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

I am guilty as well. I lost over 70 lbs originally, then I got news we were being relocated out state for my husbands job. The stresses involved with that , house selling, and everything that goes along with it got the best of me and I just completely gave up. I gained over 30lbs so here I am trying to get that back off now. I don't really have any advice for you, but I am just taking it one day at a time and am telling myself that next time there is stress I cannot lose control!

Started this back after I graduated in 2010 was 254 and that was my highest at the time(262 is my highest now).Lost about 30lbs had a lot of stuff happen all at once near the end of 2011 gained it all back then decided to get back to it again. Lost 14 lbs 15 inches more stuff happened gained it all back again. I've been up and down with my weight loss for a long time now really and what I'm learning this time around is that I have to take it one day at a time and not keep looking at the big picture cause it over whelms me then I fail that much quicker. OH can't deprive myself or I fail again so everything in moderation.And when I feel like stress/binge eating I go on a walk/do some sort of exercise or journal how I am feeling. Journaling everything has helped me so much that its part of my routine for the end of the day now and I feel so much better after I do so.:)

I lost 46 pounds 10 years ago. About 3 years ago my work life became very stressful and I gained 35 of it back. In July 2012 I hated the way I looked and felt and wanted to do something about it. i made some good changes and lost 35 pounds but lost momentum during the holidays and gained 4 back. It would have been really easy to gain the rest of the weight back.

In February I decided I AM going to change. What I'm doing differently is that I've made up my mind that there is absolutely no going back and I pack my gym bag every night before I go to bed and give myself no room for excuses the next morning. Since Valentine's day I've lost 9 for a total loss of 40. I also decided that my gym time would be more focused and driven. I started C25K, which I love. I do it on the elliptical instead of the treadmill so I don't have the impact. I also do strength training every day, alternating upper and lower body. As a result of that I'm down from the upper side of size 14 to a 12!

When it comes right down to it, it's all about mindset. You have to get your thoughts on the right track and not let anything derail you. I have days when I'd rather crawl back in bed but I've learned that once I start moving, I feel better. Good Luck!

don't make your exercise program based on a perfect model of what SHOULD be done. what is the minimum to be done?
what fits in your schedule? where and when, with anyone? you need a basic simple plan to stick to when you're really busy.
workouts that are quick and effective, so fun and quick there's no excuse of I don't have time or I don't want to. and then more workouts for when you have more time. and keep changing it up so you always look forward to your meals, workouts, the future.

This, along with what others have said - find an exercise routine that you LIKE! And keep it effective. I hate the dreadmill, so why slave away at it?? I also found a sport I love - rugby. It's my motivation to keep pushing myself to get in better shape - faster, stronger. I was 50lb heavier when I started playing less than 3 years ago. For a while I was worried, what would happen once I stopped playing - what would be my motivation then?? Will I just gain it all back? I've realized now, it's not all about that. It's about me and my health. When I don't play anymore, I'll have time to do all the other things I don't have time for now - canoeing, kayaking, hiking, racquetball, etc. And who knows what else I'll find then!

I signed up in April 2011. I started at 180 lbs. Somehow, through reduced calorie eating, I dropped to 162-64 and basically stayed there. And stayed there. And stayed there. Got bored & frustrated, fell off the wagon.

Came back early summer last year at around 179-180 lbs. Couldn't make it on 1200 calories, said to myself, "Self? Screw it!" and resumed normal, unhealthy lifestyle.

Slipped on the ice in early January and smacked my head pretty good. Went to the doctor and jumped on the scale and when it shrieked, "ONE HUNDRED NINETY-TWO POUNDS" that was my wake up call.

Started out the usual way - 1200 calories a day, walking/learning to get my jog on, was hungry, cranky and tired. Thought, "Crap...here we go again, this is not going to be sustainable for me."

What's different this time? I started seeing acronyms like "TDEE" and "BMR" and didn't know what they meant. This time around I was more bored at work than I was the first two times and actually perused the forums a lot more. Found "In Place of a Road Map" and read. And read some more.

On top of that? I found an exercise that I love even more than swimming - lifting weights. THIS will keep me motivated, because in just the six weeks I have been picking up heavy things and putting them down again? I have seen a marked improvement in my body composition. It is very liberating to lift that big ol' bar with the plates on it and know that it's going to not only be fun, but make me look and feel GREAT. Ok...that and it gives me a license to eat, too, LOL..I'm only what? 75 days in this go'round, but hey...I'm running my first 5K mud run (hopefully - I injured my back and am temporarily benched) on 4/13, and this is something I would NEVER have considered doing, even though I am not a huge fan of running, LOL...

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.

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.

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. :-)

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

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.