advice from those who yo yo'd?

I've never been that obese but quite overweight at some point and all this is my own fault, since i actually started from a completely normal weight and due to dieting and overexercising cycles to lose, i had my binge-filled days/weeks/months. I've lost 10lbs, gained 20, lost some gained more, etc...now i have stretch marks and clothes for every size i've been...I seriously don't know what i was thinking in my bad cycles... looking back i think if only i would have started earlier...

I had to take some medication a while ago but i stopped taking it since it drained me from willpower and energy.

Just pick a moment and start here. Think about how this is your limit, this is your bottom, you shall not go or let yourself sink any further. Keep yourself motivated, start this moment, if it's evening, prepare for tomorrow, look for opportunities to move yourself. Go grocery shopping for healthy things. Set yourself small goals and maybe something to award yourself with when you reach it. Buy training equipment or clothes - it will be the best investment ever!

Keep pushing, keep trying, you may have fallbacks, but you only fail if you stop trying. Think positive!! You can do this!!

Hi, your not alone in this....
Two things that work for me is that
(1)I keep a Diary/notebook kind of thing and can look back
On when I was doing well and see where I fell off. I normally stop Logging Food, stop weighing
Myself and stop exercising..... This says it all......
(2) Take out my Fattest Photos and see how Happy I looked---- NOT....
Take time out, do yourself a plan for the following week taking one day at a time.
You CAN do it...... GO for it...and Good Luck !!!

I went through cycles of eating very low calories so I'd lose some weight, then I'd start eating my normal again and the weight would creep back on plus some, so I'd go back to eating very low calories again and lose some weight...What I relies now is that I put myself on an effective muscle loss and fat gain programme. Because I always stopped before I got too fat, I was never very obese, but still did a lot of damage. Also, something to do with glycogen I think, as time went on whenever I ate a proper meal I used to bloat up about 4 inches. I now have stretch marks when I had no stretch marks after having 2 babies.

So, damage done is done. I just have to fix it as best as I can. I started in January by
1-working out my body fat % (35%),
2-joining a gym and starting a lifting program (new rules of lifting for women)
3-plugging the information into fat to fits calculator as recommended by The in place of a road map group
4-eating at the resulting tdee for about 8 weeks as recommended by the eat more to weigh less group
5- after 8 weeks, eating at a small deficit from tdee (15%) to start to cut fat whilst maintaining what little muscle I added during the 8 weeks eating at tdee.
6- building up a group of friends who are also ditching the traditional concept of diet and aiming for long term health.

Results so far - my weight hasn't changed much but I've been eating 1800 -2000 calories a day since January instead of 1000 or less and maintaining/slowly losing weight. My body fat has reduced from 35% to 28% based on an average for the fat to fit calculators. I know that's not precise, but it shows a significant improvement. I don't feel deprived and so after 5 months I don't feel any need to stop what I'm doing or in any danger of yo yoing. When I eat a big meal my waist increases by about half inch now instead of 4.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is don't go for the fast weight loss diet. You will in all probability end up right back where you are now. Take stock of where you are, do some work to calculate a long term sustainable healthy eating plan, add in some sensible exercise including strength training and you will get to where you want to be.

I hear you. I struggled with weight since high school. I yo yo'd with weight and tried all sorts of different things to try and lose it. Never stuck with anything, and I'd always gain it back, with interest.

In high school I tried diet pills and got down to under 120lb and was told by many I was TOO thin and needed to gain some weight back. That and the pills were definitely not good for me. I stopped the pills and the weight started coming back.

I was also diagnosed with epilepsy in HS and was put on some medication and one side effect - weight gain. Of course.

Weight continued to creep up and up and up. I got married. Had a baby. And gained about 30lbs, in addition to all the previous weight I'd gained. Oh... and my epilepsy meds had been increased a few times throughout the years, and I was put on a second anti-seizure med, AND a thyroid med.

I tried several diets, weight loss programs including but not limited to Weight Watchers and MFP, Slim Fast, and I never could stick with anything. I joined gyms, workout programs, and would never continue with them or I'd quit. I'd never been very active in HS or after. I have a bum knee and I personally don't like "exercise" (i.e. running, biking, gyms, etc).

I have a terribly self-esteem problem, confidence problem, and a huge complex about myself that I need to get over. I know that.

I am on my second week of MFP and so far I am doing good. I feel great. And I have a wonderful supportive group of friends.

Feel free to add me if you want!!! I know exactly what you're talking about. I've been/am where you are/were!!!!