Has anyone totally fallen off the wagon and then succeeded?

A few years back, I lost about 120 lbs and then regained 90 lbs. I decided to get serious and have lost everything I regained, plus another 90 lbs on top of it. Set-backs happen, you just need to refocus and reflect on what went wrong the first time so you can better succeed the next time! It's a bit of a cliche, but I like it: "It's only failure if you give up."

This had definitely happened to me, and I don't know that I have any good advice. No one can help you find that motivation, ultimately you need to make the decision for yourself to work towards your goals.

I can't say that I've "succeeded" since I haven't gotten to my ultimate goal weight, but honestly I try not to think in terms of success or failure. I don't even have a specific goal weight because I know that the number on the scale is just a number that cannot tell you as much as you might like. I've chosen a somewhat arbitrary number that will put me in a healthy BMI range, but even when I reach this goal, I will never be done. I will just be at a different point in my journey.

For me, one of the most helpful things has been logging faithfully. The times when I have done the worst were times when I let myself take a break from logging. I've logged during times when I've been eating well and times when I've been eating poorly, and the only times that I really lost it all together and felt terrible about myself and hopeless were times when I wasn't logging at all. And I'm not saying that logging calories is the 'be all and end all' of weight loss. People can and do lose weight without logging. Just that for me, it represented taking a break from working towards my goals. It represented a break from forward momentum. It was me standing still and closing my eyes and pretending for a while that my problems didn't exist.

In terms of concrete advice, I would say to constantly be evaluating your methods. Consider whether the exercise you've chosen is something you enjoy or something that you are forcing yourself to do. For me, I really enjoy taking long walks and listening to podcasts or audiobooks while I walk. Not a terribly efficient way to burn calories, but I genuinely enjoy taking long walks and exploring my neighborhood. Consider whether you're cutting calories too aggressively. We all want to see quick results, but think about your long terms goals and sustainability.

It can be easy to fall into that 'all or nothing' mentality. You don't have to eat 'perfectly' or exercise every single day. If the only thing you can do is take a short walk, or make slightly better food choices, do that! Don't let yourself be derailed by a single slip up. We make countless choices every single day, and every choice is a new opportunity.

Is any of that helpful? Sorry for the terribly long winded response. I wish you the best of luck.

I'm working on success again!

I lost 45 lbs, then gained about 20-25 back. Emotional issues and hormonal problems (that got worse with all the weight loss) made me stop in November. I maintained for a while, but this spring was another bunch of stress AND I was feeling better with the hormonal issues (beginning to be) fixed.

Life is tough, sometimes, and a temporary set back, whatever the reason, isn't something that should bother us too much. Fix the problems and move on.

Did anyone feel like this and manage to find their mojo again?

We all did! What you think, we just decided to get skinny and a month later we were perfect?

In fact, my focus is not on what to do on the good days - but how to deal with exceptions. When I go to a party. When I go for pizza. When I have a drink or 10. When I eat an entire bag of chips.

Stop whining, get on your feet, and fight!

Thankfully you'll find a lot of wonderful support out here, (unlike this guy).

I lost 32 lbs a couple years ago then gained it all back. Very tough fight for all of us but all we can do is keep trying. This time around I've surpassed that previous loss and haven't lost sight of what I'm after. I'm on a 120 lb journey myself and I know how hard it is. Here's my own introductory post that has some of my own personal tips and/or successes.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1365511-time-to-go-to-the-mattresses?hl=time+to+go+to+the+mattresses&page=1#posts-20862665

Feel free to add me as a friend if you like. You can do this!

About a hundred times over the past few years. My heaviest weight was 245. If I'd been perfect from start to finish, I'd already have been such a perfect, rational, and disciplined person I never would have gotten fat in the first place.

They key is to never let a slip up mean that you give up.

I started again last year at 203lbs and i got down to 198lb then just lost it. I then shot up to 213lb by April this year and that's when i decided enough is enough and i'm not 188lbs. i'm not a success yet and i'm betting i'll hit many walls and struggles, but it's perfectly normal! its a marathon not a race!

You'll get back there. I jumped on and off the wagon many times. My last kick at the can I did my best ever and while I'm not perfect I'm not as heavy as I was and I'll keep it that way.

But just keep trying. It will work

Same here...Started in 2011, stalled, got frustrated, stopped caring, put the weight back on and then some. Got back on the horse spring of 2012, lost to about the same weight as before, and stalled again, at which point, I said screw it. I'm over it. Six months or so later (January 13), weighing in at my all time highest weight EVER, I knew I had to do something.

Last summer I stalled at that same place...again...and I was frustrated, but I kept going. Last fall I hit my first goal weight of 145. I have been teetering between 142 & 145, with my next goal weight at 135, but not sure if I will get there (or really want to) because the last time I weighed that little, I was pretty scrawny, and didn't lift anything heavier than a 20 pound kid. Now I lift weights, and I am smaller than I have been in years, and am really not terribly concerned about what the scale says, as long as the clothes fit, LOL...

But it took the better part of a year to get to my first goal weight, and there were ups and downs, and stalls, and adjustments, and the whole nine yards, but it was SOOOOO worth it. Hang in there. We didn't gain it overnight, we won't lose it overnight. :flowerforyou:

I've fallen off the wagon and gained more weight than I was when I previously started. I've started back again and really made some major changes. I didn't change my weight when I came back I just waited until my weight was the same when I last logged. I've lost around 50 pounds and can see the difference in my health.

Yes! I lost 2 stone over the course of a few months a couple of years ago, then back on it all went when I moved house and dropped into bad cooking and eating habits because, I guess it's most easily described as life was getting me down. I think my mojo came back when I felt better about myself again - I apologise as that's not a fabulously helpful thing to say but I think that's what it is for quite a few people I know! Onwards and downwards. You can do it :happy:

I am in the same situation. In the beginning I weighed 240 then lost to 165, got pneumonia, did not exercise till it was over but never back to the same level and gained gradually back up to 205 then lost down to 180 only to be where I am today at 205 again. I really need to have more consistency.
I agree with one of the previous posters that said log regardless. I did that last week for a few days and it was a rude awakening. It made me evaluate why I was really eating, and I found that I tend to eat when I am sad, or mad. I have to learn to do something else during these times....
I am so hard on myself. I look at where I used to be and get discouraged. I can't hardly even stand to look in the mirror anymore. I was one that tracked EVERYTHING and NEVER went over, and now I can't seem to stay in calorie limits even though Im eating BMR.
Anyway, I feel good seeing that others have been in this situation and have forced their way through it and came out ahead. Thank you for starting this thread

Yep setbacks happen. Back in 2012 I had lost about 27kg and then got ill. I mean bed bound ill. I regained all over the following two years learning to walk again and struggling with the disability I now have. But I decided last month that I would try again. I've lost 8kg now and while I have a long way to go to get back to where I was I'll get there. Life throws challenges at you. My whole life has changed.

But I'll get there.
So will all of you
And I wish every single one of you luck on your journey you can all do this.
Things happen
But then we wouldnt be the people we are today
Good luck
Much love. xx

Ive fallen off the wagon so many times. The point of it is to get back on the wagon