Maintaing weight...a big failure for me!

Christina_Pan
Christina_Pan Posts: 3 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi everyone!

Need some help here...I used FP and lost 8kg...

I looked fab during summer. Since September 1st I started working at an office- first time in my life (35y.o. worked as a teacher for many years).


As a result (+working long hours+not paying any attention to what I was eating+lots of carbs) I gained all the weifght I lost (6month period) and feel bit sad I have to start all over from the beginning.

Any suggestions?


Thank you for your time

Christine

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Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Yes - start again from the beginning!

    You know what works and you now know that taking your eye off the ball doesn't.
    Next time set an upper weight limit that triggers you to react sooner.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    I guess you do have to start over from the beginning. You know what works for you so go back to doing what works.
    Here's what works for me on maintenance. I have to keep logging everything, monitoring weight and stay within a 5# upper limit. If (when) I gain, I cut back on calories until I get back to where I want to maintain. Just the way it has to be for me. I have been on maintenance for 27 months.
    Don't feel alone. The statistics say that over 80% of the people that lose weight, gain it back within 5 years. Very few people keep it off longer.
    Food tastes good and it is hard to maintain weight loss.
    Good luck. You know you can do this.
  • thunder1982
    thunder1982 Posts: 280 Member
    You know how to lose it, you've done it before. You will get there again soon.

    When you get to maintenance again weigh in regularly even if you know you arent going to like the answer.
    Set an upper limit- if you get to x then its time to count calories again (assuming you stop while on maintenance)
    If you weigh in at or above the limit you set, dont make excuses like its water weight, I just had a big weekend. That might be true but a few days of calorie counting isnt going to kill you, if you leave it chances are next time you'll have gone even higher over your limit (or set a new upper limit) and its going to be that much harder.

    I did it at xmas. Weighed in and hit the limit I set for myself. We were still on hols so I added exercise and tried to make better choices which halted the gain. A couple of weeks after we got home I got stuck into it. I've just gotten back down to where I was before the xmas season started. I still have more weight to lose but previously I would have looked at reaching my limit and decided to stuff it and keep going. Its taken about 5 weeks to lose about 5 weeks of excess eating but I am glad I got on top of it before I slid all the way back.

    Now to keep teh enthusiasm up enough to reach my next goal.
  • BettyBoles
    BettyBoles Posts: 68 Member
    Yes, you need to start from the beginning. Strictly follow your diet plan and do exercise, you know it very well what works for you. Watch your calories and do regular exercise like before, you will loose all your gained weight quickly.
  • cortesd
    cortesd Posts: 58 Member
    "snowflake930 wrote: »
    Don't feel alone. The statistics say that over 80% of the people that lose weight, gain it back within 5 years. Very few people keep it off longer. Food tastes good and it is hard to maintain weight loss.

    Ouch.
  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    cortesd wrote: »
    "snowflake930 wrote: »
    Don't feel alone. The statistics say that over 80% of the people that lose weight, gain it back within 5 years. Very few people keep it off longer. Food tastes good and it is hard to maintain weight loss.

    Ouch.

    Yea. Not sure If knowing this statistic makes it harder for me or easier to not stray. I know I've bested statistics before, though. So - I'm just determined to be one of the 20%.
  • areallycoolstory
    areallycoolstory Posts: 1,680 Member
    pop24pop24 wrote: »

    As a result (+working long hours+not paying any attention to what I was eating+lots of carbs) I gained all the weifght I lost (6month period) and feel bit sad I have to start all over from the beginning.

    Any suggestions?


    Thank you for your time

    Christine

    Don't start from the beginning...start from right here. You are not where you were when you started this journey. If your car stalls on a road trip, you don't have to go back to where you began your journey. You now know how to lose weight and you know more about keeping off once lost. Best of luck going forward :)

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    So you lost weight using MFP , but you did not continue to use it through your maintenance? I understand, life happens and lift changes. I would say when you loose it again, stay in a maintenance plan here on MFP as well.

    And you do not have to start over per se, just start. Different job, different schedule, longer hours etc.. will demand a different approach this time, but apply the basic principles you already know and apply it to your life now. Don't look back.
  • ilovesweeties
    ilovesweeties Posts: 84 Member
    areallycoolstory wrote: »

    If your car stalls on a road trip, you don't have to go back to where you began your journey.

    Yes! I love this!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    You need to go back to logging your meals/food accurately. You did it before, you will do it again.
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
    Yep go back to logging and counting. I switched to maintaining at the end of Oct, since then I have lost 4lbs. I have been half heartedly eating between maintaining and a small deficit because I'm afraid of gaining lol
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Your environment has changed so therefore so must your eating (and your exercise) plan.

    Find a reasonable starting point for both. Adjust according to results as time goes on. Be patient. Keep going.

    You'll be grand.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    F.A.I.L. = First Action in Learning

    This is not a short term game, but a life lesson. Learn from it. Log it and move on. Logging is not something you do to lose weight and drop the tools that made you successful.

    Implement a Kaizen philosophy - small changes that become habit and have dramatic impact over time.
  • D_squareG
    D_squareG Posts: 361 Member
    I too struggle with maintaining weight loss. Lost 35 pounds and have regained all but 7 of it back. I find I just lose my motivation once clothes start to fit better. I'm back to logging and weighing myself. I hope I can fight my way back down and then do a better job of staying motivated.
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    I lost 60 pounds gained nearly 40 of it back. It was a very stressful time and I turned to one of my favorite things.... food. (May 1 I bought my first home; May 4 found my dad passed away in house I grow up in; May 20 my step dad passed away; June 13 I graduated nursing school). But I will never let that happen again. I have to weigh myself frequently at a minimum of weekly to keep myself accountable. Plus along with other things but weight it huge thing with me personally because clothes I have a range of sizes and fits because I have gained and lost before it's hard to judge that way. Also food is huge for me if I eat something bad okay move on never have an entire bad day week or weeks.

    Just wanted to add welcome back! You can this (round 2)! :)
  • richhuw
    richhuw Posts: 1 Member
    D_squareG wrote: »
    I too struggle with maintaining weight loss. Lost 35 pounds and have regained all but 7 of it back. I find I just lose my motivation once clothes start to fit better. I'm back to logging and weighing myself. I hope I can fight my way back down and then do a better job of staying motivated.

    Strange, my motivation is to stay IN my new clothes!
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
    I also did what you did. And when I came back the second time I also came straight to the maintenance boards to prepare myself better for that. Now I'm in maintenance and have been maintaining for only a month. For me I still need to count calories, log, and weigh. I'm very happy that I'm successfully maintaining. You know how to lose weight so knuckle down and do it, and when you get to maintenance, keep your head in the game. It's so easy to gain, but takes a lot of practice to maintain. It's still hard work for me, but is slowly starting to get easier as I realize and accept that very little has changed and I just need to stick with the program.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    Yes - start again from the beginning!

    You know what works and you now know that taking your eye off the ball doesn't.
    Next time set an upper weight limit that triggers you to react sooner.

    I'm sorry. It's the only way. You just have to learn to be consistent with something that works for you.
  • dcarter1020
    dcarter1020 Posts: 73 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    F.A.I.L. = First Action in Learning

    This is not a short term game, but a life lesson. Learn from it. Log it and move on. Logging is not something you do to lose weight and drop the tools that made you successful.

    Implement a Kaizen philosophy - small changes that become habit and have dramatic impact over time.

    I love this! I've gotten to where I am in life by making small changes. It's less uncomfortable and easier for me to accomplish.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
    You attribute some of your weight gain to eating "lots of carbs" which makes me wonder: did you overly restrict what you ate while losing? Carbs can be a part of weight loss. Severely cutting back (or cutting out completely) foods that you enjoy eating can often have a deleterious effect in the long run.

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