Maintenance Advice

golfbrew_matt

So, 3 years ago I lost over 55 pounds, reached my goal weight and many fitness goals, but over the next 3 years gained back 45 pounds and was obviously very disappointed by this. I am back and 100% committed and have lost 16+ pounds again and have been logging everything and am on track to get back to my goal again within 3-4 months. It has been going so well, not hungry at all, working out regularly, etc. that I am confident I can be successful.

However, now I'm starting to look forward and I am starting to get worried about having a good maintenance plan in place. I felt so good and had so much confidence when I reached my goal last time that I really want to get back there and stay there this time. I'm just wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience of succeeding, then failing, then succeeding on the second attempt at maintenance and what changed for you? What tips/techniques did you use or what changes in mindset did you have that made the second (or third) attempt successful?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

golfbrew_matt

Some ideas I have looking forward:
1. Continue counting for a couple of months at least until I become more confident with eyeballing/estimating calories and weight continues to be stable within a couple of pounds.
2. Continue to weigh in at least weekly and ensure weight does not fluctuate by more than 4 pounds. If it goes up by more than 4 pounds, back to calorie counting.
3. Change goal focus to fitness and body fat % goals.

Do these make sense, any others?

dopeysmelly

This is me! I lost all the weight about 10 years ago, and then got pregnant and life got in the way and it all piled back on. I guess a small part of me feels disappointed, but I honestly don't think about it. I only care about now and the future. The past is gone.

This time I have had a much better plan and more motivation, confidence and internal resources. Just like I KNEW I would lose the weight, I KNOW I'll keep it off!

I also started thinking about maintenance well in advance. I started putting together a plan for other goals, which focused on fitness rather than a number on a scale (although I still weigh daily). I joined a gym when I reached target, and I'm tracking both exercise calories burned doing cardio, weights I lift and I'll be starting running when I'm cleared after knee surgery.

I still log and weigh my food. Maybe that will change, but I'm not ready yet. I'm still making sure my calories in are right to maintain my current weight over monthly hormonal fluctuations, and I want to make sure I get enough protein and fat, but not too much saturated fat.

But focusing on fitness and other health goals has been the way to go for me, and much more interesting TBH.

indianwin2001

golfbrew_matt wrote: »

Some ideas I have looking forward:
1. Continue counting for a couple of months at least until I become more confident with eyeballing/estimating calories and weight continues to be stable within a couple of pounds.
2. Continue to weigh in at least weekly and ensure weight does not fluctuate by more than 4 pounds. If it goes up by more than 4 pounds, back to calorie counting.
3. Change goal focus to fitness and body fat % goals.

Do these make sense, any others?

Yes --your plan makes great sense. I especially agree with number 3. Body recomp goals are what will keep you focused,at least it has for me--Good luck

golfbrew_matt

Thanks for the responses, very much appreciated!

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

golfbrew_matt wrote: »

2. Continue to weigh in at least weekly and ensure weight does not fluctuate by more than 4 pounds. If it goes up by more than 4 pounds, back to calorie counting.

Yes!

blc1971

I'm in too!! I was a yo-yo dieter pretty much all my life. I would lose a lot of weight, see myself as done, and then gain it all back. I started this journey in Sept. 2012. I decided then that I would have to view this as a new way of life (instead of a diet), with no end point, just new goals. I hit my final goal (of 148 lbs) in April of this year. Since then I've lost an additional 13 lbs while trying to find my maintenance calorie point. The main thing I've learned is that I need to keep doing the same things I did to lose, but I can eat a few more calories. I still log every day. I still weigh every day. I still workout regularly. I also tried to really change how I view food. In the past, I ate my emotions (regardless of what they were) and I ate just because food was available. Now I view as fuel for my body, with a few special indulgences that are really worth the calories.

Know that you can do this!! The mental shift is the hardest part, but it CAN be done!

golfbrew_matt

Great job on reaching and maintaining at your goal since April! I'm more than a little embarrassed that I threw away all the hard work I put in to reach my goal the first time, so I just want to be prepared so that it doesn't happen again this time.

Last time, I remember feeling so proud of the accomplishment, but I also remember feeling so ready to be done with all the counting, measuring, and weighing in. At this point, I love weighing in every day, the logging seems much easier now due to some improvements with MFP and I think even with improvements in phones from three years ago.

This time, I will not just stop once I hit my goal, I will start to set new and exciting goals.

Any more tips from those that have been in my shoes would definitely be appreciated.

Happymelz

In for the replies!
I'm officially on maintenance and this is my first week at maintenance calories.
I was a 1/2 loss deficit for the month before.

nxd10

Someone said on the forums recently that as soon as you start thinking about completing a diet and hitting you're goal, you're in trouble.

Your goal is to stay at a good healthy weight, forever. You're going to do great on getting to that weight. But you just keep doing what you were doing in the first phase to reach your goal - staying at a healthy weight forever.

So now you're watching your food and exercising. You're practicing portion control. You're logging. You're eating healthy stuff most of the time and treating yourself to treats as if they were TREATS - things you do very occasionally.

The nice thing with maintenance is you can do that and eat more. As someone who loves good food, I like that. The rest is pretty easy.

golfbrew_matt

nxd10 wrote: »

Someone said on the forums recently that as soon as you start thinking about completing a diet and hitting you're goal, you're in trouble.

Your goal is to stay at a good healthy weight, forever. You're going to do great on getting to that weight. But you just keep doing what you were doing in the first phase to reach your goal - staying at a healthy weight forever.

So now you're watching your food and exercising. You're practicing portion control. You're logging. You're eating healthy stuff most of the time and treating yourself to treats as if they were TREATS - things you do very occasionally.

The nice thing with maintenance is you can do that and eat more. As someone who loves good food, I like that. The rest is pretty easy.

Great advice! I really wish I had thought of it this way the first time, but I think I am building up some good ideas to be successful and maintaining a healthy weight this time around.

Sabine_Stroehm

nxd10 wrote: »

Someone said on the forums recently that as soon as you start thinking about completing a diet and hitting you're goal, you're in trouble.

Your goal is to stay at a good healthy weight, forever. You're going to do great on getting to that weight. But you just keep doing what you were doing in the first phase to reach your goal - staying at a healthy weight forever.

So now you're watching your food and exercising. You're practicing portion control. You're logging. You're eating healthy stuff most of the time and treating yourself to treats as if they were TREATS - things you do very occasionally.

The nice thing with maintenance is you can do that and eat more. As someone who loves good food, I like that. The rest is pretty easy.

Yep.
and for me
it was about a paradigm shift: to think of food as fuel for my body and brain. I started consciously trying to eat in a more healthful manner (rather than trying to eat to lose weight only). Exercise became about health rather than weight loss... That lifestyle change has made maintaining these last 13 years so much easier.

golfbrew_matt

13 years? You are incredible!

Pirate_chick

In for responses. This is my story too.

lcphipps

I need some help / encouragement. I have lost 100 pounds now. My original goal was 145 set by my Doc (im only 5'3) when I met that I dropped it to 135....then I hit 125...today Im 118! I am not actively trying to lose weight. I am ok with 118 - 120, but I dont want to go any lower. I know its strange but I love to work out!! It helps me emotionally with the recent death of my husband and has prevented a lot of depression and anxiety I was dealing with. It is not as simple as "just eat more"..its a whole change of mind set since being overweight my entire life and fear of regaining it all!

golfbrew_matt

lcphipps, what an accomplishment. You sound like a very strong person. Congrats on the weight loss and the lifestyle changes. If I can be of any help, feel free to add me as a friend.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

I am 11 months into maintenance and still counting calories, mostly to make sure that I am eating enough now. I got used to living on 1400 calories, but my maintenance is around 2000. My weight stays between 150-155 and I am happy with that. The big deal for me was continuing to exercise this time around. It's been a key to keeping the weight off.

golfbrew_matt

MelissaPhipps, Congratulations on reaching your goal and your success in maintenance land. Was it hard to go from 1400 calories to 2000? Did you have an initial gain when you bumped up your calories? How did you determine your maintenance calories, trial and error?

dopeysmelly

golfbrew_matt wrote: »

lcphipps, what an accomplishment. You sound like a very strong person. Congrats on the weight loss and the lifestyle changes. If I can be of any help, feel free to add me as a friend.

^^This.