For anyone who has lost weight and gained, back and forth more than once

ViviMarauder
ViviMarauder Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm making this for the folks who have on more than one occassion lost a major amount of weight, only to gain back much, if not all of it.

Here's a brief version of my story. Started off at 300lbs the summer after graduating high school. On and off exercise/diet eventually brought me down to 190 years later. I wasn't doing it for myself, but for my S.O. at the time. Bad breakup, shot back up to 225. Got together with another chick, bad breakup, same thing. Got down to 175lbs, feeling absolutely phenomenal, running three miles at a time nonstop (something that I had never done once in my life before) lifting more than my bodyweight, broad shoulders, and getting stares everywhere I went. Got in a relationship with a girl with bad habits and a good 55lbs over me, and now I'm sitting at about 250lbs once more.

I've got extremely low motivation to keep at it. It sucks that I've let myself get back to these extremes THREE TIMES. The difference back then was I worked my way back down alone, with no support at all. I don't think I can this time. So I'm reaching out to the community, reaching out for the first time, to see if I can make a difference and make it stick once and for all. I'd love to hear from anyone who has been on a weightloss rollercoaster, their story, etc. You can add me on here, and even if you never utter a word to me, the simple fact that we see each other's progress on the updates, punch that little "like" button, may make all the difference for me, and hopefully many others.

Thanks for reading.

Replies

  • ViviMarauder
    ViviMarauder Posts: 4 Member
    It's good that you have someone to support you :)
  • pmermakov
    pmermakov Posts: 37 Member
    I've gained and lost about 40 pounds off and on in the past decade. I was at a normal weight before I got married and had kids. In 2007, I reached my goal weight, gained it all back plus 20, lost to the weight again in 2013. Now I need to lose 30 pounds.

    Right now I'm doing PT for my left leg, after being in an accident in the middle of January. I can walk fairly well (I reached 10,000 steps for the first time today since the accident), but cannot run yet. Anyway, I'm trying to be positive about my chances of losing weight again. Luckily, my best friend, has agreed to lose weight with me.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Not sure if it counts, but I gained 40 pounds from my first pregnancy, lost it all plus another 10, got pregnant again and gained 20, and just finished losing it again. I will be trying for baby #3 in 8 weeks, and then I'll do it all over again! :D
  • mickey2942
    mickey2942 Posts: 71 Member
    Yes, how do you clean out your closet when it has ten sizes of clothing? That I have fit in within the last three years.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    mickey2942 wrote: »
    Yes, how do you clean out your closet when it has ten sizes of clothing? That I have fit in within the last three years.

    Leggings. Lots of leggings. :D
  • ViviMarauder
    ViviMarauder Posts: 4 Member
    Geocitiesuser wrote: »
    I've lost roughly 100lbs ... as ridiculous as it sounds.... 4 times. You're not alone. But you know what? It's still our own fault for putting it back on each time. We are the captains of our own ships. So... lets set a steadier course this time friend.

    You are absolutely correct. There may have been bad influences, but in the end, we are the ones who made the bad choices and continued to do so. All the same we can make good choices as well.
    pmermakov wrote: »
    I've gained and lost about 40 pounds off and on in the past decade. I was at a normal weight before I got married and had kids. In 2007, I reached my goal weight, gained it all back plus 20, lost to the weight again in 2013. Now I need to lose 30 pounds.

    Right now I'm doing PT for my left leg, after being in an accident in the middle of January. I can walk fairly well (I reached 10,000 steps for the first time today since the accident), but cannot run yet. Anyway, I'm trying to be positive about my chances of losing weight again. Luckily, my best friend, has agreed to lose weight with me.

    Good! That extra support has to be something very useful!

    AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »
    Not sure if it counts, but I gained 40 pounds from my first pregnancy, lost it all plus another 10, got pregnant again and gained 20, and just finished losing it again. I will be trying for baby #3 in 8 weeks, and then I'll do it all over again! :D

    Haha I see that as counting. It's a yoyo, but in your case it comes with the positive of having a child as well! :)
    mickey2942 wrote: »
    Yes, how do you clean out your closet when it has ten sizes of clothing? That I have fit in within the last three years.

    I've resorted to wearing basketball shorts all the time. I hate it, and the fact that I have 15 shirts in my closet that looked fantastic on me when I could wear a medium, but I can't wear now. I had that there as a motivator, and I had thrown out my old "fat clothes" in a bag in my garage. It was a seriously bad walk of shame when I went to dig them out. It kinda turned counterproductive.
  • monkeygirl08
    monkeygirl08 Posts: 2,109 Member
    edited March 2017
    I've been in similar situation, the yo-yo weight for years. This is my 4th time back and more determined to keep it off as I've reached my highest weight ever. Please feel free to send me a friend request.
  • ibamosaserreinas
    ibamosaserreinas Posts: 294 Member
    I've been at about 215 most of my life. I've gone as high as 242 before and as low as 170 before.

    Most of the time though I am going up and down between 220 to 200 and then back again... I've lost that twenty pounds about four times in the last six years.

    How to not be Oprah and Marie Osmond?!

    I've made some changes within the last two years to help make my losses easier to maintain.

    1.Living in Phoenix now, I can hike year round, practically every single day and it's helping a lot!

    2. I've been actively working to reduce stress and learn ways to deal with the stress I can't get rid of better.

    3. My partner is totally skinny-fat. She loves to eat fast food and frozen burritos all day long but doesn't gain weight... We've begun changing our cooking and eating habits together.

    I totally understand what you are talking about.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    edited March 2017
    I've been on the "yo-yo diet" for years. I lost 83 lbs back in 2011 and would gain and lose the same 83 lbs over and over again. BUT this year is different. I've grown a passion for working out and I feel like I now know the proper way to look at food. I look at food as an energy source, not an anti-depressant like before. I don't put any foods off limits, if I want it bad enough then I fit it into my daily calories. I've finally ACCEPTED that this is how my life is now and how it will be forever and I'm OK with that. I started again for the last time January 2017 and I've lost 15 lbs so far. I'm not in a rush because I know I have the rest of my life to work on losing the weight....long as I consistently move in the right direction, that's what matters to me the most. Feel free to add me :smile:
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
    I know it's something we are all destined to do before we finally learn to keep it off but wow, it drives me nuts. I lost 40 lbs first then gained back about 50. Lost 60 lbs then gained that back. Yep, working off from there right now. The depressing part is that I looked back on a spreadsheet I started back when I was actively losing and feeling really positive. I am the same weight now that I was 7 years ago. I just want to ask myself WTF??? And I've only done it by counting calories and I know that I'm going to have to count calories for the rest of my life if I ever intend to keep the weight off. Just have to finally accept that fact...
  • nightengale7
    nightengale7 Posts: 563 Member
    Feel free to add me. My weight gain has been more of a slow crawl upwards over the years with the occasional bout of "fitness" where I lose a little bit and then gain it back. Lost 20lbs on MFP a few years ago, then let myself be a lazy *kitten* instead of taking care of myself and gained that 20 back plus 10 lbs.
  • haileydawn91
    haileydawn91 Posts: 6 Member
    I've done lots of yo-yoing with my weight since I was 17 (about 20-40 lbs each way). Whenever I was single, I would be at a great spot. And then I would get into a relationship, and the weight would creep back up! My problem is that I was always eating the same as my SO. A 5'3" sedentary lady shouldn't be eating the same as her 6'2" fiance who works hard labour all day. One day I just realized that I can't be on par with his eating, and that I needed to take the extra time to exercise since I'm not very active during the day like he is. It's hard, because it was much easier planning our schedules and cooking when we were always doing the same thing. But it's also hard since he's not "dieting" (eating healthy) with me, so the temptation is always lurking for me!! I guess it's teaching me more restraint and patience though hahaha :smiley:
  • collegegrad05
    collegegrad05 Posts: 1 Member
    I find that maintaining your weight is harder than losing weight, especially if you are the only one in your household that is trying to do it. Once I met my weight goal, I would stop going to the gym as much and had more cheat days than I should've. I feel like I'm starting over, but I won't beat myself up if I don't see quick results and I will keep my new goals in mind when I'm eating out. Baby steps.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    edited March 2017
    I've been on a roller coaster since about 2006 when I first lost about 30 pounds. I remember thinking back then how huge I was and I'd love to be at my highest weight that I was in 2005/06 when I first started out. I was always thin growing up and in to young adulthood. I didn't start to put on pounds until I had my children. After my third child was born in 2009 I've had the hardest time getting rid of the weight. I keep losing and gaining over and over. It's also been a very stressful past 7 years for me so that factors in as well. Hard to focus on me when I have everyone else to focus on. I lost 25 lbs last year and was at 125 and gained it all back in less than a year. Now I'm back at it AGAIN and hoping to keep it off this time.
  • Ant488
    Ant488 Posts: 372 Member
    I second that emotion! Feel free to add me.
  • fairyli
    fairyli Posts: 1 Member
    n2gardens56 wrote: »
    I needed to see this post this morning. I made a commitment to myself this morning that I am stopping the crazy eating this NOW and not putting back on the 20 lbs I lost over the past 6 months (of which I have gained back 8 lbs of) It stops now. I have been up and down from 145 lb to 180 lbs over my lifetime (61 yrs old). About 7 yrs ago I let my weight creep up to 180 after being a single mom and working two jobs for 8 yrs, and then found this site and started to move again, running & hiking. Lost 50 lbs plus, got down to 122 lbs at age 56, which was less than I weighed at age 14. 135 is probably a better weight for me... but I got into a relationship (like many of you) let my focus be on another and gained back to 170. Broke up with that person and got my life back, and lost back to 148 this past fall... now sitting here at 156 and trying to STOP before I go back up. Thank you all for sharing, I feel like I am "not alone" which I always feel when I come to MFP, please add me as a friend and I will contact some of you too..

    I'm with you i lost about 150 pounds and kept it off for about 3 years then this year i switched jobs and in 9 months i have gained back roughly 22 pounds... i keep trying but somehow it seems soo much harder the second time around.. this morning i promised myself i would start today.
  • hodan92
    hodan92 Posts: 4 Member
    story of my life, i was 106kg my heaviest
    Fast forward two years of hard work and dedication, i was at 65kg
    Then fast forward to about 6 months ago and i was as 85kg and thought I should make a change but this time a healthier one, one that'sfocused on more than just loosing weight. I'm currently weighing in at 74kg- which is nowhere near my 60kg goal but here's hoping it stays off this time
  • Lizzypb88
    Lizzypb88 Posts: 367 Member
    I'm right there with you!!

    Started at 215, 6 months in I made it down to 158
    Gained back to 170, lost 5 pounds then gave up
    Gained a to during my pregnancy and was up to 246!
    Got down to 212 with breastfeeding and a good diet
    ... few years passed and I was at my highest weight- 278 ☹️ I seriously couldn't even think except what have I done to my body!!

    I'm sitting at 202, took me 2 years to get here from 278, difference this time is I'm not going crazy and realizing it "has to be a lifestyle change" and losing slow and steady means I will keep the weight off.

    I think just learning from your mistakes and tweaking your diet and exercise routine to REALISTIC expectations is what makes it work this time! Yes it sucks realizing we've wasted years dieting and gaining it back for nothing, but I try to think of the alternative.. if I'm not happy then I certainly won't be 10 years from now and surely would become even larger than then!! You're still down from 300, that's amazing! Keep at it and don't even think about the past, you can't change it! Best of luck to you!

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