Anybody LOST a lot of weight then GAINED it all back?

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  • hoyalawya2003
    hoyalawya2003 Posts: 631 Member
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    I lost 37 lbs on weight watchers. And was hungry all.the.time. Part of it was because I was still eating more junk calories than I should, but part was because I was not exercising. So I gained back about 21 lbs. My new, smaller pants were too tight and I was miserable, so I finally decided to do something about it. I rejoined weight watchers, but wasn't really following the program as written (eating fewer points). I also started reading the Beck Diet Solution, which has helped me deal with my emotional issues related to food. After losing some weight, I joined MFP and so far I have lost 22 lbs (after the 2 lb Xmas/New Year's gain). Still have a ways to go, but I am much happier now--exercise burns give me more calories, more LBM burns more calories, and I am working on making better choices. And when weight loss stalls from time to time, I also have fitness goals to focus on.

    So, the short version is: make sure your emotional issues concerning food are addressed, and EXERCISE!
  • jamesc9282014
    jamesc9282014 Posts: 30
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    I lost 97 pounds and kept it off for over a year. Fell back into my old ways and gained 67 back. Am here again at day 1
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    More times than I can count.
  • tabithamason
    tabithamason Posts: 10
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    10 years ago, I joined weight watchers when I hit 220 pounds (I'm 5'6). I lost 70 pounds in six months and felt great. I ran a marathon a year after I joined weight watchers. I weighed my food, wrote everything down, etc... Then, I started dating my husband and our dates typically included going out to eat and drinking (which led to snacking). I stopped running as religiously. We got married, and I was probably up to 175-180 from my 150 weight watchers success. Fast forward 4 years. I had two kids. I wasn't running at all at this point. I was probably around 200 again. We moved. I took a new job and found myself working 12-14 hours days, 5-7 days a week. Gak! I started half-*kitten* walking at the end of this summer. I started doing lc/hf on 12/01 at 234 pounds. 36 days later, I'm down to 216, working my way back to 150. To me, this taught me I can never get lazy. I need to eat meals to sustain myself and forget about all the other crap I mindlessly put in my mouth.
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,761 Member
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    When I started to lose weight, and I did a bit of plateauing, I got rid of ALL of the clothes that fit me before, I was 225, got down to about 170.

    I ran a marathon last September and had un-related surgery a couple weeks after that.

    I noticed my clothes started to fit a bit tighter, and after not stepping on a scale in over 4 months, I was up to 190! So while I didn't gain all of it back, I definitely noticed by my clothes and am working to get it back down....because really, I can't afford to get back up there again...I already got rid of all the clothes! :D
  • GCAsMom
    GCAsMom Posts: 120 Member
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    About three or four years ago, I lost ~80 lbs but hit a plateau and couldn't drop below 200 lbs. I was doing it 100% on my own so didn't know how to bust it. I dropped to below 1200 cals a day, but that was unsustainable and wasn't working either, so I stopped trying. I maintained for a couple years, but it slowly, slowly crept back on and before I knew it, I'd gained ~60 lbs. :(

    When I found MFP, everything clicked into place and I've now busted that old plateau to smithereens. I also learned that I'll probably have to track my food for the rest of my life.
  • Modern_athena
    Modern_athena Posts: 81 Member
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    Yes! Lost about 23 kg (51 lbs) three years ago and gained 33 kg ( 73 lbs). I was near obesity before, got sick of how I looked, wanted to lose weight for my prom. I starved myself (I would live on cucumbers, water and vitamins), lost most of my hair and was tired all the time but lost weight quickly. When did I start gaining weight? Right after prom! I felt so bad about hair loss that I started eating like I never did before. My body of course responded to this drastic change by storing every single thing I ate. Now I'm back at an even worse beginning (obesity).
    When I first lost weight, I gave away all my clothes because they were too baggy. All my clothes now don't fit me, I'm wearing sweatpants or leggings most of the time and I hate it.
    After all I've been through, I learned to approach weight loss in a different manner. No more crash dieting or starvation, just a different healthier lifestyle that I can maintain.
  • neicycarol
    neicycarol Posts: 3 Member
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    I have done the yo-yo dance all my adult life. After all these years I feel like I get it. You are right about tracking what you eat. I too will probably do that for the rest of my life. You really have to change you life if you want to keep the weight off.I gained it back because I went back to my old habits.
  • Melaniec78
    Melaniec78 Posts: 259 Member
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    Twice now!!

    It sucks and makes me feel totally weak! The first time I lost 85 and just got lazy and slowly slipped back took a few years before I saw a pic and REALLY noticed. This last time I was down 70 lbs 1 year ago gained back 60 in 6 months on anxiety and heart meds (dont ever let a doctor tell you how meds affect people they have no idea). I even tried getting back on mfp and doing everything right for short spurts during that time and kept gaining and the last ten was pure laziness giving up on myself getting me back up to my highest ever.

    Now I am off the anxiety meds, quit smoking and lowered the BP meds I'm back and on a mission. This time I will not fail Or quit (even when I'm at goal). No excuses, no unneccessary medications and no lazy days. IT IS SO MUCH HARDER TO LOSE THAN GAIN!
  • epazia
    epazia Posts: 126 Member
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    I lost 90 lbs very fast taking crazy diet pills. I then had a major bad life event and gained back 112. Now I am doing it the right way slow and steady no fad, diets not crazy food. NO quick fixes!
  • SomeMorr
    SomeMorr Posts: 220 Member
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    I lost 70lbs in a medical weight loss study from September 2011- Jan 2013. 2013 was a horrendous year, bought a house, lost a pet, bought a car, left my husband.. I gained back 30lbs. I am mad at myself for allowing stress to make me lose focus. My Ex was also a huge food saboteur and my road to weight regain really started when he and I went on vacation to New Orleans. I am ultimately responsible for my food choices, I just let them slip back to the "i dont care" mode I was so used to for the first 28 years of my life.
  • kspexet
    kspexet Posts: 27 Member
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    I have lost and gained the same 50 lbs over and over again. I am very tired of contantly thinking about food. I don't think the problem is not counting calories or not exercising. I don't think I will ever lose the weight until I get my head on straight. I use food as a crutch and to comfort myself because I don't feel good about myself on most levels. I use eating to deal with my emotions.
  • bago08
    bago08 Posts: 360 Member
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    I lost 70 lbs over a 6 month period
    I moved and changed jobs the following year and gained it all back.
    Im back here to lose it
  • BeyondScaarlet
    BeyondScaarlet Posts: 1
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    I lost 60 lbs a little over a year ago. Over the last year, I gained back 75lbs. I'm currently at the heaviest I've ever been (I'm 33). Making the decision to get back to where I should be.
  • Melaniec78
    Melaniec78 Posts: 259 Member
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    Seems I'm not alone. And it doesnt matter if you do it the 'right way' as some people call it or the 'wrong way'.

    We would all make a killing if we opened a post weightloss therapy clinic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • AtlantaWriter
    AtlantaWriter Posts: 91 Member
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    Science tells us that 95% of people who lose weight gain it back. It's the least scientific method there is. Imagine if you had cancer and the chemotherapy they gave you was only 5% effective, and you had to keep taking it your whole life without success. That's how dieting feels to me.

    So invariably, yes, the majority of us with regain our weight. I have just done that. I lost over 20 pounds on a low-carb diet, and have now gained back 12 pounds. There is so much shame involved in that. And it's a disincentive to lose more weight.

    I read once that the diet that is most likely to lead to weight regain is the low-carb one. So I'll steer clear of it in the future. I do find I am craving carbs almost uncontrollably, whereas in the past, I used to be able to at least occasionally control my cravings. Perhaps that is a biological or psychological reason from denying myself bread, potatoes, cereal, desserts, and pasta for most of a year..

    Sorry I can't offer you any magic bullets. I think you just have to make up your mind to eat less and exercise more. Not sure how to get that process started. It may be different for everyone, and finding success must be individualized.

    Don't let my weight regain and that of the others here on MFP stop you. Try, try, try. As hard as you can. You may be one of the lucky 5% who keeps it off.
  • Smeltzer2
    Smeltzer2 Posts: 210 Member
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    I lost over 300 lbs during my lifetime, iff, and on dieting, binging, purging. I finally lost 80 lbs and have kept it off forq ten years. I now want to lose about 13 mire. I am 70 and had an eating disorder for 54 years. At age 60 i got a grip on it. Asked God to make a normal eater out of ne. He did. Now i live life and have more than food on my mind 24 hours a dag. Look up eating disorders.
  • AtlantaWriter
    AtlantaWriter Posts: 91 Member
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    Good for you! Keep it up1
  • AtlantaWriter
    AtlantaWriter Posts: 91 Member
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    You can do it!
  • redrose129
    redrose129 Posts: 57 Member
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    bump!

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