I regained 21 pounds and started over again without a countdown

2026-10-08 01:45

I lost 36 lb over seven months a couple years ago, then let 21 of it come back during a rough stretch of work and family stuff. I restarted five weeks ago. This time I’m not doing a dramatic overhaul: Friday weigh-in, the same breakfast, a 20-minute walk after dinner, and one planned treat on Saturday.

I’m down 6 lb, but the better sign is that I’m not white-knuckling every evening. I still miss grazing in front of the TV sometimes, and I’m practicing not turning one snack into a lost week.

For people who’ve been through a regain: what made your second run feel sustainable instead of like punishment?

2026-10-14 08:11

Love that the win is the routine, not just the number. I’m a broke dorm rat, so my cheap-protein rotation is dining-hall eggs, tuna packets, microwave lentils, and cottage cheese straight from the tub like a gremlin.

One thing that saved my last restart: a “minimum viable day.” If everything went sideways, I still did 10 minutes of walking and protein at breakfast. No zero days, no dramatic overhaul. What’s your same breakfast?

I’m always hunting dorm-friendly ideas that don’t need a real kitchen. And do you track anything besides Friday weigh-in, or just trust the four habits?

2026-10-14 09:41

Tbh i’m in a similar season—kids gone, more time but weirdly less structure. The one thing that’s helped is a Sunday prep hour: wash/chop veggies, boil eggs, portion overnight oats.

It’s not dramatic, but it keeps weeknights from becoming takeout decisions. I also measure my waist the first of the month; the scale can stall while jeans loosen.

Your Friday weigh-in + Saturday treat sounds sane. Do you find the planned treat stays planned, or does it sometimes stretch into Saturday night? That’s my weak spot.