The weight yo-yo

Time and time again, up and down up and down. a little over 3 years since i started this and after looking at my my weight fluctuations, i don't ever see maintenance, just up and down. At least it comes off, just wish it was as easy to lose as it is to put on.

One thing i do notice, the less i check the scale, the more the tendency to drift up, guess i'm destined to be a scale watcher...

media?function=fetchFilePublic&id=816c7525-7317-42e8-b060-13419a846769

Will this ever end or is this the rest of my life?

Replies

  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    I understand.

    There's always a bit of a yoyo. I swing between 135 and 140 all the time. Maybe someday that will change to swinging between 130 and 135, but I'm not going to kill myself for it.

    I don't watch the scale often because it would drive me mad. I just try to be conscious of what I'm doing, and reign it in when I feel like I've been indulging too much. I also work out for the fun of it and I lift. It's a big part of my life, so I know that as long as I keep focusing on my fitness, I'll be alright.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    You need to figure out what's not working. Weigh your food, log accurately, and stay within your calorie goal. I pre-log my days. That's the only way I'm able to stay on track. This post helped me a lot. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925464-fitting-it-in-giggity
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
    There's always a bit of a yoyo. I swing between 135 and 140 all the time. Maybe someday that will change to swinging between 130 and 135, but I'm not going to kill myself for it.

    Oh for a 5lb swing, that would be fine...mine are more in the 20-40lb range...uggghhh
  • GretchenReine
    GretchenReine Posts: 1,374 Member
    I think some of us are destined to watch the scale. If I take a break from the scale I lose focus and am not as diligent with my weighing and measuring. I think my scale is going to be with me all of the way to the grave.
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
    You need to figure out what's not working.

    What's not working is once i lose weight, i stop eating good and exercising as much, and then i go bananas at the gym and outside to lose it again...

    gotta get in the lifestyle mindset, not the diet mindset i guess, but HOW?? i've been going up and down since i weighed 300lbs as a hs freshman and was using ipecac as a diet aid...that was the not so fun years!
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    You need to figure out what's not working.

    What's not working is once i lose weight, i stop eating good and exercising as much, and then i go bananas at the gym and outside to lose it again...

    gotta get in the lifestyle mindset, not the diet mindset i guess, but HOW?? i've been going up and down since i weighed 300lbs as a hs freshman and was using ipecac as a diet aid...that was the not so fun years!

    Yes, this! Find activities you love and a community that you can do them with. That's what keeps me going to the gym.
  • melduf
    melduf Posts: 468 Member
    Healthy has to become your lifestyle. Otherwise, you're condemned to yo-yo...
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    I weigh every day. I graph every day. It's the only way I can be relatively sure that some progress is happening over time.

    Keeping my health at the front of my mind daily, is the only way I can make this work. I am not brave enough to let go of the handlebars and just coast.

    Maybe someday. Maybe never.
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
    I've been yo yoing since 1999 around 30 pounds over 2 years. I am on the upper end of a yoyo. There is no magic here. Basically priorities switch around - life gets busy and things go off the rails. I eat well - i exercise regularly but then I run into a period of time for work where i travel - i hit Christmas - summer has endless bbq's socially. I'm not beating myself up for it and i don't consider anything wrong - its like the rest of life - it has ups and downs. As long as you recover and keep it within a reasonable range. I'm 45 and exercise regularly, eat health and i see my friends from school who are literally twice the size I am because they never check their weight. Be happy with what it is (but strive for better) and look at the successes you've had by continuously getting it back off again.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Could part of your problem be that you haven't learned moderation yet, remembering your post from I believe it was last week when you posted about having a 10,000 calorie day or something like that? If you do that frequently you will continue to have the drastic spikes.
  • I think some of us are destined to watch the scale. If I take a break from the scale I lose focus and am not as diligent with my weighing and measuring. I think my scale is going to be with me all of the way to the grave.

    This..I took a break over christmas and went from 112 to 117..I weigh every day, keeps me accountable.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    You need to figure out what's not working.

    What's not working is once i lose weight, i stop eating good and exercising as much, and then i go bananas at the gym and outside to lose it again...

    gotta get in the lifestyle mindset, not the diet mindset i guess, but HOW?? i've been going up and down since i weighed 300lbs as a hs freshman and was using ipecac as a diet aid...that was the not so fun years!

    *gags* Ipecac?! I don't know what's going on in your head, you do. For me, it was years of being forced to clean my plate. I only had to go to school once with a bowl of oatmeal on my head to lock that in. I had to figure out why my relationship with food was what it was, and then I had to change it. Too much to type here, it's in my blog. You don't have to burn 1,000 calories at the gym. If the deficit you have now is leaving you hungry all the time, make your deficit smaller. If you know this is your cycle, then you need to find a way to break it. It's going to take time, but it'll be worth it in the end. Right?
  • oboeing
    oboeing Posts: 1,816 Member
    i'm also a yo-yo'er, and i tend to swing 15-20 pounds. my biggest swing was 25 pounds. and you're right. you need to change from the diet mindset to the lifestyle mindset.... i find the longer i stay on track, when i slip back into my old habits, i find the food makes me feel awful, and as i'm feeling bloated/like i just drank a vat of grease/super full, i remind myself to remember how this feels. THAT FEELS UNHEALTHY AND AWFUL.

    i refuse to give up any food, including chocolate. but i find a way to fit it in, only in a small quantity. don't get me wrong, i still struggle, every day, with what i put in my mouth. but i'm more aware of it, and it makes it slightly easier. i don't buy junk to keep at the house, i pack breakfast, lunch and dinner every day...

    you have to find a way to convince yourself this is a life change. it's not a fix, it's not a bandaid. it's a full on life change. embrace it, stick to your scale (at least once a week, although i check mine daily), and don't give yourself permission to slack off. push to be the best you can be, and when you get down a clothing size, buy yourself something that makes you feel fabulous to use as a reminder.

    you can do it!!!!
  • 111YoYo111
    111YoYo111 Posts: 213 Member
    Hi

    I know exactly how you feel. I also gain and lose 40-50 lbs probably 12-15 times over the last 20 years. Hence the username. I am being told not to weigh due to the frustration and I understand that but the compulsion to do so in hopes of good news is overwhelming. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want to provide mutual support.