Why does the weight come back?

egbert

Silver Member
I have noticed from a lot of posts and diaries that many of the lovely people on these forums have dieted, lost loads of weight, and then put it back on again.

I'm a bit scared now that I will put all the effort in and the moment I stop Cd I will put it back on. Is it really hard to maintain a weight loss? Or does this diet not really work?
 
The diet works but it's like any diet, once you've lost the weight you have to maintain and that's the hardest part. You've got to start telling yourself now that once you get to goal, eating healthy is for life!...with the odd treat of coarse!! ;-)
 
I worry about this too, but I know two colleagues who lost 3 stone + several years ago and have kept it off. I agree with wannabe, I think we will just have to gradually increase our intake, then stick to healthy eating with the occasional treat, instead of constant treats and occasional healthy eating which is what I did before!
 
i think the people who keep it off are the people who climb up the plans to maintance and realise they have to change the way they eat for life.
 
tinkerbellsmum said:
i think the people who keep it off are the people who climb up the plans to maintance and realise they have to change the way they eat for life.

You're right, if you dont go up the plans the sudden introduction of carbs will cause an immediate gain of 4-8lbs ish in glycogen weight. By working up the plans glycogen is gradually restored whilst you are still losing weight. For a lot of people an initial big gain can be frightening and disheartening, leading to perhaps a jump back to old eating habits in a "what's the point" kind of way.

Working up the plans also allows you to learn to eat properly again, to get a good idea of portion sizes etc. I know 3 people who worked back up the plans and have kept the weight off, while myself and a friend didn't and both of us put weight back on. My friend has admitted defeat and blames the diet entirely for her regain, whereas I've never given up the fight and realise it's because I didn't go up the plans.

Without a doubt it is easy to put weight back on if you don't work at it and keep and eye on what you eat etc. For me, once I've completed this next round of CD I will be working up the plans and constantly monitoring what I eat and how many calories I burn. The diet is a magic pill to slimness, but the real work starts when you reach target!
 
I am one of those people!! LOL! I'm not worried though. I put the weight back on because I let too many treats in, which then became a habit, but I did maintain more or less at a weight that I was reasonably happy with until I got pregnant, which is always lethal for me weight wise. Although it's usually in the few months afterwards that I pile on the weight like mad when I've got my body back!

You definitely do have to work up the plans and also realise that just because you lost the weight, you can't now eat the way you always did. Your body is also smaller, so needs less food. One thing that I realise doing this diet is that I love eating food and love to make the pleasure last as long as possible, and eat often. Well, that feeling doesn't last whether I eat for half of the day or not. I hate feeling stuffed full too. I also need to limit my wine nights! I know what I'm meant to do and I will do it - people absolutely do maintain. Look at Slendablenda on LL forum or Blonde Logic - two inspirational women who prove the fact that if you change your attitude to food you will stay slim and gorgeous long term.
 
This worries me too! But I have learnt something about myself already! I don't need to stuff myself with food just because it's there, and at work I can have just one of the chocolates instead of six. I guess I need to change for good, which is sad because I love food and I love eating. But I'd love being skinny and looking nice in clothes more. We all do. I wish I could have both but I can't!

I'm planning on working up the plans- it look like this is the way to go!! X
 
Okay - there is a technical explanation...the research says that VLCDers are no more or less successful at keeping it off than other diets - the same thing happens to everyone, you put your body into weightloss mode for several weeks and months. Your hormones, thinking they are doing you a favour have no idea what you've just done, they think there was a famine, so as soon as food comes back your hormones, chiefly ghrelin and leptin start playing games with you to get you to eat far more than you usually would to compensate for the undereating. This seems more dramatic and obvious in VLCDers because they lose weight so quickly so any weight gain is just as noticeable, poor old VLCDers are often in the spotlight because of their dramatic losses, so I suspect (there's no research on this bit to my knowledge) that any small weight gain has a negative impact and creaties negative affirmations, particularly as so many people whisper on the sidelines 'She lost it too quickly, she'll put it all back on'.

There is some reserach that suggests that beyond the stepping up through the programmes you should spend several months eating a little below your actual calorie requirements (ie for me, about 2000 a day - my BMR when I do an hour of exercise a day at a BMI of 23 is 2200) until you have totally stabilised, and then gradually try to find your ideal zone!

The people who stick within a few pounds of their finish weight on a VLCD (and other diets for that matter) work at it, a lot of them eat low GI and calorie count. You don;t get to maintain for several years without remaining completely conscious of your weight.

I screwed up, I came back. No shame in that, VLCDs work. It's me that's wonky!
 
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