tips for not regaining weight loss long term
Joanneea
Posts: 37
Sorry about the misleading heading I tried editing it but didn't have that option
Hi I joined about two weeks ago and have been checking out the forums. Something I have noticed recurring is where people say they have been here awhile ago and they are coming back to get serious, or to lose weight they have put back on. I am just interested to know the reasons, I mean I understand there are multiple reasons for becoming overweight or struggling with weight issues from an early age etc. I am just curious about gaining weight again after reading 'success' stories.
I have never really been a committed 'dieter' myself, not especially because I love food, I found I lacked stick-to-it-iveness after the first few days. So mostly I have just tried to eat healthier. I gave up sugar. bread and potatoes a year or so ago, with no change in my weight. They seemed to be the big no no's.
In a way it makes me think of having an addiction of sorts, not especially for food but for the extra distance we have between people. Or maybe it is food? For me I am usually comfortable for the distance it gives me, like an extra boundary if that makes sense. - this is me thinking out loud.
Even though I am happy as I am, I know my body isn't, I am getting older and feeling the weight I am carrying and its affect on my body, so I realise I have to do something about it.
But, I want to make a permanent change.
So just wondering are there any tips to the pitfalls of going back to old habits? Is it old habits?
Hi I joined about two weeks ago and have been checking out the forums. Something I have noticed recurring is where people say they have been here awhile ago and they are coming back to get serious, or to lose weight they have put back on. I am just interested to know the reasons, I mean I understand there are multiple reasons for becoming overweight or struggling with weight issues from an early age etc. I am just curious about gaining weight again after reading 'success' stories.
I have never really been a committed 'dieter' myself, not especially because I love food, I found I lacked stick-to-it-iveness after the first few days. So mostly I have just tried to eat healthier. I gave up sugar. bread and potatoes a year or so ago, with no change in my weight. They seemed to be the big no no's.
In a way it makes me think of having an addiction of sorts, not especially for food but for the extra distance we have between people. Or maybe it is food? For me I am usually comfortable for the distance it gives me, like an extra boundary if that makes sense. - this is me thinking out loud.
Even though I am happy as I am, I know my body isn't, I am getting older and feeling the weight I am carrying and its affect on my body, so I realise I have to do something about it.
But, I want to make a permanent change.
So just wondering are there any tips to the pitfalls of going back to old habits? Is it old habits?
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Replies
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I'm sure there are many reasons people end up gaining weight back. Mostly, I think it's because they tend to think of it as a diet and deprive themselves of things they like, so when they have lost the weight and feel they can go back to eating the way they used to, it fails. I believe you have to approach it as a lifestyle change and not a diet. This counting calories thing is something that can be maintained as a normal way of life, unlike most, if not all, fad diets. Don't completely deprive yourself of the things you like, just have them in moderation as long as they are within your calorie (and other) goals.
I have been there before, too. But this is the first time I feel different about it. I feel I need to log my food and exercise at this point. My friend told me the other day that she could never take the time to do what I am doing (logging everything I put in my mouth) and she knows how to lose the weight...just cutting portions and not eating out of boredom. But you know what? She doesn't do it. This works for me. Maybe sometime in the future, I will not need to log everything I eat, but I find that holding myself accountable is what is working. Before this, I ate (and drank) so many calories blindly.0 -
No tips or secrets here.
I just replaced old habits with new ones.
Educate yourself as far as nutrition goes and recognize patterns that work and don't work.0 -
It's about building habits and consistency. I'm approaching my target weight but have no plans on stopping logging my food and exercise. My focus has been to spend the time it takes to lose the weight to groove healthy habits that are more valuable in maintenance. I've lost and gained before. I don't need any more practice at that.0
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I've lost weight before and gained it all back very quickly.
Main reason because I went back to old bad habits. I ate because I was unhappy, to distract myself from dealing with things. I also didn't exercise.
This time I will be keeping my goals at the front of my mind, look for support on here and keep logging and changing for life. I love exercise now and think it has being a real education knowing the calories in things.0 -
I gained weight when I stopped competing.
I joined here... and started exercising CONSISTENTLY and regularly (instead of couple of weeks here and there)
I lost weight.
I hurt my knee again, and gained a pound back
I got over the injury, and lost.
I hurt my knee (AGAIN) and gained about a pound
I adapted my training and now I am losing.
I sense a pattern here (!!) and what I am having to learn is to adapt to pure low intensity work at the moment while doctors appointments are scheduled (had Xray - diagnosed osteo-arthritis in both knees, and now just waiting for my MRI next month)
So I think my battle will be maintaining regular low-intensity stuff and eating at a deficit for a while ...
What your post does make me curious about is if/when I hit my target BF%, how I then go about maintaining my weight for the first time since quitting the sport in 2000.0 -
No tips or secrets here.
I just replaced old habits with new ones.
Educate yourself as far as nutrition goes and recognize patterns that work and don't work.
Eat clean. Log everything. Drink water. Get moving. It is not a diet. It is a lifestyle change. Forever.0 -
Honest truth for me is I got lazy and started overeating again. Especially over the holidays. Now I'm trying to lose the weight again.
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I see it like a house - if I want my house to look neat and clean I need to tidy it up and clean it once a week. When I don't it starts looking like a mess, and I don't like that.
If I want to be in my best health I need to balance out my eating - eat healthy, and include physical activity daily. When I slip and catch it, straighten it out and get it back on track. It is ok to have a doughnut once in a while. You have to find what works for you. It might be knowing that on Saturdays you allow yourself food that you don't eat during the week. The great thing is that God gives us new start with every morning, and so does MFP :happy:0 -
I think a lot of people go into it thinking that they have to give up a bunch of stuff, or exercise every single day. That kind of sudden change often isn't sustainable. Personally I recommend changing things gradually, and only making changes you can stick with forever.
For some, if they have one off day they just throw the whole thing out. Someone told me once that's like smashing your cell phone with a sledgehammer because you dropped it on the ground. That stuck with me.
And sometimes circumstances change and priorities shift. Losing weight isn't hard but it takes commitment. If something happens in your life that messes up your focus it can really throw off your progress.
Finally I think once you go to maintenance it's not as exciting and it's easier to quit.
I've been here gradually losing weight on and off for a couple of years. I hope that by making changes slowly and not depriving myself I am setting myself up for success.0 -
I see it like a house - if I want my house to look neat and clean I need to tidy it up and clean it once a week. When I don't it starts looking like a mess, and I don't like that.
If I want to be in my best health I need to balance out my eating - eat healthy, and include physical activity daily. When I slip and catch it, straighten it out and get it back on track. It is ok to have a doughnut once in a while. You have to find what works for you. It might be knowing that on Saturdays you allow yourself food that you don't eat during the week. The great thing is that God gives us new start with every morning, and so does MFP :happy:
I love this! I was thinking about a way to put it in my head, this will work for me! Thanks!0 -
Bump0
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I lost 10 kilos about ten months ago and I was looking and feeling pretty good,I wasn't yet at my goal weight,but still,everything was going well.
Then at some point I just snapped.I wanted to eat,not just eat actually,but binge.I wanted to eat chocolate,sandwiches with a lot of mayo,pizza,cakes...All the things I wasn't allowed to eat.So I thought I should give myself a break and enjoy the food for a little while.The little while turned into months and I gained it all back and put on a little more.
I think this was a lesson learned for me,well,at least i hope so.
The only advice that I have is: do not reward yourself with food when you lose weight.Reward yourself with new clothes,a trip,a new haircut,a massage or something,just not food.Think of a treat(like two little cubes of chocolate,a chocolate cappuccino or whatever you like that isn't so high in calories) that you'd have every two days or so, just to satisfy your cravings.Do that even now when you're on your weight loss journey.Just so that you don't snap like I did.
I bet you've heard about that guy who lost like 200 lbs or something and then he had a hot dog to treat himself for all the effort he put into losing weight (it's so ironic now that I think about it) and then that one hot dog turned into a few hot dogs a day and he gained all the weight back.Don't be that guy.0 -
I'm sure there are many reasons people end up gaining weight back. Mostly, I think it's because they tend to think of it as a diet and deprive themselves of things they like, so when they have lost the weight and feel they can go back to eating the way they used to, it fails. I believe you have to approach it as a lifestyle change and not a diet. This counting calories thing is something that can be maintained as a normal way of life, unlike most, if not all, fad diets. Don't completely deprive yourself of the things you like, just have them in moderation as long as they are within your calorie (and other) goals.
I have been there before, too. But this is the first time I feel different about it. I feel I need to log my food and exercise at this point. My friend told me the other day that she could never take the time to do what I am doing (logging everything I put in my mouth) and she knows how to lose the weight...just cutting portions and not eating out of boredom. But you know what? She doesn't do it. This works for me. Maybe sometime in the future, I will not need to log everything I eat, but I find that holding myself accountable is what is working. Before this, I ate (and drank) so many calories blindly.
I agree 100%. I am trying to be conscient of everything I eat, getting rid of things which are not healthy. I hope this is indeed a change in lifestyle that will last even after I reach my goal. It also works better for me logging everything.. maybe one day I won't need to do it on a daily basis, but at least on the days after a bigger feast, just to put my body in order again.0 -
I lost 10 kilos about ten months ago and I was looking and feeling pretty good,I wasn't yet at my goal weight,but still,everything was going well.
Then at some point I just snapped.I wanted to eat,not just eat actually,but binge.I wanted to eat chocolate,sandwiches with a lot of mayo,pizza,cakes...All the things I wasn't allowed to eat.So I thought I should give myself a break and enjoy the food for a little while.The little while turned into months and I gained it all back and put on a little more.
I think this was a lesson learned for me,well,at least i hope so.
The only advice that I have is: do not reward yourself with food when you lose weight.Reward yourself with new clothes,a trip,a new haircut,a massage or something,just not food.Think of a treat(like two little cubes of chocolate,a chocolate cappuccino or whatever you like that isn't so high in calories) that you'd have every two days or so, just to satisfy your cravings.Do that even now when you're on your weight loss journey.Just so that you don't snap like I did.
I bet you've heard about that guy who lost like 200 lbs or something and then he had a hot dog to treat himself for all the effort he put into losing weight (it's so ironic now that I think about it) and then that one hot dog turned into a few hot dogs a day and he gained all the weight back.Don't be that guy.
This is key. "Don't be that guy". And how do you do that? By setting a plan for yourself that doesn't involve deprivation. Don't eliminate entire categories of foods or swear off of sweets forever. That's not realistic for most of us. During this process if you want a hotdog, have a hotdog, but track it and make sure it fits into your daily calories.
I think that the most successful changes come just from tracking what you are eating. I can have onion rings, but if I eat too many, I know that it's going to take up so many of my carb/fat/calories for the day. I'm not saying "never" to those onion rings but by tracking it, I realize that if I make different choices, I can actually eat more food, healthier food, for those same calories. So then the choice is to eat the onion rings, or not to eat the onion rings, or to eat fewer of the onion rings; I can decide that and whatever I choose is not right or wrong.
I think that's how the long term changes begin. It's about finding balance, but in order to find that, you need to be honest about what you are swallowing every single day.0 -
Thank you all for your honesty and views, I am enjoying seeing how great my skin looks and how good I feel,even though I have lost a minimal of weight at this time, I can feel the difference in myself and my body, just from eating whole foods and cutting out processed convenience foods. I have next to no aches 100% of the time and I feel energetic. I only hope I can avoid perhaps emotional? 'pitfalls'.0
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Stay active......don't overeat.
Know your caloric requirements to maintain your weight and stick to it0 -
Once you have reached goal weight, take your weight an multiply by 12. That is the amount of calories you can eat to not gain weight. This may take adjusting from your MFP calorie target a little at a time.0
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Demystify food. Log everything that goes in your mouth. When you mess up, look at it honestly and objectively and ask yourself what you have learned from this mistake and how you won't make the mistake again. It never gets easier; accept that and move on and take it one day, one bite at a time.
I've lost over 130 lbs after being fat to morbidly obese for over 50 years....and it is going to stay off this time because food no longer has power over me; I have power over food. It doesn't control me any more. When the urge to binge hits, I tell myself "we don't do that anymore" and I walk out of the kitchen.
You can do this. If I can, anyone can.0 -
... I am just curious about gaining weight again after reading 'success' stories...
So just wondering are there any tips to the pitfalls of going back to old habits? Is it old habits?
In my case, I fell out of my workout routine. Because I logged my exercise, I was able to track it from 2011 (lost over 100 pounds) and 2012 (gained 30 pounds) and found that I did 1/6 of the workouts versus 2011. And, although I have learned to eat healthier and to make smarter choices, I wasn't as careful about portion control as I had been when focusing on weight loss.0 -
For me logging my food and measuring is key. If I'm not logging I'm overeating. If I'm not measuring my food (i.e. 2 tbsp of creamer with my coffee, not just eyeing and assuming I only poured in 2 tbsp because the color looks right) I'm overeating. And I don't deprive myself of food I love. I just don't eat it nearly as much or in as great of quantities. I plan for treats in my daily calories (if I know I'm going to have pizza for dinner I log it in the morning and work the rest of my meals around that) and I give myself one meal a week to just eat whatever I want without worrying.
And, I truly believe a lot of it is a mindset. There comes a time in your life when you are just done being overweight. For me it was after I didn't lose the weight from having my first baby (I gained 60 and lost only 30 and I was overweight to begin with). I was within 5 pounds of my goal, got pregnant, had another baby and started again. I was within 15 pounds of my goal and got pregnant, had another baby and have started losing again (and for the last time since we're done having kids). In those six years I have gained about 150 pounds and have lost about 170 pounds. It's hard work, and it sucks at times, but if you want it more than anything then you'll do it and you won't give up.0 -
Mine is so much about portion control, I had a piece of chocolate the other day, my daughter had a block in her room and I was curious, could I have a piece without wanting more, I was suprised how easily I did it, The same my son bought me home gravy and chips, I kidded 'how could you' and told him the dogs would be having it, I ate3 chips (fries) and easily gave it to the dogs, I would never had done that before Don't get me wrong I wasn't a chips and gravy person. But occasionally when I didn't feel like cooking that is something I enjoyed as a treat.
It isn't just the weight I want to lose it is aches and pains from not eating whole foods.
I am also finding it easier to not binge on a treat, which was a bad habit, because I am logging, I am conscious of it counting, but at the same time I don't feel deprived or like it is a hard slog. I just want to be able to do it for the rest of my life.0 -
I can speak from personal experience as 2 years ago I had lost just over 40 pounds. 2 years later and I have gained it all back and even a bit more.
To be honest, the big thing that changed for me was moving back home for the summer. I had been away to school and finally felt in control of my life. I joined MFP and my life changed. It took me about 6 months to lose the weight. I was exercising regularly and eating healthy. People were amazed with my transformation and I was so proud of myself.
Then when I moved back home, it all went wrong. Although people in my life were all supportive, I found our lifestyles didn't fit anymore. My parents bought our groceries and though they would buy me any healthy foods that I wanted, they still continued to buy junk. It was all over the house.
The first couple months were difficult, but I still managed to stay in control of what I ate. But it got increasingly hard to say no to things. When I was losing weight, I would never have more than one treat a day but when they kept constantly being offered to me and it was almost frowned upon that I wouldn't accept them - I started to say yes to the little things. Little things started turning into meals. It felt "bad" and though I did allow the occasioanl treat before, when I started making unhealthy choices it almost felt that I had been deprived before. And then, the exercise stopped.
Another big thing was my friends. I was 19 years old at the time and none of my friends had any issues with weight like I did. They could eat pizza, ice cream, burgers, and nothing would happen to them. So when I started hanging out with them again when I came home, they didn't understand my lifestyle. I tried so hard to keep my healthy habits up but it felt like I wanted to fit in again. They didn't understand why I couldn't eat what they ate and rolled their eyes everytime I ordered a salad at a restaurant instead of nachos and fries.
As much as I want to blame other people, it was my choice to get heavy again. I can't blame anyone but myself.
I would give anything to shake that girl and tell her to BE STRONG. To tell her to inspire her friends to eat healthy instead of conforming to their lifestyles. I can't tell you how awful it feels to have come so far and lose it all. People look at you almost like you're pathetic. You lose respect and feel ashamed to go out. I have cancelled so many plans to meet up with friends I had seen when I lost the weight just because I didn't want them to see me again. I even considered not going back to school, but I did. Though I'm happy I did, it was so hard seeing people I hadn't seen for months after they had told me what an inspiration I am and how proud they were of me. I feel like such a failure in their eyes.
Ironically, some of my friends from home (who could eat anything they wanted and nothing happened) have gained weight as I'm sure their poor eating habits have started to affect them. They finally understand what I went through.
Fortunately I am getting back on track and joined MFP once again. I'm exercising regularly and making healthy food choices with the occasional treat
I've lost 7 pounds, but have a long way to go. So excited to get back to my healthy ways.
I try not to regret anything, as I believe everything is a lesson. Anything can be a positive experience if you make it one.
Hope this provides some perspective for you. If anything I'd say keep it up, keep it up. It's hard work to live a healthy life but it's worth it. If you're unhappy going to the gym everyday, you won't be any happier being disappointed with the mirror everyday. But I'm happy I have you guys, you inspire me everyday. So, thank you!0 -
@Char3 My daughter bought my favourite ice cream flavour today, even though I had made a small bowl of yoghurt I added a scoop, and even though it tasted of chemicals I still ate it. I know I won't have it again, but I understand having the temptation around can be a slippery slope.0
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I've found comfort in making healthful choices when it comes to food, rather than eating too much of it. I enjoy food but I've changed my eating habits to very healthful ones so I get to enjoy food without having to worry about the calories and weight gain. I think the best way to keep the weight off is to not think of your weight loss experience as a 'diet' but as a lifestyle change. You will adapt to these new eating habits and it'll become second nature to choose something healthful over something fried or drowned in sugar. And don't forget, after eating a certain way for a while, your taste will totally change and you'll find yourself enjoying things you never would've before!0
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I did really well for sometime, but then summer came along. Then it was time to meet everyone at the lake and then you get a lot of pontoon time and beer, well that doesn't add up good. I ended up gaining 6lbs back, I cried, cried. I was so down, depressed, I just am getting out of it. I would come up with so many reasons that I gained.
This week I have dusted off my DVD 30 Day Shred and started running(C25K) it's time to get exercising. Another thing my husband said he wanted to start working out with me, I was excited but he never would go. So know I'm just going to go and do it and if he wants to come with then great.
I have my niece wedding in June and I want to lose 20lbs by then.0 -
I lost 10 kilos about ten months ago and I was looking and feeling pretty good,I wasn't yet at my goal weight,but still,everything was going well.
Then at some point I just snapped.I wanted to eat,not just eat actually,but binge.I wanted to eat chocolate,sandwiches with a lot of mayo,pizza,cakes...All the things I wasn't allowed to eat.So I thought I should give myself a break and enjoy the food for a little while.The little while turned into months and I gained it all back and put on a little more.
I think this was a lesson learned for me,well,at least i hope so.
The only advice that I have is: do not reward yourself with food when you lose weight.Reward yourself with new clothes,a trip,a new haircut,a massage or something,just not food.Think of a treat(like two little cubes of chocolate,a chocolate cappuccino or whatever you like that isn't so high in calories) that you'd have every two days or so, just to satisfy your cravings.Do that even now when you're on your weight loss journey.Just so that you don't snap like I did.
I bet you've heard about that guy who lost like 200 lbs or something and then he had a hot dog to treat himself for all the effort he put into losing weight (it's so ironic now that I think about it) and then that one hot dog turned into a few hot dogs a day and he gained all the weight back.Don't be that guy.
This is key. "Don't be that guy". And how do you do that? By setting a plan for yourself that doesn't involve deprivation. Don't eliminate entire categories of foods or swear off of sweets forever. That's not realistic for most of us. During this process if you want a hotdog, have a hotdog, but track it and make sure it fits into your daily calories.
I think that the most successful changes come just from tracking what you are eating. I can have onion rings, but if I eat too many, I know that it's going to take up so many of my carb/fat/calories for the day. I'm not saying "never" to those onion rings but by tracking it, I realize that if I make different choices, I can actually eat more food, healthier food, for those same calories. So then the choice is to eat the onion rings, or not to eat the onion rings, or to eat fewer of the onion rings; I can decide that and whatever I choose is not right or wrong.
I think that's how the long term changes begin. It's about finding balance, but in order to find that, you need to be honest about what you are swallowing every single day.
^^^^^This for sure. I also think that mentally it helps me so much more to concentrate on adding whole, healthy food to my diet and not to concentrate on what I need to take away. I find that exercise is key for me also. Now that I am aware of calorie counts and how much I need to workout to fit those onion rings into my day they lose some of their appeal. I have found also if I eat nutritionally empty calories I am much hungrier at the end of the day. So, most of the time I eat healthy but if I crave something I evaluate why I'm craving it and if it is really that particular item I want or if it is just something sweet, salty, crunchy etc...if it is just one of those things then I go for a healthy snack instead of the bad one. For instance I will have a bowl of Greek yogurt at night with fruit and a drizzle of honey because I crave sweet and creamy after dinner. For me, I have found that much more satisfying than a bowl of ice cream. And it is meeting my protein and calcium needs along with the nutrients and antioxidants from the berries. But, sometimes I really just want that bowl of ice cream, so I have it. No guilt and no binging or falling off the wagon because all things are permissible to me.0 -
Too many people are still stuck in a "diet" mentality, where they'll do things they can't do long term to lose the weight, then they stop.
Maintaining isn't any different than losing. You just have a few more calories to play with. You still need to track your intake, still need to exercise, still need to do everything you did to lose.
In some ways, maintaining is harder. Harder to stay motivated. Losing weight is exciting! You see progress on the scale and as your clothes start getting loose, and people tell you how great you're doing and how much smaller you look.
No one ever says, "Holy crap! You're the same size as you were two years ago! How did you do it???" :laugh:
You have to dig deeper to stay motivated when there's not a lot of tangible "progress."0 -
Too many people are still stuck in a "diet" mentality, where they'll do things they can't do long term to lose the weight, then they stop.
Maintaining isn't any different than losing. You just have a few more calories to play with. You still need to track your intake, still need to exercise, still need to do everything you did to lose.
In some ways, maintaining is harder. Harder to stay motivated. Losing weight is exciting! You see progress on the scale and as your clothes start getting loose, and people tell you how great you're doing and how much smaller you look.
No one ever says, "Holy crap! You're the same size as you were two years ago! How did you do it???" :laugh:
You have to dig deeper to stay motivated when there's not a lot of tangible "progress."
Perfectly said! Agree!0 -
Too many people are still stuck in a "diet" mentality, where they'll do things they can't do long term to lose the weight, then they stop.
Maintaining isn't any different than losing. You just have a few more calories to play with. You still need to track your intake, still need to exercise, still need to do everything you did to lose.
In some ways, maintaining is harder. Harder to stay motivated. Losing weight is exciting! You see progress on the scale and as your clothes start getting loose, and people tell you how great you're doing and how much smaller you look.
No one ever says, "Holy crap! You're the same size as you were two years ago! How did you do it???" :laugh:
You have to dig deeper to stay motivated when there's not a lot of tangible "progress."
Perfectly said! Agree!0 -
Make being healthy and fit a fun thing, do exercise you like doing, learn recipes for healthy things and find ones you love, try new foods, try new active hobbies.. build up an arsenal of awesome healthful things that are no problem for you to get back into if you slip up.
I might eat junk food over a couple of weeks while on holiday but by the end of it I'm excited to start eating home cooked healthy meals again!0
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