I am definitely a yo-yo dieter and I've always wondered what makes me hit a brick wall at about 6-7 months and quit, even when I have the best of intentions, and today I believe I finally have the answer. I came across a most informative NY Times article called "The Fat Trap,"
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/ma...-fat-trap.html, talking about why most people gain back the weight they've lost (and even more). For anyone who may not be completely dedicated to losing weight and keeping it off, no doubt this article will come across as an extremely discouraging article, but for anyone who is determined to lose weight and keep their weight down for the rest of their life, I believe the article contains information we need to know. Apparently when most of us lose weight, our bodies change in more ways than we realize. If we go off our diets and start gaining weight, we may think a lack of willpower is the cause, but our issue is more than just mental; it's physiological. The hormone leptin in the fat cells plays havoc with our bodies when we lose weight. It slows the effectiveness of our muscles, causing them not to burn calories as efficiently, and it changes our brains to respond to food differently, causing us to have more cravings while at the same time weakening our control against them. What researchers aren't sure of is how long these changes last. They may be permanent. It's like the body has a set point for weight and it defends that set point. (The article says the same thing happens for a thin person trying to gain weight. Their body will defend the lower weight set point.) Here is another article on WebMD that talks about leptin:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/th...tin-faq?page=1. These changes in the body caused by leptin are why so many dieters fail, no matter what type of diet they use. However, some succeed through vigilance, so sheer willpower is involved. I'm glad to know this information. I don't want to weigh 220 lbs. And I don't want to weigh 300 lbs, but if I keep yo-yo dieting, that's where I'm headed. After all, that's how I got to 220. So I am left with one weight loss/maintenance option: I can't stop "dieting." That's quite a realization. I've always thought of dieting as a struggle and something I couldn't wait to stop. Today I learned the struggle doesn't end if you want to maintain. Maintenance is every single bit as great a struggle because your body works against you as a result of leptin. So my goal is to lose weight, at least to 170, but for the first time I'm recognizing I can't go off this diet. This diet just became a lifestyle change. Everybody involved in weight loss is aware that you need to make a lifestyle change, but has it really hit home? I thought I would do the slow carb diet until I hit 170, 145, or somewhere in between, and then I would give up my weekly cheat day and start trying to blend in more foods on a daily basis, just being careful not to go hogwild. Wrong. It's not going to work. So here's what I have to accept: The modified slow carb diet that I do is a sensible diet. It's not terribly restrictive. It's not a dangerous 500-calorie diet, it's not a liquid diet, it doesn't involve fasting, it doesn't involve questionable supplements, and with its cheat day it doesn't even completely ban any food. It's actually a good way to eat, so there's no reason why I shouldn't do it for life, and that's how I have to start thinking about it. I want to get down to a certain weight but my real goal needs to be to continue eating as I'm eating now, period. Some people would rather count calories, but I prefer slow-carbing. In any event, my "diet" really does have to be a permanent lifestyle change. Believe it or not, that is a revelation for me!
I'll try to read more tomorrow. I sent you a PM. SOOOOOO glad you're back 
Actually, I didn't get too far away from eating low carb yesterday, having had only a baked potato and a piece of candy out of the ordinary. But it was a good baked potato and piece of candy! 
chickadeee55 , 06-01-2015 05:05 PM
I am very surprised that the half lb from yesterday came off today. When I woke up, my finger joints felt very stiff, so I thought for sure I was still holding that water. In fact, I half-expected to have gained because it's about time for me to start holding pre-TOM water weight. Well, that is IF Tom decides to visit me this month. At my age, I never know anymore, lol! So I was pleasantly surprised to be back down this morning. 
. I tried yesterday and did good until I was told I had to work somewhere else after my shift was over. 
Maybe once you get going with the exercise like you want to, it will move that scale! 
: Also, drink plenty of water! 
lol! 
