2nd time round seems harder?

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Jaymie
Jaymie Posts: 235 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I did really well last year and lost weight through exercise and using MFP to track my eating..

Through the holiday season and various events in my life I gained the weight back...

Im now back and trying to get back into exercise and watch my calorie intake again.. However I feel this time round its alot harder to shed the weight???

What has happened with my body? Is it trying hard to hold on to the weight because it knows that this time last year I lost alot of weight?

Is that even possible?

Replies

  • sheyna1983
    sheyna1983 Posts: 137
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    I'm sorry to say this but I think it's age.....my stupid metabolism has been getting slower and slower since I hit the late twenties.....most women start to slow down close to 30 - mine just started early......we just have to try harder and harder each year
    :( .... aging is stupid....
  • Jaymie
    Jaymie Posts: 235 Member
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    Tell me about it!! Aging and being female hmmmm
  • Wants2bethin
    Wants2bethin Posts: 60
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    I agree Jaymie
    It does seem harder maybe bc we know what we have to do to get to the goal. Im right there w/u.
    But one less bite at a time and an extra step and we can get there again :)
  • Jaymie
    Jaymie Posts: 235 Member
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    Your so right Wants2bethin!!

    One less bite at a time! I was well behaved at dinner tonight - kept a close eye on my portion

    Ive been suffering from portion distortion for a while hence my weight issue :grumble:
  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
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    From what I have read this is what happens when people lower there calorie intake so much that when they get to their goal they go back to eating normally. So their bodies tend to store the excess calories as fat and will gain back what they lost and then some. Then add to that their lower metabolism (sp?) When they then go back to lower calories it is harder to come off cause the body knows what you are doing and does not like it at all.

    From my understanding it is best to eat as one normally would in moderation. Take off weight slowly and you will keep it off. This is how I am doing it I did not put the weight on in months it took years. So if it takes years to come off then so be it. I eat what I want in moderation. I still have sweets yummy good stuff as a treat instead of everyday eating.

    This is just my opinion though.
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    yep...I think it's age too. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, and workout and I could maintain. Now, I gain if I look at a piece of cake. It sucks...and the bad news is...I'm pretty sure it's gonna get harder!
  • Jaymie
    Jaymie Posts: 235 Member
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    From what I have read this is what happens when people lower there calorie intake so much that when they get to their goal they go back to eating normally. So their bodies tend to store the excess calories as fat and will gain back what they lost and then some. Then add to that their lower metabolism (sp?) When they then go back to lower calories it is harder to come off cause the body knows what you are doing and does not like it at all.

    From my understanding it is best to eat as one normally would in moderation. Take off weight slowly and you will keep it off. This is how I am doing it I did not put the weight on in months it took years. So if it takes years to come off then so be it. I eat what I want in moderation. I still have sweets yummy good stuff as a treat instead of everyday eating.

    This is just my opinion though.

    I have read something along those lines as well Sharon and I have struggled to believe it (dont ask me why.. maybe I am just stubborn). But last year when I was going a bit crazy with counting my calories and exercising I think I may have "damaged" my metabolism. Now I realise I cant try to lose weight like that I have to try and eat in a way that will keep me slimmer and healthier forever not just for the next few months. So this time round I have to focus on taking things slowly and eating in way that doesnt make me feel deprived so i dont binge!

    But old habits seem to die hard...
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I did really well last year and lost weight through exercise and using MFP to track my eating..

    Through the holiday season and various events in my life I gained the weight back...

    Im now back and trying to get back into exercise and watch my calorie intake again.. However I feel this time round its alot harder to shed the weight???

    What has happened with my body? Is it trying hard to hold on to the weight because it knows that this time last year I lost alot of weight?

    Is that even possible?

    It is a not very well know fact that when you first lose weight, you get rid of your fat. Then when somebody puts weight on again and tries to lose it a second time, those fat cells remember what happened last time and multiply, so this time, there is more to shed - the more times you diet the more multiplied they become.

    This in turn, makes it more difficult to lose weight after the first weight loss programme. Couple all that with the menopause, which women go through later on and Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt - we have a difficult time to lose the damned weight and anybody that succeeds after multiple diets deserves a bloody commendation in my opinion.

    I am not saying you are going through the menopause at all, I have reserved that paragraph for us women who have/are going through it so that they are aware what may be slowing down their weight loss.

    The best thing you can do is to persevere, it will come off, eventually, but slower this time around. It is vitally important to keep the weight off I think now, otherwise we are all going round and round in circles and eventually it will be next to impossible to shed anything :flowerforyou:
  • amg_89
    amg_89 Posts: 184
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    Boy can I relate to this. In the fall of 08 I started exercising diligently and eating a bit healthier and the weight MELTED off. This time, I'm working out way more and way harder, not quite as strict with my diet, but still counting calories, etc and I either maintain or gain. SO STUPID!!
  • vyolette
    vyolette Posts: 23
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    I agree, i am about the same age as you and notice the results are not what they were a few years ago when i tried the same thing. I almost feel like im trying harder in some ways but it's definitely difficult and very frustrating. Alas, we are women and we are strong willed and stubborn enough that we can do it! =)
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I agree, i am about the same age as you and notice the results are not what they were a few years ago when i tried the same thing. I almost feel like im trying harder in some ways but it's definitely difficult and very frustrating. Alas, we are women and we are strong willed and stubborn enough that we can do it! =)

    You just have to persevere and refuse to give up, it will come off if you consume less calories than you use up, it just may take longer than last time.

    Personally, I refuse to go through all this again once I have lost my excess this time. That is why, this time, for me, it is a life-changer and all the stuff I have cut out of my daily diet will now remain out, for life.

    I used to love chocolate, but couldn't give a damn about it now. Sometimes indifference is a wonderful, wonderful thing! :laugh:
  • Jaymie
    Jaymie Posts: 235 Member
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    I used to love chocolate, but couldn't give a damn about it now. Sometimes indifference is a wonderful, wonderful thing! :laugh:

    WOW you can say no to chocolate! One day I will be strong enough to say no 80% of the time! at the moment I think I am on 50% hmmmm will get there

    ........our bodies hold on to more fat cells second time round!! CRIKEY!! Its going to take me forever to lose this weight My jeans feel tight !!!argghh :sad:
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I used to love chocolate, but couldn't give a damn about it now. Sometimes indifference is a wonderful, wonderful thing! :laugh:

    WOW you can say no to chocolate! One day I will be strong enough to say no 80% of the time! at the moment I think I am on 50% hmmmm will get there

    ........our bodies hold on to more fat cells second time round!! CRIKEY!! Its going to take me forever to lose this weight My jeans feel tight !!!argghh :sad:

    lol

    No they don't hold on to fat cells anymore than the first time, it is just this time there will be more fat cells as they have multiplied.

    Well your jeans won't feel so tight in a couple of weeks if you persevere, time to crack on! :laugh:
  • Jaymie
    Jaymie Posts: 235 Member
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    Thanks !

    Yup I just have to perservere with it!!

    Its blue jeans day at work tomorrow hmmm I cant think of any that I own at the moment which feels comfortable,,,, more reason for me to keep tracking on eh
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    ALL my jeans are tight ; ( Had to buy a size 16...STINKS!!! Worst feeling in the world!!! I had some health issues that resulted in some weight gain, but I have to keep trying hard...trying to have the attitude I did when I lost weight the first time around!
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    ALL my jeans are tight ; ( Had to buy a size 16...STINKS!!! Worst feeling in the world!!! I had some health issues that resulted in some weight gain, but I have to keep trying hard...trying to have the attitude I did when I lost weight the first time around!

    It was buying size 16 jeans for myself that got me to MFP, I look on those jeans with affection now as they helped me move in the right direction.

    Don't think I'll throw them out for that reason :laugh:
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
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    I know what you mean! Ugh, I lost 40ish pounds with MFP about 2 years ago, and I lose it in about 6 months (which was pretty healthy).

    Now, it's taken me 8 months to lose 22 pounds. I'm fairly young (20), so it's not like I'm going through menopause or anything, lol.

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