Inspo for people that lost and gained again -post here-

TabulaRasaElisa

I can relate so much. In 2015 I started on mfp (203lbs) and six months later my weight was 184lbs. I noticed that I had to really 'torture' myself to go below that, so I tried to maintain, as I was very happy with how I looked and felt. My weight kept fluctuating between 182-190lbs, which isn't the end of the world, but I somehow lost track and ended up with 217lbs in 2018. I remember changing my eating habits, managing to go down to and stay at ~207lbs. Then I stopped paying attention.
As the weather is getting nicer, I tried on some of my Summer clothing - NOTHING fits, not even the clothes that were on the 'bigger side'. I braved the scales, weighing in at 234lbs - heavier than ever. I'm seriously disgusted with myself. I looked at photos of me in 2013 and even from a couple of years ago and I don't know how I could let myself go that much! So here we go again...
On the upside, we have done this before, so we know we are perfectly capable of doing this! At least that's what I'm telling myself.

laurosaurusrex

@mita271

Thank you so much for your kind words - they really mean more than you know! We do deserve better and we already took the hardest step which was recognizing where changes may be needed. You rock too!

dru66mfp

Yup me too! So glad this thread was started. I've gone up and down a bit over time but in the past 3 years I've gained 20 lbs that I have been struggling to lose. But now that I am back on MFP it will be easier.

Please add me if you would like another friend during this tough journey of ours and we can help motivate each other!

JenW70503

I started at 281 in August of 2017. By February of 2018, I was 225. I got pregnant, and when my son was born in October of 2018, I was 255. Since then, no matter what I do, the weight is just not going anywhere. I stayed between 255-265 for a long time, but since I haven't been working with the Covid thing, the pounds are just packing on--I was a teacher before, and doing intermittent fasting because of my schedule, and now I struggle daily to try to maintain that, but I'm not on my feet as much and I'm hungry all the time. For the summer, I'm working in my parents' insurance office and I'm at a computer most of the day and I'm not getting in nearly enough steps. I'm up to 285 and focused to get on track and lose it again, which is why I'm here. Even though I've gained back all of the weight, I'm still a size smaller in clothes than where I began, so I think things are distributed differently.

MeganD1704

Very glad this thread is here:)

Started in 2015-2017- lost 35 lbs, felt incredible, worked out daily
2017-2019- changed jobs to one where it started at 4:30 am, ended at 5:30 but was on call 24/7/365 so it was often much later before I was truly done working. Wasnt watching what I ate, ate for convenience vs nutrition, didnt track, didnt workout.
End of 2019-now- switched jobs and started to get back to here in April. down 8-10lbs presently of the 40 I gained.
I can do this and will do it. This time when I hit that number I need to learn maintenance, make a scale fluctuation range and track! I will and can do this. Started back at 178.9 and am now as of today 168.6 (some bloat hanging on here).

Feel free to add if you are looking for friends who do log daily. I do eat 1300ish calories before intentional workouts as I am very petite . When I get to maintenance I should be around 1800ish based on non active, hoping to be there by xmas!

ReenieHJ

Oh yeh. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the hat.
My highest ever was 235, my lowest was 129. Now if that's not being a yo-yo.....
I'm just coming off a 6 week uncontrolled eating frenzy, was around 130, Monday I weighed in at 151. Not feeling great about any of that, especially my mindset and lack of motivation right now. BUT I'm here, still plugging along and hoping for a huge inspirational bolt of lightening to strike me again.

Logging on MFP has been the best thing for me. And hope I can stay with it again. It also helps to have an interesting fun goal to work towards. Last summer I was looking forward to an international trip so ate healthy. First time for a bathing suit in about 12 years. Then returning home, I stuck with it really well to be healthy and slim for the holidays and family get-togethers. Then, little by little, my motivation slipped away, my temptations got the best of me and poof, 20# came from nowhere. It felt like as soon as I hit that *magic* maintenance goal, I saw no more goals ahead of me so nothing to look forward to. We always should have a goal of some kind to strive for!!!

stuff062955

Lose, Gain, Repeat, My history with weight. Now I'm older, less active and the fattest I've ever been. Started another weight loss journey Jun 01 2020. Fingers crossed.

loonylovegood0715

Same here... 5 years ago I lost about 20 pounds and I was happy and healthy... fast forward to 2020, after many bouts of bad times and a lack of self control, and I'm about 30 pounds heavier.
A few weeks ago, getting back into healthier habits and exercise sounded far out of reach, yet here I sit after only 25 days of changing the way I live and feeling so much better already! Here's to better physical, mental, and emotional health! (:
We've got this, guys. We did it before!

besaro

Another one. 7 years ago found MFP, lost 100 lbs. Kept it off for a good 2 years. Started slowly gaining every year. Divorce, new job, new routine, new bf (so lots of eating out) was up 50 by the time covid hit. Threw myself an amazing pity party for 2 weeks and thought, nono, you dont get to gain the covid 19, we are gonna lose 19. Sitting here at 13 lb loss. Headed back to work in a couple weeks (hallelujah) might not reach the 19 goal by then but Ive got time.

JeffreyBlunck

Thanks for the timely post... Started on a journey for a sustainable, healthy weight in 2005 (260lbs). Diet and exercise got down to 205... stayed there for a couple of years, went back to 260 then 270 peaked at 295 in 2017. Diet, exercise and MFP, got down to 265 stayed stuck there for about a year, relapsed into unmindful eating habits, just peaked at 301 2 months ago. I keep doing the "90 yard runner in a 100 yard race" thing... got back on MFP and just got back into the "logging" groove. Wanted to see if I could drop weight while the gym is closed. Just weighed in at 288 without the benefit of the gym or commited exercise routine.
It didn't take long to figure out how I keep putting the weight back on, once I started logging foods. I now have some health problems related to weight, so I am recommitted, but the regret and self loathing are a bit cumbersome at times.
I'm glad MFP is here, it's nice to know the struggle is real and common.
Thank you for all the comments and motivation!!

Shortgirlrunning

I lost 50 lbs (which still didn’t get me to my goal) in 2018, fell off the wagon for most of 2019 and gained about 10-15 lbs back. 2020 has been a bit of a struggle but I finally got back on track about 6-8 weeks ago.

Do I wish I had stayed on track for 2019? Absolutely. But I’m still proud of what I did accomplish in 2019. I became a runner, trained for and completed my first half-marathon, and really got into fitness so much more. I may not have been losing weight but I was still living a healthier, more active lifestyle than I used to and I could have gained so much more than 15 lbs in a year if I had gone right back to how I used to live. So I still see 2019 as a year of progress, just different progress.

And there were lots of years before 2018 where I lost and re-gained the same 20ish lbs over and over again. You just have to keep trying.

Untilproud11

Holy ! Amazing Motivation from all of you who are here to start again , you guys are pure SUCCESS because you are here trying already !!
We will succeed this time WE CAN DO IT 💪

rubyjune27

I’ve been losing and gaining for over 45 years! 😱. Went on my first calorie controlled diet when I was 13 years old. I must have lost and re-found the equivalent of several people during that time😠. I lost 45lbs in 2012 and had regained 34. In January started again and have lost 25 so far so only 9 to go.😊.
I think the losses and regains is the way it will always be for me. I’m always going to want to eat more than my body needs. I’ve got the appetite of a male 6ft6” manual labourer inside the body of a 5ft 4” female office worker. So, slipping back is so,so easy.
One advantage is that over the years I’ve developed a certain expertise in both losing and gaining. I’ve certainly realised that there is nothing of value from self recrimination and negative self talk. When feeling positive and kind to oneself it is definitely the better frame of mind for being healthy.

tanyamclattenburg

I've just come back today. Back a few years ago I lost 65lbs and got down to my goal. Then I purchased an e-bike as my commute to work vehicle but I got lazy and took it everywhere. Now it's out of commission and I refuse to fix it.

Just today I got myself weighed and measured by one of my co-workers (personal trainer) to get back on the wagon. She's agreed to be my person I'm accountable too and help me stay on track this time around.

Wish me luck !!

bishopjulia

I have lost , gained and now lost again and still losing. Today I’m not following a diet but a schedule of eating...OMAD. Started off with fasting and worked my way to Omad. It’s not for everyone but it works for me. Here’s a few pics of my journey

lilmisfit1987

I lost 60lbs before starting nursing school. I made it through with my degree but gained it all back plus 10lbs more. Proud to say I'm getting it under control and lost 20lbs so far. This time I'm keeping it off and reaching my ultimate goal weight!

Truly303

I started at 282. Lost 61lbs. I even lost over thanksgiving and Christmas. Then I was looking over my progress from before and it started making since. I started being mentally, verbally, and emotionally abused! My weight went up so fast and I didn’t even realize it fully until today! I have spinal issues so spinal block and steroids took my behind to 295! he finally broke up with me because he found someone that they just clicked and I am finding me again.
30 lbs down today and I’m still going! It’s so nice to see me again!

SanaAnum

hi all i went from 89 KG to 55 KG and then gained all back and even more. I became 103 Kg. Now i have lost till 77 KG. Have maintained for a year 76 kG. Now losing more to get to 65. Height is 5 feet 4 inches. I am female.

becncall

From 2011-2012 I had my two children back to back. I couldn’t handle my bodies changes and decided to do what I could to get back to my pre-baby body. I hyper focused and was not in a good place mentally. I was on the verge of an eating disorder and by 2013-2016 the smallest I’d ever been. I was obsessive and compulsive about every gram of food I put in my mouth and how much exercise I had to do a day.
Midway through 2016 I ended up in icu for 6 weeks and spent another 6 weeks unable to get out of bed afterwards. I became depressed and started to gain weight rapidly. In August 2019 I was on the edge of being a diabetic and 220 pounds!!!! I made a decision right then and there, that I would get healthy the RIGHT way.

Today is June 6th 2020 and I am 166 lbs. I struggle everyday to eat what I need to, to keep me healthy, strong and mindful. I struggle daily to not over restrict myself or obsess. I struggle daily with getting enough food in my body, but I do it and prove to myself everyday that I can still lose weight while eating a balanced diet.

Untilproud11

becncall wrote: »

From 2011-2012 I had my two children back to back. I couldn’t handle my bodies changes and decided to do what I could to get back to my pre-baby body. I hyper focused and was not in a good place mentally. I was on the verge of an eating disorder and by 2013-2016 the smallest I’d ever been. I was obsessive and compulsive about every gram of food I put in my mouth and how much exercise I had to do a day.
Midway through 2016 I ended up in icu for 6 weeks and spent another 6 weeks unable to get out of bed afterwards. I became depressed and started to gain weight rapidly. In August 2019 I was on the edge of being a diabetic and 220 pounds!!!! I made a decision right then and there, that I would get healthy the RIGHT way.

Today is June 6th 2020 and I am 166 lbs. I struggle everyday to eat what I need to, to keep me healthy, strong and mindful. I struggle daily to not over restrict myself or obsess. I struggle daily with getting enough food in my body, but I do it and prove to myself everyday that I can still lose weight while eating a balanced diet.

YES YOU CAN DO IT ! 💪
Good luck to you 🙂

Untilproud11

bishopjulia wrote: »

I have lost , gained and now lost again and still losing. Today I’m not following a diet but a schedule of eating...OMAD. Started off with fasting and worked my way to Omad. It’s not for everyone but it works for me. Here’s a few pics of my journey

You look gorgeous !!
Congrats

estherpotter1

To many times.I havnt been down to a healthy weight for years.Now Im trying hard.

swimmchick87

I have done the yo-yo thing more times than I can count. I like to think that I learn something new each time to make me more successful. Looking back at the first time I ever tried MFP, I really had no idea what I was doing. Some things I have figured out through trial and error:
1. 1200 calories will never work for me. I can white knuckle it for a few months at best, but I feel so deprived that it sets me up for overeating.
2. "Cheat days" do not work for me. After one yo-yo, I tried to fix this by doing just "cheat meal." A third time, I tried to allow myself one 2,000 calorie day per week (with the rest being 1200) so I was getting a "splurge" but it was controlled and counted. Nope, nope, and nope. This just sets me up to keep overeating.
3. There is no such thing as "cheat foods." Any food can fit into my calorie day. Over time, I find I get used to smaller portions and overeating doesn't hold the same appeal. For example, I'm totally satisfied with 5-6 wings instead of 10. Pretty much anything can fit into my calorie day as long as I don't eat several servings of it. And I've never liked the "stuffed" feeling anyway so that helps.
4. The summary of the above things is that setting a weight loss goal of 1 pound per week where I get 1550 calories every day has really helped me. If I want more than that, I do extra walking and eat my exercise calories back. Many days I actually eat around 1650.
5. Although I can fit any food into my calorie day and it's important for me to eat foods I like every day, eating healthy foods is also important. Several times I lost weight eating 1200 calories of junk every single day. That doesn't make me feel good about myself and also sets me up to be in an unhealthy mindset even though calories are being counted. If I'm eating pure junk all day long, it's not much of a leap to eat a bit more, then a bit more, etc. until I fall off the wagon all together. Now I strive for balance.
6. I do better with 2 large meals per day or 3 medium sized meals. "Grazing"/6 small meals per day, snacking, etc. does not work for me. I don't find small meals/snacks to be satiating and I end up feeling hungry all day long.
7. I do better when I delay my eating until later in the day. It is easy to tell myself I can have what I want, I just need to wait a couple of hours. Breakfast makes me hungrier all day so I don't eat it. No matter what I eat for lunch while working (not from home) I am ravenous at the end of the work day. It's better to save the majority of calories for the evening when I'm most hungry and can relax and enjoy them.
8. I have to stop thinking in black and white, which is really difficult for me. If I mess up at lunch, my immediate thought is to eat whatever I want for the rest of the day and then "get back on track tomorrow." This often leads to days, weeks, or months of overeating. I've gained so much weight doing this. Now if I "mess up" I immediately log it and a whole lot of the time, it's fixable. Often I can even stay within my calorie goal if I do extra walking and eat slightly less the rest of the day. At worst, I can do the above and at least stay within my maintenance calories for the day. I ended up doing that one day this week. I couldn't get to goal that day, but I just did a bit of extra walking the rest of the week and made up for the calories over the course of the week.
9. The only exercise I find even remotely enjoyable long term is steady state cardio, and 30 minutes is about my limit. In the past I would feel pressured to do "better" exercises such as fitness classes/videos that were total body workouts (doing things like jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, etc. for 45-60, sometimes 90 minutes). Yes those exercises are "better" but I hated every minute. Definitely not a way to stick to something.
10. My fitbit is really important to maintaining a "healthy mindset" throughout the day. Getting in my steps helps me stay on track even though it doesn't burn that many calories. I march in front of my TV (a life saver in quarantine) to get the steps in most days. I'm not going to spend 1-2 hours doing that and then decide to sit down and stuff my face.

Most of this, I learned before my last attempt, which was last summer. I was doing very well sticking to my goals. Over the course of the summer I went from 203 (my highest weight ever) to 190. While that's decent progress, especially considering I knowingly set myself up to only lose 1 pound per week, I still felt "super fat." Even the 190 was at the top of where I'd ever been before. I could see that my face and arms looked slimmer especially, but seeing those numbers on the scale just made me really depressed. By the time fall rolled around and some stressful things happened in my life, I felt like it wasn't worth it to keep going because I was still fat anyway. I could lose 20 more pounds and be "still fat."

So this time I'm trying something I would have never done before. I'm not weighing myself. I have no idea what I weigh which is oddly freeing. I started January 1 and this is approaching the longest I've ever been able to stay "on track" before. I don't know what I weigh, but I know I feel significantly better, both emotionally and physically. My face and my arms especially look 10x better. I've watched myself slowly start fitting into clothes that were too tight, and I've gone from a size 18/20 to a 14/16. Eventually I know I'll need to start/keep weighing as I get smaller, because it will be harder to lose at a much smaller weight and I'll need to make sure I'm on track. At this weight though, I have a long way to go and I'll definitely keep losing with my deficit even if I make minor mistakes. And when I do get down to a much smaller size where weighing becomes more important, I won't be dealing with that "but I'm still really fat so who cares" mindset.

dramaqueen45

I see that I am not alone! Way back in 2006 I went on a very very restrictive diet- The Hilton Head Metabolism diet and lost about 20 pounds over a summer. Then of course once I went off of that gained about 5-8 pounds right off the bat and kept gaining. I'd go on a diet which would help me lost 5-10 pounds over a month or two, then gain it right back plus some. By summer of 2014 I was at my highest weight ever- 180 and got on MFP and for whatever reason, stuck with it for a year and a half and lost 55 pounds (I had tried MFP a few times before that). So fast forward a couple of years where I maintained for the most part (but it was still creeping up a little). Then a very stressful year hit where I was eating out (and drinking) way too much and put on about 20 pounds. Kept gaining over the next year even though things settled down and was up to 165 by January of 2020, decided that enough was enough and lost 10 pounds pretty quickly and then-- lockdown! Stress! UGH! I am definitely a stress eater and I'm also proof that exercising religiously (which I've never stopped exercising) while having a good effect mentally, doesn't do anything to help you lose or even maintain if you eat everything under the sun. So in May of 2020 I started (again) and hope to be at my goal of 135 by October (125 was a little too thin for my age, plus maintaining that would be very hard). So I know I can do it because I've done it once before. My struggle is how to number one- find a better stress reliever than food because that's my first thing I go to that helps, because life and stress will always happen. And number two, how to just maintain-- I CAN lose it, I've proven that as we all have. But it seems I'm either in very strict mode where I'm losing and counting and weighing everything, OR I'm just eating with abandon and in the bad habits of eating junk and way too much of it. I have got to find a happy medium where I eat healthy most of the time (while in maintenance) yet can enjoy some treats and such too. It's like it's either all or nothing. I cannot do the counting and weighing forever after I reach my goal. It's just not feasible. I think if I can figure out maintenance for the long term that would be an amazing accomplishment. So that's my next goal (after I lose this AGAIN). Maintenance without being obsessive about counting, weighing food -- just eating healthy and choosing healthy options most of the time. Until then- happy losing (again) to all. We can do it!!

daloverlyme

I have so much guilt for gaining back 50 of the 80 lbs I worked so hard to lose! I lost my mom, my father inlaw month after that, and a month later my house was destroyed in a natural disaster. To top it all off I very unexpectedly got pregnant for my daughter. I just didn't care after that point... Now, I hardly eat and STILL am gaining. I don't get it. 1200 strict calories makes me gain???

Untilproud11

daloverlyme wrote: »

I have so much guilt for gaining back 50 of the 80 lbs I worked so hard to lose! I lost my mom, my father inlaw month after that, and a month later my house was destroyed in a natural disaster. To top it all off I very unexpectedly got pregnant for my daughter. I just didn't care after that point... Now, I hardly eat and STILL am gaining. I don't get it. 1200 strict calories makes me gain???

I have gone through thinking that I could only lose on 1200 calories
But i was wrong
Ur body needs fuel ! Try upping calories a little
It worked for me
And good luck you can do this 🙂

manyasin

I gradually lost 3-4 stone about 6 years ago, I got to a maintain weight where I was content, I was active and enjoying exercise, I was eating well and not having to think about calories, and I felt good and strong. During this time I even had a few surgeries on my stomach, and somehow managed to reign in the weight gain and get back to exercising and eating well when I was healed. Then 2 years ago a lot changed in my life at the same time. I had steroid injections, I moved in with my parents after my flatmate was fired and couldn't pay her rent, and I changed jobs - all within the same month. I spiralled, and within a year I had gained 3 stone back. Living with my parents hasn't been easy, they're feeders and fill the fridge with chocolate and junk, after dealing with a few bouts of depression my will power to resist the naughty food has all but gone. I have to put up with this for now as I'm saving to buy a house, I know once I move out I should hopefully go back to my old ways. It's weird that lockdown has actually helped me gain some control over my eating and put the time into what I'm cooking. I've only been healthy eating for 6 weeks but I've lost 7.5lbs, not exactly back to my original weight I was a few years ago yet, but it's a good start and I'm proud of myself!

wannabefitmom2020

Me!! I lost about 50 lbs. Then I got pregnant and between that and nursing, gained all 50 back. Stopped nursing and tried, but didn’t really focus enough so I never lost any of it. Had baby #2. Gained 30 more and am nursing. Saw the scale go up 2 lbs and remember my dr telling me when my first “some women just gain while nursing and there isn’t much you can do” and decided, NOPE!!! I have 100+ lbs to lose. I’m not going to gain any more! So I’m working my *kitten* off. Workouts daily and food is so challenging because if I eat 100 too many calories, I’m up a full pound. 100 too little and I don’t have milk to nurse. It’s soooo hard. But I refuse to have MORE weight to lose when I’m done nursing.

cobalt108

I lost about 150 pounds. Was going to the gym regularly, had completely cut out processed sugar and was on a good ‘streak’ and super close to my goal weight. I lost hope when I had worked so hard and still wasn’t able to participate in the things ‘normal’ girls could do, like shopping for clothes or dating. I have so much loose and sagging skin all over its disgusting, have to wear all kinds of shape wear and sometimes 2 bras under long pants and long sleeves year round because it jiggles and pulls clothing fabric. I still live in hoodies and yoga pants and have so much trouble finding professional clothes it makes me cry. I went down several sizes and the clothes still didn’t fit, still weren’t flattering at all. The weight I lost in my face and cheeks aged me so much and my neck sags and wiggles when I speak. My hair thinned a lot which apparently can happen with major weight loss. I look like an old woman now. I saw all these lovely before and after where other girls finally feel cute and confident in a dress etc. but not me.
A big part of my weight loss journey was for health reasons so I know my post may sound vain and shallow. It’s just that I was looking forward to those little wins so much because when your very heavy you miss out on a lot of that girl stuff like looking pretty and being hit with the realization that my body is ruined and it’s something I will never be able to have unless getting multiple major surgery which will leave huge scars and is completely unaffordable crushed me. I am heartbroken to have worked so hard and in many ways look way worse now.
Little by little I started into bad habits and combined with schedule changes was unable to make the gym as regularly as before to balance out the stress eating.
Im trying to start again as I’ve gained back over 40 pounds. I’m not happy about having to lose the weight I already lost again and hoping that will help keep me going.

beachbody4l

It took me about three years to get from 168 to 109lbs. Then I gained 7 lbs and stayed at 116 for a couple of years. This last year during the holidays I went crazy and would binge daily, multiple times a day. I went back up to 132 and am now fighting to lose it again. Unfortunately, this time around I'm five-ish years older and it's a struggle.

It sucks to feel like you made it to the end and now have to fight for it all over again. But the silver lining is that you know you can do it because you have before.