125. What to Do When You Start Gaining Weight Back

Have you lost weight in the past only to start gaining weight back once you let your foot off the gas a little?

Like so many of the women I’ve talked to about this very thing, you’re probably convinced that you’ll never be able to lose that weight in a sustainable way.

You’ve told yourself that in order to stay at your goal weight, you’ll have to live life in a constant state of restriction and maintenance is for other people, but not for you.

That something inside of you must be broken, because everyone else seems to lose the weight and keep it off without the struggle you’re having.

Sound familiar?

You’re absolutely not alone in believing that, but I want to assure you that there’s nothing wrong with you.

This episode of The Live Diet-Free Podcast address all of this and more.

You can listen to the episode here…

Or keep reading the post below:

What Should Maintenance Look Like

If you’ve ever calculated your calorie needs, you’ll typically get back three different numbers – one for weight gain, one for maintenance, and one for weight loss.

That number in the middle is the caloric needs your body has in order to stay at it’s current weight.

Put simply, maintenance is when you take in the number of calories your body needs to maintain a your current weight.

Most people have a specific number in mind – your goal weight – that you want to reach before they transition from a calorie deficit and weight loss to maintenance.

You’ve likely focused on this number for so long that it’s difficult for them to consider any other weight “ok.”

You reach that goal weight, but then start gaining weight back and even if it’s only 5-10 pounds, you immediately want to jump back on a quick fix diet to get back down to that goal weight.

This is how chronic yo-yo dieting starts.

What if, instead of chasing that certain number on the scale, you allowed yourself to live in a maintenance range.

If gaining weight back is limited to those 5-10 pounds when life demands your attention elsewhere, maybe that’s where your maintenance actually is and there’s nothing wrong with that.

You’re allowed to turn down the dials on nutrition and exercise when other parts of your life need more attention and that doesn’t mean you can never turn those dials back up.

When You've Lost a Significant Amount of Weight & It Comes Back

Battling those 5-10 pounds isn’t the same as someone who has lost significant weight in the past – think 50-100 pounds – but then starts gaining weight back.

Once you start to lose sight of that 5-10 pound range, it’s time to reevaluate what is happening and recognize that you are no longer maintaining.

There are a couple culprits to gaining weight back that I want to discuss:

1 – It’s possible that the first time you lost the weight, it wasn’t in a sustainable way (super restrictive, MLM type programs) so when you tried to enter maintenance, you didn’t have the appropriate tools to keep the weight off.

2 – For some people, the extra weight has been sort of a way to shield themselves so when it’s gone, and you have to face the discomfort of not having it, you may turn back to food for comfort.

The positive side to having lost the weight in the first place, regaining it, and deciding you want to lose again is that now you can look in the rearview mirror and see what worked and what didn’t work.

You can really dive deep into the reasons you regained the weight and go forward with that knowledge so you can avoid those pitfalls this time.

Next Steps

So if find yourself staring in the mirror at someone who is unhappy with gaining weight back, first give yourself a hug or pat on the back for realizing what’s happening and gently calling it out.

Then begin the work of figuring out where things went wrong and what you can do to right the ship going forward.

Maybe there was a big life change that happened and instead of turning your nutrition and exercise dial down, you simply turned it off.

Or, maybe you lost your support system and accountability.

Whatever the case may be, once you identify the reason, you have to recommit yourself to turning the dial back on and making lifestyle shifts to support you along the way to reaching your goal.

If you find yourself here and you’re not sure which way to turn to start on the road to that goal, online weight loss coaching may be the perfect next step for you.

I created my 12-week Gone For Good program after almost 20 years of professional & personal experience in the health & weight loss industry, dozens of certifications, thousands of hours learning, implementing, and revising, and hundreds of client success stories.

In it, we help busy moms lose 10-20 pounds in the next 90 days and get off the weight loss rollercoaster – for good- with our unique 3-part framework. Learn more about how our online weight loss program can help you at www.estheravant.com/coaching

Rate, Review & Subscribe

If you are loving this podcast, please subscribe, rate and review! This helps even more people discover how to change their lifestyle, lose weight and live diet free.

And as a special thank you, if you send me a screenshot of your rating and review, I’ll send you my Weekend Survival Guide for free. This guide is typically only available to my clients, so you know it’s good!

Send your screenshot to admin@estheravant.com with the subject “Podcast Review”.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with Esther

And if health weight loss is the area that you’re struggling in, please reach out to me, talk to our team, we can help you with this.

About the Show

If you’re tired of gaining and losing the same weight, feeling like you’re the only person out there struggling, and want to learn how to lose weight and live your healthiest, happiest, and most confident life – without perpetual dieting – this podcast is for you.

Fitness industry veteran, certified personal trainer, sports nutritionist & coach, Esther Avant, will help you learn how to enjoy the process of truly changing your lifestyle and guest interviews will help you realize you are not alone in your struggles.

Click below to subscribe so you never miss an episode!!
iTunes | Spotify | Anchor | I Heart Radio

Share This Post

More like this

fREE: weight loss that lasts cheatsheet