Slowly gaining weight after a 40 pounds weight loss

isanomade
isanomade Posts: 21 Member
in Motivation and Support
When I first lost weight I used to be so good with food tracking. I was training much less that I do now but I was really committed to measure and weight everything I ate. I was almost obsess with it. I received a lot of compliments from friends and family during my weight loss period. This was a great period of my life. I worked hard but it gave me results that everybody could see. Over the last year I slowly gain back 10 pounds. Nobody around me mentioned it but I can tell that they noticed. I feel ashame that I let myself go to my old binge eating habits.

I just try some nice skirt that I bought 2 years ago and they are very tight and uncomfortable. I hate feeling fat. I know I can do better. I know I can feel better. The feeling of being in control and getting lighter ans smaller is amazing. I want to find that again. I need to find a way to override my binge eating impulse so I can loose weight again. I want the motivation to track everything I eat and do so I can be accountable for my actions.

Any tips? Anybody in the same boat as me?

Thank you!
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Replies

  • chillmcgren
    chillmcgren Posts: 31 Member
    I lost 60 pounds but have gained back about 15. I had stopped strength training and counting calories, and decreased my workouts from 6 intense workouts a week to 5, then 4, etc. until I had a few months where I got to the gym only a few times a month.

    My 'skinny jeans' stopped fitting, then my bigger pants started to get too tight, then I ended up fishing out an old pair I grew out of a long time ago.

    I've gone back to counting calories. Part of my struggle is that around the time I stopped counting calories I went vegan. Part of what made me successful in going vegan was finding 'swaps' so that has meant a lot of experimenting with cookies and cakes. Well, I am eating delicious food, but I am eating a lot of it. Also those darn sweets. Always were my problem.

    I've also gone back to working out more intensely. I had previously done the Supreme 90 Day system (similar to P90X but much cheaper) and my husband and I are starting to do that again. It sucks to not be able to lift the heavy weights I used to do, but I can still do more than when I started, so I have high hopes of whipping my body back into beast mode.
  • chillmcgren
    chillmcgren Posts: 31 Member
    One thing I used to do (back in my omnivore days) is make a deal with myself that if I only ate food I brought to work and didn't snack on the seemingly endless selection of cakes and cookies in the staff lounge all week that I could go to Cold Stone on Friday and have a treat.

    I tried shifting the treat to something non-food, but it didn't work for me.

    I guess it depends on when/why/where you're doing most of your bingeing.
  • samanthalee87
    samanthalee87 Posts: 178
    I had lost ab 15 lbs last year and the same thing happened - everyone noticed and congratulated me and told me how great I was looking and how much happier I was. But then school started again and I began putting the pounds back on because I wasn't keeping up with my workouts or eating as well as I should have been. I ended up gaining about 5 lbs back which I have since lost since January and am working on losing more. I pack my food every day and workout 6x a week doing Insanity, which has given me amazing results so far. I also make sure to log onto MFP every single day. Even if I don't feel like tracking, I still log on because when I see the losses of my MFP friends, or them killing their workouts, it motivates me to get off my butt and eat healthy.

    Are you working out and tracking diligently now? What are you doing to start working towards taking the 10 lbs off again?
  • wendybird5
    wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
    The biggest challenge is actually maintaining after the weight loss. We can't just go back to our old eating habits. That's why I tried to pick an eating and fitness lifestyle that I was willing to maintain for the rest of my life so that I could keep the weight off and stay healthy. However you choose to lose weight, make it something you can live with the rest of your life and it will be that much easier to not go back.
  • Yetta729
    Yetta729 Posts: 68 Member
    Same thing happened to me ... well no, I let it happen. I had lost 40lbs by last June, then I went to Germany for the summer to visit all my family and I gained about 5lbs back. Which I knew would happen and I was okay with that. I had planned to start my work out and calorie counting when I got back.
    BUT ... when I got back it was a very stressful time: I did not do my work outs as scheduled and I got depressed about that which let to more eating ...well, I gained another 10 lbs back.
    I kicked myself and started my work out again: Turbo Fire, following the schedule and eating my BMR + exercise calories ... I am stuck right now.
    Not really sure what to do now ... I looked back over my journal from last year when I lost the weight and I noticed that I ate right at BMR (which is about 1600 for me) .... what I am planning on doing is to follow that for one month, see where it takes me.
    If that does not get rid of some of the poundage ... well, I cross that bridge when I am there

    See, you are not alone in the dang boat ... :-)
  • retiree2006
    retiree2006 Posts: 951 Member
    You're smart to catch this when it is manageable rather than gain every pound back, which happens way too often. If you've kept a food/exercise log maybe you can refer back to it as your own guide that you know works. It's hard to get that motivation to begin again, but just commit to one day at a time and as you feel less "bloated" you'll rediscover the fit feeling you'd had before.

    Good luck on getting back in the game. You've proven you can do it and this time you'll be more aware that it isn't "diet until" but eat healthy for life.
  • Scott2ndGradeTeacher
    Scott2ndGradeTeacher Posts: 147 Member
    It seems be a "yo-yo" kind of thing, which seems normal.

    I would try and accept the 2nd "yo" (gaining), while trying to focus on the 1st "yo" (losing).

    If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
  • manda1978
    manda1978 Posts: 525 Member
    Yep this is me too. I sway 3kg which is enough to make my clothes tight. Once I move into my 'fat' pants (one size up from my usual) I know its time to start tracking calories and upping my training again. Its annoying but I'm OK that I only let myself go to 3kg.
  • isanomade
    isanomade Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks for all the support!

    When I lost the weight I didn't let any excuse stopped me from reaching my goal. I am tracking someday, but I am not very good at it. I eat healthy in the beginning of the day and I binge eat at night after supper. I have to restart from fresh, again.
  • TLWallperson
    TLWallperson Posts: 125
    Yup...been there, done that. Almost two years ago I began my new lifestyle...eating healthy and exersizing. Lost a lot of weight right.away, but then we moved and it was close to the holidays. Did ok at that point...didn't gain any weight back and after the new year got myself back into gear. But in the summer (2012) we visited family for a couple of weeks and after we returned home went through severe depression. Fell off the wagon and the next several months just did not care. Ended up gaining back about 15 lbs and was seriously thinking about throwing myself off a cliff. Thankfully I got my head back together and found myself more determined then ever to get back into it. So in Jan. of this year I started again. Finally lost the 15 lbs plus a couple more and have been extremely glad that I didn't wait any longer then I already had otherwise I would probably have gained ALL the weight back plus more and that would have put me at 300lbs.
    I know it's difficult, but if you think about where you might be a year from now do you see yourself having gained back all your weight or being 10, 15, 20 lbs lighter then you are now. Even a 5 lb loss is still a loss. Do it for yourself because you want to be healthy. Be determined and make that conscious decision to get back on track.
    Good luck and if I can do it, you can to.
  • isanomade
    isanomade Posts: 21 Member
    Oh yeah and to answer samanthalee87 I do work out almost everyday. I am very active and this is why I "only gained" 10 pounds. If I did not workout I would probably be back to 200lbs. I have a healthy eating habits at the beginning of the day, and I often make bad choices after my workouts at night or when I am alone in front of my computer.
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
    The biggest challenge is actually maintaining after the weight loss. We can't just go back to our old eating habits. That's why I tried to pick an eating and fitness lifestyle that I was willing to maintain for the rest of my life so that I could keep the weight off and stay healthy. However you choose to lose weight, make it something you can live with the rest of your life and it will be that much easier to not go back.
    PERFECT post. Kudos! :-)
  • pwittek10
    pwittek10 Posts: 723 Member
    I have noticed that what we did before, doesn't work the same the 2 time around
    I do not know why that is. it is driving me crazy!
    I want to stay at 117, it slowly went up to 122, I am doing what I did before to lose but
    it is not going down!
    BUMMER!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    The biggest challenge is actually maintaining after the weight loss. We can't just go back to our old eating habits. That's why I tried to pick an eating and fitness lifestyle that I was willing to maintain for the rest of my life so that I could keep the weight off and stay healthy. However you choose to lose weight, make it something you can live with the rest of your life and it will be that much easier to not go back.
    PERFECT post. Kudos! :-)

    I second that!
  • dogpeeps
    dogpeeps Posts: 57 Member
    Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom (and to let me know I'm not alone.). I had lost 60# on Weight Watchers and then had surgery where during recovery time doc said NO dieting. Then I had an injury after that and now I'm 20#s heavier. :( Part of my problem now is that I was so WW minded I'm having a tough time with the transition. Do I really do the 1200 calories and eat back any activity calories or figure a higher daily calorie intake? In the end I feel so guilty and ashamed of my move backwards. Thanks again for the encouraging words I have renewed hope.
  • chillmcgren
    chillmcgren Posts: 31 Member
    nothing like actually eating 1200 calories for my weight loss to STOP.

    I lose the most when I aim for 1500-1800
  • mangojh2
    mangojh2 Posts: 175 Member
    Mine is much worse than yours. I lost 38 lbs last year and gained it ALL back plus more. Now I have to lose it all again... plus more. Never again I tell you!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    First of all, you need to force yourself to log. That's the easy part.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    The biggest challenge is actually maintaining after the weight loss. We can't just go back to our old eating habits. That's why I tried to pick an eating and fitness lifestyle that I was willing to maintain for the rest of my life so that I could keep the weight off and stay healthy. However you choose to lose weight, make it something you can live with the rest of your life and it will be that much easier to not go back.

    Yes... and no...

    I agree that the biggest challenge is maintaining. There's a reason so many of us "more mature" MFPers have many experiences of losing and gaining weight. But I think it's more than picking an eating and fitness lifestyle you can maintain. I've NEVER followed diets etc. I've always lost weight by healthy eating, smaller quantities and exercise. But sadly I think I have to accept that for this to work for me I'll need to be prepared to log, weigh regularly and generally be obsessive for the rest of my life.

    I just point that out because it's more than just choosing something you can live with. You also have to deal with the reality of living with it. And for many of us I suspect that's never going to be easy.
  • mattschwartz01
    mattschwartz01 Posts: 566 Member
    Not only am I in the same boat but arguably worse off. I lost a lot of weight 11 years ago only to be back at the starting point. First off, you simply must log your exercise and food. Secondly, be kind to yourself and let the past go because you cannot change it. Thirdly, see the second point. I wish you all of the best.
  • catricea
    catricea Posts: 4
    I have the same issue. I eat great at work and throughout the day but, when I come home, not so good. I am working on it and it has taken me four months to lose 20 pounds. I have been trying to be deligent about tracking my food, even the bad stuff. I have come to the realization that a 45 year-old woman that wants to maintain a healthy weight cannot eat like a teenager. I have to give up some of the foods that I love. I can't just workout and eat whatever I want.
  • catricea
    catricea Posts: 4
    One day at a time. You can do it.
  • skinnytayy
    skinnytayy Posts: 459
    Well I'm basically in the same situation. In 2010, I lost 30lbs using MFP and I veered off track and gained 29lbs back. Finally decided enough was enough and got my butt back on here. I eat 10x better now anyways and it helps that I have a wedding in December. Really want to "wow" my family and friends.

    You can do it! Just get back in here & log everyday, no excuses. Then work on making healthier choices and control your portions. Get your workout on & you'll be good as new in no time. =)
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    I'm in the same boat. I lost 20 pounds and reached my goal weight, and I felt amazing. But I felt like I was too obsessed with tracking my food, almost to an unhealthy level. So I stopped tracking. I *thought* I was eating just as healthy and exercising as much, but over the past couple months I've gained back 5 pounds. I'm back to tracking now to lose them again and then I'm going to try again. It's rough, we've just gotta hang in there until we get it right.
  • Christinesyear
    Christinesyear Posts: 100 Member
    I could have sritten this post. I have nothing to add, other than I fell where you are. I can't ever bear to change my ticker becasue if I do, that to me is failure. I can't wait to get back to better workouts and my life (after 9 weeks of jury duty, on which I gained 8 pounds)). I am off to a rough start. I have got to get this under control.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    When I first lost weight I used to be so good with food tracking. I was training much less that I do now but I was really committed to measure and weight everything I ate.

    ^^^Do this again. You can do it!
  • mumtoonegirl
    mumtoonegirl Posts: 586 Member
    I realized that this is my life going forward, when I was 75lbs overweight at some point in your life for me I know that food tracking and fitness is part of my day to day. Keeps me focused.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I really needed to see this post. I am at my last two pounds, which will give me five pounds of insurance. I am so afraid of gaining everything back. I have promised myself that if I gain five pounds I will refocus. I, too would freak out at 10. But, it's still only 10. You realized it at a small gain. You aren't looking up the mountain of a large gain. If I gain again, I hope to God I am able to do what you are doing.
  • donald149
    donald149 Posts: 211 Member
    I'd recommend logging your food. (If you don't already) Nothing helps you eat cleaner than a group of random Internet strangers. :)
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    The biggest challenge is actually maintaining after the weight loss. We can't just go back to our old eating habits. That's why I tried to pick an eating and fitness lifestyle that I was willing to maintain for the rest of my life so that I could keep the weight off and stay healthy. However you choose to lose weight, make it something you can live with the rest of your life and it will be that much easier to not go back.

    Yes... and no...

    I agree that the biggest challenge is maintaining. There's a reason so many of us "more mature" MFPers have many experiences of losing and gaining weight. But I think it's more than picking an eating and fitness lifestyle you can maintain. I've NEVER followed diets etc. I've always lost weight by healthy eating, smaller quantities and exercise. But sadly I think I have to accept that for this to work for me I'll need to be prepared to log, weigh regularly and generally be obsessive for the rest of my life.

    I just point that out because it's more than just choosing something you can live with. You also have to deal with the reality of living with it. And for many of us I suspect that's never going to be easy.

    I don't think it's too bad if you don't let it get away from you. The trick is not to let a few pounds become 5 pounds or 10 or...

    I've been at maintenance since July 2012. Because I NEVER want to have to lose 45 pounds again, I weigh myself everyday and allow a 2 pound fluctuation. When my weight is above that threshold (only happened a couple of times) I reduce my cals slightly or up the exercise for a week or two until it's back in range. It is much easier to lose 2 pounds than 20.

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