Successful weight loss from yoyo dieters? What did it for you?

hiyomi

So I've been on the yo-yo diet train for over 5 years now. I've lost weight and gained it over and over again through the years. I've been bouncing up and down between 250-290 lbs. I see a lot of success stories from people, but I wanted to also find success stories for people with the same problem as me. I also want to know what finally made you all your weight and how you kept it off. I know some people will say its just willpower etc, but anyone coming from a yo-yo diet past will know its not always that easy. So what did it for you that helped you finally lose and keep off your weight after years of yoyo dieting?

I know my issues, I know what I do wrong, I know how to stop it, but I continually go back to unhealthy eating and gaining weight over and over again, how can I stop it?..

Its hard to tell myself that I will count calories and exercise and keep my weight off after knowing that I have failed so many times in the past.

inertiastrength

Understanding the mechanics of why I was losing weight on fad diets (CICO). I didn't KNOW what was behind my weight loss when I followed someone's plan or program. Now that I know it's impossible to screw up lol

hiyomi

fascha wrote: »

Understanding the mechanics of why I was losing weight on fad diets (CICO). I didn't KNOW what was behind my weight loss when I followed someone's plan or program. Now that I know it's impossible to screw up lol

That's one thing I don't do though, I do not follow any fad diets, I simply count calories and eat what I like as long as its within in my calorie range. Until I stop...and then gain weight again.. I know my problems/issues, its stopping them that I can't seem to do.

janejellyroll

@fascha wrote what I was going to say. Once I figured out what to focus on (a calorie deficit), it became much easier.

No need for a plan, no need for a program (although if you find one you like, you can use one). Just consistently meet your calorie goal, pay attention to what types of foods and meal timings help you consistently meet that goal, and enjoy your life.

tcunbeliever

it's not willpower, it's finding what works for you...for me it's LCHF which keeps cravings away and makes me feel satisfied on fewer calories.

kommodevaran

I never was a real yoyo'er, but I have lost and regained a couple of times, and generally struggled with weight. I've maintained a healthy weight for 29 months now. This is what I have done:
I stopped relying on willpower. I work with my instincts and wants, not against them. I'm not eating food I don't like, just because it's supposed to be "healthy".
I stopped demonizing food. Now I eat whatever I want, but in moderate amounts.
I experimented with meal patterns. A lot of different setups have worked. 3 meals per day is the easiest.
I plan my meals and only buy what I need for those meals.

brznhabits

This is what helped me...

It's not willpower, it's new skills.

When I was young I never really learned about the relationship between food, activity and weight (what we call CICO around here). I was so active in my youth I never had to worry about it. My (wonderful) parents and the education system told me to watch what I ate (in terms of the pyramid) but not "why". Once I realized that this (balancing cals, activities, macros, energy) is just a new tool set it was easier for me to a.) troubleshoot/keep learning, b.) forgive myself when I fail because new skills take time and practice and aren't one-size fits all.

StarBrightStarBright

These might not pertain to you but, just in case, I will mention them. My mother has been a yo-yoer for the last 40 years but she has maintained for almost two years now and this is what she did differently this time -

She lost much slower. She actually set her daily calorie goal to what it would be at her desired maintenance weight and lost quite slowly - but she has had a much easier time keeping it off.

She never added extra exercise to meet a goal. In the past she would meet her weekly goals by working out until she hit them (she was v. inspired by the Biggest Loser style weight loss). This last time around she only did what exercise she thought she could maintain on a regular basis.

And third- and I think this was the biggest one - she took diet breaks. She would maintain at the level she was at for a few weeks to a couple of months at a time. It took her almost 3 years to lose 70 pounds (1 year to lose the last 10) - but she has maintained for two years now.

Lenala13

I've gone back and forth a bit and the thing that helped me is to realize that whatever I'm doing to lose right now, I will have to do for the rest of my life. There's no "taking a break" or going back to the habits that had me gain weight. So I've been slowly trying to integrate better habits (eating less, exercising more, choosing better), but every time I integrate a new habit, I ask myself, "is this something I can do for the rest of my life? If the answer is Yes, then I do it. If it's No, then I pass on it and try and find something or some level that I can keep up.

Mini_Medic

You really have to change your mindset. It's tough but doable. Food is fuel. Eat to fuel your body not just for pleasure or boredom or entertainment or self medicating stress, anxiety or depression. Don't deprive yourself. Food deprivation is like a slingshot. The more you over restrict and pull back the harder you will rebound when the tension gets too high. Most people who yo-yo try ridiculously excessive methods of restriction and it's not sustainable so they regain. If you feel like your missing out or uncomfortable you will eventually go back to what was comfortable in the past (i.e. weight gain). The trick to maintaining your losses is to find a sustainable method that you can live with every day for the rest of your life. You also have to accept that you can't eat the amounts like you used to. You can still eat the same exact foods including doughnuts or pizza, but you can't have a dozen or a whole large. Moderation is key to maintenance.

victoria_1024

Once I realized I could truly eat whatever I wanted as long as I stayed within my calories, something clicked. I was such a horrendous yoyo dieter all my life. But I feel more control over my eating than ever before. It's just simple math. I don't have to eat low carb or be hungry all the time, and I don't have to not eat after 7 pm. I can eat candy every day. All those rules I thought I had to follow.

Also understanding the concept of maintenance helped a lot. In the past I could lose weight but once I did, I just stopped and went right back to gaining again.

jennybearlv

I'm not yet a success, but am on my longest streak since I got on this yo-yo train three years ago. Six months as of yesterday! The thing that is different this time is location. I moved from a food culture in Las Vegas to an outdoors culture in the suburbs of Reno. Changing my environment made it suddenly easy. I know moving to the mountains is not a practical solution for most people, but looking at what in your life is throwing up barriers to your weight loss could help. For me it was the delicious food everywhere and always an excuse to celebrate anything or to skip cooking dinner. Just because I was surrounded by great food didn't mean I needed to eat out more than once a week or couldn't choose wisely when I did. For me it took moving across the state to realize what my problem was. I hope you can gain some introspection without any major life changes.

DietPrada

I yoyo dieted for 20 years. I can't remember a time when I couldn't tell you how many calories were in everything. I tracked my food and then caved because I couldn't deal with the hunger anymore, and then stopped tracking until I'd gained back everything I lost and then some. I would have done this 500 times, easily. Every time I hated myself a bit more. I could not stop eating, I would be good all day and then go back and forth to the fridge from dinner to bed time. I'm a smart educated woman, I know all of the theory behind losing weight, the ways to deal with binging, all of it. But I could not put it into practice.

Low carb honestly changed my life. That feeling after a few day where that gnawing hunger goes away and you finally have control of your appetite is the most liberating thing I've ever felt. 4 years ago I decided to drop my carbs to 20g a day or less, and eat a diet consisting of meat, dairy, and green veg. I've never looked back. And I'm 80lbs lighter.

susb

I dropped the term I'm going on a diet. Instead, I thought of it more as I am going to set up a healthy eating plan in order to lose weight. Once I lost every lost pound, I added 300-400 calories to my plan to maintain my healthy weight. Whenever I gain a few pounds, I revert to the deficit in my healthy eating plan and I am soon on my way back to where I want to be. I never say, I am on a diet. To me, this is like setting myself up for failure. I tell myself instead that I am eating correctly in order to lose weight and afterwards, to maintain it.

mjffey

StarBrightStarBright wrote: »

These might not pertain to you but, just in case, I will mention them. My mother has been a yo-yoer for the last 40 years but she has maintained for almost two years now and this is what she did differently this time -

She lost much slower. She actually set her daily calorie goal to what it would be at her desired maintenance weight and lost quite slowly - but she has had a much easier time keeping it off.

She never added extra exercise to meet a goal. In the past she would meet her weekly goals by working out until she hit them (she was v. inspired by the Biggest Loser style weight loss). This last time around she only did what exercise she thought she could maintain on a regular basis.

And third- and I think this was the biggest one - she took diet breaks. She would maintain at the level she was at for a few weeks to a couple of months at a time. It took her almost 3 years to lose 70 pounds (1 year to lose the last 10) - but she has maintained for two years now.

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kq1981

Yo yo dieting taught me that it's tiring, ineffective, time consuming, depressing, expensive in some cases, not sustainable and it doesn't work. Mfp has sincerely been the ONLY weight loss journey im dedicated to and excited about. These forums help me tremendously, thanks to everyone that posts

JaydedMiss

proper research that made me drop all the woo and broscience and fluff and realize ALL i had to do is eat less, Not different foods...not a 100% drastic change....not workout for hours a day...And most importantly for me, Not ditch carbs and i can still eat late night.

90 pounds in 10.5 months down once i took the time to learn

Rocknut53

I quit the cycle of 35+ years of yo yo-ing when I realized at 62 that time was running out to get healthy and lose the weight. Years of gaining and losing and being complacent were taking its toll on my body and my mind. I haven't been happy with myself for so many years. At some point you will face this, I hope you can do it before you reach my age, now 63. Learning how this process of CICO can work for almost anyone has been key to my success. I am finally at the weight I've been striving for all these years, the lowest since 1982. Because of my success I am going to cross a couple items off my bucket list: a trip to Maui in May and climbing the Grand Teton in Wyoming in August with my 45 year old son. I agree with @JaydedMiss, it's that simple!

GYATagain

I yo-yo'd for more than 30 years. I have done them all... crash diet, all the fad diets, all the commercial plans -- I wish I had back all the $$$$ I spent over the years on books, plans, and foods. It truly is a mindset - not a; I will only eat 1 lettuce leaf until I reach my goal weight - then I will Know how to keep it off. Not so! Changing my brain is what has kept the weight off now going on 4 years. Yes, I still must be vigilant - that depressed me for a while and I fell off - no, jumped off the rails. Now I know my health is what is important. My change of brain came after being so incredibly tired of being sick and tired. Now, life is GREAT! I eat high calorie buttery fatty sugary things now and then - before it was all the time - constant. However, if I thought I could never ever ever have tortilla chips/salsa or Oreos again -- forget about it! My brain change was what can I ADD to my diet to optimize my health - not what do I need to give up. Adding loads of veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean protein is so much easier on the brain and body than "giving up" everything and so much more filling.

sllm1

I learned that:

a) being too restrictive works for a while, helps you lose weight, but causes a bigger backlash (weight gain) when you inevitably "fall off the wagon"
b) we will all make mistakes and one mistake doesn't mean you should throw your hands up and say "forget it" and eat all the food in preparation for restricting again.

I have (this time) lost the weight over a period of 3 years. I gained a little here and there (I've had two significant deaths in the family during this time), but I didn't go crazy - I just ate a little more, forgave myself, and got back on track as soon as possible.

LisaTcan

kommodevaran wrote: »

I never was a real yoyo'er, but I have lost and regained a couple of times, and generally struggled with weight. I've maintained a healthy weight for 29 months now. This is what I have done:
I stopped relying on willpower. I work with my instincts and wants, not against them. I'm not eating food I don't like, just because it's supposed to be "healthy".
I stopped demonizing food. Now I eat whatever I want, but in moderate amounts.
I experimented with meal patterns. A lot of different setups have worked. 3 meals per day is the easiest
I plan my meals and only buy what I need for those meals.

Agreed. I found strategies that make it easier for me to burn more calories and stay below my calorie limit. So there is less need for willpower.

- Three meals a day, no snacks
- More protein, less carbs (not because this is necessary, just because it keeps me full)
- Finding exercise that I genuinely liked doing (cycling/lifting/walking) and incorporating it into my daily life.

alondrakayy

I think it's about finding what works for you. Counting cals/macros is a good tool, but plenty of other people have had success going vegan, intuitive eating, intermediate fasting, etc. I found the type of workouts I absolutely love to do (even when I fall of the wagon on my diet I still go to the gym and lift cause I love it so much) and for me, counting cals/macros is temporary. I'll use it while cutting and go back to intuitive eating once it's time to bulk. This, for me, is working perfectly and has kept me from that yo yo life.

cheryldumais

I dieted my entire life. From about the age of 12 I had tried all the diets and even had a lapband installed a few years ago (which has since been removed). None of it worked. I had to find what worked for me. In my case it was slowly changing my habits instead of an all or nothing approach like I had always done before. I'm down 75 pounds (since starting MFP). I've never lost this much and have 23 pounds left to go.

Going to the gym was impossible for me because I couldn't really afford the membership and I hate working out around a bunch of strangers (that's just me). So I found something I love to do. I walk in a beautiful park near me. Even when the ground was icy and the trees were covered in snow I went out because I like doing that. So that was exercise.

For eating I found things I like to eat that fit in my calorie count. I still use sour cream occasionally and barbeque sauce. I put butter on my cooked veggies. I just make sure I count it all. As time went by and I saw results I started changing other things slowly and learning new ways of cooking things but I make sure I enjoy what I eat so I don't feel deprived. I can eat this way for life. Once in a while I have a cheat meal and I log every calorie. If I go over my daily calories I don't sweat it. I know this will take some time but I'm heading in the right direction.

My all time high weight was 251 pounds and I'm 5'5". When I started MFP I was already down almost 20 pounds so in all actuality I'm down 93 pounds from my high point. I tell you this so you know I can relate with what you are dealing with. You CAN do this. It's a slow process but it's the last time you will ever have to do it as long as you learn good habits. Take your time and be patient. I'm 60 years old and it took me this long to realize that I was worth it and that I could do it. You are worth it and you can do it too.

KelGen02

I am 48 years old, pretty much through my 30's & 40's I was an yo you dieter. I would go on some program, lose the weight then gain it all back if not more. What changed for me was I stopped making excuses for myself, stopped justifying the laziness. Something clicked in me last November, I decided there was no room for a diet in my life and decided to change my life style. My husband had just been put on Cholesterol meds and I was like NO MORE, we are going to eat better and get our bodies moving. We have maintained this lifestyle through the holidays, birthdays, stressful days, sick days and pretty much everything life has thrown our way. We eat in moderation, we chose a primary plant based diet and we work out 6 days a week for a minimum of 45 minutes. I prep/plan our meals for the week and we enjoy our date nights out with friends just the same just with different choices in food and how much we actually eat of it. I like to save my calories for wine and will get on that treadmill for an hour in the morning of a planned night out just to make sure I have room for that wine and meal. (and it always gets logged into MFP) I learned to be patient that I didn't gain weight over night and that I wasn't going to lose it over night. I started on 11/28/16 at 259.9lbs as of last Fridays weigh in I was 216.8lbs I no longer think of food as comfort (I am a huge emotional eater) I now think of it as fuel for my body. Everyone is different when it comes to losing weight, but good habits and being accountable are the keys to my success thus far. I still have some weight to lose before I hit maintenance and I look forward to meeting every small goal I put in place for myself. Slow and steady wins the race... I am not looking to be skinny, just healthy and fit. I have future grandbabies in my future (hopefully not too soon) that I want to be around to spoil rotten and the vision of traveling and enjoying my retirement years with my husband. Best advise given to me was, make a commitment to yourself. Make a plan and stick to it, if you fall dust yourself off and get back at it. Best of luck to you!!!

FitGirl_Running

I had been a yo-yo dieter for over 35 years. I couldn't understand why I would gain all the weight back plus more EVERY time I lost it. Finally I found the answer in a book called "Eating Less, Say Goodbye to Overeating" by Gillian Riley. Making weight loss the goal, dieting, counting calories may work to get the weight off but it doesn't work to KEEP the weight off. Diets just don't work when you gain the weight back every single time. Once I stopped making weight loss my goal and dealt with my addictive desire to overeat I achieved weight loss.

Hornsby

Stopped trying all the fad diets and learned that moderation was the key for me. I balanced out my diet, focused on nutrition and calories, found a cardio activity I enjoyed, and just did it. It's been easy ever since.

150poundsofme

Hi, I have been a yo-yo dieter for over 45 years with never ever one single "normal" day. After feeling hopeless (once again) last Summer I went to many, many weight loss surgery seminar, support groups, and had two doctor consultations with 2 dates for the gastric sleeve. After a lot of research on line, I decided this was not for me. I would do it on my own. Again I did the yo-yoing. Went to a dietician who specializes in eating disorders. I didn't like the food plan she gave me, carbs at every meal. She said her goal is not for me to lose weight but for me to stop binge eating. And told me maybe I should see her after I lose the weight. Also went to a BED therapist who also told me she won't help me lose weight. Started Overeaters Anonymous and been reading everyone's great and isightful threads/posts right here on MFP. Been pretty much binge free since February 2. I feel that by that dietician telling me I can allow myself 3 carbs at every meal (breads, pasta, rice, potatoes etc. (not the fruits and dairy carbs)), it felt like it gave me permission not to do my "plan" which was always like a full carb (200 calories) ad day or maybe 2 full carbs a day. By saying I can have more, I have been able to not be so restrictive and not feel like I am not perfect if I at an additional carb. continued...

150poundsofme

I have overate since February 2 which is different for me than my usual binge. But I continue at my next meal eating ok. Not letting it derail me. I still need to learn a lot of things (like I am banking my calories (like I used to do) if I knew I was going to a restaurant or a friend's house. And recently at a friend's house, she had a lot of snacky foods out and even though I didn't eat breakfast (which maybe not a good thing), I thought I made ok choices but then came home with some snacks and ate those at night. Also I find if the food is there, right in front of me, I will overeat. So I have a lot of questions for the dietician next time I visit.
So you do know how to lose weight but maybe not be so restrictive. I know every time I tried, which was 45 years x 365 days, I was ready, I was determined. But it is that voice inside that says I need the food, I have to have it, I can't stop thinking about it. One meal at a time. Big hugs.

cerise_noir

For me, it was logging everything that I eat/drink, sticking to a reasonable calorie goal, not cutting out any foods and educating myself about maintenance (and doing maintenance "test runs"/practice). This is what helped me put a stop to yo yo dieting.

I was yo yo dieting because I was selecting silly heavily restrictive low calorie diets to lose weight with absolutely no knowledge of maintenance and calories. Of course I fell off the wagon.. I now chose to eat in a way that I will continue after I get to goal weight.

animatorswearbras

I've slowly regained everything in 3 years after losing for my wedding (which was a year of CICO dieting), my tactic this time is to not see it as a diet and once I'm done leave MFP, I need to stay on here to maintain instead of dieting for a bit than allowing a slow creep back in to old habits (or at least get a handle of what maintenance is). I think the thing I need to get into my head is that its a full lifestyle change and that exercise and a good diet is just as important when you're at the weight you want to be. Also I'm happy to see my goal weight as a long term goal that I might not hit for a long time and not something I'm going to rush to get into a swimsuit for June and burn myself out doing.

So my advice is basically don't burn yourself out being overly restrictive out of impatience to see results, for many people its unsustainable, makes you miserable and you'll just throw in the towel in frustration the first time you don't lose one week or see an unexpected gain (which is usually normal water weight fluctuations).

Good luck x

Kay_180

I lost about 70lb and mostly kept it off for 15 years. Eventually I gained back every pound, so I'm starting again (I guess that counts as a yo-yo ). I don't think there is any "trick" to it, it's not about willpower it determination or the right motivation. Your body will keep fighting you to hold onto those calories and you have to keep working against that, and monitoring changes in your metabolism as you get older. You don't have to call it a diet, but managing your food intake won't ever end - accept that you'll be doing it forever. You won't ever reach a magical "eat whatever you want" place. Once you've built good habits, it starts to feel like second nature though. You need to be careful when you make lifestyle changes (moving in with bf, more sedentary job, having baby) that are going to challenge your habits.