Thread: Weight Gain After Weight Loss

Unfortunately a slow but steady rise to previous levels. You need to make a permanent change to your lifestyle to keep the weight off. I blame a change in working conditions (much less active and physical work) but I have just been lazy really. (And all those Anzacs at Forum GTGs...mmmm..Anzacs)
I kept the weight off for some time and I felt really good but got a bit complacent and let it slowly go back up. Now I have a lot of work to do again. But I am determined.

In my 40's I lost 36kg over about a 9 month period and just made it into the normal body mass index range. I did it by serious calorie control and walking up to 10 km a day - mainly walking too and from work. I then put it all back again in about 5 years because I couldn't maintain that level of activity (2 hours a day) and just eating too much. One factor was becoming head of my department which came with a personal parking space at work right outside my office so it was too easy to go to to walk. Since then I have attempted many times to get my weight down again but have never been able to lose more than a about 12 kg. We have all ways eaten skim of low fat milks, no butter or marg on bread, no sweet biscuits or cake, low fat meats and cheeses, heaps of fruit and veg, grainy breads etc but my problem is sheer volume and snacks.

I read an article written by a research scientist who maintained that exercise is not a viable long term answer as sooner or later it stops due to illness, injury, time required etc. I am about to go on a program to lose weight but I am unconvinced it will be a permanent solution. The first thing they say is you must eat less and the right food, sorry but that does not apply to me so that sets them on the back a bit. In my job I walk many kilometres a shift and while I lost weight initially I slowly regained it even though nothing changed. It will be an interesting conversation tomorrow when we get down to the detail of what they reckon can be done.

I agree exercise alone is not the answer. You body just gets more efficient at doing the exercise and redirects calories to body fat.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

. . The first thing they say is you must eat less and the right food, sorry but that does not apply to me so that sets them on the back a bit.

Which one? or do both apply.

In my case I used to eat a lot of bread but shifted to more fruit but that is just as bad. I'm now trying to switch to vegetables but that is not as easy as it seems. We recently increased the numbers of serves of veges at our meals but that will take some time to impact on weight.

Originally Posted by BobL

I agree exercise alone is not the answer. You body just gets more efficient at doing the exercise and redirects calories to body fat.



Which one? or do both apply.

In my case I used to eat a lot of bread but shifted to more fruit but that is just as bad. I'm now trying to switch to vegetables but that is not as easy as it seems. We recently increased the numbers of serves of veges at our meals but that will take some time to impact on weight.

Both. In the last eighteen months I have been eating only twice a day and walking many kilometres each shift in my job. I initally lost seven kilos in five weeks but it came back over that period and I am at least the weight I started at if not heavier. I know the story about small eating and often but my circumstances prevent that and always will until I leave work later in the year. I have never eaten KFC. Maccas or any other fast food, like never tasted it and always eaten three veg and a meat dish for one meal and the other would be termed as breakfast but in the middle of the day when I wake up. Night shift is not kind to the body.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

. . . .Night shift is not kind to the body.

I agree, I saw it wrecked my sons health over a period of about 5 years.

I would say that sleep pattern is going to be your enemy.

The figures for long term (where long term is defined as more than one year) weight loss are basically horrible. Success rate is around 20%.

"However, research has shown that ≈20% of overweight individuals are successful at long-term weight loss when defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining the loss for at least 1 y. The National Weight Control Registry provides information about the strategies used by successful weight loss maintainers to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss. National Weight Control Registry members have lost an average of 33 kg and maintained the loss for more than 5 y. To maintain their weight loss, members report engaging in high levels of physical activity (≈1 h/d), eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet, eating breakfast regularly, self-monitoring weight, and maintaining a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends."
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - Long-term weight loss maintenance

In other words, to be successful you have to eat food that that you would think twice about giving to rabbits and waste an hour a day undertaking an activity that does no more than make you feel tired, sore and utterly, utterly, utterly bored.

(In case you've noticed a drop in the size of James Packer...that's not from watching The Biggest Looser, but due to lap-band surgery)

I lost a good bit of weight then it slowly went back on again, particularly as I was stressed at work and ate for comfort. Starting to shed again.
I found calorie counting helped a lot the first time. (Calorie King is a website worth investigating but I wont link to it)

As others have said you must _control the intake_. That is the real and only secret to weight loss.

Activity such as walking etc is good for your health but consumes F@ all actual energy. The previous mentioned web site was good, not just for counting, but getting a feel for what could be eaten with a clear conscience and what was too loaded with calories. I found a small amount of a German mustard spread that I quite liked was about 10-20% of my allowed calories for a day (before I counted any food to put it on)! On the other hand, a comparative mountain of spuds (1/3 kilo) is only about 250 calories.

Regards
SWK

seemed to be a key for me.

Some sort of very small breakfast (usually an egg). Seemed to get my metabolism going, which meant my body didn't go into a fasting/high efficiency state, even though I was eating less across the day.

Regards
SWK

I always eat as soon as I wake up around midday, scrambled eggs and a piece of toast or similar. My next meal is about 8pm. I have a small snack, maybe Saos and a cup of tea about 3am before going to bed.

I eat exactly the same as my carer ,except I do not have sugar and milk in my coffee and do not have jam or butter on my toast.
He spends most of his waking hours on the couch watching TV, I am always doing something.
He is still the same weight he was when he was 18, mine keeps on creeping up.
He is disgustingly healthy at 72.
Instead of all these fad diets, I wish someone would get funded to do a serious study on metabolism and how to correct it.

The study Master Splinter quoted has been supported by further work. As I recall in addition keep the fats close to zero and the kj under 8000.

Overweight and obese are nominal measures (and were lowered a few years ago instantly creating new numbers of overweight folk overnight); talk to your GP about your other signs and symptoms - it's the whole picture that counts.

What is very clear is the benefits on all sorts of dimensions of regular exercise.

Hi,
My personal take on the subject of weight loss.
The quickest way to lose weight is to get sick and that's how the quick fix fad diets work, they make you sick.
FWIW
Regards