[DreadPiratePanda]

To all those that have lost weight, regained the weight, whatever:

What would you do differently? Inquiring minds want to know!

[Vladadog]

not regain!

But i don't have a handle on how to not do that. I'm hoping i figure it out in the next 50 pounds or so. Last time I went for a beach week with friends, gained 5-10 and just gave up. I know i can't say I'm never going to go on a vacation or never going to go off plan... so I've got to get a handle on how to get back on plan once I go off.... How to not lose my mojo. I'm really working on this part now so maybe i have a clue later....

[ubergirl]

Not regain

A few mistakes:

1. Didn't accept the weight where I leveled off so failed to get into a maintenance mindset, but thought of myself as "failing to lose"
2. Didn't ask for help when after almost 2 years of maintenance I started to really go off the rails (if memory serves the first thing I ate that was seriously "off plan" in 3 years was a SHEET CAKE. Yes, the entire thing.)
3. Didn't find a fun way to exercise but got kind of burnt out on running.

[Scotsgal]

I would stop letting weight loss be so complicated.

- Eat a variation of protein for breakfast

- Eat a fruit snack

- Eat a big Lunch

- Eat greek yog for snack

- Eat a slightly smaller dinner

- Have an evening snack under 100 calories

- Walk more than you did before

[KrissieM]

Don't stop weighing yourself daily. I know a lot of people think weighing yourself is just discouraging, but for me it's keeping things real. The times I've gained weight back are the times I didn't have a scale in the house for whatever reason.
A good balance beam doctor's office scale is something I wish I would have bought and kept right from the start.

[Kitcherella]

Definitely checking your weight is a must. Perhaps not daily but weekly is a must. Keep trying on the nice and easy clothes that do not have to "hide your fat".

[stacygregory]

What I would have done differently is to keep doing what I did before instead of testing new methods to lose weight.

[Cherry2000]

I gained back all of the 80 lbs that I lost. But on the bright side, I did quit drinking and as a sober person, I have more energy now. Maybe this go round will stick?

[Magicsusan]

So much good advice here-
I suppose the most important thing I have to say kind of piggybacks on what KrissieM says about weighing yourself daily: Don't lie to yourself. I can't say that often enough, or loud enough. If you *do* wind up eating an entire sheet cake, there is a reason. Get to the bottom of it NOW.

[sept15lija]

I wish I had gotten outside help, instead of turning to my old demons. I maintained for two years, and got pregnant for the third time....and I let that de-rail me. If I had gotten a nutritionist, and tried to be reasonable, I'd be in a much better position. Then my dad died, and that was hard too....and I've always been a comfort eater. Now here I am, having gained back all the weight I lost. I've finally re-joined today, I am back to daily weighing (for me too, something I shouldn't have stopped doing), and am counting calories. I miss how I felt when I had lost the weight, and need to just keep moving instead of kicking myself constantly for being back here. Onwards and *ahem* downwards!! haha

[BodybyKaren]

I am new here, but I lost 105 lbs about 3 years ago, I have gained about 80 of those lbs back. I am so mad at myself. This time around here are the things I would do differently:

1. When I lost the weight, I was mostly doing a raw food diet. I really don't want to do a raw food diet indefinitely (as shown by the regained weight). So this time around I will eat the way I want to eat indefinitely by using the IIFYM approach (If it fits your macros).

2. I would make cooking a priority. When I starting eating cooked foods, I started out cooking, but then I started to grab convenience foods and takeout. This time around I want to learn tasty recipes that fit my macros. I want meal prep so that I always have the meals I want already ready so I don't go for takeout.

3. I want to include weight training to minimize flabby/loose skin.

Good luck to everyone restarting the journey.

Karen
260/260/120 - Starting Today!

[Wannabehealthy]

Hi Karen. Welcome to 3FatChicks. You have listed some very good ideas. I especially agree on losing weight following the plan you want to live on indefinitely. If you lose on a "diet plan," it's harder to maintain once you go back to your preferred way of eating.

Cooking at home and preparing meals ahead is good, too.

Good luck to you!!

[BodybyKaren]

Thanks Carol for the warm welcome!

Karen
260/260/120

[Sakai]

I would not be so extream and in a hurry to lose the weight.
Took me 9 months to lose the 40 pounds of baby weight. Then found out that a family reunion was going to take place in about two months and wanted to get as small as I could. I dropped another 20 pounds by practically starving myself. The weight wasn't coming off as fast as it was when I was bigger. (at 280 the weight comes off at 3-4 pounds a week..at 225...not so much) The day after the reunion I did a figurative table flip on my weight loss and gained it all back plus 10 more within 2 years.

Now I know that the smaller I get, the smaller the weekly weight loss and that's perfectly normal and healthy.