Dealing with Weight Regain - How To Stop Gaining Back Weight You Lost

You set a goal to lose weight and you did it! You watched what you ate. You exercised. You did what it took to look your fat straight in the eye and say, "No more!" But now you notice that your clothes are getting a little tighter. Surely, they must have shrunk. In an effort to prove it, you step on the scale. Uh oh. The weight is starting to come back. Like a scene from a horror flick, you hear the music of anticipation. What lies ahead? What is going to happen? What do you do? First, you breathe. No matter what your thought process, one thing is clear. The sooner you get a handle on the situation, the less damage control you have to do later.

Let's answer some questions:

• Are you under any added stress with home or work that may be making you more prone to emotional eating?
  
  
• Did you look at the behavioral changes that earned you the weight loss as temporary and not a lifestyle change?
  
  
• Did your schedule change, causing you to reach for more convenient, and often more calorie dense food?
  
  
• Are you slipping back into old habits? Telling yourself that you can relax now that you've lost the weight?

Figuring out what is going on in your head is key to stopping the gain. Once you know where your mind is, you'll know how to direct it to the thoughts that got you to your goal to begin with. So many times, we slip into the pattern of just giving up on ourselves. We know we are gaining weight and act powerless to do anything about it. Do you really believe that? That you're powerless?

Of course you don't. You're smarter than that. You may not want to acknowledge that you are able to make the changes necessary to stop the gain, but deep down you know it's true. Or, maybe you are the type of person that knows you can change your circumstances but chooses to ignore that a problem is on the horizon? Again, where is the denial going to get you? Oh yeah, that's right. Back into the clothes you wore pre-weight loss.

Look, I'll be the first one to admit that it is hard to lose weight and keep it off. But, no matter how we look at it, if we want permanent results, we have to make permanent changes. We have to continuously work at it…over and over again. It's like cleaning your car. You can't polish it once and expect it to stay clean forever. You have to keep taking care of it if you expect it to stay in top shape and last you for years. That involves washing it, drying it and waxing it. Over and over again.

Neglect its care and you'll have huge problems. Rust will start forming and then the amount of effort it will take to get it back in pristine condition will triple. Same is true with your body. The more you let it go, the greater the effort to get it back in shape. But, if you keep it in mint condition all along, well, you'll still have to put some time into it, but not as much time and energy as if you let it go.

Do yourself a favor. Be honest with yourself. Don't deny what is happening. Don't act like it doesn't matter.
It is what it is. Admit it. Figure out what changed and change it back. Before you know it, you'll be back at goal and back into the life you worked so hard to achieve.

By Christina McCalla