How do people who lose a ton of weight put it all back on?

MisterZ33

i used to work with a person who over some time lost 100 lbs. i ran into her today and i was floored that she gained it all back - and then some!

i didnt know how to react...i was stunned when i saw her. i tried not to make a big deal but my expression was like "wtf did you do???"

it got me thinking about how hard she was dieting and little she was eating. but she was exercising and all that. i remember that she had kept the weight off for like 6 months at least because that is when i left that firm.

how can you work so hard to lose so much weight and then just lose control of yourself again?

im not judging...im in disbelief

La5Vega5Girl

my neighbors were the same way. they were a heavy couple (him moreso than she was) and they together lost ALOT of weight. I think he lost over 100 lbs. they were healthy and in-shape, exercising and eating right. she left him, and the pounds packed back on him. she ended up moving back home, and I couldn't believe it when I saw her...she had gained all her weight back, too. I don't know if it was the stress from their marriage or what. it's sad and hard to understand. i'm like you, not judging (because I know I need to lose, too!) just curious, too.

shadowofender

In 2012 I dropped forty pounds. By 2014 I had gained 30ish of that back. Because I stopped logging and stopped caring and refused to step on a scale or be accountable and it just kept creeping back up.

sassyjae21

1. Losing it in an unhealthy way.
2. Not learning the right habits.
3. Becoming sedentary.
4. Getting too comfortable.
5. Life events that happen to people that causes them to abandon their better habits.

Any or all of these. I know it's shocking, people work SO hard to lose the weight most times. But it's life, and it happens, and can happen to anyone. Best to not worry about it and just wish them well. If they did it once, they can do it again You never really know what people are going through that causes them to gain it back. They're probably in bigger disbelief than you are.

martinel2099

What did she do to lose the weight in the first place?

My guess is that she followed a super extreme diet or even did the 500 calorie HCG thing, lost a lot of weight, but then went right back to her previous eating habits.

Not going to lie, I was dumb enough to try something like this 4 years ago and I lost 30 lbs doing it, I then gained it all back in 2 months like it was nothing. I'm lucky I walked away without hurting myself and without losing too much of my muscle mass.

shellma00

I would assume they were doing something unsustainable and when they went back to their norm they packed it back on.

I have seen several people who get on the Plexus Slim fix and then when they stop they just gain it all back and sometimes more. Its very sad to see them, because that crap is soo expensive, so not only are they back to where they started, but it cost them so much money.

MostlyWater

Unfortunately, it's very common.

My sister has lost close to a hundred lbs, several times. I think she might have given up after her 3rd and 4th failed attempt.

MinnieInMaine

In my own personal experience, it's exactly what's been given for reasons so far...

Following a strict, deprivation based diet (low carb or little fat and/or too low calories) which doesn't actually teach you anything except how to follow someone else's rules. Then when you either get to goal or hit a wall (in my case, go on vacation), it's very difficult to get back on track.

Same with execise - going so hard that you wear yourself out and can't even fathom stepping foot in the gym.

A lot of people see weight loss in extremes and think they starve themselves and/or workout 3 hours a day or it won't work. Truth is, a slow steady approach with a healthier attitude towards food (there is no good/bad foods, portion control is key) and exercise is the better way to go.

And unfortunately we're bombarded constantly with ads for weight loss products, exercise programs, pills, shakes, etc. Not to mention the reality shows which make it look so easy to lose 100 pounds in six months. These sort of unrealistic expectations set a lot of people up for failure, myself included.

Which is why, this time, I am trying to take a more healthy approach. I've been at this for over four years now and still have trouble. I'm on week two of getting back on track because I backslid big time for the last three months and ended up gaining back 10 pounds. It's a long process to truly kill these lifelong bad habits we all have (emotional eating, etc).

While I can't imagine letting myself ever get back to where I was, I can see how it could be easy for some people, especially if they don't have a good support system in their lives.

sassyjae21

Unfortunately, it's very common.

My sister has lost close to a hundred lbs, several times. I think she might have given up after her 3rd and 4th failed attempt.

That's terrible

snowflake930

The same way she gained it originally, by overeating.
The statistics are overwhelmingly against people keeping it off.

We all think, hope, and are determined, that it won't happen to us, but the statistics say otherwise.

If it were easy, no one would be overweight.

SarahRuthRuns

1. Losing it in an unhealthy way.
2. Not learning the right habits.
3. Becoming sedentary.
4. Getting too comfortable.
5. Life events that happen to people that causes them to abandon their better habits.

Any or all of these. I know it's shocking, people work SO hard to lose the weight most times. But it's life, and it happens, and can happen to anyone. Best to not worry about it and just wish them well. If they did it once, they can do it again You never really know what people are going through that causes them to gain it back. They're probably in bigger disbelief than you are.

#5 for me. I used to work 8 miles from home and my kids were not nearly as active then as they are now. I had to switch jobs, and I went from riding a bike to work to having to commute almost 3 hours a day. My kids starting joining activities and clubs at school, and I just got too busy. I currently work two jobs, one full time an hour away from home, and one that I work anywhere from 10 to 30 hours a week from home, and my kids are in multiple sports/activities. I have little to no time to myself, my husband took over most of the shopping and cooking and he hasn't a clue how to cook healthy.

Prior to these life changes, I was biking hundreds of miles each month and running 3-4 miles 4-5 days a week. Now I'm lucky if I can manage to fit in a 20 minute walk.

I originally lost around 45 lbs. I have gained around 70 at this point. I'm trying to get back to it, but it's super hard. I can't manage to fit in exercise, so I'm starting with diet only. So far I have lost 7 lbs. WooHoo... 70 lbs. seems so ridiculous to me.

MisterZ33

i dont know what it is, but, i will say this: why bother losing it the first time around in an unhealthy manner which you know will backfire? whats the point in the suffering?

it's easier said than done, i know, but why not just do it the right way and maintain yourself.

the girl i am referencing couldnt have been more than 140 lbs when i last saw her. today she was looking like she was pushing at least 260.

i remember when she was losing weight, she would go into the lunchroom and critique everyone else's meal. she was rude and judgmental about it too...serves her right , i guess.

jimmmer

Eating more calories than they burn over a sustained period of time.

Shalaurise

My sister has lost and gained over 100 lbs several times over the last 10 years. Alcohol has a lot of calories and her weight loss methods are typically always the newest fad. B vitamin shots and only get to eat protein and stuff like that. Never once has she actually tried to make a permanent lifestyle change.

sassyjae21

i dont know what it is, but, i will say this: why bother losing it the first time around in an unhealthy manner which you know will backfire? whats the point in the suffering?

it's easier said than done, i know, but why not just do it the right way and maintain yourself.

the girl i am referencing couldnt have been more than 140 lbs when i last saw her. today she was looking like she was pushing at least 260.

i remember when she was losing weight, she would go into the lunchroom and critique everyone else's meal. she was rude and judgmental about it too...serves her right , i guess.

I think that just answered your question. She probably didn't know how to practice moderation and started binging on the foods she cut out that she was so judgmental about.

As for the rest of it...people want quick fixes. There is always going to be someone out there naive enough to fall for it. That's why the scam companies are still in the business.

seltzermint555

1. Losing it in an unhealthy way.
2. Not learning the right habits.
3. Becoming sedentary.
4. Getting too comfortable.
5. Life events that happen to people that causes them to abandon their better habits.

Great list! Those 5 reasons are ALL why the one other time in my life that I lost a lot of weight, I gained it all back within about 2 years.

I lost 72 lb back in 2001.

I didn't eat enough calories at all. Typical day was 2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms and a bit of cheddar, a small bowl of steamed rice, and 4-5 bottles of diet cola. I didn't learn a single thing about calories, nutrition, etc. Once or twice a week I'd eat a king size Reeses cup so I thought I had somehow magically had a metabolism change (LMAO) when I didn't gain weight back after that. Also, I looked kind of like crap due to this even though that was my lowest adult weight at the time. When I met my now ex-husband who was also obese and loved to eat and cook, I just ate whatever he ate...smaller portions...but still WAY more food than I needed, and our marriage was comfortable but almost totally devoid of romance or activity. Basically we exercised never, and just lounged around after work watching BBC America. Takeout, dinners out, and baked goods were staples of our diet rather than treats.

It's easy to gain back when you don't really learn how it all works and you don't care enough about keeping yourself healthier and lighter. This time I've learned a ton, I've gotten serious, and I have developed new habits. I am down 134 lb from my heaviest. I made a deal with myself that I will NEVER be back over 180 lb as long as I am alive.

happycauseIride

In 2005 I lost 65 lbs in 13 months by eating little to nothing 5 days a week and exercising twice a day. I got burned out from exercising and quit, didn't learn good habits and gained all 65 back plus 50 more. I got depressed. As the pounds piled on, I turned to food for comfort when I should have gotten off the couch and done something about it.

I started again in Aug of 2012. I'm now down 75 of those and have learned to try a new exercise when I get bored, and am still working on the healthy eating habits. That will always be a struggle for me because I am an emotional eater.

You get lazy, you don't care, you don't even have a clue that you are eating as many calories as you are until you start logging it. I had no idea how easy it was to rack up 3000 calories in a day on junk. It happens.

cwolfman13

In a nut shell...many people talk a good talk about "lifestyle change" but generally fail to even conceptualize what that actually means, let alone follow through with such a change.

People have this notion that eating healthfully and exercising regularly is for weight loss...in reality, it's all far more important to maintaining a healthy weight. Regular exercise and general activity as well as a healthful diet have to become the new normal...and that is a rarity considering only about 5% of people who make efforts to lose weight actually maintain that for more than a brief period.