Does everyone fear regain??

I think I have read something about fear of regain every single week for 5 years. Every time I read it, I feel odd. I do not, and never have, feared regain. When I was early out, I feared that I somehow would not lose, or would not lose "enough", or would not lose as much as I wanted (well, that last one came true, since I would really like to be about 10 pounds lighter)... but I never feared regain.

When I was losing, I was too focused on establishing my new lifestyle and on LOSING (and dealing with the food demons) to worry about REGAINING. Once I got to my goal weight, I was confident that my new eating habits were solidly ingrained, and I had been able to establish a diet that was flexible enough that I didn't feel like I was "dieting" or deprived, so I knew my food plan was something that I could live with long term... and therefore I didn't worry about regain. (Maybe that's partly because it took me 20 months to get to goal?)

Now I am 5 years out, and have watched people around me struggle with regain. I know from experience, though, that when my weight creeps up 4 or 5 pounds (I have a self-imposed 5 pound limit), I can drop the non-essential carbs and increase the water and protein and can get those few pounds back off (I have had to do that 3 times in 3 years), so I don't fear regain now, either.

I am aware that regain is very real, and I know that I have to remain vigilant about what I eat in order to maintain my weight. I knew that regain was quite possible even before I had surgery because one of the people I know IRL who had RNY a couple of years before I did had gained much of the weight back (by eating too much crap again) before I had my surgery.

Am I the only one who didn't ever really fear regain?!?

Lora

I guess subconsciously I do since I've had dreams of being over 200 lbs again, which would put me close to where I started.

I also have been committed to staying below a certain weight and haven't had trouble losing when I get there. If I can continue to stay diligent then I won't have to worry. I'll never say never though, it could possibly happen. I can't determine the future.

Not anymore.  I have gone up and down 5 or so pounds in the last few months but I know how to get it off quickly and I love doing the stuff that makes that happen.  I regained a lot of weight at 3 years out and took it off.  I've done it before, I can do it again.  I don't have to worry now though-I love running too much to gain more than 5 lbs.

Carol it's good to hear i'm not the only one that has gained 5lbs...i am almost 3 months out and have gained 5lbs and got very depressed about it thinking i'm going back to where i was and have starting seeing myself as i was before.

*hangs head* I don't think you are the only one who doesn't, but I do think you are better adjusted than me! ( I swear I am not being snarky at all. dead serious here). I think I have started fearing regain now because I am at my smallest adult size for the first time in almost 20 years. I don't remember being the next size smaller (12) since I was about 11 or 12 years old. So I think MY regain fears have to do with the limits of my imagination (yes, size is not the be all and end all, but I am a little stuck there now). I am having a hard time imagining being smaller, so my mind just goes kind of blank and then I start feeling fear. Gawd, does that make any sense?

I know food is not going to magically throw itself down my gullet and that I am in charge of my ship, but I still fear regain. I am giving myself many stern talkings to , "pull yourself up by the bootstraps, old girl. No one is holding a gun to your head to make you eat". However, I fear that this is one of the many things in my life I've had some success with and then messed it up because I deep down didn't think I deserved it or some such.

So yes, I should definitely be working through some of this with a professional, and I will.

This is only representative for me and the boat I am in right now. I'm not obsessing over it, but I have noticed it more in the past few weeks.

I do fear regain and I am experiencing it right now. It's 10 lbs but I want to get it off ASAP! I feel a bit confused on how to get rid of it, I'm afraid to eat too much so I try to eat minimal. With that being said when I was at 143 I remember eating small protein packed snacks every 2.5 or 3 hours rather or not I was hungry. For some reason I am scared to eat like that now, I think it's the 10 lbs. that makes me think that if I eat more I'll gain more. I feel like I need some direction. Maybe you all could give me some ideas. I do work-out 3-5 days a week for an hour.

At 4 years out, I still fear regain. I'm quite certain if I did not work so hard I could easily maintain at 2 sizes larger, but I like the size I am now so the work is worth it to me (and I don't have to do anything outrageous to maintain my current weight- I eat around 2000 calories a day and exercise 3 times a week)

 

Laura

Not sure if it's regain that I fear per se but fear of being "her" again. The fat me. The person I was for 31 years. Granted, this is only because I'm not solidly in the "new me" with enough time, to bury "her". Ah, welcome to transition.

I'm not getting on that roller coaster ride, ever again- -no way!!

I'm not far out at all yet, and I do fear not losing "enough".  And I fear that it won't stay gone.