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Old 04-09-2008, 10:51 AM   #31  
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Been there, done that. Lost and regained. I hope I have learned something by coming to these forums. One thing I have learned by those who have lost and maintained that loss for a significant period of time. You keep it off by doing the same thing you did to lose it. Changing your eating habits must become a way of life.

Last edited by bargoo; 04-09-2008 at 10:52 AM.
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Old 04-09-2008, 10:54 AM   #32  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scoobie74 View Post
I have lost weight and then gained it all back plus some once and I am never going to get that happen again! This site really does give the motivation to lose and keep it off.
that is so so true. I love this site. I KNOW I wouldn't be able to do it without a site like this with such great encouraging ppl going through the exact same thing.

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Old 04-09-2008, 11:02 AM   #33  
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It is really disheartening to see someone gain it back. I know I have several on here who I adored and I've seen them come and go, gain and lose, lose and gain and it breaks my heart that they haven't found that thing that will help to keep the weight off.

You've been given great advice about how to turn this into a positive. It can be done. We have a forum full of maintainers to prove that. I really like the way Jtammy explained it that it was probably just a few pounds here and there and more here and there before it just all came back. I'm really close (less than 12 pounds) to my lowest weight in over 10 years. This will be the 2nd time for me to reach it. The last time I know I wasn't ready for the mental blocks I hit. It was that 5 pound gain (oh I can get that off) then 10 more pounds (still not much to get off), got pregnant, miscarried and said to **** with weight loss and put on all the weight I'd lost rather quickly. The got pregnant again, had my son in Aug. 06, breastfed for a year and finally got it together. As I'm approaching this milestone, I'm more than aware that the mental part got me last time and I'm determined to succeed and make it not only over my 250 slipup but down to below 200 (Still not sure where my ultimate goal will be yet. )
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Old 04-09-2008, 11:33 AM   #34  
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I'm happy to hear that the two of you are connecting! It would be great for both of you to take this journey together. It may help both of you, and when you get to goal you can support each other so you don't "relapse".

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Old 04-09-2008, 11:56 AM   #35  
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Thank you Tammy ~
I'm hoping my doctor can help as well. It is very disheartening to have this happen. Not a day doesn't go by that I don't recall the days of being successful with loosing weight.
It will be a forever and ever life long battle.

Much success to all of you !
Kelly
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Old 04-09-2008, 01:06 PM   #36  
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I kind of think of it both ways -- I'm sure my family still wonders how I could have gained over 100 pounds without "noticing". And, I kind of feel that way -- like it creaped up on me and then one day -- boom -- I was 270 pounds!! I think the more realistic/doable your plan, one that fits into your life, the more likely you are to stick to it forever. Just out of curiosity, do you know how she lost it in the first place?

I'm sure she's glad to have your support -- because we all know how embarassing it is to lose/gain.
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Old 04-09-2008, 01:28 PM   #37  
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I guess that's the scariest part - she didn't lose it in a crazy way, in 15 weeks like on Biggest Loser or something, it was 18 months, calorie-counting and I remember so vividly being amazed at her progress (she came in one day with these weird pants on and then dropped them to the ground revealing her 'new' self underneath, it was awesome!) and asking "how'd you do it" and she said portion control, sensible eating and exercise. GULP. She said after she lost it all and was maintaining it just wasnt' much fun and she lost interest and 20 lbs came back and she thought she'd get to it eventually...then it was 40...60 etc., a gradual thing over 2 years. I'm going to try not to dwell on it, as someone posted - it's HER journey not mine (or any of us) what happens to one doesn't necessarily happen to all.
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Old 04-09-2008, 03:45 PM   #38  
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I've done the yo-yo thing (250 at the heaviest, 120 at the lightest as an adult). Previous losses were quick "diets" mixed with exercise. Now, it's habit changes. Which has been a lot slower, but it's stayed off for the most part, with slight fluctuations here & there.

Best advice I ever got was from a former co-worker & echoed by other folks on a bulletin board I was on at the time (not this one). Get rid of the larger size pants (& other clothes) which no longer fit. I have my stretches where I'm not so motivated, but once the pants start getting tighter, I know I need to get my butt in gear & get back on track. Having those larger pants around makes it too easy for me to slack off. Knowing that I'll have to buy bigger pants if I don't get back in the groover helps to keep on track enough to at least maintain things within 10 pounds.
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Old 04-09-2008, 04:02 PM   #39  
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The yo-yo dieting is one reason I try not to look at what I'm doing as a "diet". I am looking at it as a new way of eating. A healthier way. Hopefully I can stay on track with this mind set and not feel that once I've lost the weight I can go back to eating the old way.
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Old 04-09-2008, 04:44 PM   #40  
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Here's what I think. Even when I'm not losing, I'm not gaining. I may not be pushing myself to the extreme to keep the pounds coming off, but I just don't eat like I used to, so I maintain.

I guess if eating the old way was attractive, I might do it, but I feel SOOOO much better eating this way. No "emergency" bathroom runs because my gall bladded dumped four pounds of bile on the pile of grease I just ate, no constipation from my 0.05 grams of fiber intake for the day, no more heartburn from just plain overeating.

Sure - I eat cookies once in a while or chips or a handful of M&M's. But the days of eating a package of oreos in one evening are gone. I have absolutely no desire to eat McDonald's grease. That's not what I eat anymore.
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:42 PM   #41  
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Smile Let's learn from this

I read every one of these posts preceding mine. All I can say is that I copied and pasted all of your comments into a word document titled "Learning from Others". I want to return to what you have all shared and reread that.

Today, I came on to post because I was feeling ify about what I was doing. I needed your warmth, humor, insights, feedback, etc. My eyes lit up when I saw familiar names and comments.


We are in this together. We are not alone. Bring your secretary friend, Trazey, and tell her about us. We will love her thin.
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Old 04-09-2008, 07:15 PM   #42  
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It is scary as heck!

I think about it a lot and wonder why it happened to me all those years ago. I think it was the idea I made it to goal and so it was all good as a result I could go back to eating as I pleased. I went from 275 to 168 when I was in my late 20s but obviously here we are again at the higher weight. My deal was and still is that I never incorporated exercise and I let depression and basically laziness get in my way. I know this time if it works I have to monitor myself everyday and watch what I do.

I eat out of boredom and loneliness. I know I can see those problems now. So I try to do other things. The weight is not coming off like I like but I am teaching myself a lot about who I am and what I am doing. I have a library of weight loss books which would rival the Library of Congress I think…. But studying and reading really makes it seem better to me. I also like to see what others are doing. I look at Nelie, Heather, Robin, Meg and many others who are the successes. I like to think I can join those ranks one day.

Mind over matter??? I try to put the bad thoughts out and put a positive spin on it all.

I also have to say this forum and my blog help tremendously.

Keep it positive in your head and I can tell you it helps fight off the fear!
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Old 04-09-2008, 08:52 PM   #43  
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I can so relate and i live this story every day of my life.7 years ago i started dieting and lost 90lbsin about 8 months. I looked great and felt great!! I was sick of the dieting thing...i couldnt stand the taste of the shakes i was drinking anymore and even gagged at jsut the thought of drinking another one.I had been eating healthy meals once a day. Looks like i would have just started eating 3 healthy meals....NO i stopped eating anything at breakfast...then lunch became something i could grab quick..or just something standing up while cooking for the kids. Dinner was a normal meal, which was so good i would have an extra serving of this or that. I have never been a night time snacker. I would eat a few chips here and there. I wear mainly sweat pants in the winter..and you dont notice the first few pounds coming back. I was tired of exercise and took a night off and then it was easier to take the next day off and so on.. It was hubby calling saying he was going to grab something from drive thru and wanted to know what i wanted. It was slow little changes that caused me to gain back my 90 + another 45lbs. I know now I will have to make healthy choices forever. I will have to exercise forever. I will have to eat breakfast forever. Its not a battle I can stop because i won. I have a long way to go to get back to my goal.I plan on this being my last time to ever be this big. I will keep it off by counting calories and journaling forever.
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Old 04-10-2008, 10:53 AM   #44  
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Smile My experience

I read all of your responses late yesterday and I had to log off. I shared this with my DH. I would like to also share with you what I also think might shed some light on how "this could happen".

I have always had a debt problem from the first month that I decided to move away from my parents' home when I was 18. I had more month than money most of the time. I was and am still a spendthrift. Give me a nickel and I will spend six cents.

I have filed for bankruptcy once. And, statistically, it has been said that once you file bankruptcy you will also file again. I have come so close again but only my current DH stopped me. I have taken on second jobs and paid off my debts only to turn around and run my credit cards up again. Think I have a problem? I know I do!

Well, by being in debt so much and so often, it has affected my self-esteem, my credit history and I have lost the opportunity to own my own home. I can not blame high medical bills nor even unemployment. I simply overspent. I did not live within my means. Budget was a four letter word.

How can someone go through making the sacrifices of paying off their debts at the expense of not having any free time for six months, getting a four month virus from being run down and foregoing a raise at a primary job because of increased absences and still turn around two years later and not only be in the same boat but worse off???

I have now come to the conclusion that my twin devils in my life: my overspending and overeating, are really symptoms of my inability to effectively manage my life. Period. It is both that simple and that complicated.

I suspect that is really at the root of why this woman lost and regained 140 lbs. or why anyone regains weight. It is not just to lose the weight or pay off the debt (as in my case) but if you don't know why you got there in the first place, you will probably regain it back.

The extra weight is the tip of the iceberg. Again, it gets back to: its not about what you are eating but what is eating you (to paraphrase what Geneen Roth has said).
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Old 04-10-2008, 12:57 PM   #45  
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This happened to me - here is my tale, and what I learned from it.

On August 27, 2006 I weighed 229 pounds. I had a 10-month smoking quit going, I was eating healthy, I was working out 90+ minutes 5-6 times a week, and I had lost 53 pounds since February 2006 (76 pounds from my all-time high in 2003). I was in the best shape I'd been in since the mid-90s, and I was sure I was going to go all the way to my goal weight.

On August 20, 2007 I weighed 307 pounds.

How the h*ll did this happen? Well, starting in mid-August 2006 . . .

I spent some time with extended family members who smoke, and felt secure enough in my quit to bum a lot of cigarettes over a long weekend. {BIG MISTAKE #1}

I took a road trip with a close friend I hadn't seen in a while. I decided I could buy and smoke just one pack of cigarettes on this trip. Since I don't much enjoy working out when I'm smoking, I decided I could afford to take the trip off from working out. {BIG MISTAKES #2 & 3}

The "just one pack" turned into many many packs, and I lost the quit. I decided it didn't make sense to get back to exercising until I quit smoking, and it didn't make sense to journal my food intake while I wasn't exercising. {BIG MISTAKES #4 & 5}

After weighing in and being horrified to discover I gained 10 pounds in September, I decided to stop weighing in until I got back on track. {BIG MISTAKE #6}

I took several long business/leisure trips to Northern California, during which I ate lots of restaurant meals and drank lots of wine. Although I didn't weigh in, I believe that I gained another 10-15 pounds or so (to around 255) by the end of 2006, and another 10 pounds or so (to around 265) by the end of April 2007. I knew I was gaining some weight during this period, but most of my clothes still fit and I just didn't let myself think about it much.

I quit smoking again in May 2007, and ate a lot more while getting through the first few months. I knew at this point I was in trouble - I had to get out my old clothes, and I finally got back on the scale in late August when even my biggest old clothes were getting too tight to wear. I "discovered" that I had gained another 40 pounds (to 307).

It took me a month to collect my wits enough to make a serious effort to get back on track. I lost about 10 pounds between October 1 and mid-November, but got off track during Thanksgiving travel to see family and stayed off track during another extended road trip, through the Christmas & New Year's holidays and through most of January.

By January 28, when I began my current plan, I had gained back that 10 pounds plus another 4, for my all-time highest weight of 311.

So, in the 12 months from September 2006 through September 2007, I gained approximately 1.5 pounds per week. This suggests a calorie excess of approximately 750 per day.

My exercise routine in August 2006 consisted of the following, 5-6 days per week (estimated calories burned by a 230 lb person from caloriesperhour.com):

30-45 min of stretching/pilates type exercise = 150-200 cal
30-45 min elliptical, or 5 miles brisk walk = 500-600 cal
30-45 min of weight training = 150-200 cal

TOTAL = 800-1,000 cal

Those numbers suggest that I could have avoided ALL of the weight gain (maintained at 229) while eating exactly as I did, simply by continuing my full workout routine. Or, I could have avoided 2/3 of the weight gain (gained to 255) while eating exactly as I did, simply by continuing to walk for about an hour a day. I could have maintained my weight loss, without giving up the restaurant meals and drinks with dinner while traveling, as long as I stayed reasonably active . . . and then, when back home and back to normal, returned to healthier/lighter eating habits and continued toward my goal weight.

For me, the conclusion is obvious . . . whatever else may be going on in my life, minimum exercise of walking for an hour on most days is essential to controlling my weight.

Last edited by Merksie; 04-12-2008 at 09:01 AM.
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