What if I gain the weight back?

That happens, you know.   It happens a lot. It happened to me after I lost 50 pounds in 2000.

There was a lot going on in my life in the years following the weight loss, and I lost focus.  It is depressing, for sure, to gain back the weight after all that effort.

Let's consider the alternative.  What if I had never lost that weight?  Where would I be today?  Probably over 300 lbs.  Definitely discouraged and with horrible self-esteem.  I would probably have marital problems due to the fact that I didn't care enough about us to take care of myself. Ashamed.

There is a lot said about yo-yo dieting, but I say this: at the very least, they are trying. It's not recommended, but it is a whole lot better than doing nothing.  Those of us who are overweight will fight this fight all our lives. Every pound lost is a victory, and even everyday that we can maintain is another day that we did not gain weight. Victory.