I'm in the exact same place only mine was 22 :( I'm down 6 of them and you will be too in a couple of weeks! Hang in there!

Add me to the list. I had lost 13 pounds up until sometime last year and then when I noticed the tighter clothes, etc, I found out that I had put on 15. Wonderful....

But, like everyone else has said, you caught yourself before it got really bad. You can lose that weight again plus more! You CAN do this!

Don't give up! We just got through all the Christmas pollution etc. it happens to everyone to some extent. Time to start the year fresh, do something different to get your mind back in the game. Join a fitness class of some sort you've never done or something else that will keep your mind focussed on other things. I did a detox after Christmas just for the sole reason of mentally getting back in the game. Don't dwell on the downslide, focus on the future, it won't take long, don't worry, good luck!

Kate, after I lost about 45 pounds (a guestimation) I ended up gaining about 20 of them back, staying at around 260 pounds for another six months or so. But I didn't let that set me back permanently... I got back on track and have since lost those regained pounds along with another 70. You can do it!

Way to go Drina! Your an inspiration!

I gained 20 back. It IS very depressing, but at least you CAUGHT it.

Shut up! Heather you look amazing. Your face tells the whole story. I'm whining over trying to lose 15 pounds and I see people who lost 100+. It makes me feel like I'm not working hard enough.

bikini -- Thanks! And when it comes down to it, whether we have 15 or 150 (or more) pounds to lose we all grapple with a lot of the same issues.

I think it's such a shame we as a society focus on weight loss, when it seems that's the "easy" part -- it's maintaining a weight that's tough. It's for life! And things always get in the way!

thanks guys!
after being a mopey mess today, i'll weigh in again tomorrow and be back on the wagon.

That's the spirit! You can do it, Kate! :carrot:

:hug: get back on the wagon Kate. The light in this news is that you know it's possible. You will lose that weight again. We are all here for you! :hug:

You can do this! I don't think you did this unconsciously. When you ate things that you shouldn't have, you knew it didn't you? Deep down inside you knew it and thought, "I'll worry about it later". Well, now is later. I can't really tell from your ticker and side bar stats but it appears that you gained back all the weight you lost plus 8 more, then lost 3 of that...is that correct? Just a little word of caution here. I did the 2 steps forward 3 steps back dance for far too long and it got me to 333 pounds. You have to change dance partners. Don't look back, only forward. You are tough, and you are smart. You can beat this. If you can make it through nursing school and learn to care for others, you CAN care for yourself. You have to.

So many people here have done the same thing: slacked off & gained weight because of it. It's normal, doesn't make it any easier to deal with, I know, but rest assured many of us have done it. The important thing, the thing that is going to allow you to reach your goal, is to correct the problem a.s.a.p & get right back on track with your eating & exercise. Don't let it get you down too much and just start fresh. You will reach your goal this way. :-)

That's the spirit Kate!!! And I too can be added to the list. I had lost 63 pounds. I was only 3 pounds from my goal of 130...and then i just quit. Quit working out, quit drinking water, quit watching what i ate...and quit caring. Until 6 months later, i noticed I didnt feel like wearing my size 4 jeans anymore...then at christmas, my size 6 jeans were too snug. I got on the scale and it said 159!!! I had put on 24 pounds i had worked so hard to get off. So, i feel your pain. But...we got on that scale...we saw the damage and we decided to do something about it. I'm down about 4 pounds so, that is a start. If we just keep doing what we know we got to do..we'll see those low numbers again!!

Congrats to both of us (all of us) for pulling our heads out of the sand before it was way too late!! :-)

As Maya Angelou once said: "Those who know better, do better." So now you know....

I think we do ourselves a disservice by not utilizing tools like the scale and the tape measure to keep us in check. We can't let them tell us how to feel, but we do need their impartiality to guide us.