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Old 01-24-2011, 01:05 PM   #1  
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Smile Regainers Thread - 15+ lbs - Jan-Feb 2011

Welcome to the Regainers Thread! This thread is for 3FC members who lost weight, reached their goal, entered maintenance (even for 1 day), and then for whatever reason regained--and are currently fifteen pounds or more above original goal. (This number is arbitrary, but it's to distinguish a regain from simply going up a few pounds.)

Of course, any member may post here, as is 3FC's policy.

The purpose of this thread is to allow regainers a place to discuss their story. Perhaps you regained slowly, or perhaps relatively quickly--but however your regain happened, here's a chance to talk about it. Did you stop following a plan? Did something happen in your life that had a priority? Or did you fight tooth and nail but regained anyway? Did the things that worked in the past stop working?

The point is not "confession," but rather a chance to share your experience with others so that we can all potentially benefit. Note that you do not have to change your ticker to post here!

You also do not have to feel guilty about regaining. It is still true that most people who lose do regain at least some of the weight back.

Please note that this is not an "accountability" thread. We already have plenty of those for members who want them. Rather it is a place for insight, introspection, and discussion.

I'm hoping that some of the folks who have drifted away will come back and join in.

Here are some facts about me:
- Lost 50 pounds; reached goal July 7, 2007. Lost 5 more pounds after that.
- Kept weight stable for a year and a half.
- Regained, lost, regained, lost for the next year and a half or so:
---- By July of 2009, was up 8 pounds above lowest weight.
---- By November of 2009, was up 18 pounds above lowest weight.
---- By July of 2010, was up 20 pounds above lowest weight.
---- Am currently 30 pounds above my lowest weight.

(You do NOT have to list any stats for yourself. This just helps put my experience into a historical perspective.)

I look forward to seeing posts from other regainers!

Jay
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Old 01-24-2011, 08:34 PM   #2  
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Having played this game many times, I can honestly say its no fun....
I am currently at my personal goal but feel like every time I eat a little extra or miss a workout i will gain weight. The fear, and distress of regaining are always with me. I am vigilate in my weight control and honestly, know that as Meg has said I am different now...My calorie and exercise level should have me losing not maintaining with difficulty...Regaining has happen,at time I honestly didn't know why. Now I just accept a lower calorie maintaince level, a drop more exercise and pray that the scale stays stable.
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Old 01-25-2011, 02:25 AM   #3  
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I like this thread too! I'll go:

Short History:

approx. 13 yrs. old, highest known weight: 227 (I remember being weighed at weight watchers)

approx. 16 yrs old, big loss: 175

approx. 20 yrs. old: 160

Between 20 - 28 yrs old: fluctuation of 20 - 30 lbs. Approx. highest: 180, approx. lowest: 148 (Of course, there were also a few times that I was 135 or 185).

I recently turned 29 and lost 12 lbs through calorie counting, walking, and jogging, putting me about 10 lbs away from goal.

The other time I was at my ideal weight of 148, it was unhealthy - crazy restricting and crazy exercise. Now, through what I've learned at 3FC, I want to see if 148 is even achievable on a more normal calorie and exercise regimen. I don't know.

So, I was SUPER on plan over the past few months, with exercising and counting calories. Then, I sort of lost my exercise buddy. My boyfriend (also very much my best friend) found out the last week of December that he has Testicular Cancer. He is only 34. The rest has been a blur. They removed one testicle immediately, which was followed by a painful 2 weeks of recovery. Then, once he starts feeling a bit better, he has to endure a round of chemotherapy. A week after the chemo and he is just now feeling a bit better.

I am his primary caretaker, and I want to be his primary caretaker. But, this does not mean that my own busy life has stopped (I teach at a University and am a graduate student as well).

So, I was on a losing streak, but I've sort of went back into maintenance mode. I'm not at an unhealthy weight. But, to be honest, at this point in my life, I am doing my best just staying away from cigs, alcohol, and night time eating. Those are my major three vices. Those are the demons that rear their ugly head when I am stressed.

I'm sort of doing a calorie count in my head.

And, as far as exercise is concerned - when he was in the hospital, I was jogging like crazy, wearing myself out. Now that he is home, I feel guilty jogging because he LOVES jogging. It is his favorite thing in the world. And he can't go right now - so when I walk out that door to go running, it makes me quite sad, he was my running buddy. And I can see the sad look in his eyes.

So - I'm not losing in the moment, and not gaining.... not yet. But, finding that motivation to "stay on plan" and be a rigid calorie counter and never miss an exercise routine, its not there in the moment. And I'm also not going to find it.

So - one topic I'd like to discuss in this thread is: When life REALLY takes all of your energy, what are some tips or things we can do to keep us from regaining too much?

Last edited by bonnnie; 01-25-2011 at 02:31 AM.
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Old 01-25-2011, 10:51 PM   #4  
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Meg, thanks for your kind comments.

Reg4242, it's good to see you again. I remember you!

bonnnie, thanks for your experience. It's a good question. I have found myself in places where life REALLY takes all my energy--but nothing like what you're in with your boyfriend right now.

The best way I know to deal with stressful periods is to keep up with an exercise routine--even if it's just going for a half-hour walk. I recently started back up at a gym after taking some time off, and I feel much better now. Stress produces cortisol in the body, which practically guarantees weight gain--so exercise for stress reduction is really important, I think.

I hear you about cigarettes and alcohol. Fortunately they are a non-issue for me, having quit them both many years ago. The night-time eating is a hard, though. The most I can manage lately is to try to eat evening snacks that are more low-cal.

I know the event during which maintenance began to get away from me. I had gone on two trips one fall, and everything was fine on those trips. Got exercise, ate well, had fun. But then there was a third trip, and on that trip everything kind of fell apart. I didn't get any exercise, and I was eating a lot of ill-advised foods. My weight didn't take any huge jump after that trip--maybe 4 pounds--but things felt different. That's when the struggling began in earnest.

I really would rather not gain any more, but I need a different way of going about it than what I did to lose.

Jay
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Old 01-26-2011, 01:48 AM   #5  
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Thanks for your thoughts- I will keep you in mind when I exercise today (going to at least take a long walk). Good news though,- the docs think he'll make a full recovery and that he will only need the one chemotherapy visit.

OkOk - I don't want to burden the thread with this experience. I just find that this happens to people frequently: they have no more energy to devote to themselves. literally. I'm also referring to the height of the stressful period (such as a death of a loved one, or major accident, etc). These periods often lead to a weight gain that is around 15 lbs or so in my experience!

Jay- what does your 'strugging' look like? I sort of think talking about the silly specifics would help us/you see the problem better. I also think your 'struggles' and how you view them could be quite different from how the new dieter perceives her/his struggles - as you have had so much success and knowledge about what you are doing.
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Old 01-26-2011, 07:33 AM   #6  
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Jay, thank you for starting this thread. While I don't technically qualify to post in this thread. I just want to show my support for all of you.

Bonnnie, I'm so sorry to hear of your bf's illness. Make sure that you care well for yourself too.

I'm just now, this morning in fact, getting back to the top of my desired weight range (after a rough patch) and want to get back down a lb or two. My fear of regain, while healthy, terrifies me. I feel like I can really learn from all of you here. Thank you.
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Old 01-26-2011, 08:31 AM   #7  
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Bonnnie, lots of hugs and positive thoughts for you and your boyfriend. I echo the others: take some time to care for yourself, too.

Jay, thank you for starting this thread. The original Operation Take 5-10 was when I was annoyed with my vacation weight gain a year and a half ago. It has been a successful thread for others (and good support and fun for me) but now I am currently outside just needing to lose 5-10 at this time. I think this thread is going to give me an opportunity to really look at how my repeated behaviors are affecting my weight. More later.
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Old 01-26-2011, 09:09 PM   #8  
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losermom, thanks for your support!

Hey midwife!

Quote:
Originally Posted by bonnnie
Jay- what does your 'strugging' look like? I sort of think talking about the silly specifics would help us/you see the problem better. I also think your 'struggles' and how you view them could be quite different from how the new dieter perceives her/his struggles - as you have had so much success and knowledge about what you are doing.
Going back to that October when the third trip (it was only for 10 days!) resulted in a 4 pound gain... For the next month I went back to weight loss mode in terms of eating and exercise. It took a little over a month, actually, but I dropped those 4 pounds eating an average of 1400 calories/day. This was consistent with what I'd done originally.

And then... I got tired and hungry. The next week, I had a couple of days when I ate 1600-1700. And by the end of that week, even though I had still averaged 1471 cals, I was up 3.8 pounds.

(I should mention that time of month is not an issue.)

So as you can see, I began to wonder whether I was in a losing battle if it was going to take me more than a month to lose 4 pounds and one week to go back up that far.

I stopped tracking for awhile. I started back again around Christmas 2008. I was a couple pounds up on top of the 3.8 I'd gained. I was working with a new trainer at a new gym, who thought I should be eating more. I decided to see whether that was a good idea. For the next month, into Jan. 2009, I averaged 1500 cals. I was exercising 5-6 days a week again. I dropped 3.6 pounds in the month--but remember, I was still up 2 from the preceding month. Again, I got tired and hungry... I stopped tracking.

But just because I wasn't tracking didn't mean I binged, or went for fast food, or had big meals, or ate the candy or cakes or brownies or whatever! I'm not particularly a dessert freak. I didn't do anything drastically different with food. I had a few more snacks here and there--and evidently, that was enough.

February 1 I began tracking again. For ten days I averaged 1450 calories. I didn't lose anything--the scale showed a 0.6 pound gain.

In case you're wondering, during that ten days my nutrient breakdown average was 91 grams protein, 152 grams carbs, 55 grams fat. I typically get 70-100 grams protein and around 150 grams carbs.

Well, I think you can get the picture. I did get back down to near my low goal in March of 2009. By May, I had crept up a couple of pounds again... and so it went. Lather-rinse-repeat.

There's a lot more detail, but I think this is enough for now.

Please discuss!

Jay
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Old 01-27-2011, 02:12 AM   #9  
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There are several issues:

-In the beginning (Nov?) you averaged 1470 and gained 3.8 lbs.
-In January, you ate 1500, exercised, and lost 3.6 lbs.
-Then, in February a ten day spree of 1450, followed by .6 lbs gain.

And then the big problem of feeling tired and hungry. I can relate somewhat to the hungry problem and of being tired of counting.

But, do you mean you actually feel tired or you are burn out on counting, putting so much effort into weight loss? If it is the former, I never feel tired. In fact, I have tons of energy when I calorie restrict, as if I am in evolutionary mode ready to risk my life to kill a wild animal.

It seems like your body has stopped somewhat in positively responding to your calorie restriction with weight loss... I mean, it must be frustrating to do so much work and then to not know if it will even work, if you will be rewarded. Calorie restriction is hard enough, and then getting arbitrary results makes it even more difficult mentally and physically.

But your body responds great to 5-6 days of exercise a week. That seems to be what you do know for sure.

Last edited by bonnnie; 01-27-2011 at 02:14 AM.
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Old 01-27-2011, 07:07 AM   #10  
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Just some clarification: The 3.8 gain was after a 4 pound loss, and it only took 1 week.

Oh, and I'm sorry. I didn't add that I never stopped exercising. I was still going 3-4 times a week all through this, except that I increased to 5-6 at the new gym in an effort to get back down.

And here is the other piece of that story. After a month or so at the new gym, doing those training sessions, step classes, etc., I began having back pain. It was all through my back. My trainer, bless his little late-20s/ early-30s heart, thought that I needed more core exercises. Well, that wasn't it.

Turns out that I was having an episode of inflammation of the joints between my vertebrae. I had to restrict exercise. Ab crunches were out. I had to stop step class because of the impact. Any standing weight routines were out. Could not lift anything heavy above my head. No squats carrying weight. And so on.

From this experience I concluded that for me, there really is such a thing as overexercising. I can't count on increasing effort at the gym as a solution.

Five-six days a week of exercise is no longer what I'm aiming for. Realistically, it has to be every other day, and I've had to be careful that I don't try to lift too heavy.

Well, I only took my story into 2009. Let's just say that the rest of 2009 and 2010 was more of the same, pretty much--same cycles, always going a little higher.

I'm looking for a different way to approach this than I've used in the past. I do know how the maintainers here approach it--but since that no longer works for me, I have to find a new way.

Jay

Last edited by JayEll; 01-27-2011 at 07:13 AM.
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Old 01-27-2011, 09:27 AM   #11  
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I think this is may be the thread I have been searching for.... I always felt like I never quite knew where I fit in. My whole life I have always been a little heavy - probably slightly overweight according to BMI and I never paid any attention to food. I wouldn't have known what a calorie or carbohydrate was to save my life. I had moments where I would lose quite a bit of weight and love the compliments but it was always pretty accidental - like I moved to Guatemala for 11 months where I walked everywhere and snacks were not a part of the culture. But I always tended to gain it back and maintained a weight of about 170-180. Then in 2001 I gained a ton of weight (mainly due to dating someone with horrible eating habits) and I was probably over 200 - although I never weighed myself. Soon after I met this woman at work who had lost a lot of weight and she told me about Fitday. I started very slowly to take some small steps and little by little I got into it and became excited about the whole process. I learned all about healthy living and whole foods and started losing weight. Then I switched jobs to one that offered exercise classes at noon and I fell in love with exercise. I lost a ton of weight - was down to about 147 at one point. I was able to maintain the weight for about 2 years and then I got pregnant. After my son was born, I thought I would just be able to get back into it like I had been before but the excitement wasn't there anymore. I remember how much I enjoyed learning about food and eating a healthy diet and exercising and now it just feels more like a chore to me. Sure I lose some weight (once I almost made it down to 150) but then, as Jayell says, I get tired of it all and it starts creeping back on. Right now I am about 180 which sucks but I know it could be worse. I know that I am not a risk of being over 200 again but I want to find a way to get back to 150 - and I want to find a way to be excited about it again.
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Old 01-27-2011, 09:57 AM   #12  
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I'm not sure if I can qualify for this thread, but for years I have felt like a maintenance failure, so maybe it will be cathartic to tell my story!

I had been overweight since just before puberty. Knowing now that I have PCOS, it makes sense that my weight jumped significantly once I started puberty. In high school, I was at least 250lbs - at least...maybe more!

After high school, and a year of college, I had a year where my mom nearly died at age 39 (we had to say goodbye and everything), my grandmother died, and then my father died at age 44. In the two years that followed, I gained at least another 25lbs, and found I couldn't fit into any of my clothes. I was 279 at my highest then. I bought a treadmill, started eating less and better, and started doing Leslie Sansone videos. So in January 2001 I started losing weight, and was very diligent. I lost 110lbs in 10 months, and got down to 165. I felt like a new person! It was so hard, though - so much of my identity was about being the funny fat girl. I had some serious identity issues, and never really worked through them.

I stayed there for a year or so, happy to be maintaining, but then had some very bad experiences with very bad men, and started binging and purging. At my worst, I was binging and purging 4-6 times a day. I met my husband in March 2003, and with his encouragement, sought help and was able to recover. I still can't believe someone who had just met me was willing to help me like that - no wonder I married him!

We were together for 6 months and he proposed marriage, and while preparing for the wedding and my wedding dress, I lost another 20lbs, getting down to my low of 145. After I married in March 2004, I gained about 30lbs or so back before I got pregnant in November 2004. After that it was over! I threw my diet and exercise out the window, gained at least 80lbs during my pregnancy, and never lost it. I had some serious complications afterwards with my Csection incision rupturing and a terrible infection that left me immobile for almost 2 months after my daughters birth. It was downhill from there.

I was in the high 270's for a couple of years with the weight just creeping up and up. It felt so futile to try and lose weight again when I knew how much my pregnancy had messed up my body the first time. I felt like there was no point! I wish I had known then what I know now! Because of my weight, we tried conceiving my 2nd daughter for over a year with no success. I hadn't had a period for at least 9 months at that point, and I finally went to meet with a doctor about it...and she diagnosed me with PCOS. FINALLY! A reason why! I always felt like some sort of misfit, with my irregular periods, easy weight gain, facial hair, etc. I started treatment (Metformin and Provera) with no success. She gave me fertility drugs (Clomid and shots) with no success! After another 9 months of trying to conceive, I read about the Insulin Resistance diet. I followed the diet, reducing carbs and linking carbs & protein and lost 35lbs in 6 weeks...and got pregnant with no intervention (we were on a break from the doctor). At that point, I was 275lbs. I only gained a small amount of weight during my pregnancy (about 20lbs), but after my daughter was born in July 2009 I abandoned the diet and didn't lose any additional weight, and actually GAINED some.

I got up to my highest of 302lbs. Around April 2010, I decided that I would try to not eat my trigger food (chips) for a month, just to see if I could do it. I DID! After that, I became refocused on fitness, and decided I was just done. I missed being healthier, I missed being able to move, and most of all, I was SO mad at myself for losing it once and then going right back to that same place! I got mad, and I started fixing it. I'm not at my goal yet, but I will be someday - I'm taking it day by day, and know that when I reach maintenance I'm going to need a lot of support. Maintenance to me is just as hard (if not harder!) than losing weight. Its such a mental switch, and can be very jarring for someone that has been super focused on weight loss for so long.

So that is my 'maintenance' story - like I said, I don't know if that is exactly what you were going for, but I totally know how it feels to get to goal, live there, and then lose it.

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Old 01-27-2011, 10:13 AM   #13  
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I’m also a “regainer” despite living in the maintenance forum for the last 5 years. Here's my very long story: I started my weight loss journey at the age of 15-summer I turned 16, in high school. I hit my highest weight of 210 at 15. I’d always been heavy, unhappy with it, but never quite knew what to do about it. My mom had been doing weight watchers with great success that spring, along with the mother of a friend. The friend who was perhaps chubby but nowhere near where I was suggested we do WW using our mom’s materials. She always went away for the summer so we really only did it together for 1-2 weeks. At the end of the summer she was the same weight, I was 173 lbs. I ate better, following the points plan of WW, and would exercise by walking and/or jogging on the local track. I maintained around 175, never getting above 180, through my first two years of college. I would exercise by jogging/lots of long walks during breaks but not usually during semester, and food was healthier than my pre-210 lb consumption, but not always stellar.

Fast forward to junior year, age 19. I spent one semester studying abroad in Australia and the next in a very intensive domestic study program. In Australia in particular I had never drank much alcohol, but oh boy I did that semester. Maybe this was my version of the freshman 15? At the end of this year I weighed around 185-190. I did an internship and lived away from home the following summer. Knowing I’d gained a bit, I got out my WW materials, and tried to jog/walk around the neighborhood I was living in. Drank zero alcohol, despite this being the summer I turned 21. At the end of the summer I think I was 175-180 at the highest. Maintained fairly evenly throughout my summer year of college, but at least overcame my fears of the college gym and started doing an hour of elliptical about 5x a week, minus finals weeks.

I should also mention that from about 9th grade in high school through the end of college, I was very sleep deprived and full of stress. Straight A student, lots of pressure from my parents (both teachers) to be as perfect as my older sis, so I stayed up studying late into the night many nights. I never drank a lot or even had tons of friends and socialized bc I was busy studying.

After college, I moved to Florida to take a job at about 173, age 21. I realized “I never really ‘finished’ losing the weight I wanted to lose”. I once again got out my WW materials, got down to 136 over the next 8 months or so, started running around my neighborhood, with a few crunches and bicep curls thrown in. In the middle I had a big stall and realized I was eating almost no fat, healthy fats or unhealthy. My hair and nails didn’t grow well. Once I realized what was going on and made it to goal, I realized how unhealthy I’d been and swore I wouldn’t go back there again. I decided my weight range would be 135-140. I was single and still rarely drank alcohol, didn’t socialize much, and I started sleeping more normal amounts (which I still do to this day).

Age 22, I moved in w a roommate(still same job), socialized a little more, drank a little more, but still jogged and ate pretty healthily and kept my weight steady at 138-140. A few months later I met my current BF. This meant more eating out, more drinking alcohol. (I should mention I’m not a problem drinker, but after so many years of almost never drinking alcohol, these were “new” calories). For over a year I maintained my weight – I was stricter during the week, as BF and I settled into a routine I cooked more at home, and I cook pretty healthily. Weekends were more indulgent w food & alcohol but I always evened it out.

Around age 24 the creep started. My weight was a few lbs over 140. I had started getting into lifting weights, going to the gym, so I did more elliptical than running. I made allowances that muscle weighs more than fat, and hoped I was building muscle, but knew my pants were tight. I think I allowed less “recovery” time after an event – after a party, even if my weight wasn’t back down to 140, I started letting myself indulge at the next party instead of tightening up until I got back to that red line. I wondered if at 25 my metabolism was slowing down. Creep, creep. There were a few periods in here I particularly remember as being bad for my weight. About 2.5 years ago, my boss left. I was really upset, and upset about the replacement. There were months of parties for him, and stress for me. I drank more alcohol and ate badly at these parties, Friday happy hours, etc. I think this time planted me solidly into the mid-150’s. Creep, creep. I would try to go back to my original losing plan, though at this point I just counted calories, and made sure I got more healthy fats in my diet. It would last for a few weeks, then I’d undo my work of several weeks in just a weekend of partying. Be upset with myself, get back on track, lather, rinse, repeat, just like Jay said. I work outside a lot in the hot Florida summers. One would think that I’d sweat off some pounds, but I’ve found the long hours create more stress. After working outside I do not want to go to the gym. Summer 2010 I was at my heaviest re-gain at 167 lbs (27 lbs regained from my "red line" of 140).

There were always excuses about this or that being a stressful time. Of course I've never had really good reasons (like Bonnie's! I can't imagine how stressful that must be!). My weight regain was a combo of creeping, not managing the creeps (not tightening up to get back to my redline like I should), and being unable to find the willpower to stick to an eating plan for more than about 3 weeks at a time. I still have problems with boredom eating, and small binges (I’ve never seen a professional about this and don’t mean to use the term in an insulting way to anyone). I suspect my body has also gotten used to my exercise routine – I don’t think elliptical do much for me anymore. I’ve gone through phases where I changed things up, trying HIIT running or doing more stairmaster, but then gone back to my old routines. At my lower weights I’ve always been a very slow lower, 1-2 lbs per month, and nothing for weeks at a time, which I find very frustrating. I have a weird relationship with my weight – the lack of loss can spur me into overeating, or finally having a loss seems to spur me into overeating and undoing a loss very quickly(everything seems to spur me into overeating!).

I’m made it fairly unscathed through the 2010 holidays. 162 before Thanksgiving, back to 162 before Christmas, back to 162 after Christmas and as of this AM 159. I’m feeling good about things right now, but I’ve felt that before. My eating has been OP, alcohol and sweets intake minimized, and I’ve been trying to give my body variety in its workouts. Hopefully I will find the willpower to hang on this time. I get frustrated that I “mess up” every few weeks, but I hop back on the healthy eating wagon, bc the alternative – to stop fighting, and eventually be 210 lbs again – is unthinkable to me.

Like Jay I need a new approach. Jessica (Paperclippy) has found that being OP for 2-3 weeks, then a week of maintenance works for her. I’m trying this now, though I’m not exactly sure what my maintenance calorie levels are. Maybe a week of 1800 cal/day will ward off the overeating that happens every 3 weeks or so?

Thanks everyone for sharing their stories, and I know I'm not alone. It's really helpful to me to also see that partial regains happen, and people aren't just disappearing off the boards when it does - we can keep encouraging each other to keep a partial regain from becoming a full regain.

Last edited by Megan1982; 01-27-2011 at 10:14 AM.
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Old 01-27-2011, 10:17 AM   #14  
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Jay, I have to ask an obvious question - have you seen a doctor? I feel like something is just not right and the only thing I can think of is you're just not giving your body enough time to adjust to higher calories. Calorie restriction can play havoc on our metabolisms and it can take several months for the body to adjust to the increase and often gaining *some* weight is the response. I'm not sure if that's what's going on here, I feel like I'm missing information, but I think at this point I would suggest a long term break. I heard somewhere to *fix* your metabolism you should multiple your weight by 12 and stick like glue to that amount of cals for 3-6 months. It was something about resetting your metabolism. Anyway I wish I had some better advice but other than visiting a nutritionist or doctor I'm at a bit of a loss.

I must say how impressed I am that you're hanging tight and not throwing in the towel. I can't imagine how frustrating this must be. I hope that you are able to find a solution. {hugs}
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Old 01-27-2011, 10:27 AM   #15  
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 356

S/C/G: SW:197.8/GW:145

Height: 5'8"

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Megan1982 View Post
Like Jay I need a new approach. Jessica (Paperclippy) has found that being OP for 2-3 weeks, then a week of maintenance works for her. I’m trying this now, though I’m not exactly sure what my maintenance calorie levels are. Maybe a week of 1800 cal/day will ward off the overeating that happens every 3 weeks or so?
So the "new" approach I am taking is focusing on Superfoods. When I was really into losing weight and maintaining, I was also super interested in discovering healthy foods and learning about their benefits. Also I think focusing on what I should eat rather than what I shouldn't might be nice change as well. So far it is going okay buy I am still having trouble with consistency (i.e. I'll do good for a couple of days and then eat a bunch of crap).
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