Successful maintainers, say ~1y or more?

Wiseandcurious

The threads with people's weight losses are so inspiring, and I love reading them, but do you know what I would love to read about even more? All the people who, after stopping weight loss (whether they lost 20lb or 200lb) have successfully maintained for, say, about a year or more, although that's an arbitrary number so if you feel you have been a successful maintainer, you be the judge and by all means post!

I am in this for a complete life change and would really love to see all those who have made the change last, and I think they deserve their separate "hall of fame". We all hope to keep the great bodies we'll hopefully get and your example would be motivational for many, for sure.

Come out, be my heroes - how long have you maintained your weight loss?

nxd10

I stopped losing weight more than 2 years ago and haven't gained any weight since. In fact, I've lost another 5 pounds and have upped my calories. I've logged EVERYTHING for more than 900 days.

All of us maintainers are hanging out on the Maintainers thread. And there are people who have maintained for almost 10 years.

score45609

That is inspiring nxd10. Congratulations!

CarlydogsMom

I started losing on MFP in October 2010, lost about 72 pounds in a year, and a total of 75 pounds (those extra three pounds need to be mentioned just cuz) by my 50th birthday in May 2012. Maintained easily for 2 years now due to making new habits, and I just picked up weightlifting a few months ago. Now I'm purposely on a body "recomp" which is very slow gain to increase muscle mass while lifting progressively heavier weights, and then when bike season hits, I'll get back in a deficit while losing extra fat and maintaining muscle. Next fall I hope to be at my original 75 pound loss but smaller measurements and MUCH STRONGER!!! Or, just plain stronger and less body fat. The number on the scale has ceased to be a number to obsess over at this point.

snowflake930

I lost over half of my body weight and have been maintaining for 15 months.

The statistics are staggeringly against keeping the weight off for 5 years or longer. Most people gain back the weight, and some gain even more.

I agree OP, the long time maintainers are truly inspiring and are the long term success stories that we all want to become.

So congrats to all of the successful, long term maintainers! You are truly inspirational, and have beaten all the odds!

Wiseandcurious

Thank you all for sharing, you have no idea how much reading your stories makes me happy! They make me feel that I have a whole new lifestyle to build and look forward to instead of just a number on a scale. You are a real inspiration!

feisty_bucket

Wiseandcurious wrote: »

how long have you maintained your weight loss?

Hey, I guess I've loosely maintained since my mid-teens and I'm 44 now, so that's been a while. Before that, I was legitimately fat from ages 13-15 and then lost it and kept it off.

What I did:
1. stopped eating junk food (cookies, ice cream, frozen waffles) as a daily staple
2. switched from sugar soda to diet soda
3. exercised daily (biking, running, lifting, walking)

Nowadays I've learned a lot more about fitness, but it's all pretty much the same principles in play.

Maybe you're just looking for adult examples, but for what it's worth, there ya go.

Jennloella

Maintaining for 4 yrs, through 2 babies, stopped counting cals 2 yrs ago

steff274

I am only 5ft 2 so at 10st 8 I was overweight.. August 2013 decided to do something about it I have always been active with my job.. I had a holiday coming up in Thailand in November I joined a gym and watched what I ate by my holiday I was 8st 8.. By Christmas eve 2013 I was 8st.. I went from never having set foot in a gym to being completely addicted!! I now actually struggle to keep weight on in am still very active with my job and of course the gym I eat alot of calories to try and stay the same or gain abit am currently 7st 5 so atm trying to gain abit unfortunately this means I don't always eat great!! It's an excuse to eat alot of cake and chocolate!! Yer oh dear!!

mamadon

I dont quite qualify yet, but next month I will have been maintaining for a year after losing 123 pounds. Like someone else has mentioned, statistics show that most gain the weight back and I am determined to beat those odds!

Wiseandcurious

Wow, more responses - a great beginning to my Monday - thank you guys!

Mamadon, you totally qualify! As I said in the OP, 1 year is an arbitrary number. Anyone who feels their maintenance over a period is as an important accomplishment as their weight loss, is a success story in my eyes. Congratulations on losing the weight and keep it off - you already beat statistics once, just keep doing your thing

I agree that maintenance seems to be, from statistics, the bigger challenge than loss, that's why I thought it deserved to be shown proudly in it's own thread.

Have a great week everyone!

mamadon

Thank you wiseandcurious!