Hit my "fatty" rule-

I think like many, once I hit maintenance I set a weight that if I reach it by gaining I go back into weight loss mode.  For me that is 190 (5 pounds below goal weight).  I hit it this morning.  I feel like I am a bit bloated and am lugging around more water weight than normal, but that is not the point- the rule is there for a reason.  

For me the 2nd step of the process (fatty rule being step 1) is to identify what caused the gain.  I pulled up my report off of MFP and there is a very slow, but clear trend beginning in February... I was still recovering from abdominoplasty and right around that time found out I needed to go in for a double mastectomy sooner than anticipated.  Some might say that I had a lot going on (cancer stress), but I say life happens.  Burying your head in the sand and allowing the weight to creep back on doesn't lead to anything positive and certainly will not help my health situation.  

Step 3: make a plan.  I have gotten rid of the junk food (not that we had much), chatted with the husband who has gained 20 pounds, and made a commitment to cook at home (eating out is higher calories) and exercise with each other every afternoon or evening.  It helps a lot that I am now on summer vacation and his summer school hours has him home 4 hours earlier than normal.  I will mention to my girls that we are working on it, because they are also a source of support.  I will track everything and keep my calories under 1200.  The biggest and most difficult one for me- cut the sweets.  It is my demon and from a calorie standpoint the reason I gain.  Yes, I eat chips or a burger every so often... but my pattern is clear and I am a sugar addict.  

So my gain is only a few pounds- nothing overwhelming.  At least not yet.  It could become that if I let it, but I won't let it.  If you are experiencing regain I encourage you to get proactive early on... for me that means 5 pounds.  Mentally, I can handle pulling off 5 pounds.  Not so sure about trying to pull of 50 or more... and I do have the ability to gain that back in less than a years time I believe. Therefore, I don't want to deal with trying to pull off 50... instead, I wlll work on my five. 

Stayiing the path on my journey- go after yours!

Good for you!  You have a plan of action and are committed to following it.  You can do this!

YOU GO GIRL, I also noticed that I wasn't progressing. So back to lower carbs, IF you can stick to it so can I.

I like your plan. It's great reading how you thought this out because I haven't had surgery yet but was thinking this same thing the other day that after surgery will have to have a plan incase I start to regain and I will take what you have said to heart. You  are so right 5 is much better than trying to get off 50

Congrats on all your weight loss and you sound determined so have faith that you will get the 5 off and continue on your healthy path. :)

have you considered doing full fat, rather than trying for low fat? just curious & I'm sorry if this is something you've talked about and I missed it.

****ep forgetting I can post here again)

I say this because, while sugar is no doubt evil, I have found good fat to be my friend. 

I am a little weird when it comes to the full fat thing.  Generally, I would descirbe myself as not caring about full fat products unless:

1. It is a dairy product, not including hard cheese.  I have high cholesterol and the NUT said to avoid for this reason, and I like the non-fat stuff better anyway.

2. If it is a product that the bulk of the calories come from fat, I will take the time to try and figure out a lower calorie version.  A great example of this is the salad dressing post going right now- a couple simple substitutions and a drastic, drastic reduction in calories.

Aside from these two conditions I do not moderate fat at all.  With that said though given my eating pattern, this defaults into a low fat diet without thinking about it.  I support healthy fats- olive oil, nuts, etc.... in moderation of course.  

You are so right.  5 pounds is way easier to take off than 50.  I love the way you laid out your plan.  You rock!!You caught it before it gets way out of hand. 

Thank you for this- it is good to have a plan. I haven't reached goal but I treat my slow downs in a similar way. Identify the slow down, then the problem, work to fix the problem. It makes me think about setting my goal perhaps a little lower, but I am still going to play it by ear (uh, mirror/scale?) when I get closer.

Excellent response! Will definitely keep this in my planning for post surgery!

Good for you for stopping the gain before it gets out of hand. My limit is 3 pounds. I wish more people set a limit for themselves instead of burying their heads in the sand.