Scared I'm going to gain weight back..

Leggylass
Leggylass Posts: 215
in Health and Weight Loss
Ive been on a 1200 calorie diet for a year now on and off.. I lost 3 and a half stone within the first few months, then I would gain a few lbs and lose a few but just stay around the same weight for the next 3 months, so December I gave it a break to see what happened and gained almost 2 stone back in a month even though I was eating healthier!

New year I thought I would step it up and try to exercise, I bought INSANITY and the weight dropped off 14lb-16lb a month ..But had to stop due to medical issues in the 3rd month and the weight comes rolling back. :sad:

So banned from exercise awaiting treatment for a borderline under active thyroid as well as a medical all clear for other issues and back to 1200 calories and again I seem to have hit that plateau :explode:

I still have at least 3 stone to lose. So back to the diet I started to lose with, but now I'm told to up my calories to 1370 to keep losing??? I know this works for some but I'm feeling nervous about eating more and piling the weight back on :frown:

Should I try it for a month or just a week or 2? idk :tongue:

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,039 Member
    Have you thought that eating too little would force your body to "search out" nutritional sustenance? The body is smart. Under feed it and it will find a way to retain energy based on habitual eating habit.
    It's NOT uncommon for someone who eats too little to gain a lot of weight back when even the calorie intake is slightly higher.
    Your best bet is to adhere to the CORRECT calories for yourself so that the body adapts to it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,670 Member
    Have you thought that eating too little would force your body to "search out" nutritional sustenance? The body is smart. Under feed it and it will find a way to retain energy based on habitual eating habit.
    It's NOT uncommon for someone who eats too little to gain a lot of weight back when even the calorie intake is slightly higher.
    Your best bet is to adhere to the CORRECT calories for yourself so that the body adapts to it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    this

    when you eat low calories, yes, you lose the weight, but then when you stop counting, your body seems to adjust psychologically into a "feast or famine" sort of mind set and you overeat, whether conscious or not.

    Your best bet,

    and i'm taking this from watching thousands of other people on MFP go through this experience

    is to up your calories for slower weight loss, be patient, lose it slow

    then, when you hit your goal, increase your calories SLOWLY to maintenance.

    Then continue to count your calories at maintenance forever, unless you're one of those lucky people who manages to learn to eat maintenance calories without counting. That does happen: people learn to maintain without "trying", however, for many of us, and I"m guessing you're like "us" (i mean like me), you'll always overeat a bit if you're not logging. It's a fact of life for a lot of people. It's hard to train yourself to "know" how much you should be eating. The brain and the stomach like to lie about fullness cues and hunger cues.
  • dchatley2
    dchatley2 Posts: 1
    You are probably already doing this but what is working for me is to consistently log what I eat.

    For me just having to write down what I am eating makes me make better decisions.

    You would be amazed how quickly the calories can add up

    For example I used to always have a grilled sandwich for breakfast that was basically a grilled cheese with ham and egg.

    When I added up all the ingredients I was having over 600 just for a breakfast sandwich.

    I replaced this with oatmeal, granola and blueberries and now I have less calories and stay full even longer.
    Good luck with your goal
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Have you thought that eating too little would force your body to "search out" nutritional sustenance? The body is smart. Under feed it and it will find a way to retain energy based on habitual eating habit.
    It's NOT uncommon for someone who eats too little to gain a lot of weight back when even the calorie intake is slightly higher.
    Your best bet is to adhere to the CORRECT calories for yourself so that the body adapts to it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    Yep. This is what is meant when people say you need to properly fuel your body.

    And, I'd also make sure you are weighing your food, logging everything you eat, and logging exercise calories but eating only a portion back if you use MFP, internet, or IPhone exercise apps for your estimates.

    Also, you have thyroid problems, which making losing weight a bit more challenging but never impossible. Besides this, your ticker shows how far you've come! Congratulations!
  • Leggylass
    Leggylass Posts: 215
    I have been logging all my food and drinks with mfp , all weighed and measured... when i havent ive easily gained it back. i ve not logged all exercise though if when i have done any.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    The closer you get to goal, the more slowly you lose. That's just the way the human body works. Set your goal to 1 lb. per week. When you have 20–25 lbs. left to lose, switch to .5 lb. per week. The smaller deficits will also help you transition to maintenance.

    When you up your calories, you might gain a little weight. Don't panic! It's just water & glycogen—remember all that weight you quickly dropped when you started? Same thing, just in reverse.

    Edited to add: please read the Sexypants post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    I ate 1450 calaoriaes a day plus occasionally my exercise caloaries and lost about a half pousnd a week. I onlly weighedd myself every other week. I get antsy when I see the scale bounce up and down. I don't have a scale. I weith in the gym or at lmy dieticians office.

    You have reason to be afraid of gaining your aweigaht back. Statistices show that most peopole regain the weight they lost in a year. But you don't have to be a statistic either.

    Get a life; make losing weight just one thing in it and not the most important thing. It's a journey. One day you will see that you have gotten to your goal and you will start to learn to how to stay atherea. Pick a dream and go for it. Live for yourself, not you husband or your kids (if you have either) And definitely not your mother. ;-)
  • Leggylass
    Leggylass Posts: 215
    editorgirl Im only half way to whats classed as a 'healthy weight' and a long way from my goal.. i'll have a read of that thread thanks ;)


    47jac.. thanks for the honesty, love your profile , definitely a woman of inspiration :wink:
    your right i live for everyone else, my children are my world , my dream. i gave up everything for them..but They're not children anymore and not needed as much . I have to make losing weight my life right now, if i do not lose this weight now i may not have any life left.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Your post is a little confusing... Mainly because insanity is a 60 day programme, so there's no '3rd month'?
  • Leggylass
    Leggylass Posts: 215
    oh ok ... well let me make it clear then :smile:

    I bought INSANITY , ATTEMPTED to do it to the best of my ability and when i wasnt ripped by the end of the 2 months, i attempted to do it again because im like that, i dont give up and dont do what im told .. should i have just binned it because the 60 days were up? dont answer that PLEASE lol
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    oh ok ... well let me make it clear then :smile:

    I bought INSANITY , ATTEMPTED to do it to the best of my ability and when i wasnt ripped by the end of the 2 months, i attempted to do it again because im like that, i dont give up and dont do what im told .. should i have just binned it because the 60 days were up? dont answer that PLEASE lol

    :laugh: hangry?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Im only half way to whats classed as a 'healthy weight' and a long way from my goal.. i'll have a read of that thread.
    A healthy loss for someone who is up to 20 or 25 lbs. overweight is .5 lb. per week. At your size, set your goal no higher than 1 lb. per week.

    And please do read the Sexypants link.
  • Leggylass
    Leggylass Posts: 215
    oh ok ... well let me make it clear then :smile:

    I bought INSANITY , ATTEMPTED to do it to the best of my ability and when i wasnt ripped by the end of the 2 months, i attempted to do it again because im like that, i dont give up and dont do what im told .. should i have just binned it because the 60 days were up? dont answer that PLEASE lol

    :laugh: hangry?


    haha oh no you made me laugh! :bigsmile: You must admit you were being very pedantic there.. i'm sorry for laughing if you have ocd or something :wink:

Categories