Why do people gain all their weight back?
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I just want to do eat what I want when I want and it does not work. Some people can do this in my family but not me. It is hard work and much discipline to watch everything you eat and work out problems so you don't eat emotionally.
I guess for me I have to admit I want to be lazy and not do the hard work but it definitely is worth it. It is like spending too much and having the consequence.. I finally realized I have to put the effort into taking care of myself, yes we are worth it. We put effort into other people, caring for children, spouses, friends, we have to be just as good to ourselves and not be lazy or unkind to ourselves.0 -
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Just one of many reasons people regain..
I didn't gain all of mine back, but almost 25lbs of 40 lost. It was due to illness and taking meds that made me feel like I was starving 24/7 and I wasn't capable of walking 15 feet without being in agonizing pain.
I feel like a failure and I'm embarrassed to run into people who saw me 'fit' and then see that I'm fat again. It's very depressing and I don't want to tell the long, boring story to people of why I gained it back.
I am back on track now since I'm off the meds and am physically capable of exercising. Yay!
So, I guess, just don't assume that all people just give up, get lazy or binge until they are fat again. This was a valuable lesson to me, as I thought all people who re-gained were just being lazy, or something.
No kidding! I was so fit and happy with it that I was going for Yoga teacher certification so that I could teach part-time. Folks all knew that. Them BAM the next time I saw a lot of them, I was much fatter (not just bigger) and no longer continuing certification. They actually changed the subject before I could even mention that a health thing came up big and unexpectedly, lol. They were afraid I just gave up, I guess.
I'm still on the meds (heart rate stuff), but now I'm used to how it affects my metabolism. The best part is that I can actually exercise now
Man the no exercising part throws a wrench in things if that was a cornerstone of your new lifestyle. 0 -
For some reason, this time, for the first time, I finally succeeded at taking all the weight off. I wish I could "bottle" what it was that has led to success this time but it's difficult to figure out what was different that helped me to keep going.
This was also true of my experience. Something magically clicked - the weight came off - and I just assumed I was fixed, which was not true. Continued attention to my chart is something I anticipate I will need forever. Good luck to you too!
Osric0 -
Do some people think dieting is a temporary commitment? It's a lifetime commitment, just keep on doing what you have already done to keep off the weight, you already worked so hard to lose, and you should be fine.
I think the word "diet" is what pushes people off the wagon so often. Instead of looking at it as a diet, people consider it a healthy eating lifestyle. No one can maintain too few calories indefinitely. It's finding the balance between feeding your body enough and choosing the best foods for the calories.
I also think that many people are too restrictive in their food choices - thinking they must permanently give up pizza or candy or beer. It's all about moderation.
Never give up. Take each day as it comes. If you have a bad day, move forward from there. You CAN achieve your goals.0 -
I've gained back some, but not all, of my weight. It's partially because of a medication I was on that started the gain, partially because my goal might not have been optimal for my body, and partially - mostly - because being that lean isn't a priority.
I mean, I look at my photos from a year ago, and I'm only about 10 pounds heavier now, but I think, "Damn, I looked TINY!" But even though I didn't feel deprived, I did feel like I was being obsessive. I'd rather be a little bigger and not have to log every calorie than be a size smaller and track and measure everything. It's not as though I'm any less healthy. I can still run about the same (maybe a little slower), and lift as much. I think I looked great a little smaller, but it didn't make my life any better.
I'm currently at the weight my body has been comfortable at for most of the last ~15 years, but since I exercise regularly and have more lean mass, I'm smaller at that weight than I was previously.
Lorina, some sincere questions about why you gained 10 lbs back since a year ago. Did you eat above your 2300 maintenance level, or did you cut back on activity? Is that 10 lb gain due to added muscle and you are the same waist measurement now as you were last year at 10 lbs lighter, or has your waist/hip measurements gone up?
I still have 25 more lbs to go til maintenance, but I am learning all I can from others who are there now.
At first, it was (and I'm not making excuses here) going on Depo late last year. I was logging my food, exercising the same, but the weight kept creeping up. It's been about 8 months since my last injection, and weight loss is still really difficult. Even eating at a 300-500 calorie deficit below what my TDEE was prior to going on Depo, I was losing very slowly.
It was then that I kind of said, "F this." :laugh: I'm about one size larger than I was a year ago, and that's not a big enough deal to stress out about. I'd rather forget calories and maintain this weight and size (which I've been doing since May, whether I was counting calories and trying to lose or not) than drive myself bonkers for a couple vanity pounds.
Maybe I'm a slacker, but I'd rather follow the path of least resistance when it comes to this. I'm healthy, fit and (mostly) happy with how I look. I think of it like altering the pH in the soil to turn blue hydrangeas into pink ones. Both colors are beautiful, and I don't see that it's worth the extra effort to pick the other color. Or like someone who's been coloring her hair going back to her natural shade.
I didn't feel deprived when I was counting my calories. I just felt obsessive. Obsessive about counting calories and macros, obsessive about my measurements, obsessive about miles and lifting PRs... Rather than thinking of it as a weight loss failure, I think of it as a mental health success to step back from it a little, while still maintaining healthy habits.0 -
Others have mentioned stress here. That is definitely the reason for me too. Its hard to think straight when you are totally stressed out and its much more difficult to make wise food choices and there may be no time to plan food in advance. This time around I am working at a better approach. Im trying to incorporate weight lost and fitness into a whole new lifestyle. It seems to be working for me so far. Good luck and well done on getting close to goal.0
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I've gained back some, but not all, of my weight. It's partially because of a medication I was on that started the gain, partially because my goal might not have been optimal for my body, and partially - mostly - because being that lean isn't a priority.
I mean, I look at my photos from a year ago, and I'm only about 10 pounds heavier now, but I think, "Damn, I looked TINY!" But even though I didn't feel deprived, I did feel like I was being obsessive. I'd rather be a little bigger and not have to log every calorie than be a size smaller and track and measure everything. It's not as though I'm any less healthy. I can still run about the same (maybe a little slower), and lift as much. I think I looked great a little smaller, but it didn't make my life any better.
I'm currently at the weight my body has been comfortable at for most of the last ~15 years, but since I exercise regularly and have more lean mass, I'm smaller at that weight than I was previously.
Lorina, some sincere questions about why you gained 10 lbs back since a year ago. Did you eat above your 2300 maintenance level, or did you cut back on activity? Is that 10 lb gain due to added muscle and you are the same waist measurement now as you were last year at 10 lbs lighter, or has your waist/hip measurements gone up?
I still have 25 more lbs to go til maintenance, but I am learning all I can from others who are there now.
At first, it was (and I'm not making excuses here) going on Depo late last year. I was logging my food, exercising the same, but the weight kept creeping up. It's been about 8 months since my last injection, and weight loss is still really difficult. Even eating at a 300-500 calorie deficit below what my TDEE was prior to going on Depo, I was losing very slowly.
It was then that I kind of said, "F this." :laugh: I'm about one size larger than I was a year ago, and that's not a big enough deal to stress out about. I'd rather forget calories and maintain this weight and size (which I've been doing since May, whether I was counting calories and trying to lose or not) than drive myself bonkers for a couple vanity pounds.
Maybe I'm a slacker, but I'd rather follow the path of least resistance when it comes to this. I'm healthy, fit and (mostly) happy with how I look. I think of it like altering the pH in the soil to turn blue hydrangeas into pink ones. Both colors are beautiful, and I don't see that it's worth the extra effort to pick the other color. Or like someone who's been coloring her hair going back to her natural shade.
I didn't feel deprived when I was counting my calories. I just felt obsessive. Obsessive about counting calories and macros, obsessive about my measurements, obsessive about miles and lifting PRs... Rather than thinking of it as a weight loss failure, I think of it as a mental health success to step back from it a little, while still maintaining healthy habits.
Thanks for the honest answers. I completely understand. I had to be obsessive about this to get to this point, and I have never 'starved' thru this process, but I do have times now that I am just tired of writing everything down. It's not even that it takes that much time, I think I am just rebelling like a teenager some days. haha. I can maintain where I am, as long as I keep an eye on it. But I still have 25 more to go, so I will have to keep a little obsession going for a while to get the rest off. It will probably take another year, but that's ok.
Good that you found a place you were physically and mentally happy with.:flowerforyou:0 -
Typically IMO because they haven't learned anything. They used some 'diet' that is not sustainable long term, so when they start eating normal food again because life happens, they fall off the wagon and can't get back in. It's what happened to me last time (I was 21 and started working somewhere where you just couldn't bring your own food and there were way too many temptations around).
Or they just stop logging and being careful with portion control.0 -
Typically, those that lose it fast don't lose it the healthy way. It take discipline and determination. You have to change the mind before the body will change. It's a mind over matter. This has been a long journey for me....even though I have hit many plateaus in this process I learned in those times to maintain. I am eating real food while losing too.0
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Well for one if you put yourself on a diet and restrict yourself from eating certain foods you are setting yourself up to fail, and other factors, stress, pregnancy, losing a job so on , all can make you again weight or for some lose , If you are a normally busy person and than you lose your job or not able to do the activities you once did, You could gain it back since your body is so used to your very active self and your eating habits reflect accordingly.
at the end of the day it just happens sometimes you just need to fix it before it gets out of hand.0 -
Maybe they go back to eating the way they ate before, which is what got them overweight to start with.0
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Why is it here that many people have gained all their weight back?
This is my first attempt, my goal is getting in slight, I've already worked so hard, why will I want to ruin what i've worked so hard for?
Do some people think dieting is a temporary commitment? It's a lifetime commitment, just keep on doing what you have already done to keep off the weight, you already worked so hard to lose, and you should be fine.
Because they go on restrictive diets and cut their favorite foods out of their diet. Eventually their willpower fails and they fall directly into old eating patterns. They're "dieting" so they stop eating normally with friends and family.
In other words: they never learned to enjoy all the foods they actually like (and their friends and family eat and therefore have around often) responsibly within the confines of a proper caloric intake.
There is truth to this, but it is too simplified. I did not go on a restrictive diet to lose 50 pounds. I still enjoyed the foods I love. I did not go the 1200 calories a day route. I always ate my exercise calories, and average 1600 to 1700 calories a day. But I am still struggling with maintenance, and have gained some of the weight back.0 -
I lost about 30lbs, which was my halfway, and then thanksgiving rolled around. I thought, hey as a reward I will eat however I want through the holiday. After thanksgiving I thought why don't I just go til christmas? Then it was to new years. Now I have put back on that 30 pounds and my wedding ring is getting too tight. I have been eating like this my whole life and it snowballed out of control. Now I am back!0
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And there I thought it shouldn't be about discipline, but habit. If you need discipline, you haven't changed your lifestyle. If you need to keep telling yourself that "no, you can't have that", no wonder people keep gaining weight back, the frustration alone would get tiresome.lack of discipline. That's it.
I am at the "wow I don't need that" stage, except for chocolate....
Excellent view point! I honestly hadn't thought of it this way.
I'm lazy. That's why. Life got difficult, I had a hard time handling it, and I lost my will to keep up. I'm doing something about it now, that's all that matters. I'll may have another setback, maybe several, but I can get right back up on that horse and keep going.0 -
And there I thought it shouldn't be about discipline, but habit. If you need discipline, you haven't changed your lifestyle. If you need to keep telling yourself that "no, you can't have that", no wonder people keep gaining weight back, the frustration alone would get tiresome.lack of discipline. That's it.
I am at the "wow I don't need that" stage, except for chocolate....
Excellent view point! I honestly hadn't thought of it this way.
I'm lazy. That's why. Life got difficult, I had a hard time handling it, and I lost my will to keep up. I'm doing something about it now, that's all that matters. I'll may have another setback, maybe several, but I can get right back up on that horse and keep going.
I'm shocked at how many people think this is simply a failure of willpower or discipline or laziness or some other psychological failing. There are many physiological mechanisms pushing to put the weight back on. This should be obvious from the 80% + regain rate. All of these people are not lazy.
In addition to this paper that has been posted a couple of times -- http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/ajpregu/301/3/R581.full.pdf -- this episode from the HBO documentary series The Weight Of A Nation, which was posted on another thread, goes into some detail about the physiological mechanisms at work. It's worth a watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A
The point is not that "it's inevitable and we can't do anything to stop it" but that it is a very complicated psycho-physiological phenomenon and the better we understand it, the better shape we are in to protect ourselves.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1115397-understanding-why-it-s-so-difficult-to-maintain-weight0 -
I lost all my weight on WW. Developed disorded eating habits, became scale obsessed, suicidal and generally just a miserable person in life. I had lost over 80 lbs, was well below my goal weight and started binge eating. That's how I gained a good 30 lbs back before I put a stop to everything, maintained for a couple of years and now I am starting to lose more healthfully and mindfully.0
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My personal experience? When you go back to the old way of eating, you go back to the old way of looking. It has to be a lifestyle change...for life.0
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I gained some of my weight back because I was tired of being completely obsessive about everything I ate. I also started lifting and decided that the number on the scale doesn't dictate how I should feel about myself. I gained back about 30 pounds--a chunk of that was muscle gains from lifting.I was still logging most days and then I stopped--that was probably my biggest mistake. If I kept logging my food, I probably would have gained less. I also must have been eating a little too much for my workouts.
When I look back on what my body looked like at my smallest and what I look like now--my entire body composition has changed.
I have a booty now. My arms are bigger. My waist is still small. I don't think I could be the same size--or weight--now. At first I felt like a failure, but now I'm very comfortable with where my body is at. I'm still lifting, still working out. My body is still getting tighter and I have some visible stomach definition. Being a little less obsessive, but being healthy and feel good about the shape and size of my body is what's most important. Like Lorina, my mental health is more important than being super lean. I lift cause I like what it does for my body. I work out because I enjoy the benefits, but I'm not going to be obsessive about it.0 -
And there I thought it shouldn't be about discipline, but habit. If you need discipline, you haven't changed your lifestyle. If you need to keep telling yourself that "no, you can't have that", no wonder people keep gaining weight back, the frustration alone would get tiresome.lack of discipline. That's it.
I am at the "wow I don't need that" stage, except for chocolate....
Ugh no way. I'll always need discipline. I LOVE eating, and I love eating calorie-heavy foods. I will always want that second piece of cake or that donut at the bakery or... you get the idea. I can tell you right now that I'll need that discipline all my life, and I can only hope I'll be able to do it. I've been on this new 'diet' for 9 months now, and if anything it's harder now than it was at first. For some people, it might be easier to form a new habit, but when you got used to eating what you wanted for 34 years, it's not that easy to create a new one, and it will take much longer than a year, I can tell.0 -
It required me to fix a separate problem before I could solve this one. I tried to lose weight at least 10 times over 15 years. Most times it was a 10 lb fix that I held on to for about a year. Once it was 25 lbs, I added running (intensely) and gained it all back.
I had a body image issue that I'm fixing now, and the psychological change has catapulted me into 37 lbs loss over 11 weeks. The psyche fix will allow me to maintain and to record on MFP forever (not just for weight loss). I will gain and lose weight, but now I'll be healthy and happy with who I am.0 -
Why is it here that many people have gained all their weight back?
This is my first attempt, my goal is getting in slight, I've already worked so hard, why will I want to ruin what i've worked so hard for?
Do some people think dieting is a temporary commitment? It's a lifetime commitment, just keep on doing what you have already done to keep off the weight, you already worked so hard to lose, and you should be fine.
With respect - once you've reached your goal and stayed there for at least a couple of years.....THEN come back with this question. Maybe your tone may have changed.0 -
I think everyone has touched on the right answer. It's really just a pattern. People force themselves into unrealistic diets and then once they have reached a certain weight loss, give up everything and go back to what they know. The key to healthy weight loss is more of a lifestyle shift. As the old adage goes it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Congratulations on making this far! In order to keep up your progress you need to make working out and living healthy a habit. Try to associate it with other things you love. If you are married or have a significant other, go on walks (or jogs) with that person. The same works with friends and family. Just make it a thing you do regularly and soon it will be a part of your identity.
Also associate with all the negative feeling you had when you went on this diet. You clearly wanted something to change, and you've done so well. The more you get in touch with what you want to avoid, the more likely you are to continue to follow through.
Lastly, schedule time every week that you'll carve out to focus on your body, whether that be cooking some healthy meals in advance, or going to the gym, or doing one of a million other active things you can do to stay in shape. Just schedule it in, commit to it, and really own it.
Keep up the good work Wendy!
Jane Williams, Website Owner
littlemissslim.com0 -
For me it's just that I stopped paying attention.
My all-time high adult weight was in 1993 or so, when I was about 170-something, I don't remember what. I had a desk job, and I drank sugary sodas all day. Once I switched to diet soda, the weight came off. I was in my 20s, and I managed to stay in the 130s-140s for most of the decade, just by "watching what I ate", though I never counted calories. In 1999 I got down to about 130 when I was going through a rough time with the guy I was with. Man trouble is like, the best diet ever. :bigsmile:
In my 30s, I got complacent with that same guy, and my weight crept back up to the low 160s. Then, more drama with him, and voila, weight loss! :flowerforyou: I got down to 118 pounds via sheer anxiety. It was awesome. Before long I kicked him to the curb, and over the course of the next ten years, my weight crept back up to 152.5 as of last August, with some hills and valleys in between.
Since I don't have man trouble these days, I finally decided to do a REAL diet, and started counting calories in September. As if by magic, I started losing weight. Who knew math could be so awesome? So yeah, I'm thinking that I'm just going to have to keep doing this indefinitely, adjusting my calorie limits to maintenance after I'm at my goal, of course. :drinker: I'm aiming for 135 at the moment, but I might go down to 130 if I think I need a little more oomph. I think I can do this from now on, it's really, really easy. Had I but known! :bigsmile:0 -
For me it is the loss of motivation and the will to continue... I have been there not just once....0
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We all aren't (unfortunately) perfect.0
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It's amazing what something as simple as the mood you're in can do, depression kills most people's fitness, raises their weight, and makes it hard for them to actually change their habits. In my case I'm bipolar, so for awhile I was gaining because I was in a depressive phase, when I'm manic I'll work out 7 days a week and create a rock-solid diet and go hulk for a little while. Joining this site was an attempt to maintain my fitness standards no matter my mood.
The circumstances are endless, it doesn't matter why or how someone got fat, all that matters is that they do something to fix it. You don't ask someone at the gym "HEY WHY ARE YOU SUCH A FATTY?", you just respect them for having the willpower to get to the gym at all, which, when you're out of shape and sedentary, is actually pretty freaking hard.0 -
This is my first attempt
:laugh:0 -
I guess I'm not qualified to give an opinion, since I've never lost a bunch of weight and then gained it back. I came here a few years ago to lose a few extra pounds that had crept up on me over the years. I was never overweight, but I could have been headed that way. I wanted to reign things in before that happened.
I've been on maintenance for years now. Not sure if I'm atypical or not, but I don't see any reason for me to put any weight back on, so I have no plans to do so. The only reason I had the dozen or so extra pounds I had was because I wasn't paying attention over time. Now that I'm paying attention and I know the basics of maintaining a healthy weight, it's been very easy to maintain. For me, it only requires self control and a few minutes out of my day to log. I know it's more complicated that that for some others, so I mean no judgment on others by sharing my own personal experience.
When others have spoken with me about their re-gained weight, it seems like a lot of it has to do with losing the weight too quickly using strict methods that just weren't sustainable. People get tired of the battle. Dieting is like a punishment and people tend to give up on things that make them miserable. I don't diet. Analyzing and tracking my nutrition is like a game to me. It's not a negative experience so I keep on doing it.
Probably whatever lifestyle gives you the most personal rewards is the one you're going to end up with. For some people, the benefits they get from overeating (comfort, familiarity, scapegoat, convenience) outweigh the costs (effort, time, dedication, delayed gratification, fear of failure) of maintaining a healthier lifestyle. I think it's just not worth it to some people.0 -
Why is it here that many people have gained all their weight back?
This is my first attempt, my goal is getting in slight, I've already worked so hard, why will I want to ruin what i've worked so hard for?
Do some people think dieting is a temporary commitment? It's a lifetime commitment, just keep on doing what you have already done to keep off the weight, you already worked so hard to lose, and you should be fine.
why did you gain weight initially? There you go, now you have a least one reason.0
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