Simple Ways to not gain back the weight you lost.
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In my perspective, there are three groups of people that have successfully lost weight:
1) those that have maintained their loss (often for years) but don't have to count calories most days. They have a pre-determined weight range that is acceptable and they regularly weigh themselves (or check the fit of some non-stretchy clothing items). If that range is exceeded they DO count calories again to get it off and back to their target range. I believe most of those people did not stop counting calories as soon as they were done losing. Instead, they kept eating as they were while losing but with a higher calorie allowance for long enough that they figured out what worked for them. They learned the appropriate portion sizes and calories of what they eat most often and combining that with keeping a close eye on the scale/their clothing fit these folks don't have to log/count everyday to keep their weight off. These are usually the people on these boards who are quick to jump in and tell people that eating tiny amounts of calories trying to starve off your weight and banning certain foods from your "diet" because those foods are bad are both unnecessary if you want successful weight loss and maintenance.
2) those that successfully lost weight but then said, "Wahoo! I'm done. No more weighing food, no more counting calories, no more logging, no more depriving myself of the food that I didn't allow during my DIET." I believe most of these people gain back a portion of the lost weight... maybe even all of it or more. I was in this group twice before in my life.
3) those that have realized that logging is what works for them because it enables them to not fall prey to the tendency toward portion creep and to override their urge to eat more than they burn on a daily basis. I'm in this group right now. It's like an insurance policy. If I accurately log my food and stay in my calorie allowance, I will not gain the weight back. For now, at least, I need that insurance.Some people (myself included) are burned out on calorie counting by the time they reach their goals.
I have no suggestions for you if you are looking for a guarantee on how never to have to calorie count again. For many of us, whatever caused us to gain weight originally will cause us to gain weight again if there isn't some trigger to return to calorie counting. For Group 1 this trigger is their weight creeping up beyond a very small gain. Group 2's trigger is gaining back enough weight that they can't stand it and decide to restart. Group 3 feels they can't stop the counting at all.12 -
@benevempress nicely said.
And to add to the mix here, there is another thread called "stopping logging and weighing" that fits right into this topic of discussion. It mentions a lot about how to stop logging, and those that will not stop logging, my self included and give a lot of take on how people are dealing with their maintaining process.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10414244/stopping-logging-and-weighing#latest0 -
OP, I think those rules sound pretty reasonable, if applied in the "loose guidelines" sense, as you suggest. I'm sorry you're getting some push-back that feels like negativity.
I'm thinking that by posting in "maintenance" - which does seem logical! - you're getting a higher percentage of folks who've been around for a while, who've often seen other people post "rules" in a more rigid or religious mindset, and who are therefore more likely to pick a bit, perhaps thinking new folks will take the rules more rigidly than you're presenting them. IDK.4 -
dcdickerson2 wrote: »I'd like to weigh in (so to speak) on the gaining back what was lost theme... I work really hard at adopting healthier habits and avoiding processed foods, sugars, additives, etc., etc., but that doesn't mean I don't still like the nasty things!!! So I get tired of being so "good" all the time, tracking all the time, and hit a week or so when there are celebrations, more eating out than usual, extra stress, etc. with foods that are hard to figure out how to track, and BOOM! I'm eating poorly again, which triggers the desire to keep eating poorly. When I eat poorly, I don't want to track. When I don't track, I fool myself into thinking I'm not eating as many calories as I really am. It's a vicious cycle. I'm in my 60's now, so I'm feeling a kind of desperation to once and for all, get this eating thing figured out and under control! I gained back (from goal weight) about 10-15 lbs during the year my husband was in chemo and had 4 different surgeries, and I'm having a devil of a time getting those off again.
Eating within your calorie limit sounds so simple... but it's not!
I do agree that no food should be "off limits". That creates a deprivation scenario in which you will overeat that food when you get the chance... which is the problem with just eating healthy and adopting healthy habits... I miss the unhealthy habits, and when I let down my guard, I get into it full swing for days. It's difficult to swing the pendulum the other way! That said, I know I can do it, but I can't seem to do it fast enough to suit me!!
@dcdickerson2, Maybe an alternate strategy to consider would be to simply commit to log what you eat and enjoy, trying to keep portions reasonable but satisfying, and see how that goes for a while. Once you have a week or so on the record - good, bad, or ugly - go back and review your diary.
See which things didn't seem worth their calories to you, in terms of satiation, nutrition, or tastiness. Replace those with other foods you enjoy, but that better accomplish your goals. Gradually, you can work your way to a healthier, more satisfying way of eating.
Also, reviewing your diary, look for the situations/circumstances most likely to derail you, and think about ways you can "change your script" to reduce those problems. For example, if you eat under stress, maybe consider a short walk as a stress-reducer instead, or a relaxing bath, simple breathing exercises, or something else that soothes you. If you have trouble at restaurants, consider planning what you will order before you get to the restaurant (most menus are online now, sometimes even with calories/nutrition). If you have trouble with celebrations, consider eating lightly at the other meals the day of the celebration, or getting some extra activity. Also consider effects of things like being short of sleep, whether you have specific "trigger foods" that it's hard to stop eating, etc.
You don't have to be perfect every single minute, or give up. There's a middle ground. The majority of our days determine the majority of our progress!
Try to avoid the "magical thinking" that hides behind not logging things you wish you hadn't eaten. Not knowing the calories - as you know - doesn't make them have no effect. Log what you actually eat. It's just data, not evidence of being "good" or "bad". Once you see it what you're eating, you can take responsibility for it, analyze it, learn from it, and make gradual changes.
If you drop off track, commit to getting back on a healthy path as soon as you can manage, and don't beat yourself up about it.
I'm 60 years old, and have managed to lose weight - 63 pounds - and have now been maintaining my goal weight for several months. It's possible at our age; you can do this! I empathize with what you're saying about the stresses of our stage of life - I'm a cancer widow and cancer survivor, among other things. Be kind to yourself, and gradually work to be more consistent at eating in a way that's satisfying and healthy for you.
OP, apologies for the slight digression . . . .9 -
The thought that is in the forefront of my mind, is that i never want to go through this dieting crap ever, ever again! I weigh myself everyday, and i log my food everyday. If my weight goes past my comfortable range (2-3kgs), then i cut back a bit and make extra sure my food logging is on point. It is a lot easier and quicker to lose 3kgs than it is 30kgs.14
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dcdickerson2 wrote: »I'd like to weigh in (so to speak) on the gaining back what was lost theme... I work really hard at adopting healthier habits and avoiding processed foods, sugars, additives, etc., etc., but that doesn't mean I don't still like the nasty things!!! So I get tired of being so "good" all the time, tracking all the time, and hit a week or so when there are celebrations, more eating out than usual, extra stress, etc. with foods that are hard to figure out how to track, and BOOM! I'm eating poorly again, which triggers the desire to keep eating poorly. When I eat poorly, I don't want to track. When I don't track, I fool myself into thinking I'm not eating as many calories as I really am. It's a vicious cycle. I'm in my 60's now, so I'm feeling a kind of desperation to once and for all, get this eating thing figured out and under control! I gained back (from goal weight) about 10-15 lbs during the year my husband was in chemo and had 4 different surgeries, and I'm having a devil of a time getting those off again.
Eating within your calorie limit sounds so simple... but it's not!
I do agree that no food should be "off limits". That creates a deprivation scenario in which you will overeat that food when you get the chance... which is the problem with just eating healthy and adopting healthy habits... I miss the unhealthy habits, and when I let down my guard, I get into it full swing for days. It's difficult to swing the pendulum the other way! That said, I know I can do it, but I can't seem to do it fast enough to suit me!!
Hang in there! You can do this.0 -
@AnnPT77 LOL! Magical thinking, indeed! (If I don't post it I must not have eaten it. Or at least if I did the calories don't count.) A few weeks ago I ate an entire 7oz bag of pretzel thins. Logged the whole bag. I even went ahead and ate the last few just so I would be accurate...
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I read this and thought I would share it.
(about me - I lost 100 lbs, but did not do maintenance and gained back the 100lbs. I know better know, and agree with this as a simple way to keep your weight down.)- Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
- Avoid eating in front of the television or computer.
- Eat more vegetables and fewer starches. (In other words, gravitate toward foods that fill you up for fewer calories.)
- Take slightly smaller portions.
- Stop at a single cocktail or glass of wine.
- Have fruit for dessert—or no dessert, most of the time.
- Drink water or tea instead of soda.
- Make time most days for a 20-30 minute walk at lunch or before dinner, or both.
- Take time on weekends to shop and do a little cooking so that you’re not as dependent on take-out and prepared foods to get you through the busy week.
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting?page=1
[*] Don't use butter
[*] Drink your coffee without sugar1 - Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
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Good post, IMO, although yeah, too vague and probably not enough for most people.0
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I read this and thought I would share it.
(about me - I lost 100 lbs, but did not do maintenance and gained back the 100lbs. I know better know, and agree with this as a simple way to keep your weight down.)- Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
- Avoid eating in front of the television or computer.
- Eat more vegetables and fewer starches. (In other words, gravitate toward foods that fill you up for fewer calories.)
- Take slightly smaller portions.
- Stop at a single cocktail or glass of wine.
- Have fruit for dessert—or no dessert, most of the time.
- Drink water or tea instead of soda.
- Make time most days for a 20-30 minute walk at lunch or before dinner, or both.
- Take time on weekends to shop and do a little cooking so that you’re not as dependent on take-out and prepared foods to get you through the busy week.
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting?page=1
They could've made it simpler. All the other stuff is arbitrary.3 - Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
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I'm about 168-170 right now I think I might try to lose down to 160 on the head and then continue weighing everyday and if I ever see a 7 as the middle number I know I have *kitten* up and correct. I don't want to log the rest of my life but at the same time I want to learn to eat healthier and try new stuff and having my nutrition broken down so accurately helps me make better choices. It's not particularly hard either most days.1
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Alluminati wrote: »I read this and thought I would share it.
(about me - I lost 100 lbs, but did not do maintenance and gained back the 100lbs. I know better know, and agree with this as a simple way to keep your weight down.)- Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
- Avoid eating in front of the television or computer.
- Eat more vegetables and fewer starches. (In other words, gravitate toward foods that fill you up for fewer calories.)
- Take slightly smaller portions.
- Stop at a single cocktail or glass of wine.
- Have fruit for dessert—or no dessert, most of the time.
- Drink water or tea instead of soda.
- Make time most days for a 20-30 minute walk at lunch or before dinner, or both.
- Take time on weekends to shop and do a little cooking so that you’re not as dependent on take-out and prepared foods to get you through the busy week.
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting?page=1
They could've made it simpler. All the other stuff is arbitrary.
Problem is, "eat less, move more" doesn't sell any books or fill out any articles.3 - Limit your intake of sweets, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods. (Note: I didn’t say “never eat sweets, refined carbohydrates, or fried foods.”)
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I'm approaching my goal weight and the thought of regaining any of it is a bit scary to me. I think I've done more research on maintaining weight loss than how to lose weight! I've lost 126 pounds so far over 2.5 yrs. Less than 10 pounds to go.
My plan is to just continue doing everything I now do and very slowly add back calories until I find a good balance.
I love the foods I now eat and feel satiated and healthy. I love all the physical activities I can now participate in at a much smaller body size and plan on continuing and even adding to them. I plan on logging in every day and logging my foods as well. My interaction with my MFP friends has been KEY to my success so far, so no plan on stopping that either.5 -
When I started my weight loss I had already made a mental and emotional commitment that any changes I'd be making were for the rest of my life and didn't have the "I'm done" mentality. For me, maintenance became a slight adjustment and not a major change. Maybe that's why I'm at a year and a half still at goal. It gets tough, and I adjust (a pound or two up - a pound or two comes off). It's forever for me.4
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Fitness requires a fit lifestyle. If you elect not to continue the lifestyle, you become less fit.4
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xmichaelyx wrote: »Fitness requires a fit lifestyle. If you elect not to continue the lifestyle, you become less fit.
Drop mic.0 -
I went from 272 lbs and got to my lowest at 169 pounds.. Between passing out when I was hungry and finding out i was anemic and going thru treatments.. Plus going thru a bad separation leading to divorce I started gaining. I recently seen 187 on scale and that really bothered me. I am currently training for half marathon and doing some weight training so hoping I finally got a grip on things.0
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I'm curious too, but I don't want to be a jerk.
So let's imagine a theoretical person who lost X pounds, then gained them all back.
What goes through this person's head when they reach .25X, .5X and .75X pounds regained?
I ask because maybe in talking about it, I/you/we can identify some thought patterns that can be nipped in the bud.
The reason people may gain all their weight back and not pay attention to it until it becomes a problem could be tied to a mental health issue. It can also be due to physiological issues, like chronic pain or chronic fatigue. At least that's how it was for me. I knew I was gaining the weight back, but felt powerless to do anything about it.
I started at 225 lbs and got down to 160 lbs.. and then gained it all back over a period of 2 years. I lost it on the Keto diet and had to go off of that diet because I started having other health problems, mainly hormonal/metabolic due to the long term effects of Ketosis and VLC. I also had nutrition deficiencies despite supplementation (including B12) and was borderline hypothyroid. I had no blood sugar or other health issues prior to being on that diet.
I was aware that I was gaining the weight back, but because I had been brainwashed by Keto I assumed it was because I was eating carbs and I couldn't do anything about it. At the time, I was healing my digestive system and trying to find the cause of the chronic fatigue I'd been battling that originally caused me to try keto. I knew I was gaining weight and I knew it was because I was eating a high amount of high calorie refined carbs. I couldn't help myself and I felt so powerless to control it. I also had stopped exercising because I began experiencing chronic fatigue and chronic pain, and had to telecommute to work as a result, meaning I did not have a lot of physical movement happening.
Eventually I actually took the time to do proper research on weight loss. I reflected on the habits I'd developed as a teenager and as an adult. I did fad diets like SlimFast and yo-yo dieting was the norm for me. I never learned the essential logic of calorie restriction, for me it was always tied to a product. If you don't use that product, you won't lose weight. If you gain weight, you have to use that product to lose it.
So this time, I set a realistic calorie deficit, no special diets or gimmicks, I eat whatever I want as long as it's within my target, and I have lost 25 lbs since January. I don't care about macros or additives or sugar or fat or anything, I just listen to my body and watch my quantitiy.
It turns out the root cause of my weight issues has been ADHD. I was diagnosed recently and started on medication. When you have ADHD, your brain doesn't transmit enough dopamine into key areas in the frontal cortex. Meaning, you do strange things to get more dopamine and you feel out of control... like binge on sugary carby things when you know it's going to make you fat.
I have not experienced appetite suppression side effects on the ADHD medication I'm on, but I do find that if I don't eat enough I crash pretty hard. It seems like my glucose needs are higher than before and I find that including whole grains seem to work best for me. I was worried about this increase need for glucose causing weight gain, so determined a set of snacks under 100 calories and stick to those (yokids squeezable yogurt tubes, hard boiled eggs, and string cheese).
The medication has "fixed" my chronic fatigue and chronic pain issues. I do Reformer Pilates 1x per week and I swim laps 2-3x per week as both are low impact enough to not cause me pain but very effective in building strength. Pilates is really amazing, it's changed my life by healing so many things. Pilates really is building strength and if you are trying to lose or maintain weight, low impact activities that build muscle mass is like the best physical component to your weight loss program (in addition to a calorie deficit).
If you're suffering from a mental health issue, you may have challenges with weight loss. Consider getting evaluated at that level if you continue to struggle despite your best efforts. If you suffer from physical limitations and can't exercise, try Pilates. You don't need to do a crap ton of high impact cardio to lose weight.
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A fitness goal, like a 5 km run or 20 km bike ride?0
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As for me, I lost 80 pounds in 2012-early 2013 and I haven't gained any weight back outside of the normal fluctuations.
So now in maintenance I still do the same things when I was losing weight. I just eat more and:
- I stop eating when I am getting full.
- Planning out my meals in advance helps me to stay on track, fit in treats and spread out my macros.
- Making most of my food at home and from scratch often is great because I know exactly what ingredients I am using.
- Larger, less frequent meals work better for me than eating snacks and mini-meals all day most of the time.
- Daily exercise/activity. I make personal fitness goals often to challenge myself and I do a lot of monthly fitness challenges with some friends on here.
I just keep repeating this day after day. I don't have off days, or as my buddy call his "fat boy days" (or girl in my case). On holidays, my birthday, vacations, events etc., I work things that I want in, but I am still very mindful of what and how much I eat and will have to be for the rest of my life if I want to keep my figure.
This has worked very well for me and it's pretty easy for me so I going to keep going!8
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