Regained weight

If I eat a very low calorie diet, at first I will lose weight and then my body feels like it is in a starvation situation and I eat and eat until I have regained all the weight plus more. For me the only path is to reduce my calories but not too much. Patience is something I am learning. I am trying to learn healthy habits that I can live with long term and I can't change everything at once or it's too much and I go back into crazy eating mode. I am trying to coax myself into healthy eating and exercising rather than bully myself into quick losses. I met a woman at weight watchers who had achieved her goal. It took her 3 years and she said that the key was persistence. Also I am using meditation to try to soothe and love myself so I don't use food for that goal. Life can be tough. We long to feel better but if we try to get food to do that then we'll eat too much so I am trying to have a range of feel good experiences.