Maintenance hacks

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Hi folks,

I lost weight during winter/spring 2017 for about the 10th time and I'm working to keep it off rather than go through the whole danged thing in 2018 with as little effort as possible. I'm looking for hacks (shortcuts and habits, reallu) to make it easier. Here are a few I already do:

- Weigh every morning before dressing. Accept that my weight varies by up to 5 lbs.
- Develop a set of standard meals and recipes that I save on mfp. Many people don't use these features. (I only started recently)
- Pack my lunch and snacks for work nearly every day. keep an emergency snack for when I get really hungry (I like kind bars).
- Exercise at lunch a few days a week. Eat afterwards.
- Eat a home cooked dinner rather than take-out most days. I do more of the cooking and shopping than ever.
- Pick some small treats for after dinner. For me, it's some nuts, dark chocolate, and dried fruit.
- Have a fantastc meal or take-out once a week. Log it as a "quick add" that I make up on the spot
- Keep exercising and trying out new activities whenever possible. Don't get stuck in a rut.
- Limit alcohol to special occasions (right now, I'm avoiding it entirely)

So far, it's working. I find the fall months the most challenging as I transition to indoor activities. Maybe I can get to January without a jump in weight this time!

aylajane

Sounds like a great plan! Some minor comments:

-- weight varies by up to 5 lbs
Yes, of course! But its easy to let it creep up and keep telling yourself its normal. Pick the middle of your 5 pound range... on the days you are above the middle, make a mental note to not splurge that day, or have a salad for lunch or something lighter. On days you are below the middle, make a mental note to have that treat after dinner, or go out to eat for a change. The point is not to have too many creeps until you suddenly realize you are actually up 6, 7 8 pounds.

--keep an emergency snack for when you get really hungry
This is good, but be careful about keeping things you like *too* much handy. In my case, I used to keep snacks in the car, "just in case" I was caught in traffic and super hungry or something. Well, it got too easy to think "well, I *am* a little hungry" and eat it - simply because it was something I like and looked appealing. So now I keep a snack in my car that is "ok", but not something I enjoy so much I will be tempted to eat it if I have other choices or am not really hungry. That might be beef jerky or a protein bar I am not crazy about or something. I dont dislike them, they are just not my first or second choice. Those make good "emergency" snacks, as I tend to really wait until it is an "emergency" to eat them.

Maybe dont "transition to inddor activities" in full. Try out some winter stuff - hiking is awesome in the fall and winter! You burn a lot more calories walking in snow! Get a bike and ride when the roads are clear and its not too cold. Find some outdoor stuff you enjoy too.

Good luck - I am the same as you, every time I get down to "goal" weight, I think "I will NEVER let myself go up again!" Its so hard to lose weight, you would think I would find it easier to maintain the motivation to not slide and have to do it again... but...

kommodevaran

I love maintenance, and I love hacks! These are my personal tweaks:

• Stick to sensible portions of normal foods for normal days. Plan and log in spreadsheet. 3 meals per day, no snacks.
• Aim to stay within a range of 3 kilos (abt 7 pounds). Stick to baseline meal plan - when weight drops and stays low, I can add on some treats; when weight seems to be rising, cut treats. Do not react panicky to weight fluctuations. This is prevented by
• Weighing every morning and logging it.
• Eat enough, eat balanced and varied meals, eat regularly. Do not treat mild hunger as an emergency. Plan delicious meals, and enjoy looking forward to eating.
• Schedule shopping, and shop with a list.
• Drink non-caloric drinks beteen meals - water, tea, herbal tea, coffee.
• Do not turn down every offer of food/treats, just be selective. Pick my favorite, or something novel, and don't be greedy. Oh, and say thanks.
• Cook simple and cheap, but tasty and delicious meals.
• Eat out on occasion, or buy take-out occasionally. Pick something I can't or don't bother to make myself.
• Never force exercise, keep it fun, but also move to get things done, don't be afraid to exhaust myself.
• Go to bed at a reasonable hour.

riffraff2112

for me the biggest hack is to limit snacking. I can plan 5 meals a day to keep me satisfied, and stay in my target range. Snacking blindly for the sake of snacking always leads me away from where I want to be. Especially late at night. I am not even hungry, just eating out of habit and boredom. When I am really in the mood to kick things into overdrive, I eliminate all food after 7pm.

nowine4me

OP-yours is a great list and there are some good additions here. Stick to your list and you'll do great. I also agree that getting quality sleep is crucial to success. Being overly tired inevitably leads to snacking beyond ones calories goal.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I totally agree with getting consistent sleep! It's very synergistic with exercise, and limiting alcohol.

icemom011

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

Hi folks,

I lost weight during winter/spring 2017 for about the 10th time and I'm working to keep it off rather than go through the whole danged thing in 2018 with as little effort as possible. I'm looking for hacks (shortcuts and habits, reallu) to make it easier. Here are a few I already do:

- Weigh every morning before dressing. Accept that my weight varies by up to 5 lbs.
- Develop a set of standard meals and recipes that I save on mfp. Many people don't use these features. (I only started recently)
- Pack my lunch and snacks for work nearly every day. keep an emergency snack for when I get really hungry (I like kind bars).
- Exercise at lunch a few days a week. Eat afterwards.
- Eat a home cooked dinner rather than take-out most days. I do more of the cooking and shopping than ever.
- Pick some small treats for after dinner. For me, it's some nuts, dark chocolate, and dried fruit.
- Have a fantastc meal or take-out once a week. Log it as a "quick add" that I make up on the spot
- Keep exercising and trying out new activities whenever possible. Don't get stuck in a rut.
- Limit alcohol to special occasions (right now, I'm avoiding it entirely)

So far, it's working. I find the fall months the most challenging as I transition to indoor activities. Maybe I can get to January without a jump in weight this time!

Sounds like a good plan, OP. Also good suggestions from others, especially one with not so favorite snacks. I tend to save that for my after dinner special treats. My question to you is though, have you figured out the reasons that you have regained in the past? I would think, that if there is some similar causes, you should pay close attention to them. I would list the portion control and not going back to the way i was eating as most important. Those were my mistakes. And i think if you stick to your plan, you'll be good. Good luck, op.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

icemom011 wrote: »

My question to you is though, have you figured out the reasons that you have regained in the past?

Mainly: Over-eating! Drinking beer and wine on weekdays is also a culprit.

I have a difficult time transitioning off of my summer routine in the fall. My goal this year is to get into some cold weather activities, including cross country skiing and winter hiking, and to keep swimming a couple of days a week.

HappyGrape

I struggled with winter vs summer last year. I feel better prepared and hope to avoid it this year.

tinkerbellang83

Bookmarked for future ref. Great tips.

swim777

Loving this thread! So motivating and helpful!

swim777

riffraff2112 wrote: »

for me the biggest hack is to limit snacking. I can plan 5 meals a day to keep me satisfied, and stay in my target range. Snacking blindly for the sake of snacking always leads me away from where I want to be. Especially late at night. I am not even hungry, just eating out of habit and boredom. When I am really in the mood to kick things into overdrive, I eliminate all food after 7pm.

Snacking is my downfall, also. I agree that it's just a habit that I had for years at night. I'd be doing school work or watching tv, and I'd eat chips or whatever. I've even gone to bed early when I've caught myself in that mood. The last time or so, I've made myself go log it in before giving into it and that has stopped me..looking at the reality of what I'm about to do. Also, I go make a cup of coffee and drink that first. Anything to keep from giving in to an extra meaningless snack. I have planned snacks so it's not hunger.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

HappyGrape wrote: »

I struggled with winter vs summer last year. I feel better prepared and hope to avoid it this year.

Avoiding winter entirely is an interesting approach. I like it! I aspire to be a snowbird someday.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Mindless snacking is probably the biggest diet killer of all. You just have to train yourself out of it. The hardest time in my life was when we had toddlers who eat little bits of food all day long. But, now I have teens who insist we stock potato chips and ice cream. Anyway, you gotta clamp down on that sh1t if you want to maintain your weight!

(If you go over at night, one thing you can do is to skip or skimp on breakfast the day after.)

AnnPT77

I have less exercise volume in Winter than summer, too, and a bit lower NEAT (because of minor outdoor chores and non-exercise recreation in Summer that burn a few more calories than Winter ones). As long as the food consumption shrinks along with the activity, everything is fine.

But this is easy for me to say: I still log food and exercise in maintenance, so much of the needed adjustment is obvious.

HappyGrape

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

HappyGrape wrote: »

I struggled with winter vs summer last year. I feel better prepared and hope to avoid it this year.

Avoiding winter entirely is an interesting approach. I like it! I aspire to be a snowbird someday.

Yes, I packed my bags for Florida!

Haha, sorry no I meant weight gain. I gained little last winter, I feel I am ready to approach winter slightly different this year. Until I have the funds and no home commitment so I can flee to Florida

sijomial

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

icemom011 wrote: »

My question to you is though, have you figured out the reasons that you have regained in the past?

Mainly: Over-eating! Drinking beer and wine on weekdays is also a culprit.

I have a difficult time transitioning off of my summer routine in the fall. My goal this year is to get into some cold weather activities, including cross country skiing and winter hiking, and to keep swimming a couple of days a week.

Part of the reason I tend to gain in winter is doing about 10 hours of cycling less in the cold months - those c. 5000 calories a month plus being generally less active does tilt the balance.

This year I'm planning on losing a few pounds before Christmas (as opposed to my normal routine of having to lose a few pounds in Spring) and also my first winter being retired should give me a higher chance of catching those days when my hands and feet can tolerate the temperature.

cs2thecox

I've learned over the years that 3 meals + 2 snacks works best for me.
Knowing I have planned snacks stops me craving "bad" snacks and office treats. It also helps me keep my blood sugar steady as I often used to have a big crash around the time I left work, which left me feeling nauseous on my commute home, which was no fun at all.
I make sure I have a good supply of my regular snacks in the house, and remember to take them to work with me every day.

I also try really hard to control my breakfast.
It's not too hard to fit a latte and a pastry into my daily calories, but it does mess up my macros and doesn't satisfy me as much as if I bother to make a super smoothie type thing.
I'm ok at making decent choices for lunch and dinner, but a shoddy breakfast can put me on the edge of derailment for the day if I'm not careful.

Also, I try really hard to log EVERYTHING. (No, I haven't finished logging this weekend yet... it was bad, I know it was bad, and I'll face up to it at some point this week!)
That way I have no excuse for my outcomes, and at least I know how much damage I've done.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@cs2thecox: You haven't finished logging the weekend yet? I've been there, but at some point it's time to move on. I'll quick-add a bunch of calories (e.g., 1000) any time I'm unsure.

cs2thecox

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

@cs2thecox: You haven't finished logging the weekend yet? I've been there, but at some point it's time to move on. I'll quick-add a bunch of calories (e.g., 1000) any time I'm unsure.

Ha, I'm most of the way there. I need to add a pulled pork bun from Saturday evening and then Sunday lunch, which will be complicated.
Might not be a conventional approach but works for me...

I mostly do it because my trainer has access to my MFP, and I'd rather just be completely honest with him so he can do his job as well as he can!