, the way I'd lost the weight originally (weight watchers) was unsustainable for me - it's too low fat for me. Second, my weight has always been a barometer of my emotional state, and I experienced multiple bereavements within a short time span.

    I didn't regain all the weight. I joined MFP and track everything (although I just eyeball most of the time; weighing everything is a pain) and the weight - and then some! - has come off.
  • guacamole17
    guacamole17 Posts: 109 Member
    I've lost the same 30 or 35 pounds twice now and regained slowly over years both times. For me, reverting back to my natural, preferred state of being has resulted in gaining the weight back. Whether that's because life got in the way, just overall lack of concern, or just flat frustrated that this takes up so much mind space and wanting to focus on other things.

    Over the past year, I've tried to develop interest in more active hobbies (namely obstacle course racing - Spartan and the like) and feeling less guilty about paying for training, which has helped me focus a little more on strength/endurance/conditioning than just weight (e.g., I can do a crap ton of burpees now, even if I weigh only 10 pounds less than last year, and that's fine with me). I'm using the winter time to hopefully lose a little weight, which will make completing obstacles (those darn ropes and walls and monkey bars) much easier.

    Though I'm struggling with focusing too much on being "the fat one" or "the slowest one", so that's a hurdle for me to overcome.

  • ValHollings
    ValHollings Posts: 1 Member
    An emotional journey, at the end of last year, I had to undergo 6 weeks of radiation therapy for skin cancer...in the middle of that, my husband fell and broke his femur! So there was never any time to plan meals, I was eating fast food or whatever friends provided. Not a great ending to 2016, or a great start to 2017! But it's a new time, and I have a new outlook, so with MFP, which was so successful in the past, I'll reach my goal before the end of 2017! One day at a time!!!
  • freew67
    freew67 Posts: 348 Member
    I lost 120 lbs over a 1.5 yr period. Then just gave up trying. I stopped counting calories, watching what I ate, and exercising. I gained 125-130 lbs back over a 2 year period. For me it was that simple, I stopped wanting to keep it off. I am back trying again but with a new view on how to attack this.
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,309 Member
    beaglebrandon wrote: »
    I think the main reason people gain back the weight is that when they reach their goal they celebrate a job well done. They no longer have the aches and pains from when they were bigger. They aren't out of breath anymore. They can do stuff they weren't able to before. They forget what it was like to be larger.

    And the motivation is gone, because they're where they want to be. They just won the Super Bowl. Most people aren't like Tom Brady - they won it, they accomplished what they needed to do. Now they don't have the motivation to keep it up.

    So they go back to they way they were before at the same weight - they don't watch what they eat, and they stop exercising as much. And they don't notice the pounds coming on until they get back to where they were before and have the same problems again.


    BINGO. You nailed it. This is me exactly...

    This time I'm hitting the strength training harder & not all that concerned about what the scale says. I figure if I'm stronger all around with less body fat what is there not to like about that...lol
  • sarraheclark
    sarraheclark Posts: 125 Member
    I hit my goal and then lost my motivation since I had no new target.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    beaglebrandon wrote: »
    I think the main reason people gain back the weight is that when they reach their goal they celebrate a job well done. They no longer have the aches and pains from when they were bigger. They aren't out of breath anymore. They can do stuff they weren't able to before. They forget what it was like to be larger.

    And the motivation is gone, because they're where they want to be. They just won the Super Bowl. Most people aren't like Tom Brady - they won it, they accomplished what they needed to do. Now they don't have the motivation to keep it up.

    So they go back to they way they were before at the same weight - they don't watch what they eat, and they stop exercising as much. And they don't notice the pounds coming on until they get back to where they were before and have the same problems again.

    Yes- viewing it as a short-term project of achieving a weight loss goal, as opposed to a long-term project of maintaining a healthy weight for the rest of your life.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I lost weight before, just on my own. Stopped trying and it came back. I didn't have a goal in mind, didn't have a plan besides lose weight and didn't really have any tools to help.

    I guess time will only tell if this time is different. I think it will be as I have a much better understanding of weight loss and what I need to do to keep it off. I've been lurking in the maintenance forum (I'm not at my GW yet) and making sure I have a solid plan in place for maintenance. Even if it means I continue to use my food scale for years to come.

    I don't want the weight back. I'm down 66 lbs as of today and that is 20% of my body gone. I don't want any of that back.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited February 2017
    I lost ~50 pounds in 2014, maintained in 2015, and regained 10-12 in 2016. Now I'm getting it back off.

    What worked in 2015? I stayed active, kept logging. I found physical feats to focus on since weight loss was no longer a goal. I did a half marathon in Feb, a 10k in July, and a half marathon in Oct. What went wrong in 2016? Fell off track with my activity, partially because my husband did and instead of keeping my goals front & center I slacked off. I still considered myself in maintenance, though here & there I'd try to maintain a deficit but within 2-3 weeks I'd slack off on that too. With less activity, and slacking on tracking, I was heading in the wrong direction. End of 2016: I decided I was no longer in maintenance and needed to get back in weight loss mode. And needed to make me a priority, regardless of what hubby was doing. So I let my family know my goals, and I found a 10k for the spring to help me focus on my activity. Now I'm back to running 2x during the week, hitting my calorie burn goals every day, and doing a long run on weekends. And I'm down a few of the 10-12 pounds I picked up. Feel strong.


    What do I personally need to do to maintain weight? I need to stay active. For me, that means having 5k, 10k, or half marathon events thru the year to help keep me focused. If I'm not active, then my body at maintenance w/ a desk job and 1 hour each way commute only burns about 1400-1500 per day. And I'd rather be active as it has multiple health benefits than always eat 1400-1500.
    vanmep wrote: »
    There are a fair number of posts on here that are along the line of - I lost a whole bunch of pounds and then regained most of it and now I'm back. I'm wondering if you would mind to reflect on what happened that you regained the weight? Was there a problem with your original weight loss plan? Was there a problem with maintenance? Did your motivation just dwindle? I have a ways to go before I get into maintenance, but I thought I might be able to get some wisdom or at least things to watch out for :smiley:

  • jessicalferrara
    jessicalferrara Posts: 59 Member
    I have been up and down on the scale more times than I care to remember. The biggest problem for me, as most have said, is that once you hit your goal, you stop trying so hard. I lost my weight a few times with Weight Watchers, but then I stopped counting my points, and stopped caring. I would eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and had no concern about what I was doing to myself. This time around, I have found a workout that I absolutely love, and can see myself doing it for a long time to come, and I'm trying MFP to switch it up and see if counting calories is better than counting points. In any event, this will be the last time I do this to myself because going up and down 40 pounds is not good for me physically or mentally.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    I lost 60+ lbs around 2011-2012. It was pretty extreme, I was a senior in high school so I had a lot of free time to exercise plus was taking P.E. classes, and I didn't go out with friends often so I never had a whole lot of food temptation to throw me off track. I was eating much too little and exercising a ton. I averaged a 3 lb loss per week, pretty drastic for being under 200 lbs even at my heaviest.
    I'm not sure I ever really decided I was "done" losing. Around the time I reached my lowest weight I was in a relationship and graduated from high school, so I was eating a lot more and exercising a lot less. Once I started gaining some weight back it snowballed, I got upset with myself daily and stopped running all together and started binge eating regularly. Pretty soon I had gained 50 lbs, and added another 30 over the next few years.
    I think a large part of regaining for me was that I had such laser focus when I was losing and it was not maintainable. It would have taken me a long time to figure out how to transition what I was doing to figuring out maintenance that didn't involve hours of exercise a day.
    I have learned a lot since then though. I look forward to an easy transition into maintenance now that I've found an exercise routine I enjoy and will continue in the future, and eat at a moderate deficit. My goal is to some day be able to maintain without logging, but I know that I may have to at least track loosely for a while before I can handle that.
  • FoxyMars25
    FoxyMars25 Posts: 112 Member
    Between April 2012 and December 2013, I lost about 66 pounds total. Started at 211 and went down to 145. I did it mostly on my own, with a lot of research and only counted calories for a few months of that time (because I actually was not eating enough). I lost the weight by working out 5-6 days a week, eliminating wine during the week (but allowing it on weekends), and just eating healthier foods. Then in January 2014, I started dating my current boyfriend and ever since then, my weight loss not only stopped but I have gained about 20 pounds back DESPITE the fact that I still continue to work out 5-6 days a week (with even more HIIT and heavier weight lifting) and still eating healthy. The problem is, my boyfriend, who is living with me, does not have very good habits and that has affected me. He does not watch what he eats and he does not work out and it has hurt my motivation. Although I hardly ever miss a work out because I love exercise, over the last 3 years, I definitely have been drinking more and sometimes he suggests we order pizza or chinese (something I NEVER would have done when I lived by myself) and I don't always say no, like I should. In addition to that, I went on Welbutrin in 2015 and gained 10 pounds in one month while on that, so I stopped taking it but have not been able to lose the weight. I also quit smoking in November 2015 and of course, immediately put on weight after that. I also have struggled with anxiety and depression most of my life and that got much better when I lost the 66 pounds but since I have re-gained 20, my depression and anxiety have come back full force. I am so annoyed because I work out hard, eat healthier than most people I know (even WITH the pizza/chinese nights every once in awhile), say no to all the donuts/bagels/pizza that my co-workers bring to the office, get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, and my weight will not budge. So I am back on here and counting calories/macros and weighing my food because I refuse to get back to where I was before. I hate doing it because I didn't have to count calories or weigh my food before and doing so makes me obsessive and just plain pissed (my skinny friends don't have to weigh their freaking food!), but I don't know what else to do at this point.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Yup. I lost 28 pounds from 2013-2014. Gained about 15 pounds back in 2015. Lost about 5 of that and maintained it in 2016 and now it's slowly coming off again.

    What happened? I stopped caring about my diet. I still worked out, but I was eating poorly and mostly in a surplus, while tellying lying to myself I was in a deficit. Right at the end of 2015, I hurt my back which made it hard to stick to my workout plan. So now in 2016, I'm injured AND eating mostly over my calorie goal. Mind you, I still ate good foods...I just ate too much of them.

    Right after Thanksgiving 2016, I finally said enough was enough and started to care about my diet again. I also got treatment for my back issues and changed my workouts to work around my pain. I've lost 8 pounds since then and I'm only 8 pounds from where I was in 2014.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    try2again wrote: »
    I don't know if this is true of others, but age has played a big role for me this time around. I feel like I can't afford to play around with losing & regaining anymore. Sometimes I see younger people with posts like you mentioned and think, if only they could appreciate *now* how much harder this process will become in another 10-20 years, when age & weight related health issues kick in, they would be much more vigilant.

    ^This^ for me as well. I started losing on with MFP in 2013, lost 30 pounds, lost motivation for whatever reason, gained 20+ back, and at 62 the weight was really starting to affect me physically, more than anytime in the past: sore knees and hips, elevated cholesterol #s, acid reflux. I was in denial about all of it. Fast forward to today, down 60 pounds total, less than I've weighed in over 35 years, I'm off all meds. I can't and won't ever go back. Failure in my remaining years is not an option. My motivation now is a climbing trip this summer with my 45 year old son and hopefully this will become an annual tradition, impossible if I don't keep the weight off. OP, do this while you're young so you don't have regrets later about waiting so long.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Mine was a combination of things. I started a new job with long hours and a relatively high degree of stress. Suddenly I found myself overwhelmed and the thought of meal planning and exercise were just too much. In retrospect, those things are obviously NOT what you want to let fall by the wayside in a high stress situation.

    I was also a bit burned out on tracking my food. I lost 56 pounds here on MFP over a period of about 15 months but I was bored and maybe a bit too confident in my ability to maintain (obviously!) I haven't gained it all back, but enough. Older and wiser now :smile:
  • pizzafruit
    pizzafruit Posts: 318 Member
    30 years ago I went from 210 lbs. down to 130. I restricted what I ate and exercised every afternoon. Then the kids came and my time belonged to them. I'm not blaming them, that's what happens when you choose to have kids. I became obsessive and started weighing myself several times a day and realized how unhealthy that was. Bit by bit over the years I've managed to regain it all plus an additional 60 pounds.
    I now struggle with emotional eating, and some days it's like someone throws a switch in my head telling me to consume all the carbs and sweets I can get my hands on.
    This is a process and I have thrown in the towel on more than one occasion. Now I'm here trying to figure it all out. The older I get the faster I want the weight off and the reality is that simply isn't going to happen. One day at a time, one foot in front of the other. That's how it has to be.
  • andrea4736
    andrea4736 Posts: 211 Member
    edited February 2017
    My problem was sheer and utter laziness and apathy. I maintained for 2 years and then I stopped tracking. I figured since I was still working out every single day that maintenance would just kind of take care of itself. WRONG!!! I wasn't eating unhealthy per se, I was just going back for 2nd and 3rd helpings which were unnecessary. I grew up eating well beyond my hunger cues just because something tasted good. That's something I'm going to need to tackle for the rest of my life. Tracking does exactly that.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
    I've only lost the extra weight one time and I'm now a few years into maintaining. The motivation thing is key I believe-I lost the weight/now maintain because of a medical condition (my glucose number is directly tied to my weight). That gives me a pretty deep motivation, since I know I'll be a type 2 diabetic if I re-gain the weight. If it wasn't for that though, I never would have even lost the extra weight because I really didn't care that I was overweight. And no way would I be successfully maintaining without the medical issue hanging over my head.

    Health markers aside-nothing has really changed because I'm now 5olbs lighter. I loved my life when I was overweight and that's still the same now. Marriage is the same, interactions with others is the same, I still wear the same kinds of clothes (just in smaller sizes) etc etc. I think a lot of people think weight loss will change their lives in some sort of magical way, but really it's been pretty anti-climatic for me-I'm still me, just a bit smaller now :) But medically speaking it's a whole different ballpark. And that's my focus/what keeps me successfully maintaining. For those who don't have that though, I can definitely see why long term adherence is so hard.
  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    It gets very exhausting worrying constantly about "calories" and "healthy options" and "did I exercise enough".. thats why diets never work. You change your lifestyle so it becomes the norm. This isnt easy to do. I have a great memory thankfully. I know the calories (and prices) of just about every food I like. And those I dont know, like if I were to order take out, I can mentally estimate and be off by no more that 20 points. Generally I overestimate that much which is good.

    I gained all mine back because I crash dieted and the next time life "hit" I gained it all back. (And boy can life hit. In the span of 3 years I lost 2 cousins to murder, an aunt who was blown up by a propane tank, a grandmother who was just old, an uncle who hit head on a semi on his harley.. and this past few years two more uncles, suicide by driving off a cliff and one unknown. Maybe suicide as well.)

    This is my third time around and this is the first time I didnt start thinking about OTHERS or new outfits..etc etc. This is the first time I am here for non-selfish reasons. I want a lifestyle change. I dont think you can keep the weight off until its no longer about you and looking good for a wedding or beach, but something internal that craves better health and no longer concerned what others think of you.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Not a huge amount of regain, but it was small life changes that contributed:
    1) change in my daily bus route that shortened my walk to the bus in the morning
    2) change in my kid's school schedule that decreased the times I walked to or from school
    3) I won a "wine club" prize that got me having a glass or two of wine several nights a week rather than once or less a week.
    4) I injured my foot wearing badly fitting dress shoes and couldn't walk as far or fast or often.

    THat's really all it took - changes that might seem insignificant added up over time.
  • Jules_farmgirl
    Jules_farmgirl Posts: 225 Member
    I lost 70lbs after my kids were born. I kept it off for 1.5yrs. I did great with maintenance. My regain was due to the fact that I was under stress from many things, and instead of using my fitness and diet to control it and work through it, I let it consume me. Not proud of that at all. However I did "snap out" of it at only 30lbs up from my where I had been, thank goodness! Now I am viewing this journey as a way to improve what I broke. Lose a little more than last time, add in more strength and possibly even start a beginners lifting program.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    vanmep wrote: »
    There are a fair number of posts on here that are along the line of - I lost a whole bunch of pounds and then regained most of it and now I'm back. I'm wondering if you would mind to reflect on what happened that you regained the weight? Was there a problem with your original weight loss plan? Was there a problem with maintenance? Did your motivation just dwindle? I have a ways to go before I get into maintenance, but I thought I might be able to get some wisdom or at least things to watch out for :smiley:

    I stopped journalling what I ate. Plain and simple. For me, I will have to track calories the rest of my life - I know that, and I simply got lazy and gave in to the BF on going out to breakfast and snacking...not blaming it on him but I have never had a problem maintaining when I was not in a relationship. He has always had a very active job, and I have a desk job - so our calorie needs are extremely different. I had gained 10 pounds a couple of years ago, and finally lost it, only to gain it back plus 8 more, this year. He LOVES me to bake goodies, and although I love to bake as well, I don't like having that crap around. (Also my son is no longer around the house to eat everything in sight, so it's very different now. ) So I am laying down the law. HE can go out to eat. I am sticking to my plan. I am over it. >:)
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
    My motivation didn't dwindle, but I got too comfortable.

    Originally, I lost around 80 lbs going from obese to the high end of the healthy BMI range for my height. I maintained that loss for years without really trying. I couldn't eat as much as before without feeling sickeningly full and I was more active than I had ever been before so it wasn't hard for me to stay at a healthy weight.

    Eventually, as I became less active and started to eat out more, I started to gain weight, but it was a slow gain. I tried dieting to lose the weight I was gaining more times than I can tell you, but I would always be super restrictive and eventually give up and gain back all the weight I lost and more.

    Last year I weighed myself because most of my clothes wouldn't fit and I was surprised to find myself just a few pounds from my highest weight ever. It was enough to make me finally get serious about making a lifestyle change.

    If I could sum it up I would say I gained the weight back because I didn't weigh myself regularly (and only really realized I was gaining weight when I'd already gained back 20 lbs or so and it snowballed from there), I changed my activity level without changing my intake (which is something I'll be cautious of in the future), and I began eating a lot of restaurant food which there's nothing wrong with but I've realized I have to be careful because some dishes could easily be over my daily calorie limit.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    For me, the following link rings pretty true having lost my weight and more or less maintained that loss for going on 4 years...

    http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22368/12-habits-of-people-who-reach-maintain-their-ideal-weight.html

    That was a good article. Thanks for posting it.
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