15 Pounds Lost, 20 Gained

[judeete]

Hi guys, I'm a newcomer and wondered if anyone feels as trapped, restricted and frustrated as I do.

Last year, I lost 15 pounds changing my weight from 150 to 135. It totally changed my life. Unfortunately, I gained it all back and five extra pounds. I'm starting to feel very sad and have a very defeatist attitude toward weight loss because I feel like no matter what I do, I will always gain my weight back and some extra.

I'm not going to go into the whole charade where I wish I could be like other people and eat everything I want and not gain anything. That's a pointless rant. I'm guessing I just have to accept that if I have to constantly work out to maintain my weight.

Bottom line, I'm feeling hopeless and it's been really hard for me to get started again. Does anyone have any wise words or tidbits of advice to share with me?

 

[FleurDeLis1]

Judeete,you've come to the right place. There's loads of encouragement here and plenty of advice to help you along.

A few questions..

After you lost the weight, did you go back to old eating habits?

What's your height and current weight?

Have you estimated your basal metabolic rate? This will tell you how many calories you burn everyday without exercise.

Do you count calories?

Try not to get discouraged! I should listen to my own advice, I'm terrible about getting down on myself. I just really started my diet today, but have been on this site for about a week or so. It is so helpful and reading other peoples successes and hurdles helps to motivate me. You should check out the diary section, it's really great for writing down what you eat and do everyday. Gives others a chance to critique you and give you advice.

Welcome to the forum, this is the best place for you to start your journey.

Don't be discouraged that you lost and then regained it back, just remember that you did it once and you can do it again. It isn't impossible!

 

[Caiman]

The key is to make permanent, lasting changes to your diet and exercise routine, rather than temporary changes which knock the weight off but don’t keep it off once you reach your target. Most people who ‘eat what they want’ differ from those of us who gain weight in a variety of factors, be it in portion control or the amount of exercise they get. No matter who you are, the reason for weight gain is the same... too many calories in versus calories out. There are some great resources and a lot of inspiration around this site, so I hope you take the time to have a good look around and hopefully find something that can help you achieve the results you’re after.

 

[ebrown08]

I noticed that the most lasting thing that i've ever done was modify my attitude about food. Food is awesome, it's amazing, it tastes great and it gives me energy. I just can't abuse my relationship with it. Too often I see people restrict their diet to unsustainable levels ("I'll eat nothing but fruits and veggies") or not keep track of what food actually is ("Sure I can eat that quart of ice cream, it's probably only 500 calories, anyways"). I can't go a day without keeping track of what I'm eating, or else I'll go crazy and destroy whatever food is in my path. Just by keeping track, even when I have an 'off' day, that day isn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

It's tough, but the key is to eat a healthful diet, forever. Make the change for the rest of your life, not just to get that 20 pounds back. There's a lot of great nutrition advice on this website, so check it out!