Weight re-gain ... anyone else have this happen?

[drummergrrrl]

Hey, I just need a little support right now...

I had lost about 35 lbs. after being diagnosed with PCOS in 2010, when I was put on Metformin and really started adhering to strict dietary guidelines. Recently, I moved to New Orleans, which is pretty much the worst place for someone with PCOS. Carbs, carbs and more carbs are available here.

I weighed myself today and was dismayed to discover that I've gained back most of the weight that I lost ... it crept on bit by bit, and I am now extremely discouraged. I also have struggled with an eating disorder, and I thought I had both problems under control. Dieting to lose weight for your health when you're a former bulimic can be a little trying!

Anyway, has anyone else regained the weight they lost? How did you go about attacking it again? I know it's primarily because of my own irresponsibility with my food intake, but I felt exhausted maintaining such a strict diet that I hated.

This is so frustrating.

[smokeymtngirl]

If I don't watch what I eat, I regain the weight back fast. I fell off the wagon a while back and I just started focusing on getting back on track about a month ago. First I focused on drinking water instead of Pepsi. Then I worked on getting breakfast healthier, then lunch and then supper. I added in low impact exercise (walking) last week. In another week or two, I'll add in high impact exercise. All in all, it takes me a couple months to get fully back on track, but by taking it slow, I don't get discouraged as easy. The weight's starting to come back off now.

[defygravity]

I yoyo very easily if I lose my iron grip. I stepped on the scale the other day and felt like crawling under a rock. Back on the wagon, no more eating out every day.

[Maggie6424]

I lost 35 lbs in 7 months after being diagnosed and put on met. When I got pregnant, I gained weight really fast. By the birth, I had put on 65lbs. I felt like a freakin whale. Well I dropped 30lbs right away, within a few weeks because of the birth and a lot of water weight. Down to 185, then gained a few and I'm stuck at 188. Heavier than I have even been (other than prego). I'm still on met, and working out but my eating habits aren't the best. However.. I'm not dropping any weight. I feel your frustration. I'm just going to stick with it, and try to watch my carbs. I'm horrible with carbs, it's all I crave.

[Future Doc Cyster]

When I was first diagnosed, I lost well over 60 pounds (probably closer to 70 when you consider my highest and lowest weight).

I did really well for a while but have balooned up due to stress and making unhealthy choices.

It is extremely difficult to remain healthy. When I lost weight the first time, I didn't focus on my weight bur rather making healthy choices. I also exercised regularly.

Weight gain can be devastating and discouraging, but I'm trying to get back to eating healthy and exercising regularly.

[DiamondInTheRough]

You are not alone. Unfortunately, the hardest part of losing weight, is keeping it off. This doesn't compare, but I put on 5 lbs over the winter, and I felt crushed because no matter what I did, it just wouldn't budge. I felt defeated. I swear, if it weren't for a recent stomach bug, it would still be there.

The good thing is, that you've lost weight before, so you have to convince yourself that you can do it again. But this time, find a lifestyle that you ENJOY. Invest in ingredients that you love, and exercise that you look forward to. Healthy living doesn't have to feel like a life sentence.

[Beth777]

Wow, that is so funny you say New Orleans is carbs, carbs, more carbs. The docs that wrote Sugar Busters are from New Orleans. As I am also. I really never had trouble until I left New Orleans. If you eat out, check out the restaurants menu first for low carb items. A lot of places will use wheat pasta and wheat breads, etc...

[drummergrrrl]

Wow, this is the first thread I've posted that people have actually responded to! Thank you all so much for your encouragement. With PCOS, you so often feel totally alone, and it's great to have a community of women backing you up. I am so happy to hear other people's success stories, and I really appreciate all of your replies.

I am going to try to take small steps to work toward another round of weight loss ... someone said that you need to have an "iron grip" on your diet, and I guess that's what it takes for the rest of our lives. Grrrr.

Thanks again, all.

[eahernandez1914]

hey drummer girl i recently had lost 40 pounds and then in the past months it krept back up on me 55 pounds!!!! and no periods again! always in pain so im back on it gonna stick to it this time just eating healthier trying to stay clear of alot of carbs! no more soda for me also! water water water and exercising and lots of walking!! good luck in ur wt loss journey again you can do it!

[S-piper]

After losing 100 pounds over 3 years and keeping off for 5 after that, I'm dealing with this issue right now.

[jem104]

I have gained 10 lb in the last 7 weeks, Weight Watchers for 6+ months. Thinking of trying BCP + met……

[TheBumbler]

I lost about 70lbs from 2005-08 and I struggled with the loss and also weight regain. It'd lose, gain a bit back, clean things up and get back to exercising, lose a bit more, gain it back, clean things up AGAIN and get back to exercising AGAIN.

I started noticing a pattern, whenever I'd hit a milestone weight, I'd kind of find myself binge eating and skipping workouts. It was like I was afraid of being in a smaller body. I think it was because I had been a big girl for so long that it had become a core part of my identity. I actually had to shift my identity and think about myself differently. I chose to start thinking about myself as an athlete. An athlete doesn't exercise, she trains. An athlete doesn't diet, she eats to fuel recovery and her workouts. And an athlete becomes the size and shape she is because of what she does. Eventually, living this way didn't feel like I had to have an iron grip on my diet or my exercise patterns. It just became how I lived. I honestly find the food I eat really yummy (I follow the paleo diet) and I love my sport. On rest days when I'm not training, I miss being in the gym. But, part of being an athlete, is rest and recovery.

These days, my weight still fluctuates. I bounce between 135 and 140lbs depending on where I'm at with my cycle and what's going on... if I'm stressed or not sleeping well enough and start feeling low energy, I notice my weight goes up a bit and it's an indication that I need to address some aspect of my life that's not going rock-star awesome. But I don't really see regain at all. Nor am I having to hop on a scale every day, measuring my food intake, tracking calories, etc to stay at the weight I'm at. I think part of that is the mental work I did with my own self identity and, also, in part to finding a way of eating and training that I very much enjoy and works for my body. Long road, but totally worth it.

[S-piper]

@TheBumbler,

OMG! I'm experiencing something very similar. I lost so much weight a while ago, that I'm sort of having to re-accept myself as a big girl since I've gained some of it back.
However, even when thin, I still was insecure about my looks and lately I'm starting to realize just how much so. I find myself binging whenever someone says I'm attractive.

Also, the weight fluctuation. I wouldn't even worry about fluctuating 5 pounds, because even when I was maintaining weight loss (which I did for about 5 years) that happened to me. I wonder if it's another PCOS thing? A 5 pound fluctuation is okay as long as there isn't a steady up creep, as far as I'm concerned.

BTW: Awesome on the getting into weight lifting! I'm liking lifting also.

[xredskyx]

Oh boy do I know about regaining lost weight.

Prt of the problem is that growing up, I couldn't gain weight. I didn't start putting weight on until I was about 21-22...and I piled on 60 pounds QUICK. The following summer, I did weight watchers, lost 30...bringing me to 150. Which I felt good at! Throughout the following year, gained almost all of it back. Started running (1-2 miles a day) and counting calories, got engaged, lost weight again bringing me back to 150. Did ok until the summer, gained about 20 pounds back....started running about two months before wedding, dropped 25 pounds. Immediately started gaining it all back and then some starting with the honeymoon in Spain. Hit my highest weight ever last month and decided to re-join weight watchers and run. Down ten pounds today but it's harder than ever. I run about 3-5 miles 4 times a week. I can't wait to just be back in the 160's so running isn't so painful!

What usually resets me, is seeing a picture of myself....that someone else took lol. Angles can only cause so much....

[01JENNIFERB]

I too have been a yoyo..all my life really. Got skinny in high school, then slowly put weight on, lost it gained it all plus more, lost, gained, had dd and gained, now I'm working on losing again! It's crazy how strict and hard I have to work to lose it and how fast and easily it comes back!