Losing Weight... then gaining all of it back!

jc2008

I'm 18.

When I was 16 turning 17, I decided I had been gaining weight for long enough and went on a diet. I had just become a member of the gym near me, and had started a fitness program. I didn't really follow the fitness program closely at all, but the fact that I would be getting assessments every few weeks was a motivation.

The weight loss went excellently! I got much fitter, lost nearly 3 stone in weight, felt a lot better, clothes looked much better on me. I never felt hungry and I didn't have to count a single calorie - simply eating healthier/less (I replaced food with different food, or smaller portions, as opposed to 'taking anything away'). I found spin classes excellent for weight loss, but in reality any exercise was helpful - there was even weeks that I might be sick and wouldn't go exercising, and would still lose weight because my food intake would be healthy.

However, I lost motivation sometime during 6th year in school. With the task of studying for the leaving cert, or something, I gradually gained weight. It was so gradual that I'd barely notice, but now I'm halfway through 1st year in college and I'm heavier than what I started the original diet with.

Brace yourself... prepare to be disgusted... I just reached 99.9kg on Monday morning. I promptly re-started a diet on Monday, because I just can't be >100kg.. the shame :P

Already, I feel much better because I am not eating crap all the time. My motivation mojo seems to be back (I had tried to restart a diet a few times since gaining the weight back, but lost motivation very quickly into it). Coca Cola is my main weakness - I was addicted to the stuff. 2L a day wouldn't be unheard of. I have now happily replaced that with Water - free, more energising, no harmful effects to health/weight.

OK, so hopefully this effort sticks. I made a pretty cool (if I say so myself) Excel spreadsheet where you enter your weight every week, it converts it from kg to pounds, and even automatically calculates how much you have lost since last week and graphs your weekly weight automatically, so just to be able to fill in this spreadsheet is motivation in itself However, I decided to enter a goal weight as well, so it could be plotted on the graph - if I go by losing approximately 1kg a week (which is healthy enough and sustainable, in my opinion) - even by June I will be still heavier than what I started the 'original' diet with, which is slightly disheartening, but it's my own fault for leaving it this long

Anyway, sorry for the essay. My actual questions: Does this happen often? Why does this usually happen? What can I do to prevent it from happening again?

I think I might know the answer though (typing up threads on boards is oddly enlightening!) - once I got to a weight that I was happy with (and received tonnes of compliments about how well I looked)... I relaxed, and thought I didn't need to lose any more. But I relaxed too much... and back to my old eating patterns, which unfortuneatly were suited to gaining weight, as opposed to maintaining weight.

I read on the internet that gaining weight after a diet is caused by a diet not being realistic/sustainable, but I honestly felt great during my last diet - as I said, never hungry!

Fair play if you read all that :eek:

Lantus

If you always consider eating healthy as a diet rather than a way of life it will always be something you 'go on' and 'come off' rather than adopt a wholesale lifestyle change.

2l of reg coke is 800 empty sugary calories and packed with HFCS. One of the top 10 foods of all time you should never eat...(anything that contains HFCS.)

However,you may just have a body type that is able to store weight easily, this is enhanced by picking the wrong foods. Losing weight becomes harder later in life as you metabolism slows. Better to lose it now, avoid future health problems and find a routine and discipline that will ensure it becomes as regular a part of your live as brushing your teeth.

Canluum

Lantus wrote: »

(anything that contains HFCS.)

Sucrose (table sugar) has a similar glucose:fructose ratio so is just as bad. In europe soft drinks are made with table sugar, but are no better than the american HFCS sweetened drinks.

That stuff wrecks you

Anyway, sorry for the essay. My actual questions: Does this happen often? Why does this usually happen? What can I do to prevent it from happening again?

Yes yo-yoing is basically endemic, especially to people who either
a) don't learn anything from a "diet" and go back to obnoxiously bad habits once they go off.
b) people who crash diet... while I wouldn't put a blanket ban on all crash-dieting personally... I've done PSMFs (protein sparing modified fast) before and it works. You have to take extreme care afterwards and go on at least a two week "maintenance diet", i.e. where you eat a normal amount of calories and count everything! When you crash diet your hormones (you have lots, not just the sex-ones) go nuts and for a time if you try to eat until full after it, you'll definitely overeat.

TommyKnocker

Lantus wrote: »

If you always consider eating healthy as a diet rather than a way of life it will always be something you 'go on' and 'come off' rather than adopt a wholesale lifestyle change.
.

+1 to this

A "Diet" suggests something that to do for a period of time to reach a certain goal, then once the goal is reached you cease or go off the "Diet".

This usually leads to going back to old ways, the same old ways that got you to your original starting point.

As said before what you need to do is make life style changes. So you change to eating healthier foods, not for a defined period of time but for the rest of your life. You find exercises that you like to do and add them into your daily routine, again for the rest of your life.

You educate yourself to some degree on nutrition. Get an understanding of the number of calories you require currently to meet your goals of dropping body fat (weight), where these calories should come from (Protein, Fats, Carbs, the macro-nutrient breakdown). Then when you get to your goal weight, you keep eating the same food stuuff, just less of it.

If you start with the stickies in the Health and fitness forum adn also in the Nutrition & Diet sub forum. Ask questions on any point you don't understand and take it from there.

BlueIsland

If I were you mentally Id forget about last time and why you piled back on FOR NOW. fresh start, not the last time. When you get to desired weight think back and consider why it happoened just to prevent it. But consuming your mind with regret on last time doesnt really keep you in the now to really give it right lash once and for all!!!Your mind be better put to use thinking about your present situation which is the only one you are fully in control of!

jc2008

Thank you for the answers!

After one week, my weight went down from 99.9 to 98.8kg. Not a whole amount, but it's about 2.2 pounds lost (hopefully fat and not just water weight, as can happen at the start of changing a diet). But at least it's in the right direction

I did a spinning class yesterday evening (the advanced one... I used to do it all the time). Very very intense - I definitely have lost some fitness. Average Heart Rate 171 and max 189, with a reported 853kcal burned in 57 mins of exercise, not including cool-down (I know this isn't accurate, but it gives some idea).

Thanks again for the answers. I have two more questions.

Stretch marks - I have them. Is there anything I can do about them? Last time I had them (not as bad though!), they weren't really that noticeable when I lost weight - you could still see them, but they went from red to a pale silver colour - not near as noticeable.

I'm in college - in digs I get breakfast and dinner, but have to fend for myself at other times. What are some healthy lunch ideas? I used to eat chicken fillet rolls or other such lunches, but I'm trying to make the lunches healthier.

Thanks

radekisner34

Hey if we once lose weight then why to gain it again. From a lot of hard work we lose our weight so why to gain it again.

jc2008

radekisner34 wrote: »

Hey if we once lose weight then why to gain it again. From a lot of hard work we lose our weight so why to gain it again.

It wasn't all that hard to lose the weight the first time. It took a long time, but I loved the exercise and how good I felt. I was only 16/17 when I lost it, weight tends to drop off young lads without too much difficulty!

I shouldn't have gained it back though (I didn't do it on purpose!) - I feel embarassed to mention it... I feel like I've written about 2 years of exercise off.

Thanks for the answers though!

yammycat

Lantus wrote: »

2l of reg coke is 800 empty sugary calories

why are they called 'empty' can these calories not be used for energy, could I not run 10 miles on 2 litres of coke ?

TommyKnocker

yammycat wrote: »

why are they called 'empty' can these calories not be used for energy, could I not run 10 miles on 2 litres of coke ?

There are called empty calories as they provide no nutritional benefit to you, No vitamins, minerals etc, no protein, nothing in the way of healthy fat, nothing but colored, fizzy water with sugar and a flavoring added. So hi GI carbs only.

As for running 10 miles on 2l of coke, well IMHO while the sugar would provide energy sure enough, I doubt the gas used to add the fizz to the coke would make that run an enjoyable experience

eco2live

What height are you? Do you know your BMI?

yammycat

TommyKnocker wrote: »

There are called empty calories as they provide no nutritional benefit to you, No vitamins, minerals etc, no protein, nothing in the way of healthy fat, nothing but colored, fizzy water with sugar and a flavoring added. So hi GI carbs only.

As for running 10 miles on 2l of coke, well IMHO while the sugar would provide energy sure enough, I doubt the gas used to add the fizz to the coke would make that run an enjoyable experience

Yea coca cola doesn't have protein or vitamins but nobody just drinks coca cola, if I need 3000 calories a day and get 2200 from eating protein and fat and veggies etc then 2 litres of coke isn't a problem I would imagine.

The problem is people guzzle it down like water and don't consider it as 'food' so they will eat 3000 calories of real food then knock back 2 litres of coke and wonder why they are gaining weight.

And I think constantly calling coke 'empty' promotes this, someone skimming through health and nutrition articles constantly see references to coke being 'empty' , containing nothing , drink it all day long theres absolutely nothing in it.

It would be an idea to start calling sugar rich soft drinks something other than empty.