If I stop doing what I'm doing I will put on weight and not be able to get back on track
Sued0nim
Posts: 17,456 Member
So I've been posting on here for a couple of years
I have lost 53lbs and been in maintenance for almost a year
I still weigh all my food, still log all my food, still wear my Fitbit every day, still workout with weights 3x a week, still check my trendweight.com account
Because I have yo-yo dieted for decades, and each time I lost weight I thought "hurrah, I did it, I'm at goal" and then I went back to "normal" ...and I'd put on the weight again
And then I'd try to do what worked last time, again...only it never worked second time...ever...I think my brain knew the cheats and tricks
So the last couple of days it's been hard...I can feel my mind saying you've done it, you're there you can relax your control
But my control is just continuing to log, continuing to move, continuing to batch cook ...are they things to give up because I'm there? They aren't onerous....I still go out with friends and eat and drink at will, I don't cut anything out ...I just estimate and log it
So Dear Mind, feck off with your tricks, and take your hunger pangs with you. There is no end to this...I might be at a goal weight range but my goal is to stick with this for the rest of my life. This is my normal life. This is what I do
*this post was brought to you by pre-menstrual, early morning ramblings...be afraid
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I have lost 53lbs and been in maintenance for almost a year
I still weigh all my food, still log all my food, still wear my Fitbit every day, still workout with weights 3x a week, still check my trendweight.com account
Because I have yo-yo dieted for decades, and each time I lost weight I thought "hurrah, I did it, I'm at goal" and then I went back to "normal" ...and I'd put on the weight again
And then I'd try to do what worked last time, again...only it never worked second time...ever...I think my brain knew the cheats and tricks
So the last couple of days it's been hard...I can feel my mind saying you've done it, you're there you can relax your control
But my control is just continuing to log, continuing to move, continuing to batch cook ...are they things to give up because I'm there? They aren't onerous....I still go out with friends and eat and drink at will, I don't cut anything out ...I just estimate and log it
So Dear Mind, feck off with your tricks, and take your hunger pangs with you. There is no end to this...I might be at a goal weight range but my goal is to stick with this for the rest of my life. This is my normal life. This is what I do
*this post was brought to you by pre-menstrual, early morning ramblings...be afraid
* 0
Replies
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*tosses Pamprin and dark chocolate at rabbitjb and runs*
I hear ya. I'm nervous about hitting goal for those reasons exactly. Thankfully, I'm only halfway there. (70 pounds gone, 70 to go) Plenty of time to work on it!
Hope you feel better soon.0 -
You have done so well.
I'm only 20lbs down so far but Maintence is the but that scares me . I'm the same as you will lose a load of weight (and sometimes stop before I reach my goal ) because I'm happy how I look ) then just end up going back to getting bigger.
Looks like logging forever might be for me too
At least you recognise what your brain is saying to you.
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I'm 30lbs down with 13lbs to go and then will have to face the maintenance challenge. I have at last [after years of yo yoing] come to understand that a weight loss journey is in fact a 'never ending journey'. Because of my age and the fact that I suffer from duck's disease [ie my a'se is too close to the ground] my TDEE calories at goal weight will be miniscule [1350] so I will definitely have to keep doing what I'm doing, logging and weighing, every day. Goal is just the beginning.0
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It's quite easy for me to maintain without logging, because I tend to eat the same things. I also know the calories of everything I eat, or I estimate pretty well. I kept doing the new habits I built, it's become second nature. And I have maintained my weight for 2 years this way, until recently when I decided to lose again.
Even if I wanted to go back to the way I was eating before I lost, I literally do not remember the way I used to eat. This is the new normal.
Different things work for different people
if you believe you need to log, then do it. Because you deserve to be healthy and happy for life.
Edited for spelling0 -
I continue to log, but I'm more lax about it. I continue to check in on my weight, but not every single day. I continue to exercise, because I like it. And I continue to maintain, because I do those things. I can't say I'll do it FOREVER but it's a decent bet that I'll continue in this vein for quite some time to come.0
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If I didn't log and make an effort to be active when I feel like slobbing on the sofa I never would have kept the weight off for 6+ years.
Equally, if I didn't use tools like MFP and Fitbit now with the amount of training I do, I would end up losing weight and not achieving my fitness goals because I am not good at tracking my calorie intake by eye/how full I feel.
Maintaining these habits keep me happy and healthy, even if others might perceive it as a bit odd.0 -
I fell into this trap. Once I'd reached a low weight I couldn't figure out what to do next. Maintaining is an achievement every day and I think it's harder than losing in a way because it feels like there's nothing to show for it.
Just be sure to congratulate yourself for maintaining and set some fitness goals maybe?0 -
Your story is my story. I'm back here logging again because it's the only way I've ever found to not put weight on. I'd love to believe eventually I'll get the the point where I don't have to log but despite the fact I'd say, like QueenofHearts, that I eat the same things over and over, the problem is if I'm not logging I just
1. Overdo the portions.
2. Have too many little "extras" - that chocolate a kid offers me at school, a small slice of the cake my colleague brings in etc. Nothing wrong with having those things but if I'm not logging them then they add up way too fast.
(I'm back here logging almost 20 lbs about the lowest weight I ever reached... now that took 2.5 years to put on and there were many ups and downs along the way and it's not like I ever totally stopped paying attention but without consistent logging it's where I ended up).0 -
Logging isn't normally an effort...and hunger has generally subsided
I'm going to a wedding today and meant to save calories, but I was over by 500 yesterday cos there was this chocolate malteser bunny thing ...and well...then there were these mini eggs and stuff
I don't even do chocolate
Maintenance is generally ok ..but occasionally sucks..it's good not to be alone
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Xiaolongbao wrote: »Your story is my story. I'm back here logging again because it's the only way I've ever found to not put weight on. I'd love to believe eventually I'll get the the point where I don't have to log but despite the fact I'd say, like QueenofHearts, that I eat the same things over and over, the problem is if I'm not logging I just
1. Overdo the portions.
2. Have too many little "extras" - that chocolate a kid offers me at school, a small slice of the cake my colleague brings in etc. Nothing wrong with having those things but if I'm not logging them then they add up way too fast.
(I'm back here logging almost 20 lbs about the lowest weight I ever reached... now that took 2.5 years to put on and there were many ups and downs along the way and it's not like I ever totally stopped paying attention but without consistent logging it's where I ended up).
I actually think the extras save me in maintenance. Recently when I started weighing my food againI realised I seriously overestimate all my portions hahaha.
I was wondering why I was so crankly until I realised I'm netting 800-900 calories instead of 1370.0 -
QueenofHearts023 wrote: »
I actually think the extras save me in maintenance. Recently when I started weighing my food againI realised I seriously overestimate all my portions hahaha.
I was wondering why I was so crankly until I realised I'm netting 800-900 calories instead of 1370.
This is me, in fact is part of why I continue to log. In the roughly 3 years since I started using MFP, I have developed the tendency to estimate with too much caution and if left to my own devices I'll under eat for days/weeks until I "out of the blue" have a few days of stuffing everything in my gob that isn't nailed down. And then I feel gross and bloated and out of control - which is never a fun feeling, so I do what I can to avoid it. For me that means logging; for you it means the little extras. What matters is finding and doing what works for you!0 -
I totally understand what you mean. My brain sometimes pokes at me with remarks like "is this really what you want to continue doing for the rest of your life?"
I'm not at maintenance yet, but I do have long periods of maintenance every once in awhile. Logging can get a bit bothersome sometimes so I often take a week or two off of logging. I have devised a work-around for that. I am allowed to drop logging, but I'm not allowed to stop recording my weight or paying attention to my meals. When I plan a MFP-free week I often resort to http://www.pepperplate.com/ where I have collected my usual recipes and recipes I find interesting and categorized them by the rough calorie amount with 50 calorie increments. So if I stick to these recipes at least for my main meals sticking to my calories is easy without thinking too much.
If you notice in this picture I have categorized this recipe for example as having less than 200 calories per serving. If I pick another recipe that has less than 400-500 calories to serve with this I'm set for a satisfying main meal with reasonable calories.
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I'm very close to maintenance and I'm far too keen on the certainty of numbers to ever rely on intuition at maintenance.
But, even at this level (which could easily be my goal if I let go of a magic number but f*^k that), with the progress so slow, it's hard to keep motivation with so little to show.
So I plan to monitor time spent at x. Time spent below x. If I'm lighter, or even the same weight, at the end of 2016, then I'll be pretty pleased with myself and might allow my mother to make cheesecake at Xmas this time...0 -
I do wonder what maintenance will look like for me. Aside from the last couple of years where medication and illness massively contributed to gaining a lot of weight, I have naturally maintained my weight within a reasonable range my entire adult life. Granted that weight was overweight but I could maintain and the majority of the time I was pretty sedentary.
That said, I also know my propensity to just have a nibble here, a nibble there and those nibbles quickly add up. So I think I will likely continue to log but maybe not as religiously as I do now. Interesting to read from those doing it and their different approaches.0 -
So Dear Mind, feck off with your tricks, and take your hunger pangs with you. There is no end to this...I might be at a goal weight range but my goal is to stick with this for the rest of my life. This is my normal life. This is what I do
*this post was brought to you by pre-menstrual, early morning ramblings...be afraid*
unusual to see a post (Started) by you lol
i will always have to count calories,even at maintenance. i dont batch cook cause im too lazy, but i make a general plan of my day so i know about what to expect and then fine tune it as the day goes on. I will always have to have some kind of goal to work towards, whether its a recomp or strength or running time whatever. SOMETHING to help keep me on track.
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You've got this OP, I support you 100%.
Enjoy the wedding, eat all the things. Go back to you're routine when you're ready, you know it works great for you.
Don't overthink it, you know that'll just take you down the rabbithole.0 -
Selfishly, I like it when people who I want to be like when I grow down show that it's not always "easy". Keep being human - well, as human as a rabbit can be.0
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Popping in to offer a thumbs-up.0
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Given that this is the second time I'm losing a ridiculous amount of weight, I think this is my future path as well. Although I did keep it off the first time for about 8 years before it started creeping up again. But I don't want to have to be dealing with this again when I'm 60. Better just to make a habit of paying attention as you go.0
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It's hormones! I always feel the same way around that time... that I'll never be able to maintain the weight, even if I keep doing what I'm doing (which is sorta proving to be the case sadly)...0
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sheermomentum wrote: »Given that this is the second time I'm losing a ridiculous amount of weight, I think this is my future path as well. Although I did keep it off the first time for about 8 years before it started creeping up again. But I don't want to have to be dealing with this again when I'm 60. Better just to make a habit of paying attention as you go.
This is where I am at, paying close attention to my intake loosely counting calories. Mindful eating.0 -
Rabbit, thank you for posting this because I do think as such a wise and veteran poster who always seems like this comes easy to her, it's good for the rest of us to see that you have challenges too.
For me the hardest thing about maintenance is not having that buffer for those bad weeks or special events. I bank calories and try to offset the extras, but knowing there isn't a safety net built into my goal makes it harder.
Great post!0 -
I've said, thought or written this part of your post almost word for word more than once:
" and each time I lost weight I thought "hurrah, I did it, I'm at goal" and then I went back to "normal" ...and I'd put on the weight again"
I think of how much time and effort I put into self-care the last time, how I looked and felt (physically and mentally) and even though I may remember it as taking a lot of dedication and effort the fact is it doesn't seem so bad once I get back into it again. Especially when I start getting results.
I'm so tired of gain/lose/gain/lose that I intend to keep it up this time.
It's good you lost so much and kept it off long enough to know when your mind is playing tricks on you!0 -
We have much in common. 52 lbs lost, at a healthy weight range for a year now, 66 years old. Still logging, wearing Fitbit, working out 3Xs per week, prepping food. Previously tried every diet under the sun, yo yo-ing for 15 years. MFP has really worked for me the last 2 years and I'll be here forever. It's always a challenge. On top of that, my MFP and Fitbit accounts have not synced correctly since MFPs last update so I've been extra cautious about my calorie in/calorie out guesstimates.
I'm always worried about calorie creep so controlling portions and eating in moderation are my keys to success. It's never ending but the trade off of better health and more energy is so worth it. The food just isn't worth the problems it caused for me. I've finally wrapped my head around the fact that I'll never be able to eat the amount of food that I used to and I'm OK with that.
Sounds like you're in a good place, @rabbitjb, just having a bad day.
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The hardest part of maintenance for me (so far), is knowing I can't have a cheat meal without gaining actually weight because I no longer have that deficit buffer. It means if I want something, I have to really, really want it because it means being hungry & in pain for part of the day.
Logging, weighing, and tracking my weight isn't a problem for me. It's a habit. It's so ingrained in my routine that I have days where I stop and think, "Did I weigh myself today? I must have. It's in my log."
Sympathies for having a crap day/week. I had it last week from depression.0 -
emmaprocopiou wrote: »You have done so well.
I'm only 20lbs down so far but Maintenance is the but that scares me . I'm the same as you will lose a load of weight (and sometimes stop before I reach my goal ) because I'm happy how I look ) then just end up going back to getting bigger.
Looks like logging forever might be for me too
At least you recognise what your brain is saying to you.
Yup, this is what happens to me - it's not weigh loss that is the struggle, but not getting complacent and gaining it back.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »Rabbit, thank you for posting this because I do think as such a wise and veteran poster who always seems like this comes easy to her, it's good for the rest of us to see that you have challenges too.
^^This, all day long.
Thanks for posting, Rabbit!
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WinoGelato wrote: »Rabbit, thank you for posting this because I do think as such a wise and veteran poster who always seems like this comes easy to her, it's good for the rest of us to see that you have challenges too.
For me the hardest thing about maintenance is not having that buffer for those bad weeks or special events. I bank calories and try to offset the extras, but knowing there isn't a safety net built into my goal makes it harder.
Great post!
My sentiments exactly.
You talk about control versus time, so i know this is a longshot of a comment, but have you considered ignoring the siren song of the forums for a while?
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Chin up rabbit... You're a problem solver. My money's on you. xoxoxo
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Great post rabbit.
And FWIW I think re-naming the maintenance board "The Never Ending Journey" would be brilliant.0
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