Scared of re-gaining after I lose the weight
 

I have been losing weight, and now I am trying Atkins. But I am so worried that after I lose this 102 lbs left that I will gain it all back. I am a picky eater, and I am trying new foods. I am scared after I lose the weight I will go back to my old habits: eating when I am not hunger, eating lots of fried food and sweets, and drinking lots of soda.

Do any of you have similar fears? I am just so afraid that I am wasting my time... that I will just get fat again. But I have been trying to look at it in another way - this is my chance to live a happy life.

I am afraid that if I don't lose weight I will way over 400 lbs by the time I am 40. I want to have a long healthy life, but sometimes thinking about all the food I have to give up is unbearable. I miss French fries most of all.

I am just now sure how I can manage my weight once I do lose it.

Moonring - one of my favorite, favorite things about 3FC is our devotion not only to weight LOSS, but to weight MAINTENANCE. We've got a whole forum dedicated to it, and lots of maintainers working maintenance EVERY DAY. So when the time comes for you to maintain, you'll have a whole squad of folks there to give you information and support.

You CAN lose weight and keep it off, and many of us here HAVE. Don't let that fear stop you from making positive changes!

Hi Moonring05! I have to confess I have the same fears you do. I don't want this weight back ever again!

I feel I also have to confess I did Atkins and lost 50lbs, but then I fell off the proverbial wagon and couldn't get back on for four years.

Just take it one day at a time, this is a life change, not something you do 'til the weight is off. This is something you will want to do for the rest of your life.

You don't have to deny yourself the foods you like. Just have it as a treat occasionally. But I can understand the fear of working so hard then gaining it all back. There are some members around here that have posted about regaining all the weight twice and I even remember reading one post by someone a while back that said she was on her third attempt and that it really really had clicked with her THIS time. Plus what Mandalinn said is absolutely right. They have a great maintainers forum! Plus take it ONE day at a time too!

I do understand how you feel. I've had those worries too. I've been a food addict for a long time, so I do get it. I think you have answered your own question in a way. You know that if you don't give up those tempting foods, you could very well die, as any of us can. As as as those foods....yes, giving them up is like giving up a great friend, when, in fact, it's not your friend at all. It is killing you. I have given up lots of foods I thought I could never live without. I thought I could never ever live without them, but I can. There's nothing I can never have though! I have been planning my birthday dinner for a long time (it's not until November), but somehow, it help me to know that on that day, I will eat whatever I want. I might get to that day and decide that I"ll wait until the next birthday or I might not. I will tell you that I don't crave those foods as badly anymore...especially now that I'm getting closer to goal. So, I don't think I'll gain it back this time. I've lost weight before...many times, but I"m not relying on any programs or gimmics this time. I'm doing it the old fashioned way: counting calories and working out a lot. I'm reminded of when I had my boys and how hard it was for them to give up their bottle. They didn't want to give it up...it provided lots of comfort and pleasure, but they had to grow up and that process was not easy. For me, this was similar. I had to mature and know that I have to resist temptation if I want to have a good life. I'm not saying that people who are heavy don't have a good life...not at all, but now that I"m getting back to my old shape, I'm starting to remember just how great it is to be thinner. Good luck to you!

Hugs.

Hi Moonring- from someone who has previously lost 90 lbs only to gain it back you need to be vigilant. Don't stop weighing yourself, when you gain a bit of weight back get strict with yourself again. The last time I tricked myself into believing now that I was thin I could live like my thin friends- not true. If I want to keep the weight off I will need to watch what I eat for the rest of my life- that does not mean that I can't have treats but when I do I will have to make up for it elsewhere- either by increased exercise or lower calories the next day. You can do it- just be realistic about maintenance. I looked at as if Yeah, I made it I'm homefree. This time there is no question it will be different.

2 summers ago I lost 25 lbs and kept it off for a little over a year, how I have no idea...as it stayed off I started weighing myself less and eating more and thinking nothing would change...how naive. Than I started dating this guy and over the next several months of being with him I gained all the weight back...as our relationship started to crumble I once again fell into a depression and that led to binge epsiodes for me (as it always has) now I gained even more weight and am finally taking it off again although its slower this time.

My recommendation would be to not lose focus - dont stop weighing in, dont become mindless of what you are eating just because you feel happy you've come "this" far that attitude made me gain all the weight back. Now I realize the only way I'm going to keep it off if is I have constant reminders for myself to weigh in, take my vitamins, and my stepping machine is in front of my tv and not in the basement (unlike my treadmill which I havent seen for years...because well who wants to work out in a dark stuffy basement? :(

Just keep your goals in mind and you'll be fine :)

I can understand your fear. I have lost over 100 lbs twice in my life only to have gained it all back and then some. I have now lost 119 lbs (I need to update my ticker) and am still fearful of gaining it back. In fact, my weight can fluctuate 10-30 lbs. But is the fear of gaining it back reason to give up? I don't think so. Yes, it is hard. Yes, it is a struggle. And no, we cannot eat like naturally thin people. But the alternative of staying at a weight that makes us unhappy and unhealthy does not seem like a better option. You can do it - consistency is the key. And taking it one day (and sometimes even one hour) at a time. Good luck - know that others are right there with you. And, as a 40 something - I can tell you it is better to gain control now - it does get harder the older you get...

Moonring, you are sooooo not alone! I worry about this every day. I lost 40 lbs 8 years ago at my first attempt at a diet. And it took a few years but I did gain back all of it plus 70 lbs. And Atkins especially can be very scary because you think, it's impossible to go the rest of my life and never ever eat pizza again (my personal favorite). Or french fries. Or birthday cake. Or just a freakin' bologna sandwich!

But, the trick is, once you're at your goal, you can eat them in small amounts, and balance it out by more time on the treadmill or going a day with salads. By the time you're at your goal, hopefully your mind will be in the right place. I lost 45 lbs in 6 months, then maintained for 4 months. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, but I made sure to weigh every day, and when I saw the scale get to the edge of my 5 lb window, I clamped down on my carbs. So, now I just have to make sure I can do that every day of the rest of my life. I may not be able to pass up carbs for the rest of my life-actually I know that is impossible for me-but I can step on a scale and make a decision about how strict to be.

I can also understand your fear. I have lost and regained alot of weight multiple times in my life. Don't give up though. You are capable of doing this!

I am scared of it every day :)

I have lost weight before and always gained it back. This time, I thought from day 1 how will I keep it off, my whole goal has been keeping it off. Changing my focus from "lose weight' to "lose weight, keep it off, be healthy" made a HUGE difference for me.

For me, when my goal was "lose weight' when I lost the weight, I was done and the diet ended. I started resuming my old habits and the weight came back (with MORE weight). This time, my goal is to lose weight, keep it off and be healthy - there is no end. There is no diet to stop, this is just the way I eat.

It's been over 3.5 years and I am still within 5 lbs of my original low weight - it CAN be done, but it involves permament change. I focused on making changes I could stick to forever.

You are more than welcome to come hang out in Maintainer's Forum right now, all of us work on maintaining our weight loss every day and support each other.

I totally understand where you are coming from... Even though I just started last week I have this fear too. I have lost weight many times only to gain it back. This time I am making a LIFE style change! This is the way I am going to eat for the rest of my life, and I guess that is the difference for me this time around. I agree with everyone's plans on how to maintain weight too. Good luck hun, I know you can do it!!!

I think about it sometimes too. I've lost weight several times over the years and gained it all back (and more, of course). I think my thinking this time around has definitely changed, like others here, I look at it as a lifestyle change and not as a diet. I've had to come up with habits and stuff that I will be able to follow the rest of my life. I haven't forbidden any food...I figure if I tried, I'd only want it even more. So I allow myself a treat, but only once in awhile. That said, I still worry a little bit. I've stuck with this lifestyle change alot longer than I have before, and I've lost more weight than I ever have before. I think, in five years, will I still be this vigilant? I don't think this very often, but I hope I will be. You are definitely not alone in this.

Losing weight for me is the easy part. I can do that, have done it many times so my fear of regaining is very real. I'm really trying to change my 'diet' mentality that tells me I've got to where I want to be so I can stop now. I know that's not true and I certainly haven't turned things around and got back to my old eating habits overnight. Its more subtle, more insidious than that. Its just giving myself permission to have a little extra dinner here, substitute a biscuit for a low-fat snack. It creeps in little by little and soon I find myself 10lbs heavier and haven't had the skills to stop things in their tracks.

I've now come to the conclusion that constant vigilance is the answer and I do hope I do better this time than I have in the past.

Kitty