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.
----- Time to start a new thread! Happy Valentine's Day, and I hope no one is losing their mind over chocolate. I am somewhat lucky in that I do have some control--plus we don't keep a lot of junk candy in the house.
I'm looking for more regainers to post with us. As mentioned in the first thread, regain happens to many people--if not immediately, then at some later time after weight loss. Join in and tell us what you think happened, what it's like for you now, and what you have learned on your journey.
My good news is that my weight has remained steady for the past month--neither up nor down. I'm not at a weight I'm proud of, but it's far better than seeing it creep up some more.
I'm down half a pound from last week, which is good, but today was the day I was to meet my first mini goal and I didn't meet it. I'm down 7 for the year, so I can't beat myself up over not meeting the goal, but I've really got to hunker down to meet the next goal.
I bought some bananas. Something I don't normally buy but they looked so good. I'm kind of hoping they ripen really fast so I can freeze them and stir them into plain Greek yogurt. Yum!
Yesterday I found this great cookbook for runners (or anyone that engages regularly in more intensive sport activity) - It lays out a general meal plan, with the calorie counts, and recipes, etc. First, the recipes look great, with only whole foods, mostly vegetarian (not on purpose, it is not a vegetarian cookbook), and are designed to be cooked for two people, which is perfect for me and my boyfriend. Every recipe has its calorie count at the bottom of the page - but most importantly, the breakdown of carbohydrates, protien, and fat.
Interestingly, the breakdown is almost always at least 50% complex carb, 30% fat, and 15 - 19 % protien. This means that every meal that is offered contains tons of complex carbs, veggies, and then often times a 'bit' of fish or a bit of cheese or chicken or tofu - but certainly not much, it is nowhere near being at the center of the meal.
Most of us think we immediately need a huge honkin' piece of protein for dinner if we've worked out hard.
The cookbook also lays about a 600 cal. intense fruit smoothie in the morning, a 450 cal. lunch, and a 5-600 cal. dinner. Eating 3 square meals and no snacks is recommended. They also do some crazy things with ginger and other spices.... not sure how I feel about that - but I also, again, have no real biological knowledge of how food is broken down beyond what I do get a chance to read (which is not nearly so in-depth as scholarly journals on the topic).
And this marks my first REAL attempt to mesh jogging and losing the last 10/15 lbs! As MBN pointed out, at this point, I'm really interested in being lighter to help my joints for jogging. Also, I'm interested in finding the appropriate food regimen that will tackle my crazy hormonal food cravings set off by the intense exercise.
Let us know how it goes with that, bonnnie.
I followed the Zone percentages for awhile, which is 30%/40%/30% protein/carb/fat. Basically it seems not that different--just switching 10% carbs for 10% protein.
I love protein, but I can't say that I ever felt like I had to have some big slab of protein just because I worked out.
Are there other folks who have tried watching nutrient percentages? Has it worked for you, if so?
three and a half years ago I started obsessively counting calories and exercising. And I mean obsessively. It's all I thought about until I had lost like 114 pounds and saw the number '215' on the scale. which was 15 pounds over my magic 200.
and things were hard. very hard. And I started doubting my ability to maintain.
I had developed a stiffling picky food habit and obsessive behavior. I didnt eat meat, dairy and most fats. And after 14 months... I found myself in several nutrient and vitamin defencies. I told myself it was okay because I was morbidly obese when I started and my obsessiveness warrented how dire my situation was. I saw myself as taking control of my health. Since my health had spent a couple years before taking control of me.
but I didnt learn healthy habits while I lost weight. And defenciences just made life with multiple sclerosis that much harder.
I spent most of 2010 really burdened by MS symptoms. Partly due to stress from a job I shouldnt have stayed in. partly due to the drugs that hopefully will minimize the disease. I gained 40 lbs back from my lowest weight that year and went into survival mode.. which didnt do much good.
I'm not really back at 3Fc. I recognize the obsessive nature of weight loss for me so I wont be looking at most of 'my' old subforums for quite awhile. But I know there's a benefit to accountability so here I go
oh yeah. and I have a walking buddy (I was a solo/obsessive runner/cardio machine girl) I've been watching what I've been eating and am slowly again losing weight. very slowly.
There - admitting it is part of moving forward right?
sorry for the ramble. Hi to the thread Maybe I'll make my way back.. but if it's more often then once a week I'm in trouble!!
Hey valpal23! Thanks for posting! Hope to see you here now and again. Your story is pretty scary, I have to say... I hope you are doing better with your health now.
sznn, yikes. Get that stuff out of the house! Or did you already...
Just a reminder that no one has to "confess" or have "diet accountability" in this thread--3FC has plenty of those threads. This is more for discussion of what happened, as far as one can tell, that led to weight regain--and plans for what to do next. But of course, you can use this thread however you like!
My approach for the moment is to continue eating in a healthy manner, without overeating. I am not counting calories or tracking in other ways, but after so many years of doing this, I think I can tell when I'm going off the rails. (I could be wrong, however! Time will tell!) Fortunately I'm not a binge eater, and those foods that always say "more" to me are still limited simply by availability.
Is anyone else using any strategies not to regain further?
Morning all. I've been reading but not posting - have not been doing too great. I am going through a pretty tough time in my life - been in the process of breaking up with my boyfriend for the last couple of months (long story) and I am not coping too well with that. So I will have some good days and some bad days and some really bad days like yesterday when I drank a bottle of wine. But I keep thinking this is all a process and it will get better and trying hard not to beat myself up for my missteps and also trying not to turn to food for comfort (or booze).
I've been thinking a lot about the role that I want food to have in my life (and the level of importance I want to give it.) There was a maintainer and she would always say you have to plan, plan, plan and count every morsel scrap, whatever. I would read that and just want to run screaming. I, in no way, want to live my life like that. I follow this awesome blog and this woman said when her grandmother died they found probably 50 notebooks just filled with what this woman had eaten every day of her life - not notebooks filled with her thoughts or feelings or anything tangible they could hold on to to remember her - just everything she ate. I don't want to live like that - even if it is just logging on to sparkpeople or fitday for 5 seconds - I don't want food to play that big of a role in my life. But then how do we succeed without it? There is intuitive eating but that is hard. One thing I do that helps is have a routine and consistency. I don't mind eating the same things every day so during the week, I eat the same breakfasts, lunches, and snacks and have some rotating dinners. I know if I follow this routine, my calorie intake will be fine. Another thing I do is keep my calories lower during the week, so I don't have to worry about them so much on the weekends. That way I feel like I have a bit more "freedom". But, obviously, I am not 100% successful doing this. I know if I calorie counted and stuck to it, I would lose this weight - I know that but I don't want to! Haha - like a petulent child but, really, I just feel like I really don't want to do it. I think that is sort of what I was talking about last time I posted where I said because I knew I could do it, I would just enjoy not doing it for awhile longer. Anyway, sorry for the novel - just some of my thoughts.
Welcome Val - sounds like you have a tough road. Hope we can offer some support!
Last edited by asparagus4sale; 02-15-2011 at 08:50 AM.
There was a maintainer and she would always say you have to plan, plan, plan and count every morsel scrap, whatever. I would read that and just want to run screaming. I, in no way, want to live my life like that.
Wow, asparagus, I am totally with you on that! I used to see posts like that, too, and feel the same way.
It may be advice that those starting out and going for serious weight loss need to hear, but for old hands, it's often counterproductive...
But not all regain is "bad." The idea that people should choose a goal weight, reach it, and then stay there no matter what, is probably flawed. As I may have posted before, none of us really knows what our body's ideal weight is. We may think we know, but that's mostly mental, isn't it?
I sometimes wonder about my now rather serious regain: If I had not spent so much time forcing myself over and over again into that old losing mode, is it possible that I would not have regained so much? Did the stress I was repeatedly putting my body through have the same effect as "yo yo dieting"? Because that's essentially what it was, wasn't it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by asparagus4sale
this woman said when her grandmother died they found probably 50 notebooks just filled with what this woman had eaten every day of her life - not notebooks filled with her thoughts or feelings or anything tangible they could hold on to to remember her - just everything she ate.
While losing I was a strict calorie counter. But it got tiresome, and I stopped (along with the weight gain). For me, it wasn't as much about knowing exactly how many calories I had eaten, but more about accountability.
I find I don't have the patience for the strict calorie counting anymore. And I feel like that's a problem. But really, the problem is not keeping track of what I'm eating. Not being mindful.
So far today, I have been mindful. And I know that I've eaten around 1000 calories. Okay, if I'm being honest it's probably a little more. I didn't measure out my snack. But that amount is just fine for me at this time of day. I know that I can have dinner and a small snack and be fine.
So, I guess I've eased into "mindful eating without strict calorie counting". It remains to be seen how successful it will be. I know it won't be if I'm not honest with myself!
There was a maintainer and she would always say you have to plan, plan, plan and count every morsel scrap, whatever. I would read that and just want to run screaming. I, in no way, want to live my life like that. I follow this awesome blog and this woman said when her grandmother died they found probably 50 notebooks just filled with what this woman had eaten every day of her life - not notebooks filled with her thoughts or feelings or anything tangible they could hold on to to remember her - just everything she ate.
I don't disagree, but I think there's a middle ground here. I consider myself to be a strict calorie counter, but I do not keep a food journal--I just keep a running total.
There's also some wiggle room in my "strictness". I tentatively plan my food for each day, but I permit myself to deviate depending on the circumstances. If I don't know the calorie count, I estimate the best I can and don't lose any sleep over it--but I do the best I can to include tastes, bites, samples, etc. I permit myself to go over my allocated calories and pay it back later. But having the budget and the "debt" works well for me as a way to avoid completely going off the deep end. Even when I have a binge (and I've had a few), I'm counting my calories, so I'm never tempted to say, "today is blown, it doesn't matter how much more I eat". That helps me not go completely off the rails.
If my approach gives you the same "run screaming" reaction, then I doubt it would work for you. For me, though, it doesn't feel like a straitjacket--it feels like freedom. I don't have to trust my intuitive eating sense (which I honestly think is missing or permanently broken)--I can trust the numbers.
Just wanted to point out that counting every morsel isn't the same as recording every morsel.
Oboegal - there is nothing wrong with counting every morsel. Not at all. What Aasparagus4sale, Jay, and Heather (and me) agree on is that counting every morsel and planning, planning, planning, simply isn't an appealing way for us to go at this moment. That is why Heather refers to being "mindful" - it is a "new form" of counting calories. We've all had our share of strictly counting calories in the past, we don't reject that there is anything wrong with it.
We have all sort of experienced a change. It is impossible to explain to someone who is deep in the 'strict calorie counting' mindset. I mean, you may kind of understand... but you only really know the feeling when you are there.
It was freedom for me too in the beginning - but then it stopped.
Part of the reason this thread is handy - we can understand why, maybe.
valpal - are you still extremely picky? Or was that part of the 'crazy obsessive motivated mindset' that sometimes hits?
I'm glad you'll be visiting this thread- this can be your safety thread! I sort of feel the same way and cut time drastically in other forums here. I generally am only interested in checking this thread.... something about it and the testimonies really resonates with me.
Also, asparagus4sale, I wanted to ask, what blog were you reading from when you came across the lady with the infinite amount of food-only journals that died? That little story hit me hard!
Howdy-
I have a different take for me. When I embarked on this path Oct 6, 2009 for the last time, I knew ignorance got me fat. So I needed strategies in place so that it would be very hard for me to stay stupid.
One is daily food journaling and the other is daily weighing when I am at home. Both are amazingly quick and easy. My meal planning has already been figured out 95% of the time. Logging it into my app or straight into the computer is a snap. Easier than balancing my check book or home schooling my children.
I weigh daily, one time, in the AM after potty, before anything else. Tanita is extemely reliable. Easier than keeping up with my son who has Crohn's or attending to my spirituality in a meaningful way. Crohn's has made me less whiney about I can eat or not.
In fact, I am still amazed at how easy recording & weighing are compared to other important tasks in my life.
One other thought came to me. It sounds nice to be content with a weight slowly creeping up, saying it is finding its natural range. However, I have spent a lot of money and time buying a new wardrobe and resizing my jewerly. I really do not want to drift up. I might as I age, but it will not be done with sanguinity. I will fight every pound.
This does not mean I am a self hater needing therapy. It means, I need less calories/carbs and I need to accept that, IF I want to stay at my trim self. Hard to say what I will be thinking in 5 years. I might be dead. But today, which is all I have, I love my new body. I cherish the opportunity to get trim one more time with the relative ease and quickness I did. I am grateful I do not have saggy wrinkly skin to contend with at 48 yrs of age and 7 children. The most I have to content with is being cold. This is a plus in Texas.
If monitoring my food is the price I need to pay, hand me the check.
It sounds nice to be content with a weight slowly creeping up, saying it is finding its natural range. However, I have spent a lot of money and time buying a new wardrobe and resizing my jewerly. I really do not want to drift up. I might as I age, but it will not be done with sanguinity. I will fight every pound.
Hmmm... I wonder when I said it was nice to be content with weight slowly creeping up... I didn't mean to imply that. Some people's ideal weight will actually be lower than what they have stopped at. And I was never content with my weight creeping up!
I don't know what my ideal weight is. I am sure it is less, quite a few pounds less, than it is right now. I set my GOAL weight based on BMI charts, and that was about it. All I meant to suggest is that taking an arbitrary number and making it a Law could be difficult to keep up with.
I, too, bought a nice new wardrobe and gave away many nice clothes in larger sizes. I wore those nice new clothes for over a year--maybe even close to two. And much as I did NOT want to go back up, here I am: I cannot wear that nice new wardrobe, and I don't have clothes that fit. So, that definitely was an incentive not to gain! But in spite of that, in spite of all that, I regained anyway.
And it was not immediate. I think that's an important thing for folks to keep in mind. I didn't just stop counting calories one day and balloon up.
Regainers Thread#2 - 15+ lbs - Feb-Mar 2011
Time to start a new thread! Happy Valentine's Day, and I hope no one is losing their mind over chocolate. I am somewhat lucky in that I do have some control--plus we don't keep a lot of junk candy in the house.
Get that stuff out of the house! Or did you already...
I didn't mean to imply that. Some people's ideal weight will actually be lower than what they have stopped at. And I was never content with my weight creeping up! 