Almost all weight back on over weekend!!

[rwepi]

I didn't have a lot of weight to lose but wanted to shed 8lbs to be my "optimum weight" for my sport. This optimum weight was scientifically calculated and is within the "normal" BMI range, towards the bottom. My original weight was also within the normal range but at the top.

I've been following Rosemary Connolly's plan for a few weeks and on Friday morning had lost 6lbs, which was great.

Over the weekend I didn't exactly binge but went back to what was normal for me before, planning to get back on the wagon today. Can't have been that bad as it had maintained a healthy weight for 40+ years! e.g I had a glass of wine on Friday night and a roast dinner & pud on Sunday. Cake with tea on Saturday.

Anyway this morning I'm almost back where I started! To maintain this optimum weight (if I ever get there) am I really going to have to live on 1200(ish) calories a day for ever?

Ugh, I am sick of trying to lose the same weight over and over. it keeps getting harder! Even though I am exercising the weight won't budge. I am not sure if my hormones are out of balance or what? I am contemplating buying this book to help me get back on track...I don't want to be overweight coming into the christmas season
www.cottagecheeselegs.com I know weird name!

That will be water retention. I doubt what you ate actually converted to pounds of fat overnight

Emye it's not your imagination, it is getting harder to lose weight each time you diet. When you lose the weight by restricting calories you lose half fat half muscle (approximately, though this effect can be limited through resistance training and eating lots of protein). Muscle determines your metabolism, so the less you have, the lower your metabolism. When you gain weight back however, you gain back almost entirely fat - it is much harder for the body to build muscle but easy to lay down fat. So you may go back to the same weight you were before, but you have a lower metabolism AND a body that is sensitised to being deprived of calories so will hang on to fat more enthusiastically that it would have before the diet. This effect is compounded every time you diet!

OP, 1200 calories a day is obviously not sustainable. What is your sport? You presumably need lots of energy for it too? You are going to be putting your body into a very low (unhealthy) deficit with 1200 cals and lots of exercise. I would forget about calories, ditch sugar (and artificial sweeteners) and processed/white carbs, eat whole foods, protein at every meal and snack. Eat mindfully. If you are eating good, nutritious food 80% of the time your body will naturally feel satisfied and you will be consuming less (though not low) calories easily?. 1000's of empty nutrition calories will leave your body screaming 'still hungry' - nutritious calories won't. Have the occasional bowl of pasta, piece of cake, glass of wine, or whatever you fancy though, nothing should be banned completely. This is a truly sustainable way of eating - try it for 3-4 weeks and then see how you feel and how much you weigh.