I thought I knew everything there was to know about loosing weight but apparently dispite loosing 100 pounds, I am clueless!!!

If you've ever taken off a large amount of weight, you proably know how I feel (desprately trying to NEVER GO BACK) I had been 235 pounds five foot 3 for about six or seven years before I took off the weight and my obesity was hell for me. It hurt my health and my social life and my performances(i am a musician) I was always tired, always sick. In short, I looked like Sh... I felt like sh.... and people treated me like shhhhhhhhh...... I remember all those painful years and I never want to go back. I feel that if I gain the weight back, I may even die. My father was extreemly overweight and died of heart falure at the age of 32 years old. I am 27.

Now, it's a whole new world! Well, I reached my goal about three or four months ago and I started slacking on low carbing. Soon, I started eating whatever I wanted. The scale started to slowly go up. In a couple months time, I went from 135 to 140. When the scale hit 140, I decided to go back to low carbing. I didn't do the induction. Instead, I ate huge grilled chicken salads with tons of blue cheese dressing. After one day of low carbing, I weight myself. 144 pounds!!!!

I was fed up!!!!!! I was sick of low carbs. So, I decided to go to low fat and see if that would be better. After a few days of low fat eating, I got back down to 140.
And I loved it....I didn't mind feeling a little hungry because I got to eat really good food like strawberry banana shakes with skim milk and frozen yogart cones and thai food with glorious rice and whole wheat rolls. I love this kind of food. I could finally go number 2 every day! and my stomach was finally feeling normal. with low carbing, if I went to the bathroom once a week, I would be lucky.

well, after a week of low fat dieting, the scale hasn't moved. I'm still 140. So now, I don't know what to do. Today for lunch, I decided to be diplomatic so I had a low carb/low fat meal. Steamed veggies and grilled chicken. What the heck do I do for dinner!?!!!

For someone who lost so much weight, I am so clueless right now. All I know is that I'll do anything not to go back to my former life. It's so hard, guys.......controling my weight is the hardest thing I've ever done.

Hiya... sorry you are in pain here but you are so very close to being back on top of this situation.

Go back to what worked for you and to get to goal then try maintence. Maintenance for each plan is different - not sure how you got so skinny??? Or you can CAD for your Maintenance or you can do what Curves does, when you get up 3 lbs - induction until back to goal weight.

It will be a constant struggle for you, for us, but I know you can do it. You just need to be aware of yourself, your weight, and your options.

The flowers are so pretty

How did I loose it? Not by any sort of structure. I didnt even do induction. I just cut out bread, pasta, starches, and sugar and started lifting weights and roller blading. It worked for me but the sacrifice was my stomach. I could never go to the bathroom. I had tried everything. (eating foods with fiber, laxitives ect) nothing worked excpet going to low fat. Laxitives did the job but I don't think it's healthy. Once a week, I would take a laxitive just to empty myself out.

I think I will go back to low carbing until I reach goal again. You are right. That seems to work for me. I don't know how to maintain though. What is cad?

CAD? Check out the low carb plan choices link on the right. It really comes down to 2 low carb meals a day and 1 reward meal (balanced carb, fat, protein but eaten within one hour).

Regarding the never going to the bathroom. You should really have that checked out.

If you ate cups of veggies daily, drank lots of water daily and exercised then there is medically something wrong. I do all that and take two psyllum husk capsules a day for fiber and never had an issue.

All the best...

First of all, Further, congratulations on achieveing your goal. 100 pounds lost. Wow!

I don't really think this thread belongs in the Turtle Club which is for people who lose EXTREMELY slowly.

I think the main thing to change is your mind: low carbing is NOT a diet. It is a way of eating for the rest of your life. One cannot just go back to eating 'whatever you want" without gaining back weight you DON'T want.

The high carb way of eating just puts fat back on, just as it did before you started LC.

If you have an Atkins book, please go and read the section on Maintenance. That doesn't mean you never have a high carb treat, just that it is a fairly infrequent choice for you.

You obviously lost very well on lc, so why not go back to it? Lisa is right about needing fibre: veggies, salads, even fruits at your level. You can also take psyllium capsules, ground flax seeds, flax oil.

It may be that you need to take some natural laxatives like Lactulose (prescription) or daily doses of Senokot. BUt do consult your doctor about this. If you don't have the constipation problem when not on LC, then just upping your carbs (whole grain cereals and LC breads, fruit) might do it.

(I don't suppose that what you mean is that you don't have a solid bowel movement? I mean diarrhea. That is still a bowel movement although it might seem to be mostly liquid. The way to manage that is the same psyllium capusles as for constipation. I need one daily when on LC.)

I hope that you can settle back into doing LC. Be patient and lose the last pounds slowly so that you can get used to this as a way of eating forever.

Hello from SmilinToday. I just want to say you inspired me.
When my scale gets stuck (like it is this week), it's so comforting to hear about people who have worked hard and had so much great success. Really! BIG pat on the back to you.

Yes, yes. I too think you could return to what worked for you in the past AND speak to a physician.

We get to have it all, you know! Health and happiness.

Joy and blessings to you.