any of you lost your weight and gained it back??

DonaGail

yes I have.
In 2011 I lost 62 lbs and everywhere I went people noticed. I have a very public job so I heard how good I was looking at least twice a day.
Then my world fell apart. I hung on for a long time and tried to stay on plan but finally gave up. 9 people.. family members, a dog & friends died and I was caretaker to 2 of them at the same time - my mom and my best friend. They both died a month apart. Im lucky I didnt lose my mind.
Anyway I comfort ate my way back up. Im now around 20lbs under my highest weight and its a biggie.
I cant seem to do it now and Im so ashamed. My work uniforms will barely zip.
Im trying to get my head where it needs to be.
I know thats the first step.
Good luck to you my friend, its tough till' it clicks.

moejo3

I have about 4 pounds that I fight with. When I start to eat more calories the 4 pounds comes back quick. But, when I eat really lean I can get it off pretty quickly but, getting below that has not happened yet. Not sure what to do

AuntieKT

I am pretty passionate about this so excuse me for my usual long winded response. Yes, I have gained my weight back...more than once. Last time I went on a weight loss journey, I lost 100 pounds. I did it using Nutrisystem. Unlike most people, I don't blame Nutrisystem's lack of "real life food" for my gain. The fault was all mine. Back then, I was at a point in my life where I didn't cook, didn't know how, and wasn't really interested in learning. I also never allowed myself to deviate from my plan even one millimeter. I was absolutely perfect for almost a year. Like others have mentioned, I started to let what others had to say get the better of me. People would tell me that I had lost too much weight or that I needed to eat more and before I got down to my goal weight (which was set unreasonably low) I started to let myself have some little indulgences. I was tired, worn out by my super strict diet and unreasonable expectations, and sick of never just getting to eat the way everyone else did. I also was never happy with my weight because I still hadn't reached my goal, so even though I had lost 100 pounds, I couldn't bring myself to even celebrate my accomplishments because to me, I just still wasn't there. Because I hadn't had anything off my plan for so long, once I opened that door, it was almost impossible to close it. That food tasted good. Sitting around at home was easy and I started to do more and more of that and before long, I had gained back ALL of my weight, even plus a few pounds. Though I not only felt terrible about myself and that I had erased all of that hard work that I had done, but I was MORTIFIED that everyone that saw me lose the weight had a front row seat as it all came back on. I sat in this miserable place for around three years. It was really hard because now, I knew what I was capable of and what it would take to get there. It was so hard knowing how much work I would have to put in to lose that weight again. It was hard remembering how much physically easier it was to just do normal everyday tasks. But probably the hardest thing was the reaction I got from others. You would think when someone weighs over 250 pounds that the last thing they would feel like is invisible, but that's exactly how I felt. Just like before I lost the weight, I shrunk back into the shadows and it was like some people couldn't even see me at all. People, especially men, wouldn't even look me in the eye and because I was so embarrased about my weight, I wasn't exactly meeting anyone's glance myself. I felt horrible. I wanted to change. I wanted to be healthy and fit and happy. But I didn't want to give up my lifestyle to do it. In the spring of 2012 I was in my last year of school towards my bachelor's degree. I was going to be graduating in the fall and had decided to go to Florida for the ceremony (it was an online program). When I thought about how uncomfortable I was going to be down there, not just meeting new people, but just on the plane and getting around in general, it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I didn't want to have to squeeeeze into my plane seat and make whoever was unfortunate enough to have to sit next to me uncomfortable. I didn't want to be embarrased to put on a swim suit or go to a theme park. But most importantly, I didn't want to be remembered as that big fat girl from Wisconsin when I finally met all my teachers and classmates. I made a plan and decided that I was going to try and do this with some moderation this time. I actually started on the exact same day that I did the last time (March 1st)! As I went along, my plan got stricter and stricter as I learned more and more about diet and exercise. This time I did everything on my own and made it my job to learn as much as I could about health and fitness. As I started to lose weight and feel better, I became more and more passionate. I made sure to be happy and celebrate every milestone and pound because I was on my way to a healthier and happier me. I vowed to NEVER forget how it felt to be that sad, heavy, defeated person and also to promise myself that I would NEVER become her again! Right before I was to go down to my graduation, I weighed in at 100 pounds lost again! THIS time, I was proud of myself and could not be happier with how far I had come. One of the biggest things that was different is that I tried really hard to stop myself from thinking in an "all or nothing" kind of attitude. I could have a treat here or there and it would be ok. I could have a rest day or two and know that it didn't mean that I was going to gain all my weight back. The most important thing was that if I slipped up or made a mistake, I didn't tell myself, "well, I messed up, so I might as well just let everything go all to hell!" like I used to. This time no matter what happened, I NEVER let myself give up. I still haven't. The last time I lost the weight, at this point in the journey, I was tired and not knowing how much longer I could hold on. Now, I could not be more passionate, motivated, and enthused about my health and my fitness. THIS time, I feel like I could go on like this forever...and I plan to.

AuntieKT

Holy Cow! I guess I didn't even realize how much I had typed there untill I hit send... Sorry guys!

MFPBrandy

Holy Cow! I guess I didn't even realize how much I had typed there untill I hit send... Sorry guys!

But it's a wonderful story; thank you for sharing. :-)

dbmata

Re: OP's question. Yes.

What did I do wrong? I stopped caring about intake, and decided to opt for gourmet fun.

What am I doing different right now? Not going overboard.

Bmoviemama

yup, lost 90 and gained 70 of it back working on this again. Expert level !!

bpwparents

I've gone my whole life seemingly on a diet. My first big loss was 7 years ago doing Atkins. Lost 70 lbs but gained it all back once I started eating carbs. This is how I hope MFP will work for me this time around. I can eat pretty much what I want, just by eating at a deficit.

MaraDiaz

Every time.

What did I do wrong? Lost the weight the wrong way first of all, by starving myself half to death. Then when I hit goal I started eating 'normal' again, only I was famished so I didn't stop eating until I was stuffed and sick.

What am I doing different this time? Well I got the weight off without half killing myself (still going to probably drop another ten pounds but not fussed about doing it quickly or anything). Low carb was helping with cravings, to be honest I thought I had that monster beat. However with Spring allergy season has come some really fierce cravings that low carb doesn't touch.

Fortunately I have MFP to help keep me out of denial about what and how much I'm eating. I didn't really count calories before, not on any regular basis, much less know how many I should get to lose or maintain. So at least if I go nuts one day now I can cut back another day to make up for it. I've even started a weight loss/maintenance program designed around this. Although I'm sure the creators didn't have my love for cake and ice cream in mind when they came up with it.

Which brings me to something that I've learned while losing with MFP and that hopefully I will apply often to the rest of my life: If something works, do it. If it stops working, find something else that does work. And if you find something that works even better, do that. But don't give up.

I'm going to stay on MFP and keep logging my food long after I hit the lowest weight I'm willing to hit. Hopefully this will be the last time I ever need to make the long climb back down the scale.

junctiongirl

3 years ago I did Jenny Craig. I lost 35 lbs and have since gained it back and some. Its been so gradual but it seems like I woke up one day and I was fat again.

MrsB123111

Pretty much the story of my life until 2 years ago. In 2003 (after gaining the freshman 15 twice over), I moved home for the summer, started Weight Watchers and a work out regimen and dropped the 30 pounds I had gained. Kept that off for about a year and a half, went through a bad break up and gained 50! For the next 7 years, I continued to yo-yo back and forth, ultimately reaching over 270lbs.

Finally, I made the decision to have gastric bypass in April of 2011. My issue was never losing weight, my issue was keeping it off. I had BAD eating and exercise habits. Now, I eat smart and workout regularly (well, I do when I'm not recovering from a torn ACL!). I have lost over 120lbs and am still losing. Weight loss surgery isn't for everyone, but good habits ARE! I attribute that to my success, not the surgery.

amjo2693

Yes. It took me 5 years to lose 65lbs doing Weight Watchers. After a bad break up and new job, I gained it all back within two years. It feels like it's definitely a lot harder to take the weight off this time around.

MeanSophieCat

Gained weight due to unhealthy habits around 2009. Got pregnant in early 2010. Gained very little weight during my pregnancy and ended up a little lighter. Got within 15lbs of my goal weight while on maternity leave. Went back to work gained 15lbs in 3 months. Got pregnant again. Same as with my first pregnancy - ended up within 11lbs of my goal weight. Went back to work and gained 20lbs. Ended up at the same darn weight as before my first pregnancy.

Started regularly logging in late January and have lost 16.5lbs since then. Have another 19lbs to go. We all say this - but I really think this time will be different. I can just feel the mental shift. Before, I was only successful at losing weight when I didn't have to participate in "real life". Maternity leave, summer vacation from college, ect... Starting in January is the first time I have lost weight while also being busy with life. Feels great!

MsPudding

I've lost (and regained) 60lbs a number of times. Every single time I've lost it has been via doing extreme diets that I simply couldn't sustain - diets that not only restricted hugely but made certain foods absolutely forbidden. Every time when I've dropped to the point I've been happy I've started indulging in all the things I was told for months and months were BAD...and the weight piled on again.

What's different this time? I'm not looking for a quick fix. I'm not looking to drop 2+ lbs a week by pushing myself as hard as I can every single day. I know that way won't work because what's required is a lifestyle change with weight loss being a nice side benefit. So I'm looking at making healthy choices more often (the old 80/20 rule), getting more active and building some muscle back. I don't care how long it takes because it's going to be a way I live from now on.

minimah7

Hi guys.
I surely do know this one all too well. I had lost 17 pounds in total then gained 12 back. Oh no! This is not the way! I must get back on track and the only person that can do it for me is me. Let's go!-Me, Myself and I.
I do not mind an occasional encouraging word however. I need it sometimes and I am ever grateful to encourage others.
Guys we CAN do this and we will.
Please let me know what I can do/try to do to help you stay on track also.
Happy Holy Week everyone!

AuntieKT

Which brings me to something that I've learned while losing with MFP and that hopefully I will apply often to the rest of my life: If something works, do it. If it stops working, find something else that does work. And if you find something that works even better, do that. But don't give up.

Exactly!

AuntieKT

Holy Cow! I guess I didn't even realize how much I had typed there untill I hit send... Sorry guys!

you should edit it for paragraphs.

That's a great idea, but unfortunately you can't edit posts that are over an hour old... Le Sigh...lesson learned

MFPBrandy

Gained weight due to unhealthy habits around 2009. Got pregnant in early 2010. Gained very little weight during my pregnancy and ended up a little lighter. Got within 15lbs of my goal weight while on maternity leave. Went back to work gained 15lbs in 3 months. Got pregnant again. Same as with my first pregnancy - ended up within 11lbs of my goal weight. Went back to work and gained 20lbs. Ended up at the same darn weight as before my first pregnancy.

^^^This is so true for me -- I gain weight at work! When I've taken just a week or two off of work, the scale drops very quickly. When I go back to work...sitting behind a desk all day is just not healthy. But it's what I've got to do for the next few years, so I have to figure out a way to make it work.

gabiinacio

I gained 60lbs with my kids and weighed in at 200lbs right before giving birth in 2007. In 2010 I started working out, I walked 5 miles everyday and took up kickboxing classes 3x a week. In about 5-8 months I was officially 50lbs down! (150lb) and maintained my weight. (Never was able to lose those last 10lbs..lol)


In April of 2012 I got into a relationship with my best friend of 7 years, and somewhere between April-November I gained back 30lbs, on Christmas day 2012 I weighed in at 180lbs..

I started back on my journey to weightloss on Jan 1st 2013, and weigh in at 167.8 as of this morning. So since Jan to now I've lost 12lbs. I think the second time around has been alot harder, its taking me alot more effort and def alot more exercise to reach my goals. As before it seems the weight just melted off of me. I'm hopinh to be around 135-140lb by Christmas this year.

mikeswife04

I am down (SINCE HS) 90 pounds and 50 since last march.... I am struggling with the last 15 and keep going up to 20 lol...
I'm not worried though... I know that my eating habits are the reason I am stalling out.... I will break 135 one day damn it lol..

I'm 5'6" and 137 right now....