That thread about your 3FC history got me really thinking about my last serious weight loss venture. I went back and searched and found that I had indeed gotten down to 142 around my wedding like I thought I had (August 2006), then regained a couple and was about 146 - 149. I joined a Thanksgiving challenge and I never came back after Thanksgiving. I just found it ironic since I've been having a hard time the last week or so (like so many do around the holidays). Knowing that timeline now shows me that I gained it all back in even less time than I had originally thought. I'm relieved that I'm here still!

It's kind of odd to be in the exact same place as 6 years ago, same exact time of year, same weight! It's like I have a do-over! I have another chance to not give up this time, even though stalls and small regains I've kept at it and of course plan to keep going.

I think back then my main focus was just losing weight for my wedding, and in the months following I lost interest and just gave into the eating out all the time, having fun, going out with my husband and so on. I was working and going to school, no kids, no mortgage. One would think it would be easier then. I learned a lot from it though!

For those of you who had fairly significant, or really really significant, regains. . . what triggered it do you think?

For me, once I got down to 146 I just stopped focussing on it and started focussing on planning the rest of my wedding that was to happen in a few months. I was 155 the day I got married, and then we moved to a new city. Moving away from family and friends was hard, my husband couldn't find work and all we could afford to eat was instant noodles. I was 164 3 months later when I found out I was pregnant.

Pregnancy put me up another 60 lbs. Also, winter is a hard time for me. I lose motivation. It was winter time when I stopped focussing on food and exercise and started paying attention to my wedding. It was winter during the last half of my pregnancy where I put on 40 lbs. I also now live in a place that is snowy from October to April.

My plan now is to keep going, no matter what. I have to do this for me. I got there before and I can do it again. I also want to be a good example for my daughter.

For me, my re-gain was caused by a multitude of triggers, but the overarching issue was that I never learned how to embrace the maintenance phase of weight loss.

After being fat since I was a kid, I lost ~100 pounds at age 23-24 (size 18 to 140 pounds) and took up road biking and running. The endurance activity kept my weight in check, but at the same time, I would still binge on an entire bag of jelly beans or a pint of ice cream on Friday night and then compensate by riding my bike 60-80+ miles on Saturday and Sunday. We'll just say it worked until it didn't :-(.

Sooo, at age 28 when I moved across the country and started grad school and later a very stressful, time consuming job it was pretty much inevitable that I would slowly gain the weight back. To make matters worse, I developed a fairly serious illness that curtailed almost any activity for about a year. I FINALLY got a correct diagnosis for my health condition (long story) and had surgery this spring. I immediately felt better, but it took until September 1st for me to snap out of my funk and realize that I need to get my health back in order.

So, at almost age 33 I guess I am back to where I was at age 23. Hopefully, a bit wiser about what it means to maintain my weight loss. Reading posts from the maintainers on 3FC has helped me realize that maintenance is its own phase, and I will have to approach it differently this time around.

Everything you guys said. I got down from 142 to 102 for my wedding. I remember reading The Knot, and on The Nest, the board for post-wedding brides, the #1 theme was losing back the weight that they had gained. I said (as did everyone there) It's not going to happen to me--but of course, it did. The next time I lost weight was for my sister's wedding--down from probably 150+ to 107. The wedding was in the end of September, and the fall / winter holidays triggered a continuous regain. I realized I've never been able to shift from weight-loss to maintenance. So this time, I'm just not changing my eating (except to allow for some wine). We'll see what happens.

I'm sensing a theme that weddings cause a HUGE rubber-band effect! I was never into the whole wedding thing, and have never really known anyone who was. I've only ever been to 3 weddings, one was my grandmas (she was over 70), the other 2 were when I was in high school. I guess I was naive to the whole losing-weight-for-a-wedding thing being a segway into permanent weight loss, at least for myself.

Hah, I actually have lost a ton of weight SINCE my wedding. Of course I wanted to look my best for the wedding pictures, but I wasn't all that successful or motivated to lose a lot of weight, especially since I was also dealing with my last semester of university and prepping for a cross-country move! Instead, being married has been the best thing for my diet ever, have actually finally lost nearly my last 20 pounds since the wedding. xD

Can't relate, but I'm glad you came back and are aware of this now. You know what to watch out for, including another wedding

My first serious venture was in 1995. I was 19 years old and had spent all of my teenage years obese (I was 250-275 as a 14 year old and pretty much stayed in that range throughout high school). That was back during the phentermine craze; my mom drove me over 60 miles away every month to visit a weight-loss specialty clinic that handed out phentermine like it was candy. I went down to 220 before my anxieties became really bad and life pretty much got in the way; my mom became terminally ill with cancer and we temporarily moved out of state to stay with my grandmother. I was no longer able to visit the clinic for the meds and was obviously extremely stressed over watching my mom die (we couldn't hire a nurse so I was the one taking care of her all around the clock), and the weight piled right back on. I even tried revisiting the clinic and going back on the meds after I returned home but it never really clicked for me again.

My next serious venture was back in 2000. I'm not sure anymore what triggered me to start losing weight that time, but I do remember that I was all about low-fat and ate so little for an extended period of time that I nearly ended up in the hospital. I burned myself out completely when I reached 220, and coupled with not being able to handle the attention a smaller body was giving me, I gave up (it took me years to be able to form healthy, normal relationships due to being sexually abused as a child). And once again, the weight piled back on. And a few years later when I had my first boyfriend and moved out of state with him, I gained another 100 on top of where I already was! But that's a whole other story.

My dad passed away in early 2004 (another obviously stressful period of my life) when I was at my highest weight ever. I was completely miserable in all aspects of my life. Sometime toward the end of the year, I stepped on the scale with a big sigh. Seeing myself that far above 300 pounds was outright painful, but at least I was no longer in denial. I told myself there was no use crying over spilled milkshake and completely overhauled the way I was eating. I also took advantage of my free YMCA membership (I was an employee at the time). It has taken me years to clean up my life, and not just the issues with my weight. I've learned a lot about myself over the years with what works and what doesn't, and when I haven't been actively losing I've at least been maintaining (aside from last winter, which I've since corrected). I've had to learn more constructive ways to deal with my many issues; I also had to learn to value and take care of myself in all aspects.

The year 2006 was a huge transition for me. I broke off the abusive relationship I'd felt trapped in and started a long-distance relationship with a wonderful someone I'd befriended online the year before. After working hard to save up to move across the country, I moved in with him in late 2007. At the time I'd been maintaining at 285. I stayed in maintenance mode while adjusting to everything until sometime in 2009 when I decided it was time to get cracking yet again. Sigh . . . although we didn't have immediate plans I knew we'd eventually get married and I didn't want to be the fat bride. I fought my way down to about 255 by the time we got married in 2010, and I stayed in that range for quite a while. I did manage to get down to around 235 last year, but that was the winter all sorts of stress got thrown my way with my car being broken down for months, dealing with extreme family issues back in my home state, getting pregnant for the first time, and having a miscarriage in January. I found myself back up at 267 and said no more. Whatever happens in my life, I can't let my weight and health take a back seat! So I got back to serious work.

I'm currently less than ten pounds away from that 220 low point I've only managed to get down to twice. I think I'm in a different place this time, both mentally and physically. Back in those days, I'd lost only 30-40 pounds before burning out. This time, I've already lost 130 and have a much better idea about the personal needs of my body and the required perseverance. I know now that low-fat doesn't work for me, but that reducing simple carbs and watching overall portions does. I also keep a physical food/fitness journal to track my progress. My hunger is under control by this method, and my various anxieties are more under check. I feel calm and relaxed, unlike last winter when it simply wasn't happening fast enough and I threw a fit before throwing in the towel.

I do worry a bit about getting below this magical number of 220 since it's where I've always failed. But I'm in a better place this time around and I think I'm finally going to make it happen.

My first venture was a LA Weight Loss. I had actually lost a lot of weight, around 50 lbs when I was around 22. Then they up and moved offices and when I called, they said they had no record of the bars I had purchased and could not pick them up or visit a new store without rejoining. I was beyond angry!

So I gained back the 50lbs and then some working retail jobs where your only break is usually 15 minutes and someone has made a fast food run. There was a Wendy's right next door to the left and a McDonald's to the right.

By this time I was around 295 and I finally quit retail after my husband and I had a serious talk about finances and the fact that I really just liked being home. This was also around the time my husband was told he had high cholesterol.

So I changed our diet little by little and dropped down to 272. Then I started calorie counting and I swore to myself that I wasn't going to just give up and put my head in the sand like I did after LA Weight Loss.

It's so weird to see those patterns, isn't it?!

I've never gotten close to a goal weight but I've lost 30-40 pounds twice before rebounding (and then gaining even more weight). My history shows that I start to waver around 30 lbs and something stressful happens (grad school, new job, whatever) and I revert. It doesn't take me very long to start eating myself literally sick and once you get used to that, well...

I lost about 30 lbs in 2 months with very little effort when I started college, then, I got into the HORRIBLE habit of smoking, and stopped going to the gym. Oddly enough, standing outside smoking made me make friends, an I would hang out with them. I am now 50 lbs heavier than my weight after losing 30, and, have a date set to quit smoking (DEC 1) I am VERY nervous, and I've wondered if this has been a problem for anyone else. In my opinion, if I want to lose weight to get healthy, I need to be healthy in all aspects of my life. No sense in doing cardio to strengthen my heart, then go smoke a cigarette. Wish me luck, it's going to be tough.

I love this! It's such a good idea to track your patterns...especially if you can keep from making the same mistakes.

I maintained my weight at about 150 through high school and college with very slight fluctuations. And while I was technically considered overweight, I was very happy with the way that I looked. I knew that I could lose some weight but it wasn't something that I was concerned about.

While I was in college, I took a part time job as a bartender and started gaining weight almost immediately. I wish that I would have been more organized and packed my lunch but I snacked through my shifts and took burgers and fries home every night that I worked.

My first serious diet attempt came a couple of years later (2005) when I reached 212 pounds. I could not believe that I'd gotten that heavy. I knew that I had to do something so I created my own food plan and started exercising like crazy. I was able to lose about 34 pounds in 3 months but when Memorial Day came and I had that first bite (off my diet plan) I went right off plan and started gaining all my weight back.

By my second serious weight loss attempt was 5 years later in 2010 when I had managed to get up to 265 pounds. My office loves their happy hours and birthdays and any other reason to bring cake and cookies. This time I joined Spark People and started cooking and counting calories. I started a Sunday supper club with a girlfriend and we would cook all our food for the week and try out modified recipes. I was also able to stick to this diet for 3 months until Christmas hit when I decided that I was allowed to indulge. I never went back to my diet and also gained all my weight back.

My third and last diet attempt came this past June 2012. I was up to 279 by this point, completely miserable and depressed and terrified by the amount of weight I'd gained so quickly. I was seeing a therapist and trying to figure out how I was going to get a handle on my weight problem. My mother ran into an old friend who'd lost 175 pounds and when she asked her how she lost the weight, she admitted that she was following a 12 step program for compulsive overeaters. This program has been my savior. I am a compulsive overeater. I am a food addict. I can't handle moderation. I don't know how to have a little sugar as a treat so I don't eat it at all. December 2 will be 6 months for me. I got through Thanksgiving without going off plan and I will get through Christmas on plan. I don't reward myself with food anymore and I don't tell myself that I'm entitled to indulge. I stick to my plan and eat to live and I live for everything else.

I wish I was strong enough to eat like a normal person but I'm just not so I don't worry about food anymore.

well, i was fat as can be at my wedding.

good thing that marriage didnt work out, maybe some day ill end up with some wedding photos that im not so shamed by.

i was never fat in my entire life until about 2007, and in the end i think that helped me gain a lot of weight back. id never struggled before so once i lost all the weight i felt like i could return to normal and not have to worry about regaining.

it started slow... little blips on the scale. 152 isn't so bad... 154 is barely more than 152! id get manic and lose it all in a couple weeks but slowly i began to accept the numbers. 160? thats still lower than when i met my husband, and it went on and on like that.

before i knew it i was gaining again and i put on a quick 30 lbs when i stopped smoking for 4 months. FOUR MONTHS for THIRTY LBS! how is that even possible?

so by then i was up to 180 and miserable. from december to july i had a recurring staph infection in my right eye socket (yes, its just as gross as you think) and i was sick about a week of every month as well as in and out of the hospital. i think that being sick so much also made it really easy to gain. forget the fact that about 7 days out of every 25 you're just lying in bed doing nothing, but you're also so miserable that who cares what you eat? my face hurts and my eye is swollen shut and im eating this damn bowl of ice cream!

i had surgery in july and they found a stone in my tear duct. yep, just like a kidney stone but it had formed inside my tear duct (also, just as gross as you're thinking). it had been getting infected over and over and they had to drill a hole in the side of my nose by my eye and create a new tear duct. after i healed up from the surgery i knew it was time to lose weight. i didnt have the obstacle/excuse of always feeling like crap any more.

it just happened SO FAST! it was like i blinked and i saw 200 on the scale. i was slowly gaining before all this but the highest id gotten between gains and losses was 165. then in 8 months of being sick and quitting smoking for a period of time, BOOM. 55 lbs. i cried so hard when i saw 200 on the scale, then ate myself up another 5 lbs for good measure.

i swore id never get like this again and i did. even though i HATE it, and would give just about anything to go back in time and fix it, you have to look for the silver lining right? i guess for me its the lesson that a re-gain can happen much faster then you think, and you can't give yourself permission to regain 5 or 10 or 15 lbs thinking that it isn't a big deal. its a *very* slippery slope.

so im doing this whole thing again and i kick myself constantly for losing weight that ive already lost but, what can you do?

What triggers it for me is when I start hitting the serious plateaus and get fed up and give up, and then just get lazy. Or when I get lazy and start eating processed/junk food "sometimes" and before I know it, all those addictive chemicals and sugar, etc., are back into my system... and off I go.

I am pleased with myself because I just hit a 19-day plateau and kept hanging in.... finally lost a pound this morning. Just have to keep that scale moving down even when it does not want to go.

I can totally relate to this. I know exactly where I stopped last time -- size 12 pants. I have a *ton* of them in my stack, then 1 size 10, and 1 size 8.

I know exactly what triggered my regain. We were on a cruise in Alaska, they had a huge cookie tray, and I said, "Forget this; I can have cookies too." When we got back from the cruise I was up 5 pounds, tried to lose it, and then decided to stop trying because it was difficult.

Add onto that, then I had 2 years of major health issues that caused incredible mental strain, and I just gave up.

Silly in retrospect. I was at 153 when we went on that cruise, and in maintenance mode. Now I'm trying to get back to 153, but the good news is that I am almost at my 153 size, even though I weigh 167 now, thanks to weight lifting in addition to cardio. So I'm really excited to see what changes losing the final 14 pounds brings...

This has to stop, right? I am so done. At 47, I just can't keep doing the yo-yo anymore...