Losing, gaining back, losing again?

mpdes
mpdes Posts: 40
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

Do you guys think it's harder or easier to lose weight after you gained what you've lost before? I'm not necessarily talking about yo-yo dieting where you go on a crash diet and obviously gain all the weight back very quickly. Do you believe that the knowledge you got when you lost the weight for the first time serves you well throughout the years or do you have to choose a different approach? As our bodies get older, should you go for a different strategy to lose weight or stick to what you know best?

Just a thought...

Replies

  • Jellyphant
    Jellyphant Posts: 1,400 Member
    I've lost and gained weight practically all my life. I myself think it's harder after you've gotten to maximum capacity, I guess you can say. I went from weighing 150ish in highschool to exactly 100 pounds heavier a few years after graduation. And for me, just knowing that I used to be there makes it harder because it depresses and discourages me at times.
  • jcott28
    jcott28 Posts: 16
    I don't have experience in the exact question, but I will say tools like MFP should help not go back to gaining weight. I think a lot of the yo-yo problem exists because people diet, probably incorrectly, lsoe the weight, then revert back to their old ways.

    With MFP, even though I hit my goal, I still use the site every day. I just have more calories to spend. I think the lifestyle change put in place during losing the weight really helps. I know the bad foods to avoid and the good ones I enjoy but are not costly in calories. I would imagine re-losing would be easier if need be, as I have a schedule that worked for me once. And now it's permanently online for me to review.
  • mynameisnotlisa
    mynameisnotlisa Posts: 39 Member
    I lost about 65 pounds in 2009 and began gaining it all back as soon as I stopped working out. I'm trying to lose it all again but it's proving much harder the second time around. It practically fell off the first time. It's taking longer now though.
  • mpdes
    mpdes Posts: 40
    I wonder if it's a question of age, especially for women like you hear all the time that : "after 25 yo, it became harder to lose weight". I'm not 25 yet, but you hear that all the time!!!!
  • cnewyou
    cnewyou Posts: 40
    I think if you gain back the weight you lost (and I've done it several times), you haven't found the right combination of diet/exercise for the long haul. Fitness is forever. We just have to find what works for us.
  • mpdes
    mpdes Posts: 40
    Very well said cnewyou! Very true!
  • cnewyou
    cnewyou Posts: 40
    I wonder if it's a question of age, especially for women like you hear all the time that : "after 25 yo, it became harder to lose weight". I'm not 25 yet, but you hear that all the time!!!!

    As we age, we lose muscle, which slows our metabolism. Be sure to fit some strength training into your routine.
  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
    For me, I absolutely look at weight loss differently than I did when I first tried to lose weight. When I first thought about actually trying to lose weight it was solely for narcissistic purposes. I wanted boys to like me, and I wanted to be skinny. I did everything you SHOULDN'T do to achieve that, and I never did get skinny. I also didn't maintain it for more than a month or 2 b/c I didn't work on the root of the problem, the reasons I was overweight in the first place and why I didn't feel worth being healthy.
    Now I still want to be skinny, but it's my last want on a long list of reasons to lose weight. I also am doing it in a healthy way. I stay active, I eat well, and I above all see myself as a changed person from the inside. The outside will come in time, but I am focusing on the root of it all.
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