Those who have shifted the weight and are at their goal weight - do you live with constant weight regain paranoia

[hmc]

I am pretty much at goal (well only 1lb away) and have an almost phobic obsession about regaining the weight. Worry and guilt around food are ever so slightly there at the back of my mind constantly(sometimes at the front of my mind!). Do you eventually learn to relax about it? - or is it in fact a good thing to live with the fear because it keeps you on the straight and narrow?

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have been at goal weight (lost 6 stone last year) since December. Have in the past month (after a holiday) put 7lb back on & have shifted my self back to Weightwatchers sharpish.. Am now after two weeks 3lb above goal! However, after the first month when I was extremely phobic like you, I did relax & start thinking more about living & less about dieting. I think you'll find your own level & ingrained habits have sort have kept me in check. Have found that regular exercise helps though!

"I think you'll find your own level & ingrained habits have sort have kept me in check"
Oh, I hope so Mrswarthog! Good on you for keeping close enough eye to reign it in a bit after small post holiday gain though

Hi hmc well I am totally obsessed and paranoid and I could have written your OP. Have been at current weight for quite a few weeks now but still logging everything on MFP. Lost 3.5 stone since October. I hope overtime will be more relaxed.

Yes, I lived with it and re-gained some of the weight I had lost. I started dieting last Feb and lost about 2.5 stone and since then I have put back on 13 pounds. It was like I was deliberately trying to sabotage my efforts. I had gone on a pretty strict low fat diet but it wasn't sustainable long term. Although my meals have always been healthy, it's the sweets/biscuits/chocolate that are my downfall. One thing that has helped me or I would be a lot heavier is continuing to exercise at a similar rate. I have now joined weight watchers and have lost 4 pounds so working my way back down to my goal again. It is very depressing as I chucked out my fat clothes as I lost weight and now I have difficult fitting into my "thin" clothes but am determined not to have to go and buy bigger sizes again. I'm not really sure why I put the weight on again apart from overeating but when I had lost the weight, I still felt fat and didn't feel any happier. Always thought being thinner would change my life...it didn't unfortunately.

I'd say it depends on which diet you did.

a sensible one like weight watchers and the weight should stay off. it did with me, until i had babies and then i put it all back on and then some!

faddy diets with unrealistic long term eating habits(low carb, cabbage soup) never work ime and everyone i know who did them put the weight back on.

Agree with bamboobutton - if you have truly changed the eating/activity habits which made you overweight in the first place, then you should keep the weight off without too much problem.

One tip is to follow the 80/20 rule - eat healthily (no processed food like sugar, chocolate, alchohol, refined carbs) 80% of the time, with no more than 20% of your intake being stuff that's bad for you. And watch portion sizes - it's easy for those to creep up.

I'd also suggest weighing once a week. If the pounds start creeping on, then go back to your diet again - it's much easier to tackle a small amount than try to shift a lot, as you know.

Well done on being almost at your goal weight OP!

I have been finding that I don't eat so well over the weekend, but then am super-good during the week and my weight is staying static.

I agree though much easier to keep it off if you have changed WHAT you eat rather than just the quantities. Also bear in mind that you are much more vulnerable to putting on weight right after your diet so that is the time for maximum vigilence.

Important to weigh yourself at least once a week - think Monday morning will be my weigh-in...

Ok thanks - that is reassuring. I have changed what and how I eat - I don't eat for comfort any longer and only eat when hungry, and rarely eat cakes, chocolate and other junk. I will try to relax a little and have faith that as long as I stick with healthy eating I should be fine.

Good luck with losing rest of your 13lbs rathlin

forever - I think that kicking back a little at weekends but being strict for a few days in the week might be a model that works for me too.

I'm not sure if eating too much at weekends and being careful in the week is a great model, as it really will mean that I am forever on a diet. But after being on a low fat low carb regime for so long, do need to let my hair down every so often.

Saturday was ok as big meal was social, but then ate when not hungry on Sunday too even though on my own. Not huge amounts really, but some chocolate, a solero, some biscuits, none of which I needed. I then made a huge VAT cabbage soup and had that for dinner!

I need to learn moderation!

Well its a matter of degree I guess forever, but I think I will need some down time at weekends when I can enjoy a glass of wine or two and perhaps have the odd burger or rib from the BBQ, otherwise I won't maintain it - it will be too inflexible. I have pretty much eliminated chocolate, sweets, ice cream, puddings, cake and biscuits from my diet (and don't miss them) so there is hopefully only so much damage I can do during 'kick back weekends' ....

I suspect most of us will be forever on a diet - in the sense of having to maintain vigilance for life... [sighs sadly]

hmc my experience over the past few months since having reached goal weight is that:
a) larger quantities of healthy foods (within reason), including meat don't seem to affect weight and
b) eating processed rubbish (chocolate / puddings) does affect weight quite quickly and makes me feel bloated
c) any mistakes can be very quickly rectified. If I weight 3lbs more on Monday after an indulgent weekend it takes 3 days to loose (and 2lb takes 2 days etc).

So yes the damage you can do at the weekend is limited!