Weight loss slower than GAINING?

WHY is it that losing the weight seems to take so much longer than gaining it did? I lost 83 lbs. over a period of about 14 months.  Then I gained back 29 lbs.  I got carried away with the Lindt chocolate and pita chips (those Stacey's pita chips are DEADLY!)  It seemed like I gained it back overnight! In reality, it took about five months. But I've been working on losing it again for 4 1/2 months and I've only lost 12 lbs! What is THAT all about???

I would guess our bodies are built to gain weight and keep it much more easily then lose weight simply for survival reasons.  While it would be really nice to be able to lose weight easily these days, if that had been the case in the past humans would have had a much worse chance of survival. 

LOL

I agree.  Especially on the pita chips they are good.  But I have that issue as well and it stinks.  It will take me 1 month to loose 5 lbs but I can gain it back in 1 weekend.  HOW IS THAT.

Tell me about it!  It's a constant struggle and I've no idea why the weight can come back so fast when it took so long to lose it.  I'm trying to be consistant but I had a bad stretch during May.  I've finally gotten back down to my low weight in April, and I'm trying so hard to keep going.  What I'm trying to do is make permanent changes, not diet.  So far it's worked, but it's so slow - three years for me to lose 50 pounds.  The good news is, I'm now so used to smaller portions that I automatically don't eat as much - so there is hope.

Just stick to it and try to plan in some little treats each week so you don't feel deprived and go overboard. 

So it's not just ME.  LOL! I thought maybe I was slower than most...but, so far, it seems NOT.  I liked darcyskywolfe's feedback.  Maybe that IS what it's all about!

Patty...those pita chips taste JUST LIKE baked pie crust to me! Once I get started, I literally can't STOP! So I just have to not even have them in the house.

And to clairelaine...as far as the treats go, I'm getting creative about it. I've been eating these organic cinnamon apple chips that I get at Costco and it's almost like eating something "naughty".  And I try NOT to go much below 1,200 calories a day, so as not to zero-out my metabolism (which is low to begin with, because of CFS).

Last night, I REALLLLY wanted to pig out on something sweet.  But my housemate, who works at McDonald's, brought home a fruit and yogurt parfait and that did the trick! Sure, it has sugar...but still, it's only 160 calories.  WHEW! I narrowly avoided THAT "trap"!

And yes...I AM "sticking to it".

I am a total lindt chocolate addict. I eat two squares every night.

And yeah, seems like I gain 10 lbs on a weekend vacation, but its going to take 3 months to get it back off...

Not to mention that I can be bloated one day and the extra water tells the scale I haven't lost a pound...

BAH!

No, it's not just you at all. I think I gained 15 pounds oct-jan (2009), while it took 4 months to lose those 15 and 1.5 months of a plateau not losing the 15 pounds I gained the year before. UGH! Total lesson learned though! Now I know that my body is not like it used to be. I used to be able to lose 10 pounds in a month, just from being very active (and young)...now I know not to gain this crap again because it'll take an eternity next time.

Its because gaining weight involves eating all that delicious food and having fun and not caring.

And losing weight.. well the process just isn't quite as fun... =\

Because it's a lot easier to consume an extra 2000 calories a day than to have a 2000-calorie daily deficit.

I would just like to chime in to add that the Cinnamon/Sugar pita chips are not actually made by "Stacy" but by the devil himself.  :)

In theory we can put on weight at the same rate we can take it off. Its all to do with the amount of calories. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. If you eat 500 less a day, you will lose a 1lb a week. If you eat 500 more you will gain 1lb a week.

I guess when we put the weight back on we are not trying to control the amount of calories we are consuming. However when we are trying to lose weight we are doing that and therefore its harder.

At least thats me trying to rationalise it. I hate the fact that I can put weight on so quickly and it takes sooo much effort to lose it. Still its worth it in the end!

Original Post by darcyskywolfe:

I would guess our bodies are built to gain weight and keep it much more easily then lose weight simply for survival reasons.  While it would be really nice to be able to lose weight easily these days, if that had been the case in the past humans would have had a much worse chance of survival. 

 Far more people die of obesity related illness than starvation today, not to mention anorexia, bulimia, depression and a host of other problems are caused by this storing fat thing. So as a survival trait storing fat seems to be proving pretty unsuccessful. If you ask me our bodies have it all back to front.

Original Post by abunaimah:

In theory we can put on weight at the same rate we can take it off. Its all to do with the amount of calories. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. If you eat 500 less a day, you will lose a 1lb a week. If you eat 500 more you will gain 1lb a week.

 

Technically, yes... But I know that I could probably, w/o even realizing it, eat 3500 calories in a day of camping with friends ( between the daiquiri's, the smokies and the smores, chips and dip, etc)

But I think my body would give out if I tried to have a 2000 calorie deficit the next day to make up for it. LOL

Original Post by xavier7:

Far more people die of obesity related illness than starvation today, not to mention anorexia, bulimia, depression and a host of other problems are caused by this storing fat thing. So as a survival trait storing fat seems to be proving pretty unsuccessful. If you ask me our bodies have it all back to front.

Our bodies are working fine. The problem is more to do with the food available. For those of us fortunate enough to live in the developed countries we have a constant supply of relatively cheap food. We even have seasonal foods available to us out of season (strawberries in winter etc). In the past much of what we would consume would be dictated by the seasons and the availability of food.

Due to our sedentary lives and over consumption of food, our bodies do the natural thing, store the excess for a time when there is not much food around, which for most of us doesn't come.

At least thats my pennies worth on the matter :)

Original Post by abunaimah:

Our bodies are working fine. The problem is more to do with the food available. For those of us fortunate enough to live in the developed countries we have a constant supply of relatively cheap food. We even have seasonal foods available to us out of season (strawberries in winter etc). In the past much of what we would consume would be dictated by the seasons and the availability of food.

Due to our sedentary lives and over consumption of food, our bodies do the natural thing, store the excess for a time when there is not much food around, which for most of us doesn't come.

At least thats my pennies worth on the matter :)

Even if it wasn't a problem in the past, its still basically a genetic flaw from the point of view of humans today as we would stand a better chance of a longer live if we never became obese however much we ate.

Original Post by flonklar:

Because it's a lot easier to consume an extra 2000 calories a day than to have a 2000-calorie daily deficit.

PRECISELY!

I guess I am lucky, I gain weight pretty slowly when I am not paying attention, about 6 pounds per year.  The bad news is, I haven't been paying attention since I got married 23 years ago!  Now that I am paying attention I am losing about 1 year's gain each month, so I consider it "reverse" aging, I am now back down to where I was 6 years ago.  So, for me, it is coming off a lot faster than it went on, at least for now.  It sure isn't as much fun, though!  Thank goodness I saved some work jeans, so I don't have to rush out and buy new clothes for now -- it will be a lot more fun when I am back down to the size I wore 12 years ago, which I am hoping for around the holidays.  Maybe holidays 2010 I will be back into my wedding dress!

Original Post by xavier7:

Original Post by abunaimah:

Our bodies are working fine. The problem is more to do with the food available. For those of us fortunate enough to live in the developed countries we have a constant supply of relatively cheap food. We even have seasonal foods available to us out of season (strawberries in winter etc). In the past much of what we would consume would be dictated by the seasons and the availability of food.

Due to our sedentary lives and over consumption of food, our bodies do the natural thing, store the excess for a time when there is not much food around, which for most of us doesn't come.

At least thats my pennies worth on the matter :)

Even if it wasn't a problem in the past, its still basically a genetic flaw from the point of view of humans today as we would stand a better chance of a longer live if we never became obese however much we ate.

 Doesn't matter how long we live, just whether we passed on our genetic makeup, evolution doesn't care if you die a fat 60 year old, it just cares if you had kids before you died

1 small cookie = 150 calories

1 hour walking = Burns 1 small cookie

~1 hour slow eating = Consumes 30 small cookies

Original Post by minda_spk:

I am a total lindt chocolate addict. I eat two squares every night.

And yeah, seems like I gain 10 lbs on a weekend vacation, but its going to take 3 months to get it back off...

Not to mention that I can be bloated one day and the extra water tells the scale I haven't lost a pound...

BAH!

Bah is RIGHT! And GURRRRLLLLL....I can't even get STARTED on the Lindts! I have a bag of 50 truffle balls and if I eat even ONE, I have to eat three or four (320 calories). ACK! So I just satisfy myself with alternatives.

I DID discover the Fiber One bars at Costco today! I figured they'd be great to have in the car for when I'm out and need something to eat, with not enough time to get home.  And they're only 140 calories each! I ate one on my way home and I wasn't hungry for 2 1/2 hours!

Original Post by mperic81:

No, it's not just you at all. I think I gained 15 pounds oct-jan (2009), while it took 4 months to lose those 15 and 1.5 months of a plateau not losing the 15 pounds I gained the year before. UGH! Total lesson learned though! Now I know that my body is not like it used to be. I used to be able to lose 10 pounds in a month, just from being very active (and young)...now I know not to gain this crap again because it'll take an eternity next time.

 THANKS mperic! This part really struck me:

"now I know not to gain this crap again because it'll take an eternity next time"

I guess, at 58 years old, it's about time I LEARNED that! LOL!