For those who lost weight and gained it back

MindyG150

After hitting my goal for my 50th birthday in January of 2013, I gained 10 pounds over the winter...I could count many obstacles but the worst was my own denial. Not logging my calories and not getting out to exercise was my down fall. Sounds simple enough but instead of reaching out I fell into a long cold lonely winter. I am working thru some issues and trying to fight my way back.....150 here I come!

rainagain

For me it was lack of a maintenance plan - every time. I have yoyo-ed the same 14lbs (pre children) and the same 28lbs (after children) for years. I was always in the mindset that once I got to goal I could go back to normal eating - and every time I put all the weight back on.

This time, having got to my goal weight a couple of weeks ago I have decided to continue to log my calories. I am also carrying on my exercise. Having the app on my phone realy helps too and if it helps me keep the weight in check long term it's worth it.

I don't want to put the weight back on, I feel miserable every time I do, this time I'm aiming for a permanent change.

MrsGilligan12

I lost 40 lbs in 2012 and ended up hurting myself. I really over did it and it made my Multiple Sclerosis flare up. So i had to stop exercising for a while. I only gained back 5 or so pounds then, but in August 2013 I had a miscarriage after trying to have a baby for years with my husband and became so depressed that I ate my way back up over my starting weight. I'm now 20 pounds lighter, but still 25 pounds away from the weight I was in 2012. Now I take it easy to not exacerbate my Multiple Sclerosis. Slow and steady is my game plan now. I'd rather lose it bit by bit, then to hurt myself again.

Zenzen2000

Lost 65 lbs. a couple of years ago and just lately, I started to put some weight back on. I want to nip it in the bud but it's not happening.

meshashesha2012

lost 30 pounds when i was unemployed because i started cooking for myself and logging my calories.

then i got a job with crazy hours that i was paid by the hour which meant i had a lot of extra cash and fell back into the easy mode of takeout every meal.

so basically my eating habits changed and i ate more calories

hobbeskastiel

I lost 80 lbs doing Atkins, In 6 1/2 months. Atkins is incredible restrictive. As ling as I was steadily losing I kept at it. I was also working out. After that time i stopped losing. It was frustrating. I was till working out and eating the Atkins way, but I couldn't break through any more. Well, I stopped doing the Atkins and didn't count calories. I slowly gained it all back. In my opinion, real calorie counting and consistent exercise are the only ling term solutions. I was just slacking to much before to do it right. No excuses, it was my own fault. This time, i'm going to do it right. I have a couple gym buddies and a babysitter, er, friend who I call each day and tell what I eat and if I worked out. Keeps me honest.....lol.

Tezah

I lost about 110 lbs and gained 90 of that back during my pregnancy. I had a horrible pregnancy where I could barely walk. I peed my pants a lot because walking was so painful I couldn't get to the bathroom on time. I had my son last May and so far Im down 73 of those 90lbs. I have always been fat and gaining all that weight back made me feel miserable, I still feel miserable. My goal is to drop another 50lbs minimum and I am working hard to get there.

KarenJanine

I lost and gained the same 20 lbs over and over for years. I'd lose it by eating a low cal diet, hit a goal weight and the diet 'finished' as I'd reached my goal. Old eating habits returned, as did the weight.

I now know that permanent dietary and fitness changes are required for long term weight loss and I intend to never diet again.

cppeace

Moving, family issues, stress, life changes-just stopped caring for most of the last year or so.

mymodernbabylon

I originally lost 20 lb using Sparkpeople. And then I started moving less and eating more - I was having fun, being happy, in love, etc. And I gained 15 of it back. I've now lost that 15 plus some. I won't be eating too much more and I love lifting so I won't move less.

Lil40

Every winter I put on the same 20 pds and then get my act together and lose it before summer hits.

For me it' s entirely the idea that once the diet is finished life will resume and the weight will just miraculously
stay off. Maintenance is what I need to get my head around properly this time!

rsmithy89

Went to America for a three month holiday. Ate everything in sight and drank almost daily. Had the time of my life but gained about 15kg (30lbs) in the process... Wouldn't do it any other way though.

DR2501

I met someone that didn't work out, and we ate out a lot, I stopped exercising, made poor food choices etc. Then we went on holiday all inclusive and I ate loads. Then we went to America and you can't help but eat loads cos the foods so good lol.

No excuses though, I got lazy and I'm angry with myself for it. Sorting it out now though.

Re your other question, I found that if I worked out and made good food choices during the week, I could eat and drink what I wanted at weekends and still maintain (and even at one point lose 5 more lbs).

Deps

Working night-shifts at a job where we were treated poorly. It wasn't so much the night-shift issue as having dinner while at work (same as having lunch). I was so miserable I would always eat whatever I wanted because 'I deserved it' including chocolate and/or beer when I got home. I was also usually so tired or so busy anticipating going to work that day that I lost my motivation for exercise. Finally kicked myself up the butt a month ago after putting on 2/3rds of the weight I had lost and am working hard to rectify it, though I haven't seen any progress yet which is disheartening.

candistyx

Hunger and complacency.

cjames010

Lost 60 pounds in 2011, kept it off in 2012.
2013 I gained 25 pounds and returned to MFP in 2014.

I can't really pinpoint what happened in 2013 that triggered my weight gain, but I did go through a slump that just made me lazy and not care or be excited about anything. I'd stay up really late and had a hard time sleeping.

When I started gaining weight, it was all in my stomach area. I didn't really care because all my shirts are loose.
However, when the weight gain started to show in my hips and thighs, I could no longer fit my jeans AND THAT IRRITATED ME enough to say that's enough!

Now I'm afraid to get rid of my big jeans because I'm not sure why I regained the weight the last time. I mean, I know I wasn't watching my calories, and I didn't care and THAT is how I gained weight. But why did that happen? I'm not sure, and I can't 100% say it won't happen again.

april_recharged

For me it was getting discouraged during a plateau... after a couple of weeks with what seemed to be no progress I would fall back into old eating habits. What I appreciate now is knowing that even if I'm not losing, I'm still doing great by maintaining. Last year was the last time I'll gain that same weight back again. Living, learning and improving.....

cookiekrunch

I lost 75 pounds recently. I went into maintenance in March 2014. I have gained 10 pounds since then by not measuring food (I was approximating ounces and grams), not logging what I ate (figured I could do it in my head), which led to me reverting back to some of my old eating habits (going for that 3rd piece of cake and cookies). I am now getting back in track and am attempting to lose another 35 lbs. I now realize what I have done to lose the weight are the same actions I must do once in maintenance again.

Meerataila

Which of the dozen times are we talking, here?

Never mind, the answer is the same for all of them, though this last one where I hit 245 pounds was extreme: I stopped watching my weight, getting on the scale, worrying about having to buy bigger clothes.

That's all it took. Although it might have happened more slowly if I hadn't spent most of my life oblivious to nutrition and feeding a ravenous sweet tooth.

ThinLizzie0802

Booze.
I don't track what I drink, and I never will.
So when I started going out to the bars again this summer for various reasons, I packed on a solid five lbs from my lowest weight from all the calories I was consuming via booze and not counting it.