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Is it normal to gain back weight that was lost slowly?

I get frustrated because here's my own story:

 

I was up at 305 lbs back in 2005, and each year I lost an average of 20 lbs until around 2009 when I stopped and gained back some of that weight. Then in  the spring of 2010 I lost another 25 lbs and got down to 217 lbs- my lowest weight since the age of 18.

Anyways, I stayed there until December 2010 , then after Christmas I put back on another 15-20 lbs. And Ive been doing that for the past two years. Losing 15 lbs, then putting it back on- never reaching my goal weight. Is there a way to break the cycle? I  am counting calories like a hawk now and doing tons of exercise and eating lots of protein. They say when you lose weight slowly, its hard to gain it back. Well I know thats not true. It took me 5 years to lose 85 lbs, and I still gained some of that back.

Sorry to be nosey whats your current weight?

Good job you lost 85lbs :D con grates on that. Im happy for u

Original Post by wolfie82:

Sorry to be nosey whats your current weight?

My current weight is 231 lbs, down from 250 lbs in January.

Congratulations! I know you're frustrated because of the vicious losing and gaining cycle many of us are fighting, but you've still done a great job.

well think of it this way, if you didnt spend the holidays gaining weight, and instead mantaining you would be sucessully losing 15 lbs a year.

so this time around, dont let it happen. u say u r counting calories like a hawk, so keep doing it, even through the holidays u could eat maintenance calories, or have cheat days here and there. u can do it, weight loss is work, and does not come easy.

Regarding your question, if you return to the habits and eating patterns that were instrumental in you gaining weight then YES, it is possible that weight lost slowly and healthily can be regained. I think that is why so many people mention "lifestyle change" because really the only way to keep lost weight gone forever is to never return to previous bad habits. If you backslide regularly then you are risking weight gain. 

In that regard, I agree a little with the above post... and only because I tried this and it worked for me. I began losing weight at the end of the first summer I joined this site and felt like I was really getting good results but was nervous about how the holidays would affect this progress. 

So I made a promise to myself that I would not go all the way from Thanksgiving through to New Year treating every week (regarding calorie intake) as a holiday, truly (I thought) a weekend (2 days) for each occasion is generous.

So I allowed myself to indulge for two days over each holiday and the rest of the time, I ate maintenance on days there was stuff going on at work or with friends and then on days or weeks there was nothing going on socially, I was very vigilant about sticking to my weight loss intake. Even when out I tried to make smart choices, such as going for more veggies than dip and alternating alcoholic drinks with water etc

I exercised about the same amount as before (which was nothing extreme, 30 minute walks each day and moderate weight training 3 times a week) I figured keeping up with my exercise regime, would give me a little bit more wiggle room if I wanted a treat. I also joined a weight loss challenge in the Games and Challenges forum here on CC. This was very motivating, because knowing I would have to officially weigh in each week helped to keep me focused on my goal.

Previous years, I had always gained weight during this time of year, so I was surprised and delighted to discover that this plan not only helped to prevent me re-gaining weight but I actually lost five pounds. Which meant that for the first time in many years, I did not begin the New Year battling to lose weight I had previously lost.

Anyway.. the plan above might help you through the holidays so that you aren't back at square one in January..

But in the meantime are you sure that your calorie target is the right one for you? Trying to get too big of a deficit (for a faster loss) can sometimes backfire and actually stall your weight loss. Maybe go for a smaller deficit and aim for a slower weight loss and you might find it is easier and although longer, successful in the long term. It's worth a shot!