What do you guys do to "Start Over" from a weight gain?

How do I get my momentum back?  Lost 84 pounds, had to have a partial unfill, then starting eating more cause I could.  Now I am up 7 pounds and struggling even though I had my fill put back in last month.  How do you guys recommit?  What do I do to push that restart button?  Thank you for your tips and any suggestions or advice you may have!

Back to basics, eat like a newbie and be prepared that the weight won't come off as fast but it will come off.  Start back doing ALL the things you did to lose in the beginning.  Wishing you the best of success.  Still working on repairing my backslide.
Z

Hi Carla,

It's hard but you have been so successful so deep down in you , you know what you need to do , just getting there is the hard.

I think you took the hardest step right here admitting you gained weight and need help that is a huge step .  You could have just disappeared and not heard from you again but you came back :o)

Instead of trying to do everything at once which can be very overwhelming take some baby steps Do one thing at a time .  If its exercise start back on your exercise, or whatever else you think you can conquer first and work on that for a week or two weeks and then baby step to another part that you need to work on.

You caught this early and it's only 7 pounds you can get that off in a month or so :o)

Just start back to basics eat three healthy meals , exercise and get your water in.  I bet alot of that 7 pounds is pure water so it might not be as bad as you think .  

I had the same problem. I lost 93 lbs and after a lot of personal problems (including the end of my 10 year marriage) I gained 20 lbs! I found myself in a rut and thought I was never going to gain that momentum back again. A month ago I went to visit my sister who I hadn't seen in 6 months and she told me bluntly that she could tell I'd gained weight. I had been lying to myself the whole time thinking that nobody noticed. So...I dug up some old pictures of myself when I was at my highest weight and I refer back to them every once in a while. Its my way of warning myself of what I would become again if I didn't get my head back in the game. On 5/23 I weighed in at 234.6 and this past Saturday (6/3) I weighed in at 224.6! I've managed to lose 10 lbs in the last couple of weeks! It has really been a motivating factor for me. Plus my 30th birthday is next month and I want to look as hot as possible.

It IS possible to get back in the groove. I just had to jump in it and make a conscience effort everyday to stay in it. Once you lose that first pound I bet that will motivate you to keep going.

Good luck!

Take it one day at a time. Choose to excersise and eat right for today, not worrying about tomorrow, for it's not here yet. I agree, once you see a few pounds fall off (and they probably will right away) you will be motivated to keep going. It may not be the healthiest thing to do, but sometimes I do just protien shakes for 2-3 days and that jump starts me. I personally am working on striking a balance, and not going to extremes. You can do it!

Hello

You need to evaluate your eating habits honestly.  Are you eating too much?  Are you eating the wrong foods?  Are you not getting your protein?  Are you getting all your water?  Are you active???  Make sure these basics are taken care of. 

What I did was log all my food daily...before I ate it.  I planned all my meals and snacks ahead of time.  I added them up carefully to make sure I am getting enough calories, carbs, and protein.  Just winging it and not knowing what you will be eating is usually when people start cheating.  So if it's not on my food log I don't eat it.  Of course I have cheated (I leave a 100 calorie buffer for this reason) last week I had about 15 MMs...and I added it in to my log.  I have an iphone App that I use.  I always measure and weigh everything.  I eat according to the serving size.  If a serving size of crackers is 5.... I count out 5 and put the box away.  I also stay away from restaurants.  Most of the time even the salads are packed with fat and calories.  If you are trying to lose weight I would brown bag it to work and make dinner at home.    

Exercise!!!  For me this is a must.  With out it I wouldn't have lost 150 lbs.  I know lots of people brag about losing weight without exercise but really that's not good for you.  When you lose weight without exercise your not really losing fat.  what you are losing is muscle.  That's why it's so easy to gain it back.  If you exercise and build up your lean muscle mass not only will you look better but you will be less likely to regain your weight.  Exercise also makes you healthier.  You can be thin and unhealthy.  I exercise 6 days a week, 90 minutes a day.  I am jogging and lifting weights.  I am healthier than the person next to me that does nothing and weighs 120 lbs. 

Bottom line- eat healthier and exercise.  Good luck!!!

     

Great advice.  I'm on a 6 month plateau.

Make a plan and put it to work- step by step.

Press forward.  We'll make it.

Thank you everyone for your great suggestions and support!  These are all great ideas and I know they are going to help me.  Thanks.  One thing I need to do is visit OH everyday - this always helped me on my path.  You guys are great!

When I have to 'pull it back together', I go back to eating protein first.

I don't eat any carbs unless they are accompanied with protein (example, instead of grabbing a big handful of crackers, I will eat a low-fat cheese stick with 4 or 5 small crackers) ---- might be close to the same calories, but the protein/carb combo keeps me satisfied much longer.

I also increase my water intake.

Hang in there!!!

Thank you for this post. I have been in a plateu for several months, and have gained weight. I have gained 15 lbs!! I was going to post a similar question, when I saw yours. There is such wonderful advice here. Thank you all so much. I really need it right now.