Losing weight for nothing!!

33Freya

There are a couple of reasons for this.
1. People diet and diet and exercise and exercise until they reach their goal, then they go back to old habits and the way they used to eat and act.

2. People diet and diet and exercise, and as they do, they lose muscle as well as fat. This is especially bad on diets like Medifast or the various "cleanses" out there. Their bodyfat percentage doesn't change a whole lot, they are the same composition only smaller now. They have slowed their metabolism at that point, so when they start eating a bit more, they gain again...

To avoid this, you have to change your lifestyle. No more dieting. New habits. You also need to lift weights to maintain as much muscle as you can while you are losing weight, and to up your metabolism so you can have your cake and veggies too

Good luck. You're on here for a reason. If you want better health, go for it!

xMrBunglex

"Losing weight is easy - maintenance is hard."

You hear it over & over & over & over. Like many people said above - it has to be a lifestyle change. You have to be always be aware of what you're eating. ALWAYS.

Some people can eat whatever they want & not gain weight.

You will never be one of those people - once you come to grips with that, then you will be mentally prepared to tackle maintenance.

khkjkk

People keep asking me what "diet" I'm on... I respond by telling them I'm not on a diet per se, I've changed my lifestyle.

I eat healthy foods in appropriate portion sizes and exercise everyday, period. My mindset has always been to make sustainable changes in my life, otherwise I will just gain it all back.

If I have a craving for a specific food I'll find a way to either substitute an equally tasty healthy option or else work the actual food into my days calorie needs.

^ This.

When I was in the 'diet' mindset, I lost a great deal of weight only to gain 1/3 of it back over the next three years. 'Dieting' suggests it is temporary.

I've stayed on track the second time around by realizing I'm lazy. Working to get the weight off isn't easy. Why make it more difficult for myself?

mjharman

Just remember this: IT IS IN YOUR HANDS.

You have the power to lose the weight, and you have the power to maintain that weightloss.
FEEL THE POWER! REJOICE IN IT!
As long as YOU stay vigilant, YOU will achieve success and YOU will maintain that success.
TRUST YOURSELF.

fbmandy55

I lost 50lbs in about 8 months when I first started here. I was netting about 900-1000 calories a day and the faster it was coming off, the more excited I got and would try to lose even more. When I met my fiance, we went out a lot, ate lots of food at restaurants and I slacked off a bit. That weight came back on very fast, probably because I ate so little to start with. Thankfully, I was lifting weights the whole time and only gained back 2 of the 4 pant sizes I lost, despite gaining back the same weight.

It's a struggle now. I've been focusing on a balance of eating what I want and like but not going overboard and being more active than ever.

boatsie77

The mechanics of losing weight (diet & exercise) are simple to follow and pretty much will work for everyone, but they just treat the 'symptoms' of obesity. Unless one addresses the 'cause' as to why they use food as a drug of choice to cope with life, they are going to spend a lifetime suffering the fight against weight gain.

Look to break the mind & food connection in addition to dropping the weight...it's not easy, or a one-process-fits-all, but it is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle without the struggle & suffering.

Hornsby

Read this

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

QFT

Aaron_K123

Basically for anyone who is overweight and doesn't want to be it implies that if they aren't actively monitoring their normal habits put them at a caloric surplus that causes them to gain weight. If there approach to weightloss is to actively monitor their caloric intake and drastically cut calories and start exercising and doing everything they don't naturally do to hit a "goal" without taking just small steps to change their habits and lifestyle then when they reach their "goal" and stop dieting they will tend to go back to their old habits which, as stated, involve a caloric surplus.

I think the people who are successful are the people who approach "diet" as focusing on their personal habits and consciously trying to change their lifestyle so that their "diet" never ends. Its no longer really a diet at that point, just a change to healthier habits that leads to long-term slow weightloss followed by maintenance at healthy weight.

bombedpop

I've kept close to 100 lbs off for the past 20 years. It's not impossible.

Here's what works for me:

*Record what you eat, majority of your diet should be "whole foods" (for lack of a better word, fully aware that "whole foods" is fairly ambiguous) - vegetables, lean proteins (i.e. cook your own food so you know what is in it), grains - I mostly eat rice, quinoa, polenta, and also, pasta and bread. Wheat is not bad unless you are allergic, wheat products just tend to have more calories - e.g. a cup of cooked rice is far more filling than a cup of cooked pasta, yet the pasta has more calories than the rice. I can eat 8oz of pasta easy for 800 cal, if I eat 1/2 cup of dry, uncooked rice I'm full - that's 300 cal, same with polenta and that's 240 cal. That does not mean pasta is bad - if it fits your cal intake for the day, eat it, if not save for another day.

*Don't make drastic food changes/food eliminations/VLCD/fad "dieting" - most people can't sustain it.

* Eat foods you like, and of you think you don't like vegetables, try different ones, there are a billion vegetables - I don't believe anyone who says they dislike *every* vegetable (though that's another conversation).

*Eat high calorie foods in moderation.

*Get some exercise each day - yep, fully aware that people can lose weight without doing this, but you will feel better and look better with exercise, it really is good for your mental health.

*Don't obsess or have desperation mentality, no one gains weight overnight, and it takes time for it to come off. Look at changing you habits for your health and weight loss as the extra bonus.

*If you are just starting, why not just spend a week recording what you eat. Be honest and get a baseline, it may make it easier to see how much you really need (or don't need) to cut to reach your goals.

I'm sure someone here will hate something I said, but, it's all worked for me, YMMV.

Roughgalaxy

it's important to take a moment to understand the law of reversibility. This is the law that if you stop exercising and eating healthy, you will return to a pre workout state. Something you want to keep in mind is that you should never stop living a healthy life style. it's not a one and done sort of thing. it's a lifetime. you can generally maintain your current state for 6-12 weeks (at 1/3 effort) before you need to ramp it back up. See fitness as a life time investment, try to find ways to make it fun so it's not work all the time and it will be a lot easier.

bravid98

This article was a real eye opener for me before I started to lose weight. It's also served as inspiration on how to move forward.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?pagewanted=all

Morgaath

They gain the weight back just like addicts relapse. They believe diet and exercise is only for fatties and that thin people don't have to do those things. So they lose the weight and then say "I'm fine now, I can eat like a pig and never work out!" Then they gain it back.

I don't think it is "I can eat like a pig and never work out!"
I gained my 35lbs of extra fat over 5 years. That is 7lbs/24,500cals a year... which is an average of 67cals per day over my TDEE for that year. And the next year...well, I am older, fatter, likely less active...more time sitting, less time being active.
I know it wasn't a consistent daily thing, but more of a extra beer or two one week, a little less active the next week, sure I'd like a bagel, etc. Slowly but surely it all adds up.

h7463

Hi there! My weight has been bouncing around between 120 lbs and 135 lbs for most of my adult life. I had a spike a few years ago up to 145 lbs, but it didn't take too long to get rid of it. Funny, though, at my highest weight, I was a dress size 12, and recently, I gained from 120 lbs (size 4) to 135 lbs (still a size 4....yay....!!!!) The trick for me was learning how to watch my body composition, not so much the number on the scale. I have to admit, though, the transitional phases are annoying, because in order to pack more lean muscle mass, one has to EAT MORE.... Also, as one gets older, recovery times between hard training days have to be carefully planned and kept. I had a few mishaps along the way, and injuries require rest times with limited opportunity to burn extra calories. If the nutrition plan is not adjusted, that's when fat gain happens... It's work in progress. Kinda cool, actually. I feel like my own little science experiment. Can't take this too seriously, must have some fun with it, in order to stick with it!
In my experience, the beginning is the hardest. Relatives and in-laws do not take kindly to change. Over time, however, I've lost all but a few inhibitions, and will shamelessly do pushups and sit-ups in the middle of the living room, while the rest of this tribe indulges on candy bars and potato chips....
Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:

skinnysushicat

I gained back weight I lost because I got pregnant. Sometimes a change in circumstances or lifestyle can spark regain - but now I have the benefit of KNOWING i can lose it, I've done it before!

becs3578

For me I have lose and gained back weight all my life. It wasnt till I put my foot down and said I had to make a change last year that I started to see a new me come out. I finally realized it wasnt going to be QUICK and it has not. I have seen a lot of people lose a lot more weight faster than I have. ..... BUt I know every time I lose 5 to 10 lbs THIS TIME AROUND, it is NOT coming back.

It was a lifestyle change for me. It be came a priority, I BECAME a priority and I realized nobody was going to help me do it. I NEEDED TO DO IT FOR MYSELF.

Done just a few lbs shy of 50lbs from my highest. Getting to goal is still a little ways off but I am just gonna been chipping away!

bkk40in2011

It depends on the person but I'll tell you what's worked for me this time:

First of all, I'm not on a "diet". I'm not restricting any foods, rather limiting the amount of the foods I eat, finding healthy alternatives and/or indulging less often. For instance, I'll still have pizza but instead of eating half a large loaded, I'll have 3 or 4 slices of a medium with veggies on a thinner crust. And I try to restrict pizza night to once every couple weeks. Handling weight loss this way has made it easier to do long term. Whereas I used to cut out most/all of the foods I liked and then a few months later I'd get sick of all the cravings and quit.

Second, I found exercises that I enjoy so that I'll stick with them. Sort of the same idea as not depriving myself of food because I'm not feeling like I'm forcing myself to do something just to lose weight. There are a million things you read that you "should" do but if you don't enjoy them, at some point you'll stop or at least be less consistent. To me it's better to do something consistently than nothing at all. For instance, I've severely decreased my strength training lately because the weather is perfect for walking/running and I'd rather be outside enjoying the day. I'll get back to weights again when it gets too hot out.

Third, I'm losing for a better reason. In the past, I tried to lose weight to please other people or to get trimmer for a certain event like being in a wedding or going to a reuinion or vacations. This never worked long term because once that event came and went, I just went back to my old bad habits. This time I'm doing it for my health and fitness which is a life long goal.

Good luck!

Love this! Your weight loss is impressive and you seem to know how to do it right. Thanks for the insight.

cmoncmonshake

There's no such thing as 'diet until you reach your goal weight and then resume life.' You have to eat healthy, clean, and try to be active for your whole life. It's about changing your lifestyle and deciding to stick to that lifestyle.

TheWorstHorse

People stop paying attention.

^THIS^

Juliebug33

My strategy to keep it off...clean out the closet. After I lost 25 pounds I put all my "fat clothes" inside a box, taped it shut and covered it with caution tape...it sits in the bottom of my closet as a reminder that I never want to have to open that box! I now buy clothes that are the next size smaller to keep pushing my limits as I continue to lose.

Sjenny5891

When I had my first three kids I was a waitress. I never had to worry about my weight and was back into my size 2 jeans within a month.

I got a desk job and gained 100 pounds with my twins and just couldn't lose it. MFP has been great for me. It forces me to pay attention to what I am doing and what I am eating.

I have to think about teaching my kids to eat healthy and keep active. Leading by example is a huge part of it.

I found that picking exercises I like encourages my to continue. It is so easy to find excuses to get out of it when you don't like it.

GretaGirl8

it is one bad day, followed by another bad day, followed by another. pretty soon a week and month go by and there are more "bad" days then good. a couple of months go by and 5-6 pounds is back on. discouragement for the relapse causing one to throw in the towel and overeat continuously. however, if that person stopped after a few bad days and refocused themselves...they could have prevented the relapse. it is the day to day battles we must win.

jennifer_417

I think it's 2 things...maybe 3.
1. They don't plan for maintenance, so when they get there they don't know what to do and thus just go back to their old ways.
2. They don't develop sustainable habits while they are losing weight. They only make short-term changes and thus get short-term results.
3. From what I've heard, maintenance is hard because it never ends. You keep up your good habits and don't get the excitement of seeing your body change and/or seeing the scale drop. The sheer monotony gets a lot of people.

lemurcat12

it is one bad day, followed by another bad day, followed by another. pretty soon a week and month go by and there are more "bad" days then good. a couple of months go by and 5-6 pounds is back on. discouragement for the relapse causing one to throw in the towel and overeat continuously. however, if that person stopped after a few bad days and refocused themselves...they could have prevented the relapse. it is the day to day battles we must win.

This. I'm thinking a lot how not to regain it again, since I lost weight 11 years ago doing all the things people say--no crash diet, lifestyle change, exercise, focus on habits, nothing that feels restrictive. I kept it off 5 years and then gradually regained it, especially in the last couple, and ended up even getting substantially fatter than I was. I have no damaged metabolism excuse, wasn't suffering cravings, and had dumped all my fat clothes. I just gradually got bored with my healthy habits (I was doing lots of cardio, tri training, and stopped) and started slacking and having bad days and getting lazy about cooking and self indulgent about restaurant treats where everyone else seemed to be ordering lots and stress eating and I have plenty of specific excuses, some even relevant, and all this led to me falling into denial and wanting to lose a few, feel better before dealing with the scale so the next thing I know I was up another size, etc.

Before I got fat I could never understand how people allowed it, why didn't they check themselves when their clothes got too tight. I had similar ideas when I lost the first time and was so successful, but now I know it requires even more vigilance. I'm not depressed or discouraged, though--I have experience to learn from and this time I knew when starting how to lose weight.

Siannah

I guess I'm looking for tips on how to lose weight for the long haul

My tip is to set yourself an absolute maximum weight you will allow yourself. For me that's 5lbs above my "perfect" weight. So every now and then I step on the scales and if I edge too close to my maximum weight, I know it's time to get tough on myself for a bit. This way I will never let it spiral into 10lbs or more.

Another tip, get rid all your clothes that are too big. I donated all my clothes to charity shops. Should I gain weight now, I literally have nothing to wear.