The yo-yo saga...

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mariapusateri36
mariapusateri36 Posts: 5 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Petite person but my yo-yo (lose weight then gain it again) won't go away. I have to learn how to keep it off for more than 6 months at a time. I think it's mental but how do I change it? Suggestions???
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  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    Keep tracking your calories in maintenance, atleast for the first 6 months.
    You are not done when reaching your goal weight.
  • maxoverdrv69
    maxoverdrv69 Posts: 9 Member
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    I Will be honest Gluten can have that affect on people. It has been scientifically proven that Gluten protein affects brain function e.g. Having cravings for foods even after eating an entire meal. I know because after 7 months of being off gluten I have no addition to sweets. The change can feel suttle at first but when you are faced with temptation it's easy to resist.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    You arent being consistent with the amounts you eat hence you go back to eating more than you need and you gain. the only way is to track and to keep on top of it until it stabilises. maybe set a scale range you will allow it to fluctuate and beyond that you got back to a deficit to get yourself back to that range.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    It's about making life-long changes. Eat in a way that you will continue after you reach your goal (albeit with a slightly different calorie goal). Exercise for health and conitnue to do so whether losing weight or not.

    Learn to eat the right amount of food for your body to maintain after you reach your goal. Many people will need to continue tracking food intake indefinitely in order to avoid re-gaining weight.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Remember . . . your goal isn't to lose weight. It's to maintain that lower weight for the rest of your life. So, as others have said, build sustainable habits that are easy. Have a range of meals for breakfast and lunch you really like with reasonable calories. Eat food you love and don't eat food you don't. Don't eat from habit. Take small portions of calorie dense food. Eat lots of veggies. Don't take a second helping until you know you really want it and - if it's for taste not hunger - make it a tasting one, not a full one. When you really want something with lots of calories as a treat, count it out. For example, I wanted some chips and dips yesterday - so I counted out those 18 chips into a bowl and my dollop of dip and went and watched my movie. I didn't sit there with the bag and keep eating just because it was there.

    Research shows that daily exercise is more important in maintenance than weight loss. First think I did when I hit my goal was to buy a fitbit. I am not a gym person, but I do hit my 10,000 steps almost every day. You just start incorporating it into your life.

    Good luck!
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
    RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
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    Some really great advice @KarenJanine & @nxd10 !

    I'd also suggest you take a look what changes at the end of the 6 mths when you gain the weight back. Are you indulging more? Less activity? A combination of the two? Is it other life stressors which triggers emotional eating? etc.

    Until you figure out the root cause of your pattern of behavior and really figure out why unfortunately it may be a rather vicious cycle.

    Good luck!
  • mariapusateri36
    mariapusateri36 Posts: 5 Member
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    Wow! Thank you all for your advise, this is the first time I've reached out and I feel great reading your experiences and thoughts :) Thank you.
    I do need to keep track of what changes after about 6 months but I think some of you got it. I think I get comfortable (thinking..."I got this!") and stop running (my favorite exercise) and eating a bit more. I'm not a "sweets" person but mention something greasy or salty and I'm all over it :(
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I've been logging for three year. I've been at maintenance for 2.5 of those year. For me, it's necessary.
  • mariapusateri36
    mariapusateri36 Posts: 5 Member
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    Yay! I lost 2.5 lbs. I'm running about 2 miles every other day :-) "...go Maria, go Maria, go Maria..."
  • mariapusateri36
    mariapusateri36 Posts: 5 Member
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    Wish I could...not sure I'm disciplined enough
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
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    Agree w/nxd10; you need to make changes that you can sustain for the rest of your life. If you don't you will stay on the lose/gain train; which is actually worse on the body then being slightly overweight. It's a lifestyle not a "diet" w/an end date and "a process not a project."
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    I'm wondering about the magnitude of your yo-yo. If you re-gain and re-lose the same 5 pounds, I call that maintenance. Most people in maintenance have a range they are happy in.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    mariapusateri36 wrote: »
    Petite person but my yo-yo (lose weight then gain it again) won't go away. I have to learn how to keep it off for more than 6 months at a time. I think it's mental but how do I change it? Suggestions???

    How much weight are you talking about? As mentioned above, if it's only a few pounds, everyone's weight fluctuates that much, even in maintenance. If it's much more than that, then you need to continue to log all your calories in maintenance so you know how much you're consuming. I've been in maintenance for 2 years and I still weigh all my food and log it daily. I always will.
  • mariapusateri36
    mariapusateri36 Posts: 5 Member
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    I usually lose about 10 - 12 lbs then gain them back within 6-8 months. It is a life style...my success to loosing them is smaller healthier portions and running. Once I lose the weight I noticed I stop the running and continue to watch my eating and slowly gain the weight back :/
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    mariapusateri36 wrote: »
    I usually lose about 10 - 12 lbs then gain them back within 6-8 months. It is a life style...my success to loosing them is smaller healthier portions and running. Once I lose the weight I noticed I stop the running and continue to watch my eating and slowly gain the weight back :/

    Then you aren't 'watching the eating' closely enough. Exercise isn't required for maintenance, just maintaining your calorie goal. You need to weigh your food to be accurate with your calories. If you are gaining weight, you are eating too much.
  • millzy64
    millzy64 Posts: 50 Member
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    I reached my goal weight a couple of years ago and I find that every time I stop logging, I start gaining. I just spent the early part of this year losing 15 lbs I put back on over the winter months. For me, logging consistently is the only way. I still go over every once in a while, but it's easier to keep a handle on it when I see it on my reports.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    change things up,, get out of a pattern and mix it up.
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
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    Thing of it is the older you get the easier it goes back on and the harder it is to get rid of. Including weight lifting will help maintain your muscle mass (which you start losing starting in your 30s). Cardio really only helps w/heart health and we need it for that reason. If you increase/maintain your muscle mass you will burn more calories during the day; this is especially important as you age. BTW, my workout log is avail for viewing. B)
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    griffinca2 wrote: »
    Thing of it is the older you get the easier it goes back on and the harder it is to get rid of. Including weight lifting will help maintain your muscle mass (which you start losing starting in your 30s). Cardio really only helps w/heart health and we need it for that reason. If you increase/maintain your muscle mass you will burn more calories during the day; this is especially important as you age. BTW, my workout log is avail for viewing. B)

    Well, no. It's more complicated than that. If you're just basing that on slowing metabolism as people age, that's a gross generalization. Putting it back on - that depends on overeating again after losing, and how much a person overeats. And losing it again, isn't really any more difficult if all health stats are the same, and the person just eats at a calorie deficit again.

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