What to do when you have gained it all back

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soldiergrl_101
soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
edited October 2014 in Motivation and Support
This past year I lost a total of 45lbs. I haven't felt that good in years, and I was motivating others and it made me happy. Then in the past 3 months my work schedule changed and I got put on this special project that caused me to work crazy 14hr shifts, indulge in bad food choices, get no sleep and have no energy for the gym. When my pants were tighter I blamed it on the dryer. Once the project was done and I was ready to hit the gym hard I jumped on the scale and so just what I managed to do to myself. I gained it all back and some. Once the scale said 200 I stopped looking. I know exactly what I need to do to get back to where I was "HARD WORK" but because I know how long it took to get to where I was I just cant seem to get myself motivated to do it all over again.

Has anyone else had this happen? What did you do? Any inspirational photos to share may help as well :)
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Replies

  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    edited October 2014
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    You figure out why you gained it all back. Come up with an attack plan to prevent that from happening again - and Im talking - beat the SOURCE. Then lose it all again with the knowledge that there is no end point and youre just going to be getting more and more awesome for the rest of your life, one week at a time - and you just got accept your awesomeness.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
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    In 2012 I lost 42lbs. Earlier this year I had gained back 36 of it through a combination of willful ignorance, ignoring things, and not facing myself.

    And then I got back up and went back to it because that's all you can do, keep plugging away.
  • hannah6109
    hannah6109 Posts: 20
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    For the past two years I have been dying to lose weight and I finally lost 20 pounds.
    But after I had my final exams I gained it all back and more.

    One thing I definitely recommend is making a habit of checking the scale. I check nearly every three days in the morning.

    But gaining weight back is just LIFE! And I know how much it sucks. You just got to look at the end of the road and see what you want. Like talk to yourself in the mirror and motivate yourself. Cause if you lost all the weight once..I know you can lose that weight again and much more!

    Add me as friend....I am new to the website
  • sentaruu
    sentaruu Posts: 2,206 Member
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    I had a similar mindset when I first started losing weight. I procrastinated for months. then one day it clicked... with all this time that I've been spending procrastinating I could have been done by now!

    you know you've got work to do, and you know you're capable of doing it. get it done!
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
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    I know where some of the problems lie, mainly fast food and soda. I also haven't been to the gym because I am afraid, I don't want to be "That Girl" again. The one huffying for breath because she is so heavy she cant breath, the one that cant run longer than 1 minute without stopping or lift more than 5lbs without hurting. Its all very discouraging when I think of where I was at, running about 15miles weekly maybe more, lifting 100+lbs ughhh
  • 13bbird13
    13bbird13 Posts: 425 Member
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    Me too... 30 off two years ago, working on the same 30 again right now because I got it all back. The advice to figure out WHY is excellent... nothing wrong with not getting it right the first time, but unless you determine why you put the weight back on, you risk repeating the cycle. (With me it was drinking... I've cut way back and don't miss it, so I figure I'm more likely to keep the pounds off this time.)
  • mcbrainder
    mcbrainder Posts: 73 Member
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    Been there. It sucks. I got to a point where I felt great, looked good, had lots of energy. Then I went backward. Sometimes I think people are afraid of change, even when it comes to good change. I look back and wonder what the moment was that started the turnaround. If I knew when it was, I'd go back in time and kick my *kitten* for it.
  • sentaruu
    sentaruu Posts: 2,206 Member
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    soldiergrl_101 wrote: »
    Its all very discouraging when I think of where I was at, running about 15miles weekly maybe more, lifting 100+lbs ughhh

    don't look at it as where you "were", these are things you HAVE DONE. you have already ran 15miles a week, you have already lifted 100+lbs. just go do them again!

  • Laurochka
    Laurochka Posts: 140 Member
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    Start again. I'm with you on this one - I lost about 40lbs a couple of years ago and have put it all back on. Giving myself a kick up the backside to start again. The good news is if you've done it before you know you can do it! You can aspire to that again.
    -
  • chinakat72
    chinakat72 Posts: 21 Member
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    Ten years ago I lost nearly 100 lbs to get healthy enough to have my first child, then gained 60 lbs during pregnancy. I was not prepared for the cravings I would have, not prepared for how tired I would feel, and fell into the "eating for two" trap. Then I got a blood clot and was on bed rest for nearly two months after he was born. I turned to junk food and comfort food out of depression, all while not moving. I gained back all the weight. I've been up and down since then, but mostly down.

    Any time I have a set back I just try to remind myself that I'd rather be trying to improve my health and work towards my goal than live at my current size. And at times when I've been going through stressful situations in life, I have allowed myself to just maintain. I stop dieting and worrying about losing and focus on not gaining. It's a break mentally and I don't lose any ground. Granted, I have had some of those "pauses" end up lasting for 6-8 months, but at least I'm learning how to modify my food and exercise to stay stable.

    I agree with some of the others, keep the mindset that if you did it once, you know you can do it again. Just don't put too much pressure on yourself. Don't dwell on how fast you want to do it, or how far you have to go. You can do it!
  • hoyalawya2003
    hoyalawya2003 Posts: 631 Member
    edited October 2014
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    " I also haven't been to the gym because I am afraid, I don't want to be "That Girl" again. The one huffying for breath because she is so heavy she cant breath, the one that cant run longer than 1 minute without stopping or lift more than 5lbs without hurting. Its all very discouraging when I think of where I was at, running about 15miles weekly maybe more, lifting 100+lbs ugh"

    But if you aren't "That Girl" again, you will never get back to running 15 mi a week and lifting 100+ lbs. If you don't go back to the gym, you run the risk of becoming "That Other Girl": the one that can't even go up a flight of stairs or walk across a room without huffing for breath. Trust me, That Other Girl is much worse.

  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
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    Chinakat, I am sure like you life has a lot to do with it. I am also in the middle of a divorce, which I wanted, but regardless divorce is never easy. There fore I think its easier to eat junk and comfort foods to "make things easier" when in reality all I am doing is sabotaging myself
  • ubermofish
    ubermofish Posts: 102 Member
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    If I ever fall off my diet (like eating a whole bunch of food and getting plastered at a friend's house) it takes almost a week of normal diet/water intake for me to get back down to my actual weight. Eating garbage food makes me retain water like crazy, but it all falls back off within a week.

    I think that once you start tracking your calories and drinking plenty of water (I drink a gallon a day at least), a lot of that will fall off quickly and then you'll have a more accurate measurement of how much you've really gained.
  • katharineshalia
    katharineshalia Posts: 243 Member
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    I'm coming back from a week and half off, icecream, beer, pizza, popcorn, burger, fries, soda....yesterday I ate it all just to get it out of my system, I averaged about 2000 cals over per day. Stepped on the scale this morning and I've gained 7 pounds. My point in posting this is not to make you hungry though, it's that you have to catch yourself sooner when you know you're blowing it. It will probably take me 3 weeks to get back where I was, but there's no way I'm throwing 3 months of hard work down the drain. Maybe allow yourself a final splurge day like I did then cut it out, track your calories and I bet in 4 weeks after you've lost 10 pounds you'll be ready to face the gym again. You can do it and you know you can.
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
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    I've been there and I am heading back down. YES it takes time. It is not linear, you may have bumps in the road, you may have days or weeks or even months that are rough. You need to learn how to deal with those situations to keep the weight from coming back on. If you get busy again, remember to log your food....I find that meal prep works wonders! I have two boys very active in sports, this means crock pot meals and make ahead meals. Cutting up veggies ahead of time so things can just be thrown together quickly. Buying healthy quick snacks like fruits and vegetables. Figure out what things you can fit into your life when you are busy as a safety net. Hold on to those things for dear life when time becomes elusive. You have done it once so you KNOW you can do it again. Dig your heels in and do not give up!
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
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    Thanks for the advice, I hope that I can come back from this like all of you have
  • raysmyth
    raysmyth Posts: 55 Member
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    My triggers are soda and fast food too. I have been a chronic yoyo dieter my entire life but the most sustainable weight loss I ever had was during personal training and eating a complex carb, lean protein, veggies, and fruit diet. I lost 40 pounds over a year ago, probably closer to 2 years with this diet and I have kept it off without a lot of close attention since then. I attribute this to the muscle i gained. Recently I realized i had gained about 20 pounds back. I decided I did not want to ever yo yo diet again so I have stopped all fast food and soda in my life. Every time I do this I just throw myself into healthy eating and deny deny deny (it helps my blood sugar return to normal so the cravings are reduced). The taste, the salt, and sugar are all appetite stimulants that make us want more everyday. I have faced the fact that for my current and future health, there are just some foods I will have to stay away from for the rest of my life. A doctor told me that ice cream is one of the worst things you can eat because it causes an increase in your insulin that makes you crave more sugar and fat. I live in Hawaii and there is a lot of shave ice here, which hesays is better than ice cream because it only contains sugar, without the deadly combination of fat. Right now I am about 50 pounds down from my highest weight about 3 years ago. I have about 40 more to go until I get to my first goal and I still won't be the lowest adult weight i haveever been, but I know I need to get back there and it will be a lifelong thing. One deterrent from gaining the weight back for me has been the fact that once you regain weight lost, it is harder to lose that same weight In the future. I think you are at an advantage because you have put in the hard work before and your muscles will remember this and they will work harder for you sooner. Muscle memory is everything. You might be that girl at first but not for as long as you were before. My issue is laziness and succumbing to whatever is most comfortable wheni get tired, so that is what i battle. I don't just deal with weight gain, but also with money management, cleaning, preparing my food. I know i have to push myself, esp wheni get busy, and i can't let myself off of the hook. It will be a trial to take the weightoff, but if you don't have your health, you have nothing else.
  • Turning_Hopes_to_Habits
    Turning_Hopes_to_Habits Posts: 103 Member
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    Did you ever smoke? Or know someone who was a heavy smoker? It takes almost everyone a few tries before it sticks. You're not a failure, you're just practicing getting over it for good. In our case now, it's poor eating habits.

    What I learned with me and cigarettes is that I will never, ever be able to enjoy them in moderation. What I think is going to end up happening with food is that I will always, always have to weigh myself regularly and track my food for a very, very long time, until my scale says what I expect it to say based on what I've eaten. And if my scale falls out of line with what I expect, then I'll have to keep tracking.

    Just like I can't enjoy a social smoke, I'm not going to be able to eat in mindless manner and avoid the scale like so many other folks can. It's just going to be a little tougher for me. That's a whole lot better than feeling like I'm trying to replace the real joys and fun of an active and happy life with how good a smoke and daily gluttony feel. Those feel-goods are temporary and end up getting me down, being able to run and play and go and feel good about myself are sources of constant contentment.

    Anyway, you can tell I've been thinking about this a lot myself lately. By January, if all goes according to plan, I'll be back where I was in fall of 2012.
  • harveyj_88
    harveyj_88 Posts: 64 Member
    edited October 2014
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    5 years ago I signed up to the gym it took me two years to lose 74lb and getting fitter and strong then I stopped going and then 3 years later here I am I put 64 of those lb back on but I'm going at it again but more serious than before and I aim to do it in a year but this time I won't be stopping going to the gym it's for life now. I've lost 8lb in the last two and a half weeks
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    soldiergrl_101 wrote: »
    This past year I lost a total of 45lbs. I haven't felt that good in years, and I was motivating others and it made me happy. Then in the past 3 months my work schedule changed and I got put on this special project that caused me to work crazy 14hr shifts, indulge in bad food choices, get no sleep and have no energy for the gym. When my pants were tighter I blamed it on the dryer. Once the project was done and I was ready to hit the gym hard I jumped on the scale and so just what I managed to do to myself. I gained it all back and some. Once the scale said 200 I stopped looking. I know exactly what I need to do to get back to where I was "HARD WORK" but because I know how long it took to get to where I was I just cant seem to get myself motivated to do it all over again.

    Has anyone else had this happen? What did you do? Any inspirational photos to share may help as well :)

    The 2nd time may not be as hard. The first time you didn't know if it could be done. Now you do. Just do it.

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