Why did/didn't you regain weight?

ksmiley412

I lost 35-40 pounds when I separated from my ex although I was exercising I was not taking care of my self. I was smoking a pack a day drinking a lot for a few years. I slowed down my drinking turned 40 quit smoking and put almost 30 pounds on. So now it is time to lose this weight again and do it the healthy way so it becomes my new life style not a phase.

suzie308

I've gained and lost and gained and lost more than I care to think about. In 1990 I had lost 90 lbs with the Weight Watchers program. I was 20 lbs from my goal weight. My then husband went on disability. He was unable to work. I had to take on a second job and was unable to continue paying the $10 a week dues. I quit going to WW and started gaining the weight back. I figure it was depression. I didn't get sad I just got fat again. My now ex never thought his 24 hours allowed him to work a second job. Getting a divorce was the best thing I did. Then in 2009 I moved to Arkansas in with my sister and brother-in-law. I was 272 lbs. We got a WII and in 2010 we started the South Beach diet. I've lost 35 lbs and now 10 lbs using MFP so I think I can make it and this time keep it off.

martintanz

I lost 55 to 60 lbs in '04 into early '05. (not sure exactly as I started losing weight before weighing in last time, but I was in the high 260s 2 weeks in, so I think I was somewhere around 270) Got down at one point as low as around 210 which, while not the lowest I have been, was lower than I had been since the early 90s. Mostly kept it off for about 4 years before slowly regaining all the weight plus another 15 lbs over a period of about 3 years.

So what happened?
Injuries - had a series of nagging injuries over a period of about a year, first a shoulder problem (no weights for months, and even cut back on cardio), then an ankle (no cardio for a few weeks until it healed), and a bout of gout (was doing some good bike riding that season, and gout pretty much killed that as my foot hurt too much to ride for weeks) that sapped my motivation. No one of these should have killed my motivation, but after that year with the interruptions to my routine, I was much less fit in 2010 than I had been in late 2008.
Because of changes in my work situation in '09 (the same year I had the shoulder injury), got out of some of my healthy routines, like daily lunch hour work outs. With the benefit of hindsight, I should have focused more on keeping up with my lunchtime routines, rather than holing up at home or in my new office on the computer day after day.
Slowly started to eat foods I had previously given up, like fast food and other takeout food for lunch, and dessert after dinner every night, and gave up on some foods that had kept me disciplined, like protein shakes and vegetables.
Got out of the habit of the daily weigh in. That kept me pretty focused for a long time. If I over indulged at lunch, dinner, or vacation, the weigh in forced me to cut back a little until the weight came off. Going months or years without weighing in kept me in denial about how much weight I was putting on.

Can fully relate to the injury side of things. I loved doing what I was doing with weight lifting and my gains! Then I hurt my knee and then my shoulder and watched the weight pile back on (I posted earlier)

Im back to try this again! I know we can do it cause we have done it before eh! Best of luck to you

And best of luck to you as well.

The first injury happened in an exercise class, where I pushed too hard and partially tore a rotator cuff. I didn't need surgery, as it apparently healed eventually, though it took a long time. The second injury happened while, of all things, playing basketball with my young son. Sprained my ankle and absolutely saw stars. Don't know what triggered the gout. Apparently, my uric acid level is too high, so it could happen again.

You are right, though. Having done it before does help my confidence that I can do it again. Exercise consistently and the body will eventually respond in good ways, though maybe not as quickly as it might have at a younger age.

divacat80

I was put on a diet two times before this last time in my life. Those first two times I was put on a very strict diet that didn't focus on making me learn new habits. It was very restrictive, I felt hungry all the time and wasn't exercising enough (compared to what a normal person should exercise per day). So I lost a lot of weight both times, and went from being overweight to being on the low end of a normal weight range.
So what happened? I did or didn't finish dieting (it doesn't matter at this point) and it was only a matter of time until I went back to my old habits. I had a true addiction to junk food that wasn't treated, and of course I fell of the healthy lifestyle wagon. I put on all the weight I lost plus 30 extra pounds each time.

The only way to not to regain all the weight you lose is to eat what you'll be eating for life, including a couple of cheat days when you can treat yourself (which doesn't mean overeating or binge eating). And of course stick to an exercise plan for life.

It's the only way, really!

Now I lost a lot of weight this one last time, I'm near my goal and I can't see how I can put all the weight back on, because I'm eating what I'll have to eat for life. The only thing that worries me is the exercise part, since I will have to leave the gym soon because I can't afford the membership anymore. But I feel exercising has become a habit that helps me feel so well that I'll stick to exercising outdoors easily.

ctalimenti

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