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Old 01-13-2009, 06:56 AM   #1  
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Default Why did you regain?

For those of you who have lost weight and then regained some or all of it -- why do you think you regained? I'm want to break the cycle, so I'm all ears

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Old 01-13-2009, 07:28 AM   #2  
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I've been thinking about this a lot lately in an attempt to get back on track. Although I could make a list of reasons ... they'd still just be excuses. Some good, some not.

I think the thing is focus.

You know when you're driving down the road and you see a pond just flocking with lovely birds? If you look too long, you'll drive off your lane but if you glimpse but remain focussed on your driving, you'll be okay. If you stop to take pictures and adopt a bird and donate to the conservation fund .... you've lost your way.

I think someone has used the 'thread in fabric' analogy before. We are always aware of how we feel. We always move and always eat. It's apparent like the threads in fabric. But for it to be a lasting situation, it has to be a bold coloured thread of larger dimension. Outstanding and always a factor in our daily decisions.

Did that make sense?

My head-scratcher is this ... why does sickness or ill-health divert our attention from fitness and well-being?
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Old 01-13-2009, 07:45 AM   #3  
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I gained back 15-20 pounds in 2008.

Like Susan said, it's the focus. For much of the year, the problem was that many days I was just eating 200 calories or so over maintenance. That's good for nearly 2 pounds a month if you do it everyday!

But I got tired. Tired of writing down my food EVERY DAY. SO many days I didn't. But on those days I ate a little too much food.

I used to have the mindset that eating something I don't normally eat -- such as a big cookie -- would be The End of the World. Of course, that's not the case, and I learned that. But then, if one cookie wasn't The End of the World, then why not have just one...

Well, that leads to binges, and there were some of those last year too. Some days when I indulged many of my wants regarding food. And once I started doing that every now and then...

So, lack of focus and a sense that's okay to go off plan led to a vicious cycle that's hard to reverse.
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Old 01-13-2009, 08:18 AM   #4  
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I gained weight back because I couldnt just have a 'couple potato chips'. If I had a couple I would think to myself..."I already screwed up my diet today so I might as well eat bad food while I can...I will start off better tomorrow"...everytime I would slip up I would think this way...


Now I have a better approach...If I have a tiny slip up, I think to myself "it is a lot easier to burn off 300 calories than it is to burn off 3000 calories...so I better not binge"...

I dont even keep junk in my house anymore because I know I will have slip ups and dont want to take the chance of ruining everything.


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Old 01-13-2009, 08:18 AM   #5  
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I've yo-yo'd a bunch of times. When I was younger, I'd crash diet and lose 10-15 pounds for some short term event and then be "done" with the diet and go back to "normal" eating. No big surprise, I'd then just gain it right back. One time I lost 20 lbs on a strict, monitored (expensive) weight loss program, fell off the wagon once (business trip), and figured I'd blown it and never went back. A year later ... all back on. I lost 25 pounds in my early 40's, thought I had this thing licked this time. But, life and work got in the way, disrupted the healthy habits I'd established and over 2 years -- gained back that 25 and more.

So I regained because I viewed the "diet" as temporary and not something requiring permanent lifestyle changes. I regained because I stopped exercising and watching what I ate. I regained because I stopped monitoring my weight, even avoided the scale and entered the state of denial, refusing to recognize where my weight was going.

Weight loss is a forever thing. I have to live differently than most everyone else around me. I have to ignore societal cues and pay attention to what I eat every day and monitor the scale. I have to exercise regularly. Forever. Whenever I forget this and just try to go on auto-pilot, then the regain happens. If we lived in a society with a healthier lifestyle, then I don't think this would be so hard.
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Old 01-13-2009, 08:30 AM   #6  
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the reason we gain is just basic math, we are taking in more calories than we are burning
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Old 01-13-2009, 08:46 AM   #7  
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For me, I simply stopped doing the behaviors that caused the weight loss. If I eat the way I used to and sit on my duff, I'll gain it back. If I make healthy food choices and I exercise most days, I seem to be able to maintain (I guess I've been maintaining 6 months now).

So I agree it is the daily focus. Coming here, weighing daily, planning food for the week, packing food for work, scheduling exercise. etc., all these things keep me on track. And on the days I get off track, I get right back on. Sometimes I will even say outloud, "I control my next food choice."
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Old 01-13-2009, 08:52 AM   #8  
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For me, I think it was a sense of complacency. After I lost weight, I felt sooo good and had so much energy that I'd think I could burn off extra food easily. One more chip, one visit to a fast food restaurant, wouldn't kill me. But I never seemed to get back on plan, stopped weighing myself, etc. So, I guess I agree, I lost focus. Let me tell you, I'm focused now that even my "fat" jeans are tight!
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Old 01-13-2009, 08:56 AM   #9  
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The first time I lost, I had moderate post-partum depression. When I was five months out from delivery, I was medicated and the weight came on like a ton of bricks. I felt so much better though that I didn't mind the weight so much.
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Old 01-13-2009, 09:39 AM   #10  
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I agree. I lost focus 2 times. Once when my ex and I split. I never hit 256 again, but I did regain about 10lbs of 20ish lost. The second was over the holidays. I hit 228 but I'm happy I stayed away from the 230s. I'm back down to the low 220s again. And I'll be able to prepare myself for the holidays this year.
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Old 01-13-2009, 09:46 AM   #11  
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Winning the War...you just about explained what happened to me. Also, i was/am too busy making a point to my bf that i am a good cook. lol. I was having way too much fun trying out new recipes. I am still doing that but trying to just reserve that for like Sunday Football get-togethers now.

I stopped excersizing, stopped watching my portions, and stopped cooking with the healthier options (fat free cheese, egg whites, ect...).

But now, i'm back (well, food wise anyways). I'm making small changes and it's hard to not over eat at dinner but i'm trying to find the right balance of eating health and light during the day, so maybe i can enjoy the same foods i feed my family at night but without over doing it. And as soon as i get income taxes, i'll pay off my gym what i owe them in back payments and start going to the gym again. Also, getting an elliptical for the house this weekend and will start working out at home at night also.

But there you have it. Why i gained weight back. I quit counting, i quit excersizing and thought i had made it to goal and didn't have to do anymore work to stay there. My bad. lol.
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Old 01-13-2009, 10:27 AM   #12  
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My reason each time was pretty simple. I stopped dieting.

In my old view, I was either dieting or not dieting. On or off. Perfect or not perfect.

When I dieted to lose weight, 2 things always happened:

1. I would restrict too much, binge helplessly, feel like a loser and stop dieting.
2. I would reach a goal weight, stop dieting.

In both situations (although I did the diet cycle multiple times in my life), when I stopped dieting, I regained weight. I never thought one second beyond "losing weight" that was my only goal. I wanted to diet for a short time (boring diet frankenfood, nothing I liked to eat, hungry all the time, restrictive and punitive) and then stop and eat normally.

It took me 20 years to realize that my normal way of eating made me heavy. The day I realized I had to change "normal", was my breakthrough moment.

I finally realized I couldn't diet and stop. I had to change my diet and then live my life. For me, that meant the end of short term, restrictive diets I couldn't stick to. I had to find a way of eating everyday that I liked, full of foods I enjoyed that I could maintain for my lifetime. I think this is the part of the diet plan that is so personal and there really isn't a "one size fits all" plan for all of us. I can tell you what I did, which was right for me, but it might not be right for you.

Next month will be my 4 year maintenance anniversary. It's hard to believe I have been slender for 4 years, when I had never maintained weight loss for even a week before.

The secret of my success - maintain weight loss exactly the way I lost weight. I still weigh once a week, food journal, plan meals, pack lunches, eat mindfully, avoid junk food, packaged baked goods and soda. I do have a treat meal once a week (that I really look forward to) but it is a treat MEAL not treat day, not treat weekend.

Another important factor for me - not expecting perfection. Before, I had to be PERFECT. If I messed up I was devastated, the day was "ruined" might as well just eat whatever I wanted and start over "later" (maybe tomorrow, maybe "Next Monday" maybe months later). Now, I realize that I am constantly surrounded by temptations and sometimes, I'm going to eat food I didn't plan. Since I eat so healthy most of the time, these blips do not derail me and my goal is to be back on track at the next eating opportunity.
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Old 01-13-2009, 10:42 AM   #13  
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For me, it comes down to external reasons (aka excuses) and internal reason (reality).

Background: Was always heavy, started Atkins in 1999 at about 300 lbs, lost about 80 lbs in six months, then maintained; in 2003 lost about another 40; late summer 2003 began gaining and gained it all back by Christmas, then over the next two years gained about another 60, up to a new highest weight of 360. Restarted Atkins August 2008 and have lost more than 80 lbs so far.

External reasons I regained all that weight are easy: after 14 years of marriage my husband suddenly demanded a divorce; I was laid off for the third time in a row; couldn’t find another job; broke, with bills and debt mounting; nervous breakdown; diagnosis of OCD and starting Paxil, which indirectly contributed to weight gain . . . sure these are all reasons, but they are also excuses.

The main reason was internal. I didn’t truly think I was valuable enough to deserve to be healthy. For me, my new commitment to Atkins and a healthy lifestyle comes from my finally realizing, five years after I regained all the weight I’d previously lost and kept off for three years, that I am a valuable person and I deserve to be healthy. I also deserve to be happy, and being healthy—feeling and looking good—makes me happy.

It’s taken me nearly four decades to finally learn this fundamental truth: food is neither a reward nor a punishment. It’s just food. It has no power over me other than the power I give it. I refuse to give away my power any longer. Used to be, if I had a bad day, I’d reward myself with food. Or if I had a good day, I’d celebrate with food. Then I would feel guilty about whatever I ate. So it was a punishment and a reward at the same time—a reward I always felt guilty about.

Now, I have finally realized, food is a terrible reward and a terrible punishment—therefore it is neither. When I do something I need to be rewarded for, I, like, buy an iPod or have my hair highlighted or go out for drinks with friends (and have club soda). I don’t buy a bakery cake and eat it all in two days.

This was probably way TMI, sorry.

Last edited by DCHound; 01-13-2009 at 10:45 AM.
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Old 01-13-2009, 10:47 AM   #14  
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DC, thanks for sharing. I know that in the past I have used food when I was stressed, happy, sad, bored, etc. It never satisfied those needs longterm and I had to find other ways to satisfy those needs. I still enjoy food, the taste, the mouthfeel, trying something new, experiencing culture through food, etc., but those are rare events and my tried and true foods are healthy, filling, and also tasty.

I love your post and I'm glad you shared. Not TMI at all.
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Old 01-13-2009, 11:28 AM   #15  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nitenurse View Post
the reason we gain is just basic math, we are taking in more calories than we are burning
Well, of course that's the bottomline. So *basic math* aside, I believe the OP wanted to know the *reasons* as to why one STARTS taking in more calories then they burn. Eating more then they NEED. Overeating. Especially after one has experienced weight loss success.


I have never lost a substantial amount of weight, so I can't chime in here. But I can relate to all of your answers. I think it's quite *easy* to put the weight back on. I know I'd have no problem doing it. And the second I stop focusing on my weight/my health (I don't plan to) my weight will for sure sky rocket. Keeping the weight off is without a doubt a constant day in, day out thing.

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