Have you lost and then re-gained?

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HartJames
HartJames Posts: 789 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm not talking a couple of pounds here. I lost 117 pounds, then re-gained 1/3 of it back. I have had the hardest time getting myself back in line. I am just looking for some support or success stories in this area?

I have had a lot of anxieties reintroduced into my life in the last year and eating my anxieties has gotten me into this mess before. Trying to get things under control in all areas of my life in order to be successful- remembering that is an important first step for me.

Anyone else care to share?
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Replies

  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I feel like I'm in the process of regaining, and I'm trying to stop it. :(
  • maaalloryy
    maaalloryy Posts: 65
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    I lost 20 pounds, gained it all back, and then some. I was working out like crazy, and not eating nearly enough. I lost the weight really fast. Once I stopped working out 2-3 hours a day, the weight just came right back on. I started to pay more attention to my social life and I wasn't as worried about my health. I'm trying to lose the weight again, but this time in a healthy, realistic manner.
  • awittrock03
    awittrock03 Posts: 7
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    I had gotten down to 178, and now I am back at 235 so I definitely know the pain. I am beyond frustrated and now I have to re-do everything I did last year in order to get all the way back to where I was.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    In 2005, I lost 50 pounds and over the next few years, I gained it all back plus some. There were a lot of reasons for it...mostly a lot of excuses. It took me too long to get my butt back in gear. I started my journey in January this year...and this time, I have done so with more reflection and more research into nutrition and fitness. My journey has evolved over these last 11 months, but I have found something I can stick with for a lifetime...instead of simply something that helps me lose weight in the short term. I am down 71ish pounds so far and have about 11 more to go. Besides the scale weight, I am way more healthier than I have been in roughly 20 years. One thing I did to avoid the complacency creep this time around is the activity described in my will power blog (link below). You will see some evidence of that activity on my profile page (and I have other writings that I keep near me). In short, you had a reason for going on your journey and losing all of that weight. The reason you are finding it tough to get back on the horse is that you have forgotten the hard truths about why you went on the journey....take some time, reflect on those hard truths and commit them to writing. Review it often. My hard truths keep me focused on my journey.

    As for anxiety, I've dealt with a TON of crap this year that would have derailed me from my journey in years past. This year, however, I was better prepped for my journey. I had done more reflecting and I read those things I wrote often. You see, despite any negative crap that has gone on in my life during different parts of this year, I have learned to focus on the positives in my life...and one of those positives is my healthy lifestyle journey. If I allow myself to eat emotionally because of any stress in other parts of my life, that will just give me another reason for anxiety. No reason to double dip on anxiety. Instead, I prefer to have the positive power that comes with better health, my personal successes, and the inspirations I gain every day on MFP to help guide me through stress-filled times :)

    Find your way and good luck to you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/H_Factor/view/recipe-for-a-will-power-pill-for-help-with-the-mental-part-of-the-journey-155978
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Oh hell yes - several times! The last big one was when I did Atkins for about a year and lost somewhere around 50 pounds. Then I went on vacation and had some foods I hadn't had in a while, got my taste for sugar/carbs back and that was the end of that! Within about 2 years, I had gained all the weight back (that includes a very sedentary 6 months after an accident). Lesson learned - no more deprivation diets for me! Now I'm all about eating what I love in the proper portions and exercising to make up for the rest.

    I also dropped the ball about this time last year. I'd lost 55-60 pounds last year doing the old WW points plan (enrolled then on my own) and decided I was going to stop tracking and just coast through the holidays. Not only did the bad eating habits slowly creep back into my life but it was a hard winter so workouts were very inconsistent. And I didn't start tracking again after the holidays...tried a few times but it just wouldn't stick. Thank GOD someone told me about this website!!
  • TigersFanIndy34
    TigersFanIndy34 Posts: 54
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    Yep, I lost 100 lbs in 2004 and felt AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was using the weight watchers core plan combined with ephedra. The weight took a lot of hard work but came off and I told myself I'd never regain it.

    Got pregnant in 2006 and ephedra was pulled off the market, weight watchers got too expensive and I just threw in the towel.

    Now my son is 5 years old and I am about 75 lbs away from my goal so I've only kept off 25 lbs of it.
  • Jen_Ohara
    Jen_Ohara Posts: 20
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    When I was in high school I started weight watchers with my parents and I lost 57 pounds and I was only 30 pounds away from my goal. I went to California to visit my grandmother and I got off track. I was there for one month and only gained 7 pounds and I was happy it wasn't more but it was vary hard to get back on track so I slowly started to gain it all back and I gained it all back. I am 23 now and I have been trying to lose it again but it's so hard to let everything go and just do it but now I am ready because I am tired of dreaming about my dream body and I am just going to work hard to get it. I have been over weight my whole life and I feel like I am one of those people that don't think that something this good wont happen for me but I am shutting up the voice and believing I can do it. It is not a fun feeling gaining it all back but stop feeling bad about yourself because you did lose it and you can do it again don't let this get to you or you will find yourself like this for the rest of your life and you deserve a better life.
  • sarahgilmore
    sarahgilmore Posts: 572 Member
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    I went from 84 kg in October 2007 to 67kg in September 2008. (37lb lost)
    Then as of August 2011 I was 84kg again

    I, like many other who have already post, also lost that weight on Weight Watchers.
    I reallly don't think it is set up for people to sucessfully keep weight off on (when I think back to what I was eating while on it, it was around 7-800 calories a day to meet my 18 points), which gives them more and more repeat subscriptions.
    2 family members have also has similar experiences, gaining it back after losing very fast on WW.

    my ideas:
    If you're under stress right now, change your goals to maintenence. If you can come in under it, then cool. but don't try to put too much pressure on yourself to keep to a big deficit, as if you find yourself going over it can lead to a major blowout as you think, fark it all I've already blown it... : (
    I find this works for me - I set my cals to goal maintenence, and just try to come in under or around it. I was just yo-yoing mentally so badly trying to meet a prescribed deficit.
  • morgthom75
    morgthom75 Posts: 127 Member
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    Yup! I lost over 100 lbs, and was down to 170 with 10% body fat. Then, I got married and got comfortable with my self and gained it all back and even more. Up to my highest weight of 330 lbs. Never kept track of calories, but that is helping me like crazy. Almost back down 100lbs and back on track!!
  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,354 Member
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    I lost 45lbs and then moved in with my boyfriend, started eating what he ate, didn't go to the gym, and gained 40lbs back. It's very frustrating but I did it to myself.
  • bizchic
    bizchic Posts: 30 Member
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    Yup!

    2008-Lost 40lbs

    2009- Gained 20lbs

    2009-Lost 20lbs

    2010-Gained about 30lbs

    2011-Lost like 10lb

    2011-Gained 10lbs

    I am trying to transition into a more sustainable likestyle and make a permenant change.
  • HeatherBurke
    HeatherBurke Posts: 147
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    Glad to see I'm not the only one.. I lost about 30 pounds then over the course of about a year and half gained 50..... It really sucks.. I have stretch marks in places I thought I would never have them and it's still hard to pull my head out of my butt and get it together to lose this weight again.. It's kind of daunting since I've never had this amount to lose before... :(
  • ArtificiallyBalanced
    ArtificiallyBalanced Posts: 44
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    I have lost 110 and kept it completely off down to the ounce until the last 2 months- stress eating/ binging at 3 AM caused me to gain somewhere between 10-15 lbs. I don't know the exact number because i stopped weighing myself a few months ago when i got way too obsessed with it. I just know that my pants are not comfortable right now! Someone posted this and its the exact thing I have been reminding myself the last 2 weeks that I finally felt strong enough to get a hold of this again...

    "If I allow myself to eat emotionally because of any stress in other parts of my life, that will just give me another reason for anxiety"

    When I feel a little urge to binge, I remind myself of this. It's SO SO true and I know that part of being overweight is KNOWING that we are overeating and not moving enough, but somehow doing it anyways. So sometimes the reminders don't work (like the last month and a 1/2) but I have gained back most of my control and am realizing that a really amazing spin class makes me feel actually better than eating a box of cereal and peanut butter and feeling completely sick after.

    Girl, you totally have this. Remind yourself that you didn't gain ALL 117 pounds back, and in fact try to forget numbers all together. This has helped me immensely. Seeing the scale would probably make me go on a binge fest- because that makes no sense at all, but only those of us who know what its like can understand it!

    One more suggestion- be really honest with yourself. For example, I started to nose dive when I was working out 2-3 hours a day and only allowing myself up to 1300 calories. A cheat day at 2000 calories was fine once a week, but if i slipped up to 1500 (which would have STILL been too low for my activity level) I would get so mad at myself and then I lost control one night and ate 2 extra servings of cereal. I hadn't cheated on a non-cheat day in over a year. And thats when the downward spiral happened... So when I say be honest with yourself, dont set your limit to 1200 when you know its too hard. You work out hard, and you can handle more than that. The more I allow myself to eat to actually fuel my body for my workouts and not just eat to eat, the more I WANT to workout and the more in control I feel. I hope this helps!
  • MaryBachert
    MaryBachert Posts: 66 Member
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    Yes, I have! I got down to my goal in September and then started to drift back into the old eating habits of eating sweets. I started making excuses as to why I was putting the weight back on. At last weight I was 12 pounds up! I was reading a book the beginning of this week called First Steps to Wealth by Dani Johnson and she said one of the first things you need to take control of is, "No more excuses." That hit me like a bullet! You see I arrived here at our daughter and her husbands (they had a baby girl Nov 25) and it was after the U.S. thanksgiving, so there was pecan pie, fudge and lots of goodies. So I started eating and saying to myself that they were there and after all they were delicious so why waste them. Then I moved to chocolate bars, candy, etc., still making excuses as to why I needed them. Then I started having trouble with my clothes fitting properly. I would only fill out part of my diary because after all I didn't know how many calories was in what I was eating. (more excuses) Before I left to come here I had got into that habit of eating when emotions started to run high, and it was like getting back into that comfort eating. I was busy all summer and into the fall picking raspberries, but after that hardly did any exercise, so I am going to get back to doing that also. So my biggest thing now is NO MORE EXCUSES! I am the one choosing to eat like that--no one else! Hopefully that helps! I will let you know how that goes for me!
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
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    This is my third time gaining and losing the same 30-40 lbs. I'm going slower this time, and I've hit bumps along the way. I will gain some, but instead of letting it take over I use it as motivation to get back to where I was and keep going. It's definitely hard, but well worth it! I had a bad weekend during Thanksgiving; with quitting smoking and eating everything in sight. I've been trying to get it under control since, and I'm almost there.
  • Keightisgr8
    Keightisgr8 Posts: 121 Member
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    I've lost 67lbs, more than half of my goal -- and then gained back 20 something.
    It's so discouraging, and every time I try to get back at it, I fail. I'm trying AGAIN. I made my promise that after finals were done, my number one priority would shift to fitness. It's ridiculous to let all that hard work go for nothing.

    I'm looking for friends to help me get back on it as well.
    If you'd like to partner up, I'm game. :)

    - Kate
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
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    Yes, I've hit 3 walls: 230, 211 and 200.

    At each juncture I gained back about 10 lbs before pulling it together and breaking through.
    I hate that!
  • MiniMichelle
    MiniMichelle Posts: 807 Member
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    Glad to see I'm not the only one.. I lost about 30 pounds then over the course of about a year and half gained 50..... It really sucks.. I have stretch marks in places I thought I would never have them and it's still hard to pull my head out of my butt and get it together to lose this weight again.. It's kind of daunting since I've never had this amount to lose before... :(

    I think you are living my life! This is exactly me.
  • sylvuz323
    sylvuz323 Posts: 468 Member
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    yes unfortunately was down 63 lbs, had abdominal surgery gained 20, lost the 20, then gained the 20 back...now I'm down 15 lb and don't want to regain any more. about 25 away from goal now
  • pupcamper
    pupcamper Posts: 415 Member
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    Loads of times!!! In the last year I have lost gain and lost the same 40ish lbs - I am hoping this time is for keeps!

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