I've gained 38 lbs in 4 years and i dont know where to start!!!

aglopez1102
aglopez1102 Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Fitness Pals ! I could really use some tips, words of encouragement, a push, or anything that can help!!

I had lost 30 pounds in 2012 by working out 5 times a week for an hour and eating a strict 1,200 calories a day , six days a week . I remember being at my happiest, healthiest, and most confident. I LOVED my body and had the most confidence I've ever had in my life. Since then I sort of gave up... and now four years later I am at my biggest that I've ever been in my life!
I feel like being 167.8 for a 5"3, 25 year old woman , is very unhealthy. (at least in my eyes)

I want to go back down to 130. My goal and dream is to get there by August. Or by early fall..

But the problem is, I don't know where to start.
I keep trying to eat about 1300 calories six times a week, with only one cheat day and I either stay at the same weight , or gain a pound or two! I can't imagine I'm doing that horrible during my one cheat day that I gain even more weight and basically throw away my whole week's progress...
I also have PCOS which I know makes it harder... but I feel helpless. I am tired of gaining weight, feeling ugly and insecure.

PLEASE HELP!!! :neutral: If someone could give me some tips or even a plan I should follow to see real weight loss, I would appreciate it immensely.

Replies

  • RA60172
    RA60172 Posts: 137 Member
    edited April 2016
    Weigh everything except liquids. The closer you are to goal, the less room there is for error. Log everything, every day. Remember that your deficit is already built in, so eat closer to your goal.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    So, basically you have yo-yo dieted and now you want to go down the same path again due to lack of patience?

    Don't do that.

    Set a reasonable calorie deficit and incorporate some regular exercise. Look at trends over a month or two to see how your weight loss is progressing. Make small changes to your approach depending on results. Repeat this process and over time you will achieve steady and sustainable weight loss which you can maintain over time.

    In the long run this will mean, counter intuitively, that you spend less time overall having to diet.

  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
    I'm 5'3". I started at 154 in January and now I'm at 138. I wish it were a quick fix but that's not healthy or sustainable. Plan on losing 1lb/week and keep at it.
  • shed77f
    shed77f Posts: 41 Member
    Hi, sorry to be a downer but you gained that amount over 4 years & it's unlikely you can lose it healthily in 4 months.

    Think about it this way you may not be a goal in August but you'll be much further along than if you'd done nothing!

    I agree with the posters above. Set a moderate deficit, learn about logging accurately & don't restrict yourself unnecessarily. Certain 'plans' that promise fast loss are unsustainable in the long term. Only make changes you can live with forever and that way you can have the best chance of yo-Yoing in the future.
  • lizwooshy
    lizwooshy Posts: 110 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Aim for a pound a week. IMO any more than that is too extreme, considering that you are only 38 pounds over goal. Set your MFP profile up with that and eat to that goal every day or consider eating to it 6 days a week and at maintenance one day a week. I do not encourage a "cheat day" as that implies 1) that you have to cut out fun foods in order to lose weight and 2) that you are having a free for all day which very easily can erase your previous days' deficits.

    Also, I would suggest not putting a timeline on your weight loss. It's arbitrary and many people get freaked out/fatalistic about not meeting time-based weight loss goals. Focus on your calorie goal one day at a time and you will be fine.

    Agreed. There is no need to set yourself up with an arbitrary timeline. At the end of June 2015 I was 174, not much higher than where you're starting. Now, at the end of April, I am sitting at 143.

    Is that super fast weight-loss? No. Is it reasonable? Yes.

    Make small goals for yourself and take it one day at a time.

    Most importantly, incorporate changes you can make for the REST of your life, not just ones that will give you quick results, and lead you to the same pattern you are in now.

    Good luck :)
  • RA60172
    RA60172 Posts: 137 Member
    edited April 2016
    I agree with @jemhh and @lizwooshy about not trying to follow an arbitrary timeline. This is my first stab at weight loss where I haven't done that, and it's nice not having that pressure on me. Every time I have tried to lose X pounds by X date, I've stalled about ten pounds later and given up. Now I'm down 36# in just over 16 weeks!
  • kingswaychi
    kingswaychi Posts: 36 Member
    Hi there I am in a similar position I lost 5 stone (70lbs) and have gained back around 28lb in the last 4 years. I used to eat a strict 1200 calorie a day diet and work out an hour or 2 everyday. 4 years ago I met my partner and I've basically given up and eat a poor diet I'm so unhappy and lost all my confidence. Like you back when I was slimmer I was the happiest and most confident I'd ever been having been on the large side all my life. Just can't seem to get back into it.......
  • miss_aims
    miss_aims Posts: 64 Member
    I agree with everyone who has posted above. 1 pound a week is optimal. You will have weeks where you lose more than a pound, some weeks where it's 0.2 (like my most recent weigh in). Do not put a timeline, and focus on your ultimate goal: your health. If you're working out a lot and still not seeing a budge, consider increasing your calorie intake. And make sure that you are taking your measurements in conjunction with watching the scale! Good luck! :)
  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
    I flipped through your diary for approximately the last 30 days. You aren't logging consistently or fully and the days that are logged, nothing looks weighed or it looks like you're logging meals from restaurants, which isn't a bad thing, but understand those entries are guesstimates. If you were truly eating such little calories you would be losing. You're eating more than you think you are. Dust off your food scale or invest $20 in one and start weighing all of your caloric solids and using measuring cups and spoons for caloric liquids only. Log everything and log every day. Do that and you'll get yourself into a deficit which will have the scale moving down for you again.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    Everyone who posted here is spot on in their advice. Follow it and you'll be a long term success story :)
  • tiffkittyw
    tiffkittyw Posts: 366 Member
    aglope09 wrote: »
    Hey Fitness Pals ! I could really use some tips, words of encouragement, a push, or anything that can help!!

    I had lost 30 pounds in 2012 by working out 5 times a week for an hour and eating a strict 1,200 calories a day , six days a week . I remember being at my happiest, healthiest, and most confident. I LOVED my body and had the most confidence I've ever had in my life. Since then I sort of gave up... and now four years later I am at my biggest that I've ever been in my life!
    I feel like being 167.8 for a 5"3, 25 year old woman , is very unhealthy. (at least in my eyes)

    I want to go back down to 130. My goal and dream is to get there by August. Or by early fall..

    But the problem is, I don't know where to start.
    I keep trying to eat about 1300 calories six times a week, with only one cheat day and I either stay at the same weight , or gain a pound or two! I can't imagine I'm doing that horrible during my one cheat day that I gain even more weight and basically throw away my whole week's progress...
    I also have PCOS which I know makes it harder... but I feel helpless. I am tired of gaining weight, feeling ugly and insecure.

    PLEASE HELP!!! :neutral: If someone could give me some tips or even a plan I should follow to see real weight loss, I would appreciate it immensely.

    My story is similar to yours except I'm over 10 years older LOL! In 2012 I went from 148 lbs down to 114 lbs and felt the best I've ever felt in a size 4. Fast forward to the end of 2013 when I started stress eating and being less active due to a new job and by 2015 I was up to 164 lbs, the most I've ever weighed. At the end of August I decided to make a change and I'm now down 38.5 lbs. I was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism in August 2015 and didn't start medication until the end of October. I'm on to the last 10 lbs now. I think your plan is perfect. I have a Fitbit and follow the TDEE method. Like you I have my date night on Saturdays where I eat out and have drinks. I use the weekly nutrition tab to balance my calories out during the week so my gross daily average is at 1,300 (I usually burn between 1,800-1,900 per day per Fitbit). I have been steadily losing weight, no plateaus. I also weigh 90% of what I eat in grams on a food scale, exceptions are a container of yogurt and 100 calorie bags of popcorn. Continue to work out to raise your TDEE, weigh your foods and eat less than your TDEE and the weight will come off, it just takes time. You can do it!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    edited April 2016
    You can gain 10 lbs per year by overeating a mere 100 calories per day. I gained 150 pounds in 20 years this way so, yes, you definitely want to reverse this trend. You need to decide what changes you're willing to make for the rest of your life, which is (hopefully) a very long time. Make small changes, one at a time, that you can live with EVERY DAY and build from there. All the "how to" stuff is explained above and in sticky posts.

    Date-based goals can help with motivation, but don't let them defeat you if not met. You just can't predict or control the pace very much. The most important thing is what you're going to do "after' you reach that goal, so you don't cycle back up again.

    If you're blowing out on your cheat days to the extent that you're negating a week's work, obviously it's not a good plan. It means you're overeating by thousands of calories on one day. IMO, it's better to eat a bit more every day, 7 days a week, and work in some small treats, like a small piece of cake, a glass of wine, etc. Set MFP for .5 to 1.0 lb per week and go from there. I think you'll be more successful in the long term.
  • zachatta
    zachatta Posts: 1,340 Member
    I gained and restarted around this time last year. I understand your frustration. The best ways to deal with this is the following:

    First you must understand that, unlike before where you got to see instant gratification for your daily workouts, you won't experience those. Why? You remember yourself being in better shape, and when you look into the mirror you can't help but think where you could be if you stuck with it. Its a bad analogy but think of a garden. When you first start you put in a ton of effort and don't reap any rewards, but in order to get those rewards you must keep at it. So, keep planting.

    Second do not try and do everything on day 1. If you do this there is a good chance you will burn out and give up. For me, the first thing I did was I tried to get the gym back into my lifestyle. I continued to eat like a pig. I did this until exercising become second nature again. After about a month of working out I decided to work on my diet.

    To me its a lot harder to lose weight when you have lost and regained. When you are fat all of your life its a bit easier because you have no idea what to expect and what you are missing. The second time around you do.

    So in conclusion, get ready for the long haul, take things one step at a time (implement a workout first, get accustomed, implement a diet.....etc) and soon if you keep at it you will be back where you were before.

    Good luck.
  • Samjb77
    Samjb77 Posts: 10 Member
    Over roughly 10 yrs I gained 4 stone! Now 39 :# I knew i needed to do something about. My health was going down hill very quickly, it was then or never. Now 3 stone lighter I cannot imagine ever going back there. First 2 stone fell off 3rd stone took longer. My last stone is going to be a struggle but I've got 10 months, that is my last n final goal.
  • Tydeclare44
    Tydeclare44 Posts: 572 Member
    Just to reiterate what everyone else said above: Eat in a way you can sustain for life, not for four months then yoyo to a higher weight than before.

    If your goal is to lose weight (fat and muscle) then setting a realist calorie goal is the way to go (might be higher than you think!). If your goal is to lose strictly fat, you will have to look more into what you're eating and how it effects your hormones, stress levels, etc. Also look into how you are sleeping at night, and your lifestyle in terms of exercise. Personally, I'd recommend eating as natural as possible, and listening to your body when it comes to how much you end up eating.

    *Disclaimer: I hate calorie restriction because of the eventual yoyo/muscle loss. I promote a holistic, organic lifestyle. If this is not for you, the go ahead and disregard*
  • kristinad521
    kristinad521 Posts: 2 Member
    What worked for me is getting into ketosis (keeping your net carbs below 20g a day). I started this way of eating which is low carb and high fat with moderate protein on March 14th and have lost 15 pounds so far. Some of it is water weight since this WOE really cuts down the bloat. I started at 162 (5'1").
  • kristinad521
    kristinad521 Posts: 2 Member
    Feel free to message me for more info.

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