Starving or healthy?

StephanieChartier
StephanieChartier Posts: 1 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I recently lost 30 pounds, I lost about 10 of that after a bad break up and during finals at college. Since summer started I have gained 5 pounds back. I feel like I can't lose weight without being depressed or stressed out of my mind. How do you all deal with plateaus and weight gain without starving yourself to get back on track?

Replies

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited June 2016
    No such thing as 'can't' :smile: you've gained 5lbs so now you have to make the effort to try and shift those before you gain any more - isn't that incentive enough? :smile:

    Keep tracking your meals and hopefully you'll soon feel back in control of your weight again.

    I don't believe in starving myself, that would make me miserable!

    You could set your goal to lose at a slower pace, 0.5 -1lb a week so your calorie deficit isn't so aggressive, that way you'll get to eat more and not feel deprived. Its more doable imo and when you're not feeling deprived you'll find you're more likely to stick to it.

    All the best. :smile:
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    edited June 2016
    If you were starving yourself for a short period of time, you lost fat but also lost water weight and weight of food in your system. Once you started eating normally again, the lost water weight and heft in your bowels returned. Just like you may lose 5 lbs when you have a stomach virus but gain 3 lbs of that back once you can eat and use the bathroom normally again. So a big loss plus some regain is normal in this situation.

    But losing weight in that fashion is not healthy. You probably also lost some muscle if you were starving yourself. Slow and steady weight loss is the way to go. It will not be 10 lbs in a week like starvation, but the weight will stay off.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,648 Member
    Ah. Another "lose more when I'm depressed." I thought I was the only one!

    There's nothing wrong with gaining a few after an episode like that. That's how it went for me this last round. The best thing to do is be as accurate as you can with your numbers, trust the system, and ride it out.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    Give yourself a little grace on this and try not to stress about it. It helps to look at the long-term goal of this journey. We're working at being healthy and fit for the rest of our lives. Even though the immediate goal of getting lean seems important, focusing on where you want to be in 5+ years from now will help you to stay on the right track. If you're stuck in a low calorie trap where you have a hard time staying on your goals for the day, then you should focus on ramping up your metabolism with a reverse diet and put weight loss on hold for a bit. This will set you up for long-term success. If you cannot stick to your goals for the day, you won't make progress and you'll get frustrated. That's the biggest reason people quit, and you should change your goals.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,368 Member
    I trust the science, personally. But for that to work, I have to know that I'm logging as accurately as possible (that's why I weigh my food). Once I know that I'm eating at a deficit, I just trust the science and KNOW that I will lose the weight eventually.
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