If you lost weight previously, why did you gain it back? I think that is a very important question and the answers might help us toward a more satisfactory maintenance. After surgery last year I was down to 182. I maintained that for 6 months until I needed another surgery in December. After that, I started to gain. I knew it was happening, but kept ignoring it. I had part of my intestines removed, and the doctor put me on a diet that limited meat and fiber. Most veggies are high in fiber, so they were out. I ate a lot of pasta and other starchy foods. Pancakes, waffles. That was only until I healed inside, but once I got a taste of all these foods, I couldn't get back to eating healthy again. It wasn't until the scale got very close to going over 200 that I snapped out of it. So now I'm losing, but it's depressing that I am losing weight that I had lost before. It would have been so much better if I had been able to follow the doctor's orders without gaining.

I know why I regained, stopped following everything I knew along with a lot of inactivity following surgery. I had surgery in December, was down to 182 on the day I went in, then had about 8 weeks recovery where I spent a lot of time in bed, husband doing the shopping and cooking and slowly started to go back to old habits. Tried to get back on track on my own a few months ago and wasn't able to do I re-joined, I need meetings to keep me going. Also was on a bunch of medication and hormones that didn't help with the weight gain, the first few weeks I was gaining 5 pounds a week BUT back on track!!

I did not have surgery I just got lazy. A pound here a pound there and before I knew it in the space of a year I was back up to my starting weight. I am happy to say it has taken me another year to get it back off and I am maintaining but it seems to be a constant struggle. I stay within 3-4 pounds but I would really like to drop another 15.

It is so easy to gain weight LOL

Yes, it is very easy to gain! I only lost 1/2 lb this past week, and I think it was because I wasn't eating the big salad every day I had been eating the first couple weeks. I really want to make this a lifestyle change.

I've never had surgery either but have lost significant amounts of weight only to gain it back. The main reason is that I treated my weight loss as a "diet" to be endured until I met my goal. Once there, I relaxed my attitude and went back to the same old (bad) habits.

This time, the difference is that I have found methods that I can live with forever. I allow myself a few of the old pleasures but I make sure that I've accurately accounted for it and compensated in a day or two (I'm a calorie counter). Sure, I'll be happy to meet my ultimate goal, but from then on I will be mindful of the balance between eating and exercise.

I agree that this is how it has to be. What and how we ate before is what got us in trouble. This has to be a lifetime comittment. I have been on WW Points Plus for 3 weeks. My husband will ask about some of the things I eat, but I tell him, as long as I track it in my points for the day I should be able to eat it. You do have to be aware that if you eat something high in points you are going to have to cut something out the rest of the day, and decide if you want that food bad enough to make that sacrifice. This applies to calorie counters, too. I can't say that I will never eat pizza the rest of my life, but I can have 1 slice of pizza and a salad along with it.

This was me. This is my third time on WW and I think I failed and regained in the past because I tried it as a diet or only temporary.

This time, though, I know that this is a lifelong journey. Not just losing the weight, but maintaining. It really is a lifestyle change and adopting healthy habits. So I don't sacrifice foods, because I can't say I'm never going to eat ice cream or chocolate ever again. Instead I have to find the balance to make this something I can live with for the rest of my life.

I let work take priority over taking care of myself.
I look back over the last few years and the thing that strikes me is that I simply didn't focus on myself and my health, then as the weight creeped on I didn't want to focus on that aspect of my life.
Now I'm in a different job, with a regular schedule, making sure I'm eating healthy and moving more, it seems like it should have been a no-brainer.

I can't take care of anybody else if I don't take care of me.
Hope I don't sound negative, I'm feeling so much better, just look back I'm like how did you let that happen...oh well, shoulda, coulda, woulda...we're doing something about it now, right?!

Jogger - Looks like we can all look back at what we should have done differently. I started this thread so we can each be honest with ourselves about why we regained what we lost before in an effort to preventing that from happening again. It's a struggle for me, but each time I see that scale go up even 1 pount I get more determined not to let it continue.

When I worked, I spent so much money in the snack machines! And that was in addition to my lunch. I thought I would lose so much weight (and save money, too) after I retired, but I guess I just made up the calories somewhere else. We don't keep snack food in the house, and it doesn't really interest me, but it seems like at work I had to have it, just because it was there. Now I am trying to snack on veggies when I get a snack attack.

I would always lose weight in the winter - it was easy. The kids had a regular schedule so I'd get to bed in time to get up at 5AM and hit the gym. And when I'm working out, I eat better. Then when school let out, all exercise and eating healthy would go out the window until the following January. It was nuts. This time around, I tried something new. Joined WW in December and of course, I lost during the winter and spring. When summer rolled around I made it my goal to stick to being under 160, but didn't "think" about losing weight. At the end of the summer, just maintaining, I got down to 152. So that's what I'm going to try to do for the rest of my life - maintain overall healthy habits, treat myself without gorging myself and enjoying food and life.

I got pregnant with my third child, which brought on "I'm pregnant so I can eat for two...or three...or FOUR" syndrome. And that's what I did. And here I am, back at it.

I got lazy and I got happy. I used to say that I gained the weight the first time from grief, when I lost my mum suddenly. That was true, but, well, here I am again, and the only additional big thing that's happened since the last time is that I found a WONDERFUL relationship and am super happy. So yeah...happy and lazy. I gained roughly 36 pounds back in three years. VERY easy to do.

For me, it's head hunger. I know I shouldn't put it in my mouth, my body doesn't need it, but my head says I need it...and the head wins. I guess it all boils down to food addiction and learning to overcome it to cure everything. Dr Furhman (Eat to Live) has an emotional eating counseling program that I would love to try, but it's very expensive. I'll just have to figure it out on my own.

Jennifer, I so hear you. Some days my head will not shut up, even though my tummy is full. A member on the Support board recommended this book. http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Over...1-1&tag=vig-20 I have ordered it, but not received it yet. If you look at the doctor's website, it looks very good. I would love to take counselling from her, but like you, it is not going to happen. Thought you might be interested in the book.

I struggle with that too and come from a history of binge/disordered eating, so every day I have to work really really hard to rewire my brain.