Anybody LOST a lot of weight then GAINED it all back?

TrailRunner61

I lost 38lbs then had to go on prednisone for health issues and ended up gaining about 25 back. My appetite was insane and I couldn't workout. Then I just kept eating. I'm back on track and I know I can do this. It's really not that hard, you just have to want it bad enough, take the time to PLAN meals and move more.
I'm already down a few, feel MUCH better and look forward to having it off again.

DebbieLyn63

I think one problem is that many people do not realize that when you lose weight, you have less weight to move around, therefore your body doesn't burn as many calories as it did before.

You CANNOT go back to the calorie level you maintained your weight on before, or you will go back to that weight again.

You have to either eat less, move more, or a combination of the 2. Your 'diet' is never over.

missjones513

I lost 30 and gained it back. I had stopped planning my meals and ended up eating fast food a lot. Then I started studying for the CPA exam so I wasn't exercising like I should have been.

binkylooloo

Yes - I lost 6 stone in 6 months 2 years ago. at the end of this period I got a new job which was very stressfull - I maintained for 7 months, then suddenly put on at least 5 stone in 3 months due to stress. It happened so quickly I cant see how! NOw I have to start again :-( and still have crappy stressful job

binkylooloo

I lost 60 pounds from 2011 to 2012 and then in 2013 I gained 40 of it back. I started to not feel well mentally and physically and all it took was a few months of that and I spiraled out of control. Stopped working out...stopped tracking....stopped caring...then got more depressed with each pound I gained back. So here I am in 2014 trying to start again...one day at a time.

I feel your pain! Good luck with your weight loss this year x

maryjay52

I see a common , positive note in this thread .... everyone is back on track.. keep up the great work!

Sarasjourney

In 2012 I lost 60lbs but then my weight stalled and even though I was still eating clean and exercising it started to go back up. Eventually I gave up and just resumed old habits and gained 100lbs in a year's time. Ended up having serious issues with my body so I started up again to do it right. I think this time around I can succeed since I've been there already and I'm not going to be super strict with myself or put myself down for wanting a nibble of a chocolate bar or something silly. Just have to take it one day at a time.

spoiledpuppies

Thankfully, not really. I lost 50 pounds 10 years ago. Only in the last few years, I regained about 10 pounds of that. It really happened for me--like others--when I took my focus off of things and stopped weighing every day. I know weighing every day helps me a lot to stay mindful. So I came to MFP to lose it and then some. I've exceeded my original MFP plans by almost 25 pounds now--kept resetting my goal weight as the pounds kept dropping. I know what I need to do to keep it off!

ChristiH4000

I yo-yo'd pretty much my whole life, but my biggest bounce was when I lost about 40lbs in 2003 and gained all but 5 back by 2007. I kept it until 2009-2010 when I lost 50lbs and kept it off until 2012. In two years I've gained 20lbs back with quitting smoking, being in a LTR, and not keeping my eating in line. However, instead of waiting until I gain it all back, I'm going to fix it now.
I've tracked all along, on paper from 2010-2012, here since 2012, which is IMO a big part of why I haven't gained more back. I've also kept a steady and regular exercise regimen this time which really shows me that understanding and keeping mindful of my eating habits is the largest part of finding lasting success for me.

FattyFatsoMcTubby

I am unfortunately a member of the lost it - gain it back (and more) club. I lost 110 pounds several years ago. I reached my goal and reverted back to the old behaviors and 'slowly' gained it all back plus another 50 lbs. For me, I can not stop tracking ever. I'm taking it off slower this time and my wife is working with me to change our lifestyle. We don't have any meals, even restaurant meals, without figuring out the calorie count first. It's actually been fun to do together.

Sabine_Stroehm

That would be about 85% of all dieters out there who used a "diet program" to do it. They gain back because the program was just that, a program and not a lifestyle that they could live with happily.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Agreed. They gain it back because it wasn't a lifestyle they could live with happily.
Now there's another good thread: who's kept it off five years or more and how. How did they lose it, and how to they maintain.

I'd also be curious as THIS thread progresses how many folks lost via MFP and who lost via another approach.

msmarlette

Me too. I've been disgusted with myself for having to do this AGAIN. I can't believe I'm almost where I started. I felt so good/looked pretty darn good too. I had muscles, flat abs.

Oct 2011 I weighed 207 and started Dukan diet. I was at my lowest (158) June 2012...down 39 lbs. I might have maintained for 3 months & then I began the dance -- Add 5, lose 2, add 10, lose 5.

I began to feel a difference doing yoga (not good). Squatting down to line up a putt, Wasn't as effortless; I could feel the roll around my waist. Clothes were getting tighter.

I gave away all of my fat clothes so then had to buy a few key pieces. I refuse to buy anything more.

I will lose this weight & get back into my beautiful clothes hanging in my closet.

This time it's about calories in, calories out. I am allowed healthy carbs, fruits & veggies.

Sigh...

Thanks for sharing all of your stories. I'm not alone. Gotta forgive myself & look forward!

Americannabis

Sort of. I didn't lose "a lot", I ended up reaching 205 pounds back (so a 30 pound loss, give or take a few) in 2012 through vigorous measuring and tracking, and... I'm not sure what happened, but I stopped tracking things and gave into all of my previously subdued cravings and ended up gaining 45 pounds. I'm now back to tracking things and I've lost 10 pounds in a month or so, and I'm hoping to keep it that way from now on, because I'm tired of the gain-loss cycle.

mamadon

This is actually the first time I have been successful at losing weight. For me, I look at my relationship with food like an addiction, something I will have to be vigilant about the rest of my life. If this means counting every calorie, weighing and measuring everything, then that is what I will do.

edwardkim85

I see a common , positive note in this thread .... everyone is back on track.. keep up the great work!

We all get stronger and learn from our mistakes... It's great that so many people are opening up their stories about falling off the wagon and returning with a renewed vow and goal.

Lets not despair or feel ashamed about regaining weight! It happens to the best of us!

marciebrian

I didn't just commenting that I love the PIG ;-)

michael1976_ca

yeah my first go around i lose 57 pounds in 8 months then i got supor upset with thing and emotions i gained 37 pounds back easy. this is my third time i'm ready. i can't let my emotions controlle my food choices... its harder this time because i work out at home but it will come of eventually

FromFlabToFurious

When I was younger, I was actually one of the biggest in my year at school. I was bullied and teased for it so long story short, I decided to lose weight and I did. I was 18st back when I started and I lost it til I was down to 15st 10lb. However, college started and with college, I had stress not only from my course but from the people there. So I slipped back and started comfort-eating. Not the best idea I had. Then after gaining a little and realising. I started losing a bit of weight again and feeling good about myself. However, stress got the better of me once again in the form of my ex-girlfriend who lied about some pretty heavy things. So again, I turned to food to make me feel better and since then, I've pretty much been damaged by it.

It took me so long to get over my ex but the damage was done. I put all the weight back on with an extra couple of pounds. I started getting upset and depressed so that was when I decided to do something about it. I joined the gym and worked my *kitten* off and I've lost weight. The scales will say I've not lost a lot but there is a physical change so I'm happy with that.

But yeah, for me, it's mostly stress or being very down and so, to make me feel better, I comfort-eat.

80sFanatic88

Lost 50 lbs once before, but slipped back into old habits because I had to move back in with my mom after college, and now I'm back to where I started. Also had lost 20 lbs early last year because I was sticking to this so site so well, but then I had a bad cold, got super busy, and had parties and things to go to, so I forgot about the site for a while. I find it hard to stick with things when I have changes in my routine, I guess.

Gingerspice45

I lost 30 and am now trying to lose again with an additional 30 lbs to lose...so now I'm up to 100 lbs to lose. I stopped tracking my food intake and ate too high of an amount of calories and didn't continue to exercise. I have found that I am an emotional and stress eater and have to track my food to be successful.

RaggedyPond

I lost 30 lbs and then got pregnant. Husband moved to Korea. Sad and sleep deprived I gave it no thought to continue working out. Now I am at my lowest adult weight and I hope to never have to get back to this point again.

cng31183

Yup, I lost 20 something pounds in the first half of 2013, then in October got a new job... I don't know what happened. It's like my food brains just turned off. I don't know if it was the stress of getting/learning a new job, or the new environment and the feeling of lonliness from working with new people and my husband going to nights... but either way, the lb's started flying back on. 20 pounds in 3 months. :P But, that's okay. I've got a routine again, and all I can do is just start over.

zanne54

I love food and love to eat. So I've struggled with managing my weight for my entire adult life.

In 2006 I had ballooned up to 220 lbs (I was in an abusive marriage and was coping with wine and cheese). My ex-H had also gotten huge, so we did the Bernstein diet together. I lost 70 lbs in 5 months and was down to 150 lbs. And I HATED my body. I had no boobs and no butt, and the staff were pressuring me to continue losing another 5-10 lbs. So, I just stopped the diet cold and went back to how I'd been eating and drinking before.

I gained 10 lbs back within a few months, and another 10 within another few months. I was pretty stable around 170 for a couple of years, and then the weight started creeping back on.

In 2009 I started a new relationship, and all we did was cook, eat and drink together. Weight started creeping back on. And then in 2012, I had a crazy rough year at work and found myself up to 240 lbs. Last Jan 1st, I made a resolution to change my lifestyle rather than "diet". I started eating less, and lighter, and increased my exercise to daily. Since then, I've lost 70 lbs and have another 10-15 to go. My resolution this year, is to keep up the good work I've done so far.

This time, the weight loss will stick, as I have changed my patterns and habits. I have already decided that I will keep logging and counting until I get the hang of maintaining my weight. But after then? Hard to say. I'll probably try to go off the logging and see what happens, and if I start gaining, then I'll know I need to keep logging.

pastrychefoz

This is my second go on MFP, first time worked really well last year probably to well it wasn't easy lots of gym and logging everything including weighing portions helped me get to where I needed to be.

I was happy with what I saw in the mirror so stopped logging and dropped off the exercise, I thought I was eating well but you never really know if you aren't logging daily do you, you can only assume.

This time I am a bit wiser and I think I'm in the same boat as others I need to keep logging so that I stay within the parameters but also so that if I see my self slipping I can readjust straight away rather than wait to get to the 10kg and have to drop weight again.

Some people might think ohhhhh no logging for the rest of your days how sad for you but the difference is I am not in a diet, in just tracking what I eat and making sure it balances out for where I need to be. I still eat great food I am a Pastry Chef after all but now I can stop the blow out or recognize earlier enough if I want that slice of cake it's going to cost me 30 mins on elliptical which I am quite happy to do.

I think a lot of us have problems when it comes to maintaining the weight, gaining weight and losing weight we have got pretty much organized. Just need to focus on keeping it up once I get there and logging is really the only choice for myself.

redrose129

For me, this has been the most therapeutic post this website has posted in my years of being an on again off again member, thank you, op.

I have been on this journey many years but finally at the end of 2010, I made a decision. I lost almost 100lbs by summer of 2011. I was riding high with having new experiences, like skiing, and decided I wanted a change for the rest of my life. In 2011, started dating my gf and we went on hiking and outdoor adventures, ran my first half marathon, and I decided to quit my job, of 3 years, to go back to school. I enrolled full time in a college 1.5 hrs from my house, started working as a private nanny FULL TIME for 3 children of various ages, and my own daughter. I maintained a 3.8-4.0 gpa for the fall, went to school 6 days a week, worked as a nanny from 6:30a-9:30p (breakfast/dinner/snacks/running the baby to daycare/getting off the bus/homework/cooking dinner/cleaning/assisting with other errands, etc) then I would come home, put my daughter to bed, do my homework until about 1-2a. Fall asleep, wake up at 5 to start again. It was a 3 hr round trip commute to school and I often found myself falling asleep driving etc. At any rate, working with allll the stress I dealt with was having a toll on me and I slowly, at first, started gaining weight. To compensate for sleep deprevation, I would eat 1 donut starting on my trip, one half way to school, one right before class, and 3 on the way back as well...and a coffee to accompany. The lady I worked for had tons of snacks and I started snacking as well. I was too tired to get up to do my 5:30a workouts. The sunday after the spring semester concluded, I layed on my couch, 2012, mothers day and took a nap. 4 1/2 hrs later I woke up and was stuck. I couldn't move, I couldn't talk, I was trapped in my own body. My husband was walking around my house talking to his mother and friends wishing them a happy mother's day...and I was crying (with no sound and stuck. I could see him peek down the hall at me but because I was in the same position he thought i was sleep.) after about 1/5 hrs I pried my mouth open and was able to say help. I spent three days in the hospital...they determined my central nervous system shut down due to stress and extreme exhaustion. I spend 3 weeks relearning how to walk. Due to a prior knee injury and this, It had not been good.

I was so fit, they had my pictures on the gym walk, I was studying to be a personal trainer and going to school to become a dietitian.

Now, Here I am, and I constantly feel like a failure. I'm embarrassed, and do not know how to cycle my emotions: I should be able to do 50 burpees with my eyes closed yet I cant walk 10 min without being winded. I battle myself all the time; thus, I have been cycling weight gain and weight loss. I'm sad about the break up with my gf, although we remain friends...and most people couldn't understand my life and would judge the crap out of me, if I told them the entire story, and I sometimes just feel alone. I work at a gym....at the front desk and I go to work feeling like a failure and disgusting. I try to smile so people will be happy but I wish I could hide. I have worked out before and after my shift and I work out on days I don't work. I realize my problem is dietary...but its because of my emotional struggles.

I am still in school and I currently have a 3.91 gpa (i'll be grad this spring...with just my AS...hopefully in the top of my class) then I'll be moving on to the next degree. Dealing with the thought of just getting an AS and I'm in the class with 18 year olds....is kinda something I battle with as well. I understand why I am on the path I'm on, BUT it still hurts.

At this point, I have gained the weight I recently lost...and the "you're looking good" comments stopped and the "when are you coming back to class" comments started. (I stopped classes recently after a really badly sprained mcl had me out a few weeks)

Ty for listening, hopefully I can get myself out of this and back on the up swing. To all of us who struggle, our success will come, so I keep trying to convince myself.

a778c466

I lost a little over 50 lbs a few years ago very quickly. I probably ate about 600-800 calories a day plus I lifted weights and did cardio. I also drank over 100 ounces of water a day. I lost over 50 lbs from January to May. I stopped the diet, got pregnant, stopped exercising and started eating exactly as I did before and gained it all back. I keep telling friends that I will probably have to log my food the rest of my life in order to keep the weight off this time. I really think that is what I will have to do, although if it keeps me at a healthy weight I will do it.

varga124

I lost 53lbs and gained it all back....and then some......then I lost it all again....
Moral of the story is you will gain it all back if you go back to eating the wrong crap...but once you know how to lose, you can do it whenever you want

IdaBigelow

I lost 150 pounds and kept it off for several years but I lost it very unhealthy having an eating disorder. Even when I lost the weight I didn't see myself as thin. Should have gotten the therapy I needed but I didn't . Wish I would have

Sabine_Stroehm

I lost 53lbs and gained it all back....and then some......then I lost it all again....
Moral of the story is you will gain it all back if you go back to eating the wrong crap...but once you know how to lose, you can do it whenever you want

Well put. Often here folks who give something up (bread, whatever) are told they'll "gain it all back and then some" as though the calories in calories out thing doesn't apply when one gives something up and then resumed eating it.

Going back to eating all the stuff you ate, ate the calories you used to eat them (AKA more calories than you burn), causes there weight gain

victoria_1024

I lost about 50 pounds when I was in college and felt amazing. I kept trying to lose more but I didn't know much about weight loss and hit a wall, so I was eating like 1000 calories a day only to take off the last 10 pounds. Of course I couldn't maintain that and started slipping a bit into old habits, but still maintained a decent weight. Then went to grad school, which was stressful, late nights, no time to exercise. Then got pregnant and have had 3 kids so I'm probably 10 pounds higher now than I was in college when I first started trying to lose weight. This was over several years though so the weight was put on slowly. I find it really hard to stick with this for more than a couple weeks at a time, even though it was really easy when I was in college to lose the weight.