Winter regain! 😞

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kiela64
kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
in Motivation and Support
I did a really good job losing ~45lbs in the summer! My low was in November, 158, just under the ‘obese’ BMI for my height! And I went straight back there and gained over 12lbs, and I’m back up to 170.6lbs. I didn’t continue either my meal prep work, calorie counting, OR exercise regime. I got some winter blues and stresses but mostly it was just cold and dark and slippery and I wanted to hibernate. Very disappointed in myself for letting it go this far, and getting back on track seems impossible! How do you/did you start over again if you’ve struggled with something like this before?

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  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,465 Member
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    If your plan isn’t working, make it better. Think in terms of things to do. Start logging your meals. Calculate a moderate deficit using the weight you’re at now. Try for 1 lb per week. If you can’t hit that number, calculate your maintainence calories and start there. Sometimes the best we can do is not gain for a while.

    Keep making adjustments until you’re back in a deficit. Start some kind of exercise program. Don’t concern yourself with how many calories you burn. Exercise is great for your brain. Thinking of actions you can take, and then doing them, will get you back to the place where you’re driving the bus.

    Next time you trip up, keep your diary and exercise going no matter what. You’ll never be off track again. The process is more important than the numbers.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    kiela64 wrote: »
    I did a really good job losing ~45lbs in the summer! My low was in November, 158, just under the ‘obese’ BMI for my height! And I went straight back there and gained over 12lbs, and I’m back up to 170.6lbs. I didn’t continue either my meal prep work, calorie counting, OR exercise regime. I got some winter blues and stresses but mostly it was just cold and dark and slippery and I wanted to hibernate. Very disappointed in myself for letting it go this far, and getting back on track seems impossible! How do you/did you start over again if you’ve struggled with something like this before?

    I did the same when I got to maintenance after 30 lbs lost two years ago. I did maintenance well for a bit, and then I didn’t. Now is the time to reverse it... don’t wait. The weather will get better (I keep telling myself, anyway). You know how to lose... flip the switch again. And make sure you do it in a gradual way so you can sustain the lifestyle once you get to your goal.
  • hmaddpear
    hmaddpear Posts: 610 Member
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    It can be very hard. I lost a bit with MFP a few years ago, and then got so tired of logging. Over the next couple of years, even though I periodically put my 'head back round the door', it didn't stick and I regained 40lb of the 80lb I'd initially lost. I'm back now, and have started to lose that gain again. I'm still terrified I'll do the same thing and put it all back on.

    Consistency is key, I think. If we can just keep logging, we will keep losing or at least not gaining. I've also got my eye on the prize this time. There's a ballgown I want desperately to fit into. And being lighter means being faster - I really want to run a sub-60 minute 10K.

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    If you make health your goal rather than weight loss then the good habits you build don't stop when you get to goal weight. As an example don't exercise for weight loss - exercise for fitness, health (and enjoyment hopefully).

    Keep monitoring your weight, set an upper limit that triggers action (doesn't have to be full on dieting but don't ignore a drift and let it become a slide).

    Winter blues do sap your willpower, try strategies to manage it. (For me that's Vit D, getting outside as much as possible and exercise.)

    You haven't forgotten how to lose weight, you just haven't learned how to maintain (yet) and that's exceedingly common. Just start, don't wait, don't over-think it.
  • KittyInBoots17
    KittyInBoots17 Posts: 213 Member
    edited March 2019
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    I saw the title of your post and I was like, "MUST READ" - because I can totally relate!

    I used to do so well with this, I started back in 2015. At one point I had lost just over 80 lbs. I've regained 25ish lbs just by not caring about calories and eating whatever all winter. I have to relose it, and then some!

    What happens with me is, I overeat one day, and then I feel like the next day I can do it again because I already screwed up, so I can't possibly gain that much! And then this turns into days, weeks, now months. I too am so disappointed in myself because if I had just controlled myself back in January, how much better I would have been today.

    But I can say this - start today, and think how much happier you'll be in summer when you had stuck to it now!

    What I do is try maintenance until I can reduce the cals. Then I slightly reduce to 0.5lb loss per week. Then back to a lb a week. Do what you know you can handle. Some people can go 1200cals a day but I know I can't! Be reasonable with yourself and it's so much easier to get back into it! Best of luck. And you are definitely not alone!!!
  • TynaBaby17
    TynaBaby17 Posts: 56 Member
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    Same thing just happened to me! I lost 20 lbs last summer and was exercising and cooking at home, then grad school started in the fall and I was tired and stressed all the time and just dropped everything to focus on school and gained 15 pounds back...

    It took me about half way through this semester to get back to things! But this time I am aiming more for sustainability than loss! I am only exercising about 4-5 times a week instead of the 6-7 I was doing last summer lol And I am aiming to cook 3-4 times a week instead of 5-6!

    The motivation just kind of eveeeeentually came for me. I was tired of feeling sluggish and seeing my stomach again :/ And it is getting a bit warmer outside which definitely does help too!

    I suggest making smaller changes this time! I think something we all do the first time we try to loose weight is go for everything at once! EXERCISE! DIET! COOK! MEAL PREP! Just pick maybe two of those things and try and focus on them and do them in a moderate and attainable way!
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,261 Member
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    Get back on the horse. One day at a time. Small changes.
    And remember, there are places in this world where the people know that they put on winter weight and they don't worry about it. They know that spring will come, the days will get longer, and life will become more active again.

    You can do this. It's just a bummer to have slipped back. So many of us have. You're not alone :heart:
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    Thank you for all your great encouraging messages!!! ❤️

    As it is, I’ve prepped breakfasts, gone for one walk, and I still need to get organized for everything else lol. It’s a slow process especially as @TynaBaby17 says I also have the tendency to drop everything for school. And it’s the end of term! Just another 2 weeks! It feels hard to change anything right now. But I’m hoping I can at least stop buying food so regularly. It’s bad for my wallet too!!

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