So I Gained All the Weight Back, Now What?
Hi Friends. This post is not the easiest to write, but I know that I am not alone and I know that we can support each other as we work towards getting our health back.
Many of you began following me when I first started sharing my weight loss journey back in 2017 (on Instagram). I had lost 60 pounds and was feeling amazing. That is when I decided to start this blog, I was getting so many requests for healthy recipes and I wanted to share them with you.
Over the next few years, I went through quite a few personal things and the weight crept back up (plus some). I was starting to get back on track in January of 2020 and surprise, I got pregnant! And it happened to be in the middle of a pandemic. 2020 (just like for most of you) was full on survival mode. But I had the baby and he is absolutely amazing ( I actually already lost the baby weight too). And that leads me to where I am at now, starting this journey towards losing 100 pounds all over again. If you are in a similar situation, please know that you are not alone.
I wanted to share a few things that I am doing and a few things I am not
- I am going on a diet. I know, I know. “Diet” is basically a curse word these days. But I am working with my doctor and she has me on a plan that fits my specific needs. A plan that leads to true lifestyle changes, not crash dieting over and over again. At least that is my hope. PS – It is okay to want to lose weight. You don’t have to feel guilty about that.
- I am going to work on loving myself every step of the way. I know from very intense personal experience that self-hatred only leads to more harmful behavior. The path towards healing doesn’t start there, it starts by realizing that your worth as a person doesn’t have anything to do with the number on the scale or the size of your pants.
- I will not step into a place of shame or guilt. This is a slippery slope that I have been on before. It leads to depression and darkness. There is grace for you. You are not defined by the choices you have made in the past. Let go of the shame, it will always be heavier than any physical weight you carry.
- I will not give up. I want this so badly. I want to be healthy for myself and for my family. I want to be around for them. I want to do more than just survive, I want to live my life to fullest while I have the chance.
- I will lean into my relationship with God. He has never failed me. He is the one who will carry me when I feel like giving up. God is the one who gives me the strength I need to fight this battle. I have been trying to do it in my own strength for too long. It is time to surrender to Him.
A Little about my Diet:
*This is not medical advice. This is what I am doing with the supervision of my doctor. Please know that every body and every person is different. We all have different goals and different needs. This is just an overview of what I am doing now based on my specific needs. What works for me might not be what’s best for you.
- I am eating at least 4 cups of vegetables a day. These are limited to mostly low carb veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, cabbage etc
- I am limiting my protein intake – my doctor adjusts this as we need to. I am also sticking to leaner cuts of meat and cutting out pork completely (for the time being) So I am mainly eating chicken breast, ground beef, lean cuts of beef, bison, and white fish.
- Fat consumption is extremely limited – this is partly to do with my gallbladder issues. Again, this is based on my body and my goals.
- I enjoy 2 servings of fruit daily – This is limited to mostly berries, apples, grapefruit, and oranges.
- I enjoy some dairy protein – in the form of low fat cottage cheese and low fat plain Greek yogurt. I love the cottage cheese with some Simple Mills crackers and the yogurt with fresh berries.
- I can have coffee – I enjoy coffee in the morning with frothy Nutpods and nothing else. The rest of the time, I am only drinking water.
There is more to what I am doing, but these are the main things that I am sticking to. I also set weekly goals for myself and write daily in my journal/planner. I have done this for one full week already and I am down 7.9 pounds. This will slow down, but I am so happy with that start. I will be sharing updates on the blog, Instagram and in my Facebook support group. Please leave a comment below if you are in a similar situation, I would love to be able to encourage you.
Love you all!
Sara – The Bettered Blondie
PS I will still be sharing a variety of recipes on the blog, some of them will reflect these new lifestyle changes and some will not. I try to create recipes that fit into a lot of different lifestyles, that way lots of people can enjoy them.
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Hi. Thanks for sharing. I have been overweight all my life, but it has gotten worse over the past few years. I’ve tried all diets known to man and have lost a lot of weight, only to put it right back on again, plus some. As of today, I need to lose about 120lbs to be at somewhat of a “healthy” weight. I’m desperate at this point as about a week ago I overheard someone calling me fat and ugly. I consider myself a very self confident and beautiful person, but that comment shook me to my core. I want to be healthy and happy. I am starting keto and praying it works. If not, surgery will be my only choice. Thanks for being so open and helpful.
Hi Liv, thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your story. I am so sorry that you are walking through this, but I believe you can overcome these struggles. I am rooting for you! You are not alone.
Thank you for blog post, I really needed this… In December my whole family got covid and my husband getting it the worse of it, I definitely stress ate over the course of us all being sick.. We got better, Thank GOD! but I also had gained 20lbs and now I am at my heaviest I have ever been without being pregnant. Thank you for the inspiration on losing weight and that loving my myself is definitely key 🙂
Hi Jennifer, I am so so sorry that you guys had to walk through that! I am glad you are better. Have grace for yourself as that was an incredibly tough time you went through. I believe you can do this and yes, self love is so important!
Omg! I’m in the same boat! In 2017 I lost 50lb. In April of 2018 I got pregnant. I didn’t gain much during the pregnancy, most of my weight gain happened after the baby turned 1 in January of 2020. Then COVID hit. With the restrictions of COVID and all kids and everyone being home 24/7 we started cooking, baking and therefore eating more.
My baby is 2 yrs old now but I can’t seam to start losing weight. I’m a mom of 4 and work full time from home. I start my week motivated and stick to my goals for 4-5 days and fall off the wagon again. Tell myself I’ll start again Monday. It’s been like that for a year! Today is Monday and I’m starting again.
Hi Tanya, thank you for being open and sharing your story with me. The main thing I feel like I should say is to have some grace for yourself. The circumstances you have had to navigate are not easy! I know what it is like to start over every Monday too. I believe you can do this and I am rooting for you. Just take it one step at a time.
Thank you for being real and sharing your journey even when you hit bumps!
I’m in the same journey and aiming at 80ish lbs.
Thank you for sharing with me too. We are in this together!
I am right there with you. Thanks for the encouragement. What a year it has been. I am starting the journey to health also.
It has been rough for so many, but we can overcome.
Same! Every time I lose about half the weight I want to. It’s like I get scared to lose ALL the weight. Why? This sounds crazy I know. Maybe I just need some girl power. I’ve got your back!
I can understand that. I have been there before. I think there is a lot of different fears that come into play when you get that close to your goal. I do believe we can push past that and finally get there.
So proud of you!! It takes a lot to put it all out there. Day by day. We got you gurrrl! 💪🏽👊🏼
Thank you so very much for the encouragement!
Girrrrrl! I’m right there with ya! I had WLS almost 10 years ago, had two babies, and have really put the weight back on. I’m dealing with the guilt that I let myself go. I’m constantly beating myself up because I feel like such a failure, a hypocrite because I said I’d never get this way again – and yet here I am. I’m in a dark pit and I want out!
I know what that pit feels like and my heart goes out to you. I pray that you are able to let go of the guilt and step forward in a place of self-love.
Thank you for sharing. I have gained alot of weight over the past year and am working losing weight as well.
We are in this together, you are not alone.
Hi! I admire you for your courage. I am 100+ Lbs overweight and I want to be happy and healthy. I start and fail every week. I keep telling myself it’s ok, but I am so afraid of gaining more weight. I feel tired all the time and I don’t want to shop or go out. It’s limiting my life and that makes me sad. I need help and I don’t know where to start.
It is hard to keep going when you are afraid to fail, but I believe that you can do it. I also know that the first few weeks are the hardest and then you start to gain more energy. I was tired of feeling tired all the time too. Start with small goals at first and then build up from there.
I am the similar situation in which personal life struggles along with Covid restrictions sent me back to feeding my emotions. I’ve gained all the weight back and also need to 100 lbs. I have committed to going back to those healthier lifestyle changes that helped me lose the weight without feeling deprived. Your honesty and willingness to share your journey is a support. We can do this.
I am sorry that you have had to walk through difficult times, but I agree with you. We CAN do this and we can do it the right way. Thank you for sharing with me.