I gave up for a while in our Winter (August etc) .... and hopped on the scales about October to see a 7 kg gain .... what kept me going and back on track is that I had done it before and I can do it again ....

I'm almost down to the low weight from 2011 ....

I keep telling myself ..... What is important is that you are on track at being healthy today .... as you can't change the past ....

Take care .... and I wish you every success ....

The past couple of months have been really hard for me but I started today on a hardcore diet and workout plan. I know that it's not going to be easy but we have to stick together on this! All of us! I hit 158 and decided that that was enough for me (especially when I was 125 two years ago.). Stress coupled with sleepless nights and poor eating while in college did me in. Don't lose hope.

Well, we've all done it. We can't go backward, so focus on the future. Even with the gain, you have lost a significant amount of weight, so you know you have the skills to do it again. I'm taking off weight that I regained over the last two years.

I'm learning (and this web site has been a huge influence) that it is what we do daily, day in and out that matters. We need to think like warriors or athletes in training. We are equipping ourselves for life.

I have chosen a plan that I think I can do for the rest of my life. As I look at all of the wonderful success stories here, it is those who found a sustainable path who manage to keep it off.

You know what to do, and we're here to cheer you on.

So go for it!

I can 100% relate, although you're stepping back onto the right path way quicker than I did. Actually, your whole post reads like something I could easily have written myself.

June 2010, right before I graduated college, I was at 200 even, after a 60lb. loss. I was excited, healthy and ready to move on to my career.

Between then and now, I've gained back 52lbs, a whole lot of stress (and more student loan debt...lol); realistically, that number is close to 75lbs total gained, because I yo-yo too. I didn't even BUY batteries for my scale because I didn't want to see the number. Its amazing how "but they are EXPENSIVE WATCH BATTERIES!!!!!" leads to a 25lb gain....

That being said, i think, in the end, while the yo-yo and the ups and the downs aren't really the way to go, at least its better than just giving up and accepting obese as an acceptable path.

I've been playing around with the same few pounds for a while now. it's been a stressful year, so I let myself indulge more than I would have usually, including wine and champagne, which I almost never do, and have a low tolerance for it now. resulted in my spending the day with a hangover and unable to eat anything but a bowl of soup and a glass of ginger ale (!!)

I'll give it a week before I get back on the scale, then deal with the number. You're not alone with the ups and downs. I think at some point it really does click in, and the pattern takes over and it doesn't feel so mentally difficult to stay the course. I get that the shock of the initial number is mentally tough.

Welcome and good luck ! Oh! Yes, I have done it, too....

I know I can relate! After 10 years of not eating sugar I started eating it again and just like before I really packed it in. My high weight was 275 in 2001, then I lost 140 lbs and kept it off for a couple of years. Then I was up to 160, then 170, then 180, back to 165, you get the picture. As of December 30th I weighed 192. And eating sugar like crazy. I have a real addiction to sugar and even after 10 years of not eating it just one bite and I was off and running (or rather eating)! My resolve was to go back to the basics and that is what I have done. Good luck to you!!

My weight used to fluctuate so much that I just started to avoid the scale. I, no joke, have no idea how much I weigh. So kudos to you for jumping on and accessing the damage! I wish I could just remain in permenant ignorance, but there are some situations where you actually need to know your weight. I need to renew my license soon and don't know what to list. It currently says 130, and I think I'll just leave it there. My weight has always had a history of upseting me. I didn't want near a scale for all of the obvious reasons when I was heavier. Now that I've lost some weight I still don't want to see the number because I fear that it won't be good enough and will trivalize all the work I've put in. I don't want another bad scale experience to convince me that even after all this work I'm still fat.

Anyway back to you, the past is the past. Leave it there. You're back now. You can make a change. You know how. You've proven that because you've done it before. So do it! If you don't give up, you can't fail. Good luck!

Back in 2003-04, I lost around 100lbs. I gained it all back in under a year. What I didn't realize back the was that the weight was a symptom, not the real problem. It has taken me the years since then to figure this out, identify the underlying problems and work on them. I gave myself as much time as I needed to feel ready to tackle my weight because I realized that I couldn't be successful otherwise.

One day at the end of November 2011, I just sort of realized that I was ready. Since then, coming up with a plan that works for me and sticking to it has been no big deal on the eating side. Sure, at my weight exercise is a challenge but all I am asking of myself is my best. I lost 14 pounds in December.

All this is to say that like others who have already posted, many of us have lost a lot and gained a lot back. But the past only defines the future if we let it become a self-fulfilling prophesy. It's January 2, 2012. Go easy on yourself and start with a fresh slate, focusing on your future success rather than past failure. You can do it!

They say between 95-99% of people who diet regain the weight between 1-5 years, and a lot also gain extra weight too. I don't like the thought if this personally, I'm bored of the yo-yo dieting. I'm going to try and employ normal 'healthy' eating, eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full. If I want a reeses cup, I have one!

I have had weight issues from the age of 9. I'll be 61 on Saturday. This is what I've finally learned: You don't have to be perfect, just keep going.