Need advice from successful maintainers :) please

kellycz

cmriverside wrote: »

Denial isn't constructive, since you've learned your body counts the calories whether you do or not.

So true!

cheryldumais

I went through something similar. I got down to 143 then I went in for a tummy tuck expecting 3 - 5 pounds of skin removed. After surgery I was so swollen for so long I wasn't sure how much I weighed. A year later I was at 151 pounds! I kept logging my food etc so couldn't understand why I was gaining. Finally someone on here recommended a book called the Beck Diet Solution. I read it and realized I too was in denial and had been snacking mindlessly. I had been tasting here and there and a bite or handful of snacks here and there that didn't get logged. It all adds up. I just plain got lazy. I've learned so much and now am down 4 of the 8 pounds I gained. I know logging and counting will be lifelong habits for me.

You can get back down to where you were. You've done it before so you can do it again. As for maintenance tips I would highly suggest that book, it was very constructive for me.

cwolfman13

I've more or less maintained going on 6 years. I personally don't log and haven't done so for maintenance. I don't obsess about food, but I remain mindful of my nutrition, portions, etc. When I'm out to eat I don't always get whatever sounds the best to me...sometimes I do, sometimes I don't...it really just depends on where I'm at in regards to my nutrition for the day, week, etc.

Example...on Saturday I took my boys to the basket ball court at a park near us...afterwards I took them out for lunch as my wife wanted us out of the house while she cleaned to get ready for company later that evening. We went to Jason's Deli where I ended up getting a soup and salad combo which was definitely not my first choice, but I knew I would be indulging with a very high calorie meal later that evening...no need to double up. Conversely on Monday I took my boys to Flix Brewhouse for a movie...it was a 12:30 showing so perfect for getting lunch there too. I ordered a personal 10' sausage, pepperoni, mushroom pizza and ate the whole thing...I also had skipped breakfast early that morning in anticipation of the movie lunch.

For the most part I eat pretty healthy...I think good nutrition is important overall, not just to weight management. I have my indulgences, but I'm pretty mindful of my overall nutrition. I also continue to exercise regularly, usually 5-6 days per week, but at least 3. I weigh myself a couple times per week so I can easily catch any weight creeping up and just nip it right there while it's easy. I do gain around 8-10 Lbs every winter as my activity level dips a bit but that 10 Lbs is my top end intervention point.

ritzvin

Maybe cut down on the eating out - that'll cut out a huge amount of calories without paying any attention or counting calories. It would also save time and money (even short and 'cheap' fast food trips add up to quite a bit in time and cost versus batch cooking simple food).

ritzvin

And weighing daily and watching the trendline (look at the trend in moving average and not that single number) - will alert you if weight starts creeping up. Then you know you need to tighten up your eating.

zeejane03

CaliMomTeach wrote: »

Also, please explain to me why losing weight is such much easier than staying there?

In my experience it's because in the weight loss phase you're motivated by the moving scale, being able to shop/fit into smaller clothes, getting compliments about your losses etc. You have a short term goal and can see tangible results. Maintenance on the other hand is for the rest of your life-20, 30, 40+ years. The compliments stop, the scale evens out, there's no positive feedback-just day in and day out of the same. In other words, maintenance is boring. Boredom leads to loss of adherence and that leads to regains. And then the cycle starts over again (and again and again....).

I come from a family of yo-yo dieters/re-gainers. When I decided to lose weight I knew I had to do something different. I decided that no matter what, I'd maintain my losses and not get sucked into the vicious cycle. Almost 6 years into maintenance now, I've figured out that for me I need something to focus on, to prevent boredom. I'm really interested in nutrition and how it may relate to health, so I've experimented with various ways of eating. That's what keeps my head in the game. For others it helps to work towards specific fitness goals etc.

Gisel2015

I still weigh and log my food but I am not longer OCD about it.
I weigh myself almost daily, and I am OCD about it!
I don't log on vacation or while eating out or at friends' house, but I eat with moderation and I keep an eye on portion control
I don't "let myself go" because I don't believe in that. I use what I learned while loosing and I keep using it in maintenance.
I keep exercising because I like it, not because I have too, and because is good for my body, bones, joints and emotional well being.
I don't use food as a solution or excuse to my problems, and I don't eat out of boredom (probably because I am, never bored
On maintenance for 9 years.

Good luck, be positive and believe that you can do it.

Roadie2000

Just remember that unless you make changes to your habits or lifestyle you will just keep gaining the weight back.

When I started to lose weight I cut a lot of things out of my diet that just weren't worth it to me. And then when I got to where I wanted to be I kept them out of my diet, with small exceptions. Same with exercise, I had to make that part of my daily routine, not only go when I wanted to lose weight. I also made sure I weighed myself semi regularly, not every day like I did before but maybe once a week to keep an eye on things. Then I told myself if I got over a certain weight I would start counting again and be more mindful. Well, after a year of maintaining, the weight crept back on, so now I'm back here for a while. But it was only 5-6 lbs so it's not a huge diet, just a way to keep myself in check. And had I not kept exercising and maintaining some good habits I'd have been back a lot sooner.

So maintaining doesn't only mean maintaining the weight you are at, it also means maintaining certain habits and a certain lifestyle. You don't need to obsess about your weight forever, but you do want to develop some habits that you can try to keep forever. Just weighing myself was easy to do and really helped keep me on the right track.

LivingtheLeanDream

In maintenance almost 6 years.

I enjoy being slim and active so do what it takes to stay that way and that involves:-

Weighing daily/use trending app and have a weight range +/-5lbs
Mentally keeping a note of my daily calories - always am mindful of how much I'm eating (only log my meals on this app now again).
Exercise at least 5 days a week for up to 45 mins and am generally active when not at my desk.
I won't eat something for the sake of it, it has to be amazing or else its not worth the calories - but that mostly applies to cakes/desserts!
The majority of my food is home made, prefer it that way and it feels an easy way to keep the calories in check.
If we have takeout I share with OH to halve the calories.

garystrickland357

You have received a lot of good advice. I've only been in maintenance a few months. Full disclosure: I lost weight once before and gained it all back. How is this time different?
I realized something... Let's say you take medication for a condition like high blood pressure. Once the medication gets the BP under control, you wouldn't throw out the meds and declare victory, would you? Of course not - you know the condition would return. I look at weight management the same way. Now that I've lost the weight, I can't abandon the habits that brought me to this point. I still weigh my food, log my calories, and exercise. The only difference between now and weight loss is a few hundred calories a day. I use the trending app Happy Scale to monitor my weight. Permanent results require permanent changes. Just make weight management habits something as normal as brushing your teeth or doing your laundry - it's just part of your day.

pierinifitness

Well, today I hit initial goal weight "officially" after hitting it once or twice "unofficially". For me, it's official if I weigh in at that amount at my official weigh-in - first thing in the morning.

So, my rookie advice in response to your question is to continue doing what you did to achieve your goal as if nothing's different other than tweaking calories to be eaten for maintenance rather than loss. That's my plan, not dropping my guard.

Lora2380

When you set out to loose weight you don’t always think of the “after care” or at least I didn’t. You work so hard to loose the weight and it doesn’t seem fair to have to be more vigilant about what goes in your mouth when your not getting the glory of seeing the weight go down on the scale or the nice comments, the buying new smaller clothing.

In my case I am not 20yrs old anymore and my metabolism isn’t what it used to be and I have come to the realization that I will have to be vigilant for life.

What keeps me going is the NSV’s, remembering how crappy I felt with the weight on, what my weight had kept me from accomplishing, how hard I worked and I have to remind myself that to go backwards now isn’t an option. It may me anoying to log or weigh daily, or seem tedious but it just has to become part of your routine. The time it used to take me to demolish a big bag of chips in the evening is the time I now use to log instead.

Once you reach your weight goals set other goals, tone up for a trip/wedding/summer, get a Fitbit and aim for your daily steps, try to cook a couple new healthy recipies this month. Just don’t stop once you hit weight. Focus on something else health wise to better yourself and work towards.

MelanieCN77

I'm going to be 2 years in maintenance next month, and for me I just have to log. I don't find it obsessive, it gives me the control I need to be able to make the best choices for myself over the long term. Something clicks in my brain when I veer off logging my food, like nobody's looking, now's your chance to eat the whole cake, kinda thing. Some day if I get that under control maybe I'll be able to stop tracking, but I've no intention of playing roulette with my weight now I am happy with it.

nxd10

I'm 59 and have been logging and maintaining 6 years. I don't obsess - it's kind of like brushing my teeth. I just log and, because I've changed my habits and am very attentive to how hungry I am, I rarely have to limit myself. A couple of things I do have to do:

- I get on the scale every morning. It keeps me honest. If I got on once a week or once a month, I'd obsess. I just do it. It goes up and down - that's okay. If it keeps going up, it's not.

- I try to walk every day. I'm not a gym bunny and I'm really busy. I walk up stairs instead of using the elevator. I walk to work. I have an apple watch that tells me to move every hour. I park far away from the store. If I don't walk I can't maintain.

- I don't drink calories. I drink water, tea, and seltzer. Or alcohol, frankly. But no milk, soda, or juice. It's not worth it. I do drink things for health reasons like kombucha or prune juice, but in small glasses.

- I like sweets, but I'm happy with a small amount. I have a 1/4 cup of ice cream fairly often with nuts. I have a piece of chocolate. I eat apples or dates or clementines. But just one - the calories are negligible. Same with bacon. Cuts the cravings, and I'm fine stopping with a little.

- Eat everything but watch portions. I had an awesome almond croissant the other day, but cut it in half (just that was 275 calories). I was full. If I had been hungry, I would have eaten the whole thing, but I just wasn't. I wanted the taste but that was fine. I eat ice cream - in small amounts. I have a cookie. Maybe two. Not a box. These are nothing in terms of calories, but I enjoy them.

- I HAVE to watch my carbs. If I'm not under 40% my weight will creep up. That's not low carb, but it does mean I have to work at adding protein to every meal.

I love to eat and I eat very well. I log everything. I eat anything I want. And when I'm not hungry I stop eating. That keeps me under 1300 on my calories (after exercise). That isn't a lot but I'm old enough that's what I have to do. If I'm hungry, I eat. It is so worth it.

AEC50

I've been in maintenance for a year and it's been a bit of a roller coaster But, I'm trying something that I think will help me. I weigh myself each morning and record in my Libra app. I set my "goal weight" at my max maintenance weight (for me, that's 145). Because Libra shows you when you're expected to hit that based on trends, I can see in advance if I'm heading too far in that direction and can course correct before I actually get above my max preferred weight.

MikePfirrman

I agree with the statement that weight loss happens in the kitchen but nearly 7 or 8 in 10 that go from obese to normal gain the weight back. The Natl Weight Loss Registry has tracked people that have once been obese and kept the weight off for over a year. One thing it found out is that most workout an hour a day.

They also weigh themselves nearly daily, many still track calories.

The biggest takeaway is they have changed their lifestyle and don't see weightloss as a diet. Others have mentioned changing habits. You have to change your habits that allow you to keep the weight off.

You don't just go from maintenance to 30 lbs over maintenance. It's a series of decisions (or lack of) that slowly gets you back into all of your older habits that made you heavy in the first place.

I'm 8 years into maintenance now and lost over 70 lbs and have kept it off. I likely eat as many calories as I did before losing the weight. For me, the difference has been I skip breakfast daily. Then I burn 600 to 1000 calories at lunch (this didn't happen overnight, I train really hard) and then eat a sensible lunch and dinner and still have calories to snack a bit at night. I eat around 2400 calories a day, sometimes more.

I choose a more active lifestyle and pick my battles of what is worth it to eat and what is not. I'm also following a diet of no gluten (I learned I'm highly sensitive to wheat) and no dairy because my wife is allergic. Admittedly, this eliminates 99% of the overly processed junk food.