Slowly gaining weight after a 40 pounds weight loss

One day at a time. You can do it.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Your scenario is pretty common, I think. When losing weight there is a goal. And there is noticeable improvement that others compliment on. In maintenance, the goal is nothing. Not gaining is typically not noticed or complimented by others. We lose that momentum and that praise that kept us going. It's probably the biggest reason people yo-yo diet.

It might be helpful to set non-weight related goals for yourself. Whether it be eating related or fitness related. For you, perhaps small goals related to binging would be helpful.

I understand very well. If you're able to setup a sustainable lifestyle now without having another year go by with another 10 lbs added, I'd highly suggest that. I had lost 60 lbs in 2005. It took the 5 years after that to gain it all back. I had done the same roughly - add 10 lbs each year.

For me I stopped with the exercise I had done during loss so it's finding what you can keep doing as a lifestyle. Make sure your calories are at the optimum level for you, as it may help to not have binges.

Also be aware of what's the first thing that gets dropped when you're sliding up, and try to make sure that first thing doesn't slide.
I think it's mostly being mindful of what your state is in during weight loss and what it gets to in the upward slide.

For myself this time around, I am doing less exercise as I know that's the first to get dropped if I'm doing too much. It's just setting up the routine for myself and making sure it's at a level I can maintain for life. In the future, when I'm ready, I'll add more.

I'd like to add that you will stay at the lower weight only if you maintain the lifestyle that got you there. Did you binge eat when you lost the weight? Also, you may want to explore seeing a therapist about why you binge eat to address the underlying reason because simply stopping is very difficult long-term without addressing the why you do it.