tips for not regaining weight loss long term

I believe it really is developing new habits. Finding a diet that satisfies you while controling your weight. Finding exercises that you enjoy. Finding a good balance between what you know you need to do and what you want to do. At least that's what has worked for me.

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:

This is one of the best comments I have read since being on MFP.

thank you for your wisdom

Amen! I totally agree!!

There's actual research that suggests that the body "fights back" after weight loss. Certainly extreme dieting slows metabolism, but even for folks who lose weight slowly and without too much deprivation, the body remains "attracted" to that higher set point and will send hunger cues. Check out HBO's series "Weight of a Nation" for more info on this.

Add to that the fact that all new habits get old after awhile, e.g. I used to log everything I put in my mouth religiously, but now it's so routine that I get sloppy about it - still do it, just not as rigorously accurate.

I lost 55 pounds a couple of years ago and am serious about keeping it off. I've had the increased hunger cues, etc., and my weight has fluctuated - 5 up, 7 down, etc. The best news I've heard in awhile is that if you up your protein intake, you can actually eat more calories per day than if you stick to a high carb/reduced fat plan and still maintain weight loss. With that in mind, I now intentionally eat more eggs, reduced fat cheese, chicken, salmon, beans, and lean beef. It does help keep me feeling full.

Finally, daily exercise really does matter - keeping that metabolism high is crucial. That's another challenge since life gets busy or I get sick, bored, etc.

I'm convinced that, for most of us, not regaining weight is actually more challenging than the initial weight loss. Good luck, everyone!

To avoid falling back to old habits and what i have found to work for me are:

Be true to yourself - No point lying about things, this could be food you have eaten, weight you have lost. At the end of the day it's only you you're lying to.

Cheat days - These certainly work for me. I have one every/couple weeks and eat what ever i fancy but without going overboard. If i haven't had a cheat day for a long period then i eat anything and still feel good.

Eat as healthy and clean throughout the week - If you do this, it makes you feel much better about yourself on days you eat what you want because you've worked so hard throughout the week.

Weight loss takes time - You always get these people who want to shred as much weight as possible in the little as possible time with these diet plans. Make your own and slowly cut the calories, it will work much better than someone else, remember it's a marathon not a race.

Also to wrap this up, by eating healthy foods or less calorie dense foods you can afford to eat much more.

Over a year ago I went from 256 to around 190ish. Then I quit smoking this summer and gained it all back except 3 pounds. Now that I'm a non-smoker for the most part (1-2 smokes a month) I've re-dedicated myself to the weight loss and have lost about 9 pounds so far. I'm mad at myself because I know I used it as an excuse and I have a tendency to binge eat to begin with and this was like opening the flood gates. I'm also mad cause I let my exercise go and I've got so much lost ground to make up for. But the important part is that I'm back at it and the scale is moving in the right direction with counting cals and exercise.