One of the best feelings a person can have is when he/she completes a weight loss program. You look better, your clothes fit, you feel very attractive and your self-esteem could very well be at an all-time high. However, there may be cases when you can gain back all those weight you’ve lost after completing the program. I remember around 2 months ago when my sister told me that she read somewhere that the winner from the show ‘Biggest Loser’ season 3 gained back most of the weight he lost. I was stunned.
I watched that season from beginning to end and I was really impressed at what Erik Chopin, the winner, was able to accomplish. He was one of the biggest contenders that I’ve seen. He was at 407 pounds and everyone was shocked and impressed since he was able to achieve a weight of 193 pounds at the finale. I have been on an ongoing battle with weight loss and seeing him lose that much and be successful inspired me a lot.
I searched around for the news myself. I saw this article from MSNBC.com and it seems to be true that he did gain almost all of the weight he lost. Based from the article, at that point in time, he was around 368 pounds. I was sad but I understand how he feels because I have experienced gaining back all the weight I’ve lost after completing a program.
When I was in college, I bloated. In 2001, I was at an all-time high of 264 pounds (120 kilos) or so and my self-esteem was practically zero. I tried to court a girl that I really liked in school and was unsuccessful. I was devastated but instead of eating more, I finally decided to undergo a weight loss program. It was a quick one since I kind of went overboard with my diet and exercise. I ate extremely less and exercised to exhaustion everyday. I ate an average of 1 meal a day. My daily workout consisted of 30 minutes stationary jogging, 3-hour walk, and an hour and a half for weight training.
I didn’t know what I was doing. All I cared about was losing those extra pounds. And after around 4 months or so, I went down to 161 pounds. My self-esteem was on hyper-drive and I was a lot more confident. But little did I know that I will make a mistake and gain back everything I lost.
True enough, I went back to 200 pounds after 2 years. From 2003 to 2007, my weight kept on going up and down. But in 2008, while on a long vacation, I gained almost everything back. My weight shot back up to 255 pounds. I became depressed but I learned a lot from that experience.
I knew what mistakes I did and hopefully this will prevent others from doing the same thing. First of all, maintenance is very important. If you reach your desired weight, it should not stop there. Continue your exercise routines. You can tone it down a little by reducing its intensity but keep it constant. I stopped working out immediately after I lost the weight. I even got too complacent that I make excuses not to workout anymore since I’ve made it to my desired weight anyway.
Another mistake I did was I rewarded myself too much. I told myself, “I lost a lot of weight. Now, let me eat those hamburgers and chocolates!” It went out of hand. We have to admit that eating delicious foods is way too easy and comfortable compared to working out. In that sense, gaining the weight back is so much easier. You don’t have to jump or even stand and walk. You just have to sit down, watch TV, play video games and eat whatever you want. Staying in control of your diet is imperative if you want to maintain your current weight.
Right now, I’ve lost a considerable amount of weight and I’m proud to say that my weight is steadily going down. I’m now at 176 pounds from the 255 in 2008. I do not even try to drastically lose weight. I try to lose a few pounds then maintain that weight by toning down the intensity of my exercise. When I get used to the weight for about 2 weeks or so, I pump it up again towards losing another 5 to 10 pounds. After that, I maintain my weight again and so on until I reach my goal. That way, when I reach my ideal weight, my body will have an easier time to adjust and it won’t be as hard to maintain since I’ve done it along the way.
Well, I’m pretty sure that would work for me but again, it may or may not work for you but you can always try. You’ll probably make mistakes along the way but that’s fine. Learn from them and learn from other people’s experiences. Don’t give up and once you reach your goal, be more vigilant in maintaining that weight compared to when you were still trying to lose them.
Source:
Where are the ‘Biggest Losers’ now?
‘Biggest Loser’ on Today at MSNBC
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34209357/ns/today-today_health/
