The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[nickieluv]

I don't know if it's OK to ask this, because it could be construed as being negative. But I am curious about something and you never know if you don't ask. I definitely do not mean it to be judgemental or negative - I am only curious if anyone would be willing to share.

I have seen a lot of restarts lately. I'm one myself, technically, although I didn't get very far before. In particular today I read about some people who had lost 30 pounds or more and then went off and gained it all back. So my question, if you feel OK answering it, is this:

What happened to get you off track? Why did you gain the weight back? What advice do you have for others who may need to take a break from MF for one reason or another and don't want to regain everything? Or those heading into maintenance?

Some of the restarters have said they learned their lesson, so I'm just wondering if they would share that knowledge. I will not make it to goal most likely before having to go off plan (on purpose, in 6 months or so, to conceive) and I don't want to end up right back where I started.

Thanks for reading.

[loriannk]

I will answer why for ME I gained weight back. I lost 60 lbs my first time around but went off in the fall and did well until Thanksgiving. Then I don't know I guess old habits kicked in and I went ape for food. I made and ate proabably more then 7 or so dozen cookies plus candy I made and tons of other stuff I KNEW I shouldn't eat. Why you ask I don't know for sure. I guess I knew MF could get me back to where I was after the holidays. So I oinked out and I mean big time.

So what now when I go off plan. Not sure but I do know I HAVE to make better food choices. Stay away from the sweets that are my downfall. Nobody can lose lots of weight and then go back to there old eating habits, the weight will come back and fast. Thats the key to any weight loss program. Once you get to your goal or when you choose to stop you have to make good food choices. Stay within calorie, fat, carb, protein limits to maintaining. For me losing the weigh is the easy part. Once I am done and off program I seem to go right back to bad habits.

So my goal beside weight is to learn how to eat better and control my problem I have with sweets. I am determined to do it. Thats my story.

[alpha femme]

i think it is also crucial to recognize that you must transition off mf. if you just hop off and eat, you will gain weight rapidly, because your body has adjusted to the lower calories. the plan calls for a gradual increase in calories to give your metabolism a chance to catch up.

[horsey girl]

Good advice from Lori and Alpha Femme. If you can work it you should get to goal or somewhere near and then transition before you get pregnant or you will probably gain a lot back during your pregnancy. Transitioning is important and it takes time. I'm like Lori. I let some creep on during the holidays. I want it off before it gets serious. I knew what I was doing when I did it and looking back, nothing tasted that good anyway. Transition and change your eating habits before you get pregnant and it will be much easier to keep it off.

[Jan]

Hmmmm I've worked with lots of people and there are various reasons people "go off program". Some decide to "take a break". hmmmm
That's not such a great idea as almost all of them gain their weight right back. To be successful you must change your eating habits once and for all. That doesn't mean you can't have a big juicy hamburger or lucious dessert once in a while on maintenance ... it just means if they are your new best friend ... something else is coming back to be with you too. The way to part with the pounds and then keep them off for good is to follow the program until you get to your desired weight. At that time we'll transition you back adding more foods... some fruit, more protein, some carbs etc. This is done over a period of time so that your body ups it's metabolism as you add calories. Then when you've evened out we put you on maintenance. That helps you stay exactly where you want to be. If you find Nancy and me at Starbucks -- you'll most likely find us having plain coffee or tea and sometimes we're munching a MF bar ... a much better choice than the ole bakery case. It's just a matter of retraining yourself and sticking to it. We maintain our weight day by day. It works!! You can do it too!!
jan

[nickieluv]

Thank you for the replies. I'm starting to think that maybe my almighty conception schedule is not as important as getting to a healthy weight, and taking the time to transition. I wanted to space my kids apart a certain amount and that's where I came up with this timeline. I think as my journey progresses it will become clearer to me what I really want to do, and what is best for both me and my family.

But I certainly have learned what I asked for - the key to keeping the weight off is forever changing your habits (not your treats - which will be OK, but they must be in moderation and that does not mean every day!) and allowing plenty of time for a good transition. Armed with this knowledge I go forth, and I will listen to my body and my biological clock. Thank you all!