Yo-yo'er needing guidance

SamanthaB79
SamanthaB79 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I am a habitual yo-yo dieter. My whole life (at least as far back as I can remember) I've struggled with my weight. Sure, I can lose it...and lose it well....but, then I can gain it back just as easily. I've tired of going up and down, being on and off (I'm a very black and white thinker).

Have any of you overcome this? Are any of you battling this, too?

I would love to get some tips, guidance, any advice really...or, commiseration.

I'm "on" and losing right now...and I don't want to go back to the "other" side.

Replies

  • red869
    red869 Posts: 59
    Hi, I'm a typical yo-yo dieter. I go from one extreme to the other and this is something I've struggled with for most of my life. I'm hoping that this will be it now. I'm not anywhere near as strict with my diet and exercise as I have been in the past (still needs a lot of work though).

    I think the key to overcoming the yo-yo effect is to avoid being a perfectionist. If you have a bad day, or even a bad week, don't let that ruin everything. I think with me in the past, if I have a few bad days, then that is it, I give up and decide to start again and be better the next time around. Hopefully this time I won't give up! Good luck with your weight loss, we can do this! :)
  • Izzylew2
    Izzylew2 Posts: 5 Member
    I think the key to overcoming the yo-yo effect is to avoid being a perfectionist. If you have a bad day, or even a bad week, don't let that ruin everything. I think with me in the past, if I have a few bad days, then that is it, I give up and decide to start again and be better the next time around. Hopefully this time I won't give up! Good luck with your weight loss, we can do this! :)

    I think this is absolutely right!!! My ex-boyfriend explained this perfectly to me when I was going on about how I kept eating Butterfingers when I should be doing better. He said, "You want to know the main difference between guys and girls eating habits? A girl will eat a Butterfinger, obsess about it and will end up falling off the wagon... and a guy will think, Hmm, shouldn't have eaten that, I'll do better tomorrow. "

    I was seriously stunned by that, because in my life it's absolutely true. I'm a serious yo-yoer! I will be doing great but then something will come up (I eat something bad, or I miss a day at the gym) and I will use that as an excuse to let all of my progress go to waste.

    The key, and I'm definitely trying really hard to get this through my own head, is to give yourself a break every once in a while. No one is perfect. There are definitely such things as bad days. You just have to be a little stronger on the days following that. Just try and keep in mind those days where you wake up feeling like you're on top of the world and nothing can stop you. Don't think about the numbers of the scale or the size of your jeans. You're doing great! :)
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
    Yoyo dieting? No, I don`t know wh..... Oh, wait a minute, do you mean like 175 to 120 to 200 to 140 to 200 to 160 to 230 to..... now? Ok, yeah, I get it! :tongue:
    I`m a big time yoyo-er, probably could classify in the olympic!!
    But this is OVER!! My ```trick`` is that I WILL NEVER GO BACK to eating like I used too. I will NEVER STOP doing what works. I WILL NOT let a bad day or two bring me back to hell.
    It`s a commitment to CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE, not just your weight.
    The weight falling off or pilling on is simply a by-product of our habits. So, good habits = great weight. bad habits = bad weight.
    You can DO IT!!!!!!
  • SamanthaB79
    SamanthaB79 Posts: 2
    Thanks guys! It is nice to hear I'm not alone. I'm so tired of starting over, often at a higher weight than I was before. I'm 34 now and I fear this may be the last shot at losing weight easily. I'm trying not to be so strict, but limiting myself to small, small amounts of stuff my body doesn't like (like refined carbs).
  • FitMolly182
    FitMolly182 Posts: 303 Member
    You're definitely not alone
  • Arydria
    Arydria Posts: 179 Member
    Definitely not alone! I'm a long time yo-yo'er (I was yo-yo dieting before you were born!) I can go up and down 60 or 70 lbs the way a pianist can go up and down his scales. I also get depressed because it takes 30 or 40 lbs before my clothes really fit differently, so I will sometimes say "why bother"

    This time was different though. My husband had a frank discussion with me about how worried he was about my health. I quit making excuses (I get up too early, I get home too late.. I don't have time to exercise and cook properly) and took his words to heart. This time I don't intend to stop exercising when I hit my goal. And I will continue to log the food going into my mouth. Because this is the LAST time I intend to have to lose weight.

    Good luck and best wishes all! We can do this!!

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