Lost 50 lbs. Gained it all back. Lost 40 lbs. Gained it all back plus 10. I'm trapped in a cycle and I'm exhausted.

🌱 Health & Lifestyleby yoyo_dieter · 4w ago

▸ What I did

Over the past 3 years I've done 3 major weight loss attempts. Attempt 1: keto, lost 50 lbs in 7 months. Attempt 2: calorie counting + heavy cardio, lost 40 lbs in 5 months. Attempt 3: can't stick with anything for more than 2 weeks.

▸ What I expected

Each time: "this is the time it sticks."

▸ What actually happened

The pattern is identical every time: extreme motivation → strict protocol → rapid results → plateau → burnout → "one cheat meal" → cheat week → back to old habits → regain everything plus extra. My relationship with food is worse than before I ever tried to diet.

▸ What I've tried so far

Keto (unsustainable). CICO with MyFitnessPal (obsessive calorie counting triggered disordered eating). Macro counting (too complex). Whole30 (lasted 19 days). Currently: nothing. I'm afraid to start another diet.

Progress Updates (0)

0 / 3000

2 Replies

nutritionist_no_bs · 4w ago✓ the fix

Registered dietitian here. What you're describing is textbook yo-yo dieting and it's one of the most common patterns I see. Every extreme diet works short-term. None of them work long-term because they're all based on restriction, and restriction always leads to rebound. The fact that you're afraid to start another diet is actually a HEALTHY instinct. Your body is telling you to stop the cycle. My recommendation: work with a registered dietitian (not a "nutritionist" — look for the RD credential) who specializes in intuitive eating or non-diet approaches. The goal isn't to lose weight right now. It's to heal your relationship with food first. Weight changes may follow, but they're secondary.

gym_rat_reformed · 3w ago

Former chronic dieter here. The sentence that changed everything for me: "If a diet has a start date, it has an end date." Every approach you've tried is a PROGRAM — something you do temporarily and then stop. The people who maintain healthy weight long-term don't follow programs. They've built a way of eating that's enjoyable enough to sustain forever. That means: no foods are off limits. No time restrictions. No calorie math at every meal. Just... eating mostly good food, sometimes eating junk food, and not treating either one as a moral choice. It's boring. That's the point.

Status

✗ stuck

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