Has anyone lost weight using mfp and gained it back
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Yeah, I lost about a stone this time last year, kept it off for a few months, then summer happened, I fell off the wagon, ate everything I wanted, stopped logging and exercising, and it all crept back on.
Back on the wagon again now and losing again. I expect even if/when I do hit my target weight I'll probably always have to log to maintain and not begin that downwards spiral again.0 -
I have lost weight several times and gained it back again. (Last time I lost ~25kg with MFP and gained 9kg back.)
I find losing weight much easier than maintaining.
Usually I reach my goal. But after a while bad habbits return.
I have no time how to stop this process. But at least the intervals that I maintain my weight get longer and I start a proper diet earlier.0 -
I lost about 25 lbs a few years ago and then stopped using MFP. I gained all of it back plus 10 lbs in about 3 years. As I gained weight, it was in places different from where I lost it, so while I could still fit into those smaller pants I had lusted after, my stomach started to grow. It wasn't until my pants felt snug that I hopped on the scale and saw what had happened. I'm planning on staying with MFP for the rest of my weight loss and eventual maintenance.0
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I've gone for stretches of time without using MFP and stayed at a normal weight. I haven't gone over 140 lbs and 145 is the overweight cutoff for me 5'4", 230 lbs to 117 lbs). I go through cycles of using it and not using it and have gained weight using it and lost weight not using it.
tl;dr For me there's no correlation between weight and MFP use :bigsmile:0 -
Never stop tracking! I notice an immediate difference on the scale and in how I feel if I stop tracking for several days. The key to keeping it off is to stay accountable.0
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I only have few pounds to lose until I reach my goal .It feels amazing being lighter and fit into my skinny jeans again. However, i am still going to track my calories when I reach my goal. Has anyone reach their goal and gained all back ? Was it because you stopped tracking and got too comfortable ?
Yes, I've lost weight using MFP.
Yes, I gained (most of) it back.
Yes, it was because I stopped tracking. Specifically, it was because I didn't retrain myself how to eat to maintain. When we lose weight, we learn to eat at a calorie deficit. When we hit our goal weight, we have to learn how to eat at maintenance. That's what I'm in the process of doing now - learning to eat at maintenance.
Me too. I lost a little over 40 pounds last go round with MFP and I got into a funk and quit logging and I gained most of it back. I know that I am not one of those people who is going to be able to reach a goal weight and stay there without serious work. So, I plan to keep using MFP long after I reach my goal weight.
Good luck with your journey and congrats on your progress!!0 -
I did lose several pounds by using MFP, as well as Runkeeper, and sadly, I did gain it all back. I stopped tracking, stopped running, and started munching.
I fell into a "who cares" attitude brought on by depression that I've fought since I was a pre-teen. I'm back on the wagon though, as they say.
Good luck to everyone here. Hope it all goes well for you.
-Shelbi0 -
I only have few pounds to lose until I reach my goal .It feels amazing being lighter and fit into my skinny jeans again. However, i am still going to track my calories when I reach my goal. Has anyone reach their goal and gained all back ? Was it because you stopped tracking and got too comfortable ?
Regardless of the approach to losing weight, the vast majority put the pounds back on. This is due in large part to talking a good talk about lifestyle change, but really, ultimately failing to implement such a change.
I'm not talking about logging and keeping a diary either...that's not the lifestyle change in my book. The lifestyle change comes from developing healthful habits while you are using that you ultimately take into maintenance...and this is where people go wrong. They lose the weight and then just fall back into old eating habits, stop exercising, etc...and then they are surprised that they gained all the weight back.
Proper, solid nutrition doesn't stop just because you lost the weight...really, the difference between maintaining weight and losing weight is only a handful of calories...that's it. I don't log and have maintained for going on around a year and a half as such...but I'm always mindful of what I'm eating...I don't mindlessly eat...I don't eat a whole lot of "junk"...I keep a rough tally in my head...and I make sure I exercise regularly. Failing to do any of that would likely cause me to start putting the pounds back on.
I would also add that I continue to monitor my weight...I am generally anywhere from 180 - 185 Lbs with natural weight fluctuations with my average being around 182ish. If I start to see a little uptick in the trend and start to see my average go up by a pound or two I evaluate what I'm doing and I can usually pinpoint something either in my diet or exercise that I'm doing differently...so I just cut that out and drop those couple pounds no big deal. But you have to keep on top of it.
This, especially this part: "really, the difference between maintaining weight and losing weight is only a handful of calories." When I switched from a 500-calorie deficit to a 250-calorie deficit, I realized that the only difference between losing 1/2 pound a week and maintaining was a 1/2 cup serving of ice cream a day. And the difference between maintaining and slowly gaining is equally small. I plan to track on maintenance for a while, then taper off of tracking eventually, but I'm not in any hurry to stop.0 -
Yes, like many others i have lost and gained with MFP- i do not think it is true that in terms of maintenance teh method of weight loss makes a difference to the success rate of keeping it off. i lost 40lbs doing it slow and steady (3-4 lbs a month) then put back on 56! This time i have lost 40 since May 2014 - at 1kg a week loss and it feels much more manageable and i don't believe the hype over slow and steady any longer - as long as you do not drastically undereat which is totally a different issue.
For me, I did not fall off the wagon because i stopped logging, rather i stopped logging because everytime i checked in i was putting on weight and got despondent as it felt i was not in control. I am still trying to think that one through as i am worried it could happen again. So basically, good luck but for me logging, though necessary, will not keep me on track by itself..We can all lose weight, but the stats show that keeping it off is the real challenge and I think it's great you are thinking of how to manage that now.0 -
Yes, I lost 20 lbs, and then gained 40 back. It's heartbreaking
The one thing that I didn't do. Was realize that if you have a few bad days, to not give up, but to get back on track.
This time, I'm going to lose it all, and properly increase my calories to maintain, while still tracking
I don't think I'll be a life tracker, but I will be more aware that if I want something not so healthy, I need to burn it off, or reduce calories else where
Good luck!0 -
I lost everything I wanted and a few lbs more and gained 8lbs back. I had surgery last month and ended up anemic from hemorraging so I wasnt exercising. I was just above the level for a blood transfusion. I was too weak and I didnt track. But I am back and on a mission.0
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I don't trust myself to transfer to maintenance. This is it for me. I've lost 26 pounds on my way to 45, but at 71, I've never felt better, so why should I chance eating like a pig and feeling lousy? If work do the program religiously, there is no chance that you will gain the weight back. Exercising is the key. My dietician told me that diet is 70 percent and exercise is 30 percent, but you really need both to be dedicated.0
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I was thinking about your post when I ate breakfast this morning.
I usually have granola, yogurt, coffee, and fruit: 275 calories or so
This morning I felt like something different, so had 2 fried eggs, 2 slices toast with butter, coffee, and fruit. 575 calories.
If I did that ever day, that's how I'd regain my weight. But this morning, it was good.0 -
I think a lot of it has to do with ones relationship with food, and ability to actually make a lifestyle change (ie learning to make better food choices, incorporating fitness into every day life and stick with it). For some, they have to keep themselves accountable at all times or else they will slip back into old habits. For others, the new lifestyle *becomes* the habit.
The reasons why the weight came on to begin with plays a big part. For some people, they were raised with not the best relationship with food, to eat everything on their plate / always have seconds / grew up on junk foods and fried foods etc. And then those who eat emotionally, whether they've had a horrible day turn to food, or celebrate everything with food...
Either of those, I think, would be a really hard habit to break! And I think that someone in that situation would definitely need to made do with knowing they will forever have to track everything they eat if they are not able to reverse this sort of thinking and be able to create a new lifestyle / new habits to totally replace the old one.
Personally, I don't plan to track what I eat, count calories and make thinking about food such a major priority for the rest of my life...my weight came on after a particularly bad breakup where I let him make me believe I was fat and gross looking, for part of the reason he cheated on me (I was a size 4 at the time) and that is when I first joined MFP, to get thin, and I was so discouraged I couldnt lose any weight, and now looking back, it was because I didn't need to!!!! Being discouraged led me to give up altogether, I went from being fairly active and eating well as I had done my whole life, to slumming on the couch and eating take out and McDs all day every day and now Im a size 12/14
But those horrible lifestyle choices were temporary (Id never gained any weight in previous breakups or my divorce...and know *much* better now that no guy or his opinion of my body is worth it), compared to my relationship with food and fitness throughout my life. So Im confident that I will not have to log forever... This is just something I need to do now, to get myself back on track.0 -
Yes, I lost about 30 pounds a few years ago.....and yes, like most on here......gained it plus some extra back after I stopped tracking. At first, it was like, "oh well, it's only 5 lbs.....I was a little too skinny anyhow, so, it's ok"......then, it was 7, then 10......then I stopped checking. 2 years later, my pants were tight, getting dressed to go out was depressing, and I knew it was ugly, so, I decided to get back on track. When I finally had the nerve to step on a scale, it was worse than I thought......I had gained 40 pounds. It's been 9 months and I've lost all 40 pounds and I plan to track food, eat smart and keep exercizing. It's really the only thing that holds me accountable......sometimes I'll pop an M&M in my mouth and think....why should I track it?? Because I'm only hurting myself if I don't......one M&M turns into a handfull, and that turns into a whole bag and then it's like, "what the hell"...... Just thinking back to the mindless eating I did before is mind blowing!! It took way too much time and way too many hours of working out this time......I won't go back there again.....ever.0
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YES! and it was EXACTLY because I stopped tracking. I think once you reach your goal weight/size... you have to find that balance. maybe that means tracking M-F and not so much on the weekends. Or upping your calories and tracking every day. The only answer is that you have to be accountable for the food you put in your mouth. If you don't track it you will most likely gain it right back.0
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I lost 55 pounds the first time around and I'm back because I gained about 20 after I quit MFP. For me it was a couple of things.
One, I didn't actually transition to maintenance. I meant to. I really did plan to track for maintenance for a while. But, you know, stuff got in the way. And then it seemed too late.
Two, I never really addressed my emotional issues with food the first time around. Tracking my calories and setting weight loss goals was great, but without it I sort of forgot how to comfort myself without food. Bad days, flakey friends, and my own depression drove me right back to food.
This time around I'm working hard to take it slow, transition into a maintenance plan, and work on fixing at least part of my relationship with food. Remembering that I've built a lot of coping strategies other than ice cream is going to be a big help to me. I'm hoping that I'm building healthier habits that will keep me on track this time around.0 -
^^
I am right there with you! We can do this!0 -
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Toss your "fat pants" and buy pants with a non-elastic waistband. If you can't fit into your pants, you're eating too much. :laugh::laugh::laugh: Hahahaa Love This!0 -
I only have few pounds to lose until I reach my goal .It feels amazing being lighter and fit into my skinny jeans again. However, i am still going to track my calories when I reach my goal. Has anyone reach their goal and gained all back ? Was it because you stopped tracking and got too comfortable ?
Yes and no ... my weight gain has been done purposely to try and increase muscle mass.0 -
I have always been slim because I was very active and exercising regularly . I didn't watch my diet and ate whatever I wanted and i didn't know anything about potion control . I gained about 20 pounds when I stopped exercising regularly and then I found out about mfp. I went back to the gym but the weight started melting off more when I started counting calories:happy: :flowerforyou:0
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YEP!! TWICE!
Lost 30 lbs, stopped tracking, moved to a new town and gained it all back. Decided to get back on, tracked again, lost 40 lbs. Moved again, stopped tracking, gained it back and then got pregnant. I am now holding on to that weight I gained back, plus 15 lbs from pregnancy.
I get down to where I feel good and am comfortable and then just slowly letting out the reigns on exercising and eating well until eventually it all comes back. This time, I am hoping that my son is better motivation for me. Also, I am hoping that I have the willpower to continue to track my food, maybe not via MFP, but mentally, after I reach my goal weight.0 -
Lost 48 through a decent amount of discipline with my diet and a ton of brutal workouts. Became complacent. Moved to a new town. No longer belonged to a gym. Ate at restaurants far too much. Stopped tracking. Gained 16 pounds back.
Hated how my clothes fit and how I looked in a bathing suit, so I'm back. Watching my diet, tracking everything (even weekends this time!). Training for a half marathon. Have lost 4 pounds again already.
Moral of the story: I need to stay honest with myself and stay disciplined because I apparently can't do it without mfp.0 -
I'm on this wagon as well. I stopped tracking religiously probably two years ago. I kept the weight off because I stayed active and kind of had a routine for breakfast and lunch. I had some health issues which brought me to the Whole30 for an elimination diet- a very restrictive autoimmune protocol. From there I had to completely revamp my eating habits. I found that most of the foods I ate on a regular basis with MFP, which are healthy options for most (egg whites and nuts to name a few) were things that were causing issues for me. I also went from eating only chicken and fish to all sorts of meats again because my body craved it (I had previously been vegetarian and then went to poultry and seafood) Whole30 preaches not to count calories- simply eat when you are hungry and try to only do 3 meals. I dropped a few more pounds (I think I was 125?) and was the smallest and healthiest I've ever been! But then I had some life stress (and I'm an emotional eater)- moved away from home, quit my active job and continued to eat like I was still a very active person.. A year later and I've put on all my weight again (147). I feel most comfortable/easy to maintain my weight at 130, so that is my goal. If I lose more, I am okay with that. But at 125, I had my family telling me I looked too skinny- and this was coming from a mother who never held back on telling me I was overweight!
So, this is why I am here. I have a very small calorie count compared to what I was used to and I'm just here to get back into a workout routine and my eating habits back in check. I don't think I'll need MFP forever, but it's a great motivator and way for me to stay on track when I start to go off.0 -
This thread has been so eye-opening. I'm almost at my goal and have been pondering "what next". Great info here.0
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Yes, I have lost the same 12-15 lbs not once, not twice, but three times since my daughter was born 7 years ago. The first time was on Weight Watchers and the last two times have been on MFP.
I think this time it will stay off though, as I plan to keep logging indefinitely. I find it's helpful not just for calorie counting but for tracking nutrients like protein and calcium that I have only recently started to care about as I get older.0 -
Going through this now. Lost 20 lbs and gained almost 10lbs again all of a sudden because I'm slacking off again (+ the miserable weather here in North Carolina).
Its tough staying full0 -
Question for those who have regained when you went off the reservation - how much did you gain back, but how LONG were you off before realizing you were no longer on the right track?
Obviously everyone's answer will be different, but I find myself asking the what-ifs as I approach maintenance time. I expect to continue with this for the rest of my days, but wonder just how quickly the weight comes back on for those of us who have strayed.
As a comparison, before I wised up and took charge of my eating and workouts, I was gaining around five pounds a year following high school. I sure as all heck don't want to go back to THAT!
Mark0 -
Question for those who have regained when you went off the reservation - how much did you gain back, but how LONG were you off before realizing you were no longer on the right track?
Obviously everyone's answer will be different, but I find myself asking the what-ifs as I approach maintenance time. I expect to continue with this for the rest of my days, but wonder just how quickly the weight comes back on for those of us who have strayed.
As a comparison, before I wised up and took charge of my eating and workouts, I was gaining around five pounds a year following high school. I sure as all heck don't want to go back to THAT!
Mark
Took me about six months each time to realize that I had put on an additional 10 pounds or so.0 -
Yes, I lost weight in the spring on mfp while breastfeeding. I often wasn't quite meeting my calorie goals, but the calorie goals didn't account for breastfeeding calories so I still gradually lost some weight. I slacked off on mfp but the weight still stayed off for a few months.
Now my daughter is mostly weaned, though, and I've gained back 5 lbs in a month, so it's obvious to me the breastfeeding was what was tipping the balance. I'm back on mfp as of today, to re-learn how much to eat without that extra hidden calorie expenditure. This happened similarly to me with my first child also, but apparently it didn't sink in the first time around. It's true what previous posters have been saying, the line between weight loss and maintenance, and between maintenance and weight gain, is slim. If something changes in how much exercise you're getting, how often you eat out, etc., it's very easy to see all that laborious weight loss come zooming right back.0
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