I feel for the woman. It's very sad. It does, however, become a reminder to us that we need constant vigilance in order to overcome and maintain. And, of course, a reminder to have compassion for everyone who has lost and regained.

I say be afraid - be very, very afraid.

I know I am. And I'm telling you, it's that fear that, that awareness that is going to keep me on my toes and help to keep me from regaining the weight. So, yeah, I say be afraid. And USE it to your advantage.

I can't help but think though how sad it is for that woman. My heart goes out to her. Hopefully she will muster up the strength to lose the weight again and learn from her experience, thus keeping it off - permenantly.

I am there also. In 2006 I was down to 250 and my lifestyle changed and I have gained all that back plus 20 more pounds and now at almost 290. I have just this week started back on the low carb diet to control my cravings. Your support is so important, when I stopped checking in each day, I lost my motivation. I will try to check each day now for moral support and sheer encouragement.

Hey AuntChuChu! Back! Definitely drop in on 3FC whenever you can. These people are fabulous for keeping eachother going & giving eachother support.

That is unfortunate. I don't want to come off as overly confident...but I will NEVER be as big as I was. I have gained five pounds back but then got back on the wagon. I like this new me. I like my new life and I am not giving it up for food. Of course it may be hard to maintain weight loss if the the loss was gotten the wrong way (700 calorie diet and etc...). I take cue from the slender people I know. Most of them work out and dont eat all that bad. I notice that they balance their diet (always eat breakfast...have some treats but not over board and etc). I am sorry to ramble but this is something that is personal to me. I vowed to God and my family (mom and grandma) that I would NEVER be as big as I was. I know life happens and I said I would give myself a 15-20 pound regain/relose weight.

OMG....this terrifies me. I feel so bad for her!

Every female in my family is obese...most morbidly obese!!! When I was younger, I use to say I would never let myself get like the rest of my family, but I did. I have lost and gained so many times before. I lost 50 lbs once and gained it all back plus 50 more and I couldn't tell you how it happened!!!

I just keep telling myself this time will be different. I think I have finally realized that I can't eat like other people and be a normal size. I know I have to change more than just my eating habits to break free from this proclivity to be obese.

I need to lose 130lbs. I just pray that if I can get if off this time, I will have the willpower and good sense to keep it off!!

Use the fear as motivation. Make a deal with yourself that you refuse to let that happen to yourself. You have the tools. You know how to make it work. All you need to do is just keep going.

I'd be sad for her too. While I never lost/gained more then 50lbs in a yo-yo I KNOW how heart breaking even that can be.

i lost about 80lbs when i was 29 years old.. ended up gaining it back and then some... what it has taught me is that once i get to my goal, ill check my weight regularly.. and if i gain 5lbs.. ill get more strict till its gone.. would much rather lose 5 at a time. even if its the same 5 lbs over and over.. than to let it get to 150 gained and have to lose that..
and like the others have said.. just because it happened to her, doesnt mean it will happen to you... learn from it... poor woman... ill bet she has

Yep... it is really disheartening to gain weight back. I have done so in the past, because once I lost the weight, I figured everything was OK and went back to my "normal" (aka fat-gaining) habits. I once lost 30 pounds on WW, but skipped the maintenance part of the program. Bad mistake!

I remind myself that the weight loss part of my food program now is NOT forever--what IS forever, though, is paying attention to what I eat and how much. Some people do not need to do this, but evidently I DO! I've seen the consequences of not staying mindful too many times.

Jay

That is very sad, but very real. That is exactly why I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be a skinny chick, I will always have to have the mentality of a fat person trying to stay in a skinnier body.

The reality is that we live in an environment where it is easy to eat too many calories of cheap fat-laden, nutrient-poor foods and where exercise must be intentional.

We live in an environment where it is a perfect set-up for obesity.

Eating like "everyone" else, living the status quo= weight gain for most of us.

I'll bet most of us on 3FC have lost and regained in the past, though 150 is very impressive.

It's gotta be forever. Read and read and read the maintenance forum. "Reduced obese" need even more exercise and fewer calories to maintain a healthy weight than those who were never obese.

Successful maintainers keep up the behaviors that lost them the weight. It is scary to think about working so hard and gaining it all back, but like Robin said, use that fear as your ally. Complacency = weight gain.

to you and your friend. What is lovely is that today is a new day....for you, for her, for me, for each of us to engage in the behaviors that will make us healthier.

Great encouraging words! I called her up last night and gave her this website so I hope she joins - more importantly, we're going for a walk this weekend as she lives about a block away this whole time and i never knew! what the?!? Maybe she won't feel so badly around me since I'm a hefty girl too

PS how muchdo i HATE "fitday" ergh I was having a pleasant day, coming in at 1558 until i added that tinnnnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy little handful of M&M easter death candy, and it told me in no uncertain terms that i was 2100 !?! **stomping foot** hehhehhe

I've often wondered how one can lose so much weight and then put it all back on. You would think if they changed their lifestyle that bad for you foods wouldn't even taste good anymore. Or when they see that they gained 30lbs of it back that they would get back on track bc they can reflect how hard it was to lose it all to begin with. I feel so bad for ppl who go through that. It must be so discouraging.

I have lost weight and then gained it all back plus some once and I am never going to get that happen again! This site really does give the motivation to lose and keep it off.

Trazey - Wow it's such a small world isn't it? When she joins up, we'll all make sure to give her a HUGE welcome! (usual 3FC-style! )