Queen Yoyo

Getting started again for the THIRD time this year.

I tried Medifast in February, stuck with it a few months but I felt so so so deprived, I quickly realized it wasn't for me.

In August I began tracking calories on mfp. it was amazing, I was eating what I wanted (within reason) and losing weight! it was working. I had some family visit from out of town after a month of doing great, and fell off the bandwagon. So here I am, Day 2 of starting over AGAIN and I have to do something. I am 5 feet tall, 211 lbs (as I weighed yesterday) and my goal is to lose 81 lbs.

I'm not giving myself a deadline, I am going to track calories, be active, and watch the pounds fall off.

Is anyone else a yoyo-er? I don't want to feel like I'm alone in this.

Replies

  • I am also a yoyo dieter, and each time I stop and restart I always end up heaver then the time before. This is my third time starting myfitnesspal as well, started this morning! It's nice to know their are others out there in the same shoes I am in.
  • TINAHUNTER1969
    TINAHUNTER1969 Posts: 219 Member
    Your not alone, I have good days and bad days but I log whatever the type of day so I can see just how many calories I've gone over by.

    I try to walk at least 12 miles a week - I go straight after work and walk 3 miles which takes me around 40 minutes, I try not to eat all of these exercise calories back but some days I do.

    MFP is a healthy way to live for the rest of your life, its NOT a diet so nothing is out of bounds. It teaches you more about food than any diet I've ever tried and what is good about it is that you don't stop using MFP so you are always aware of what you are putting into your body. so what if the weight comes off slowly, that is the best way and at the end of the day you are still getting fitter and healthier so don't make too big a deal about the number on the scale. Take measurements from all over your body and use that to see a difference in your size. Sometimes the scales don't move yet my clothes feel and look better.

    Don't be too hard on yourself, we all do it, just draw a line under it and start afresh.

    Good luck :flowerforyou: x
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    Well, if yo-yo is clearly not working, find something that does. The only thing that works is developing healthy habits over time, sticking with a reasonable calorie deficient and being patient.

    You don't need a "diet" or a "fitness plan", you need to figure out your TDEE, your BMR and eat consistantly somewhere between those two numbers, every day. Planning ahead helps. Reviewing menus at restaurants before going out helps. Don't consider it a diet (something you'll stop when you get to where you want to go). Consider it a lifestyle. Don't look at the end goal - look at the intermediate goals (like every 10lbs or so).

    Start slowly. Log everything you eat, weigh everything you can, move more. Do something you CAN stick to for a long period of time.

    Good luck!
  • MeganMcK11
    MeganMcK11 Posts: 117 Member
    Thank you ladies :smile:

    I'm glad I'm not the only one, which I figured I wasn't, but it seems to be that we yoyo-ers sweep it under the rug.

    On the plus side, my husband is tracking with me now too, so I have someone to help keep me accountable!
  • MeganMcK11
    MeganMcK11 Posts: 117 Member
    Well, if yo-yo is clearly not working, find something that does. The only thing that works is developing healthy habits over time, sticking with a reasonable calorie deficient and being patient.

    You don't need a "diet" or a "fitness plan", you need to figure out your TDEE, your BMR and eat consistantly somewhere between those two numbers, every day. Planning ahead helps. Reviewing menus at restaurants before going out helps. Don't consider it a diet (something you'll stop when you get to where you want to go). Consider it a lifestyle. Don't look at the end goal - look at the intermediate goals (like every 10lbs or so).

    Start slowly. Log everything you eat, weigh everything you can, move more. Do something you CAN stick to for a long period of time.

    Good luck!

    I definitely am not looking at mfp as a diet, but a lifestyle change. I fall off the wagon with tracking and that's my problem. Then I get lazy with what I eat.

    I lose some, then gain it back plus some. I have to figure out how to get out of that cycle.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Well, if yo-yo is clearly not working, find something that does. The only thing that works is developing healthy habits over time, sticking with a reasonable calorie deficient and being patient.

    You don't need a "diet" or a "fitness plan", you need to figure out your TDEE, your BMR and eat consistantly somewhere between those two numbers, every day. Planning ahead helps. Reviewing menus at restaurants before going out helps. Don't consider it a diet (something you'll stop when you get to where you want to go). Consider it a lifestyle. Don't look at the end goal - look at the intermediate goals (like every 10lbs or so).

    Start slowly. Log everything you eat, weigh everything you can, move more. Do something you CAN stick to for a long period of time.

    Good luck!

    This a million times over. Diets don't work in the long term. Sure, diets often lead to a quick weight loss but how many people can sustain a diet for a lifetime?. Eating within a calorie deficit does work.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    You are not alone, I've had good years and bad years...lol This year was good! After Christmas 2012 I weighed the most I ever did and I set my mind on changing. I don't eat under my calories every day and sometimes I go over. Mostly I stay within my range. I don't go to the gym everyday and sometimes I skip an entire week. But mostly I go. That's all you have to do, figure out a plan that works for you and if you have more good days than bad you will get good results. I probably could have lost more than 18 lbs this year if I would have tried harder, but I'm happy with the 18 and moving on...:flowerforyou: Good luck to ya!
  • MeganMcK11
    MeganMcK11 Posts: 117 Member
    Well, if yo-yo is clearly not working, find something that does. The only thing that works is developing healthy habits over time, sticking with a reasonable calorie deficient and being patient.

    You don't need a "diet" or a "fitness plan", you need to figure out your TDEE, your BMR and eat consistantly somewhere between those two numbers, every day. Planning ahead helps. Reviewing menus at restaurants before going out helps. Don't consider it a diet (something you'll stop when you get to where you want to go). Consider it a lifestyle. Don't look at the end goal - look at the intermediate goals (like every 10lbs or so).

    Start slowly. Log everything you eat, weigh everything you can, move more. Do something you CAN stick to for a long period of time.

    Good luck!

    This a million times over. Diets don't work in the long term. Sure, diets often lead to a quick weight loss but how many people can sustain a diet for a lifetime?. Eating within a calorie deficit does work.

    Which is why I'm using MFP....
  • MeganMcK11
    MeganMcK11 Posts: 117 Member
    You are not alone, I've had good years and bad years...lol This year was good! After Christmas 2012 I weighed the most I ever did and I set my mind on changing. I don't eat under my calories every day and sometimes I go over. Mostly I stay within my range. I don't go to the gym everyday and sometimes I skip an entire week. But mostly I go. That's all you have to do, figure out a plan that works for you and if you have more good days than bad you will get good results. I probably could have lost more than 18 lbs this year if I would have tried harder, but I'm happy with the 18 and moving on...:flowerforyou: Good luck to ya!

    Thank you! :smile:
  • scottnavy
    scottnavy Posts: 12 Member
    Don't feel alone in this, I just weighed in this morning to find that I gained back almost half of what I lost since becoming inattentive with my food consumption. I was bucycling and now it's gotten out of season and I haven't been going back to the gym like I should. Feel free to add me if you need another friend on here.
  • FitCowgirl8
    FitCowgirl8 Posts: 175 Member
    I am in the same boat. I do well for awhile then fall off the wagon and each time I have to start over at a higher weight than before. I restarted this week and I am hoping to see it through this time. Add me if you want and good luck!
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    I guess you can call me an eternal dieter. I can't remember even when I exactly started, went from 59 kilos to 80 back to 71, up to 102, down to 74, up to 91 and now down to 88 again. Before that I have been underweight even. I think I have tried it all from restricting calories to diet shakes. At least I have learned low cal, dieting and shakes do not work, but if I will ever be done with the dieting? It almost became just a part of my life, tho I have choosen for lifestyle change instead of dieting...
  • 2720cynthia
    2720cynthia Posts: 45 Member

    I'm not giving myself a deadline, I am going to track calories, be active, and watch the pounds fall off.

    Perfect! I don't think of it as yoyo-ing, but as learning. The first time you learned deprivation won't work, and the second time you learned something else--that you have to be careful not to let life get you sidetracked. Now you can start again with those new pieces of knowledge. You can do it!!
  • summerroxygoodin
    summerroxygoodin Posts: 62 Member
    I too am a yoyo dieter..trying to get out of the habit. Started on this website yesterday so hopefully can reach some goals. I'm 5"4 and trying to at least get to 165...I'm 202 atm.
  • MeganMcK11
    MeganMcK11 Posts: 117 Member
    Thanks for all the replies and support. I'm ready to win my life back and gain back my happiness while I lose the pounds.