Does maintaining weight get easier after a year?

faramelee

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I've been maintaining for three years...I find it to be pretty easy. I have adopted a more healthful lifestyle overall than I had before...maintaining weight is pretty easy when you're maintaining a healthful lifestyle. I do, and enjoy doing the things that lean, healthy, and fit people do. I eat well and exercise regularly and monitor my weight.
People have difficulty when they have the mindset of being "done" once they've reached this arbitrary number on the scale...then they go back to old habits and lack the understanding that they're not done and in fact, they've just reached the starting line of the true race...there has to be a new normal and that's where people fail miserably.

This is spot on! It is a lifestyle change. I've been maintaining for 20 months and it's all going well but, like @cwolfman13, I changed my lifestyle and I enjoy it. I don't feel like I'm going without or punishing myself, I feel more fit, comfortable and happier than I have for many years.

I'm very much in the 'It's as hard as you make it' camp with this.

jrwms714

[quote="cwolfman13;36347688
People have difficulty when they have the mindset of being "done" once they've reached this arbitrary number on the scale...then they go back to old habits and lack the understanding that they're not done and in fact, they've just reached the starting line of the true race...there has to be a new normal and that's where people fail miserably. [/quote]
This is so true. You are not "done". In fact, when you begin the weight loss part, you are not even "beginning". You are on a journey and that journey takes you where you want to go and the path is the rest of your life. Maintenance and loss has been easy for me. 18 months now. Always a healthy eater and an exerciser, I fell down when it came to portion sizes. I ate way beyond what my body really needed. and didn't know it. Logging cals at MFP is what taught me a lot about how much I can eat and how to listen when I am full and when I am hungry. I can't remember the last time I was uncomfortably full. Once I realized how much healthier I became, life got easier. I lost 40 lbs, and that allowed me to get off my CPAP, lost my acid reflux problem, my numbers at my annual physical were all in normal ranges, among other things. I lost a father, a sister, and a brother at early ages - none of their medical issues were related - but it made me think carefully about maintaining a healthy weight because it really isn't about vanity - it's about living a long and full life. Yes, I wear a smaller size and yes, I am more fit and in shape, but above all, I look and feel younger and am on the path to a better life.

WorldTravellerGirl

Well, the older you get and the more health problems you face the more resolve you need. Focus on eating healthy nutrient dense food and try not to be a stickler for a number on the scale or filling yourself with processed empty calories. Work on being strong and healthy.

dr_soda

I would say that as your life and your interests change that maintaining can be a challenge. However, you'll also find that you have some built-in alarms and cues that let you know when you're starting to slip up. For example, once you hit maintenance you might go out and update your wardrobe. This new wardrobe will start feeling suspiciously tight if you go astray in your lifestyle for too long at a time, and this can often be your first clue that you need to get your priorities back in order.

It's never pleasant to start over from any point, be it 10 lbs or 100 lbs, but your body will thank you for all the hard work and effort you put into keeping it running in top shape.

kommodevaran

I wanted to say this too: Nothing magical happens after 365 days. It's an ongoing challenge.

tmwonline

kommodevaran wrote: »

I wanted to say this too: Nothing magical happens after 365 days. It's an ongoing challenge.

makes total sense. Thanks all!