I'm back... with a lesson in regaining!!
 

I'm back and while I haven't gained all that I had lost back. I have gained way to much back. I can't even face that number. When I think of all that hard work I put into losing all those lbs and now here they are again. I know what caused it.
A lesson that I feel all should keep in mind. I gained back because of the "little" things that I let slide. (All those "little" things added up to big gains for me) I'm going to list some here. I also invite you to list the things you let slide and then gained because they seems so "little" in terms of gaining. Maybe it will help others that there are NO little things that one can let slide when on a weight loss plan. I let those little things slide to many days and it only got easier.

Here is my list
Skipping Breakfast (this caused me to eat more with other meals)

Not eating (I'd do this to make up for overeating which leads to only more over eating)

Fast Food !!

Not getting Hard Core on myself when I noticed that 1st 5lbs gain.

Skipping workouts

Not logging on to 3FC ( I feel that comming here to encourage others kept me on the right track it made more aware of my weight and the stuggles we all share. Knowing I'm not alone.

Welcome back, Mez!!!!!!

Glad that you found your way back again, those slides are hard to handle and discouraging but wtg on coming back and getting back on track again!!! I haven't slid yet this time, but I know that in the past there were several things...getting too comfortable with the weight I was at even though I still needed to lose more, eating more fattening foods when I got together with my now ex-husband and stopping to buy the fat free things I was using before because he didn't like them, not making sure I stayed motivated or getting too easily discouraged by small things.

Good to see you back, Mez!

My regain was more about big things! Way too much celebrating with my sister over a two month period, where celebrating meant lots of wine, fish 'n' chips, and Indian takeaways. :dizzy:

Welcome back!! :smile:

I had written out a novel lucky for you guys my internet crashed so here's the shorten version. :)

Thanks for the warm welcome back!

Dishy Fishy - I'm glad you had such a wonderful time with your sister. I have a birthday comming up real soon. The 16 in fact and I need to get a plan so I don't go over board. Not use if I told you I come from a rather large family 7 sisters and 5 brothers. There isn't anywhere near my hometown that servers Indian food. If I do run into one on my travels. (I never really go anywhere so this may never happen) I'm going to give it try.

Melody - Thanks so very much for sharing your regain story. I'm happy to hear that all is going well this time around. Alot of what you said hit home. I find that many of us make the same mistakes on our regains and you pointed out one that I never really thought of. That of buy ff cheese because your ex.
I started to buy reg soda, reg cheese, and other "little" things for friends/family that stopped by because I thought they wouldn't (in fact many didn't) like the things I was eating. I found this to be the case in many of the children. I have 47 nieces and nephews. I felt bad for not having things on hand that they would eat. It wouldn't be such a big deal if those items hadn't found their way into my belly. I would eat/drink some of those things because they were going to spoil or just because. UGH!! I'm going to need to think this over and have a plan. Thanks again

P.S. Sorry guys it turned out to be another novel

:welcome: I have found recently that I am thinking about the food in my house and what I am giving my children. I have decided that I would rather my kids and anyone that comes around have the stuff I have in the cupboards rather than what I can go out and buy them. This time I am not on a diet, I am eating healthier I am on a lifestyle change. There is nothing wrong with teaching our children and other children to eat well from the start. I don't think my kids even know what white bread tastes like. They have only had whole grain bread. If they don't know what they are missing they won't miss it, then maybe they won't have to unlearn so many things that I am having to unlearn.

Anyway just a little food for thought about what we are giving our kids.

Trish

Trish - You are so right. I guess I was feeling bad because I heard comments like don't you have anything good. Meaning fat, high cal stuff. We had a BBQ and we served lean beef burgers. I thought they were wonderful but others not use to extra lean beef though they were dry. No greasy dripping bun! Which grosses me out now. We served baked chips and lots of healthy fruts/veggies. I then heard someone say how long are they going to eat like this... I should have spoke up and said for the rest of our life but I said nothing started to add the things others liked. They weren't trying to be mean maybe I'm to sensitive.
I hope others will now see that this is OUR Life and if they want those things then they need to bring them with. We bring healthy food places when we are at their homes I see no difference. Beside I did get a few kids to eat kiwi fruit.
How do you guys handle friend/family.

The friends and family thing is difficult. But I don't make excuses for how I eat or what I am doing. One of my best friends was going off on how much water I eat. She said make sure you don't overdo it etc. I just said this is what is right for me. My doctor is ok with it, I am ok with it. Medical advice should come from those who know, not those who think they know. I guess what I am saying is I make no excuses for how I eat I just do it. Friends and family will get it after a while. If they don't that is their problem, not yours. If they truly don't like what you cook like you said they can bring their own or suffer (I am by no means saying your food is gross, just...)through yours. I can't make excuses for how I eat or how I exersise or else it seems wrote to me and I run out of the excuses. There are no excuses and there does not need to be.

Trish

Thanks for sharing your list Mez.

We will all 'fail', or regain some weight...that is inevitable. It is how we respond to it that counts. Does one afternoon of eating **** turn into a day? Does missing 2 workouts turn into stopping exercise altogether? I think it is great to reexamine the small things that can make a huge difference and have strategies to avoid those bad habits.

Wait, wait...people complained about FREE food???!?!?!?!? :eek: That says more about them than it does about you. If they didn't like what you were serving, they were free to furnish the food themselves, no? People never cease to amaze me. *shakes head*

Welcome back. :hug:

Welcome back,

My big mistake is thinking of weight in terms of dieting and not dieting. It was either I was eating healthy or totally off plan. I saw this show, I can't think of the name maybe it was half ton man, well this guy said, when he reached his goal he went out and ate 4 hotdogs, cheese and fries and kept on eating. He felt that it was his reward. I need to make changes that are doable for the rest of my life. What good is losing 100 pounds in 1 year and feeling deprived. I would rather lose 100 pounds in 3 years, keep it off and never have to diet again.

When I 1st stumbled on to 3FC's URL one of the post I read was not to give food rewards. Which was pretty much what I planned on doing. You know a full fat ice cream cone for being so good. I know had I done that it would have led to other treats for reaching my mini goals. I had to rethink how to reward myself for being good. I found that unlike that ice cream cone I had planned which was a monent of happiness. Getting my mini make over made me feel great for days and even helped me to stick to my new lifestyle.

Before coming to 3FC's , I had it planned to have a real fattening meal when I reached goal. I learned better after being here a while. I had planned on chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, macaroni and cheese and fried okra with pie and ice cream for dessert. I am so thankful that I learned better than to reward myself with food. This would have been so stupid and set me back on the track to regaining my weight. I lost 90 lbs. before and gained 87 lbs. of it back over the years. Before coming here, whenever I lost weight, I'd start eating anything I wanted. It was just torturing myself. I knew I didn't want to regain the weight, but didn't know anything about maintenance. Thanks for sharing your list with the rest of us.

It's an easy road to start down Mez. Me and Kimberley have been struggling also. I've been losing and gaining the same 20 lbs since January. Kimberley has gained 20 back also. We just need to get back at it and every day will get easier. We know how it's done so lets do it. I know it's not an option for me to go back to what I was so that means work. It's hard with all the fast food out there. That's my Achilles heal. When I don't eat it I really don't miss it. But that taste sure comes back when you start eating it again. I am four days clean from fast food. I am already feeling so much better. I have to treat the fast food like and alcoholic treats alcohol. So lets be strong together and we can all do this.

Welcome back! You know something in your post really hit me. It is the little things that make us gain weight. I have been listening to a CD set by a guy named Keith Kline. Best 90 dollars I ever spent. In that statement "It is the little things that make us gain weight" is a huge ray of hope! The converse is also true! It is the little things that can lead to a healthy lifestyle. It is the 100's of little choices that we can make that can and do add up to a lifetime of fitness and good health. Switching from Mayonnaise to mustard, using smart squeeze instead of butter, power cooking great food that you love and keeping good food handy, switching to frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. As Keith Kline says - better bad choices. :) A change in lifestyle does not have to be this draconian restriction - it is about making small changes over time that add up to a healthy lifestyle. Adding an exercise program that you make a part of your life. It all adds up. Start with what you will do and will be consistent with. Keep making small changes. That way, there is no "diet" to fall off of. It is a way of life.

I wish you the very best!

Charles -- I have to say I love your posts because they are full of not only wisdom, but hope!

Amen!

And I love your new avatar! Looks like you're enjoying an active new life!

I Absolutely Love what you wrote! It's wonderfully positive and encouraging!
Thanks so very very much!!!

P.S. I will be adding that to my signature. I hope yo don't mind.

A lot of us have had a lesson in regaining. I've had it as well. The best part of it is to nip it in the bud. Don't let it get to you and don't let it take control of you. You have come back and know what you need to do to lose it and you will.

Charles I just read your URL! AMAZING!!!

Nelie - I'm so happy reading how things are going for you! I'm glad you found your soul mate! How are the wedding plans comming along?

You know what I found out, if they have no clue it's fat free or "diet" they don't usualy taste it.

Dh and I have been eating extra lean meat for ages, I have noticed that even he thinks that dripping burgers taste and look god awfull.

I have made myself a deal. The only foods that I serve is the healthy kind. If I can't enjoy it with the people I invited, why would I serve it? It should be more important that everyone enjoys themselfs instead of the food you serve. As long as it's good, why not.

I would have loved your bbq, it sounded sooo good.

Next time you invite these people, let them know that your house is now a healthy living house, so if they wish to have something with high sugar, fat and the rest content, they are welcome to bring them since you don't have any.

They should watch TLC's "Honey, we are killing the kids", they have families that never ate anything that wasn't deep fried or tasted fruits and vegies in another format than chips or dripping in sugar. Thay can all manage in 3 weeks to turn themselfs around...why can't a guest live on healthy food for a couple of hours or days...it can only make them healthier.