April Challenge: Maintainers Back on Track Thread

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  • swim777
    swim777 Posts: 599 Member
    @baconslave, I can so relate! I have to accept the idea that it’s going to take a while to get my weight back down. It was a lot more exciting the last time! And I am dodging occasions that inevitably come up where we are celebrating something. My new strategy is to take my piece of cake home, being gracious, but too full, and giving it to my husband.
    Love the face!! It’s mine, today, too!!! Thanks for the laugh!
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member
    swim777 wrote: »
    @baconslave, I can so relate! I have to accept the idea that it’s going to take a while to get my weight back down. It was a lot more exciting the last time! And I am dodging occasions that inevitably come up where we are celebrating something. My new strategy is to take my piece of cake home, being gracious, but too full, and giving it to my husband.
    Love the face!! It’s mine, today, too!!! Thanks for the laugh!

    I'm not surprised or anything, since the last 15lb took over 6 months to lose to begin with. It's still an unpleasant and prolonged effort. I do hope it doesn't take 6 months to get this off. Geez. It did not take that long to put it on. :unamused:

    I'm not sure how much the of face was the restriction-face or the Monday-face. But it was Monday ALL DAY YESTERDAY. :scream:

    That's a great strategy, btw. Except for me it's my ravenous kids that make the cake disappear for me.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,749 Member
    So far I'm doing really badly at staying within my limit. Usually I'm over by 200-400 calories. Eating pie from Easter doesn't help, but it's not the whole problem. I have been doing some running, with mixed success. Yesterday my legs didn't hurt for most of the run, which was a huge win, but I had a hard time breathing because of allergies and wind so it generally sucked. I need to get my exercise back to normal but motivation is lacking when it either hurts or I can't get any air. I went to a PT but he wasn't much help with the hamstrings. Graston felt good, but I can't afford to go back regularly since my insurance copay is so high and the effects didn't last.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,749 Member
    nikkit321 wrote: »
    Name: Nikki321
    How long in maintenance: 3 years
    Goal maintenance range: 140-145
    Current weight: 158
    Current goal: lose 1/2 lb a week
    Recent success: I ran 13 treadmill miles a couple weeks ago!

    My maintenance journey has been full of gains and losses. In 2015 I broke my foot. It healed. I broke it again. 2016 was a long, stressful year of breast cancer, radiation, and lost my father. Broke my leg in May 2018 and so far this year has been a long, stressful contractor saga. Hello, my name is Nikki, and I'm a stress eater. I really want to get back to 140 and have a maintenance strategy to stay there this time, and I think this thread will help.

    Have you checked your bone density? That seems like a lot of broken bones.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,157 Member
    jan110144 wrote: »
    How long in Maintenance - only 3 months
    Goal maintenance range - 130 - 135
    Current weight - 133.8

    After a couple of rough weeks, I'm back in the middle of my maintenance range, but still 1.8 above where I am most comfortable. Have been focusing on food this week and will add back some more pool and gym time next week.

    Too early to celebrate, but the trend is starting to move in the right direction again.

    @jan110144
    Everything I read says to give the beginning of maintenance some time, as our bodies adjust. You are doing GREAT!

    I know you & I know you will conquer this just as you did your weight loss. You constantly inspire me❣️

    I am just beginning maintenance & I hope you will remind me of the above when Things go differently than I expected.
  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,281 Member
    MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »
    jan110144 wrote: »

    I am just beginning maintenance & I hope you will remind me of the above when Things go differently than I expected.

    Thanks for the encouragement! I found the weight loss phase relatively easy. Have just been surprised that maintenance has been such a challenge. I think I am struggling most with failed expectations! :smiley:
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
    idabest777 wrote: »
    How long in maintenance: 3 years
    Goal maintenance range: 122-127
    Current weight: 130
    Current goal: Get back to around 125
    Recent success: Changed my batteries in my scale in January and realized that I was actually 5 lbs heavier than I realized, putting me at 132. It was surprising at the time but made sense after thing about it, I had started a new job in November that messed up my routine a bit, kind of felt like I was slacking with my eating/fitness during the transition but the scale was staying at 127 so I was just blindly trusting that. So, recent success is that I've lost 2 of those extra 5lbs, even if it's at a ridiculously slow pace. I've dropped down into the 128's a few time but this week has all been around 130 unfortunately.

    Working on trusting the process again and actually making sure I get in at least my 3 runs a week. My 10km run is about 7 minutes slower now than it was a couple years ago so I'd like to try and get back to that pace.

    So much of this resonates - I’m around 130lbs and literally have the same maintenance goal and range. I started a new job in June, but moved closer to the job at the end of October - totally screwed up all my routines, similar to you. Finally, I’m a runner, struggling with facing slower times than I would prefer based on previous successes. Wow... so much in common! Good luck to both of us!
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,157 Member
    jan110144 wrote: »
    MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »
    jan110144 wrote: »

    I am just beginning maintenance & I hope you will remind me of the above when Things go differently than I expected.

    Thanks for the encouragement! I found the weight loss phase relatively easy. Have just been surprised that maintenance has been such a challenge. I think I am struggling most with failed expectations! :smiley:

    @jan110144
    “I think I am struggling most with failed expectations!”

    That’s a key insight! I combat that with weekly, monthly, & yearly averages. Encourages success over time so little changes can multiply.

    You’ve got this!
  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,281 Member
    sofchak wrote: »
    Name: Sofchak
    success: Struggling to stay motivated. I’ll have a few great days, then derail.

    Ditto!! Let me know if you find the answer! :smile: Part of it, for me, I think is that the goal of "maintain" is very vague. Lose weight, and the reinforcement of seeing the numbers on the scale go down, is much more tangible. That's my only explanation so far. Trying to find a more concrete way of defining "maintenance" as more specific goals seem to be a very important part of motivation/discipline for me.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
    As I work on trying to lose that 2 -3 lbs. over my range, I'm finding it considerably harder than I thought it would be. It's been on for many months, so that may be part of it. I am also 4.5 years into maintenance, so 4.5 years older, and that can be part of it ... metabolism continues to slow as you age. I am at my caloric goal or less daily and I never eat back all my exercise calories, so it doesn't make any sense that the scale doesn't move. However, I keep in mind that the way I have always lost is to be on a plateau for weeks and then bam! some weight drops. Any of this look familiar to anyone, especially having a hard time losing the weight after all these years of maintaining pretty well???
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Previous below.
    Week 2.
    Same as week one but without DOMS.

    Next week should be back in the gym, so maybe a more thrilling update.

    Yawn, that was soooo boring, but I updated- hooray.

    Cheers, h.
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Opening stats in spoiler.

    Name: h.

    How long in maintenance: 9 or 10 years.

    Goal maintenance range: 100-105lbs

    Current weight: 101.6lbs

    Current goal: get off the recomp/decomp/maintain treadmill and back to a good steady recomp.

    Recent success: no weight gain on 4 week cruise/holiday. Body did turn into mashed potatoes though.

    Renewal of my rec centre pass is due Monday and it will be back to the weights. (Anticipating a clear 6-8 weeks of lifting, yoga, and aquafit)

    I’m in this though I have no problem maintaining weight, my problem has become maintaining the fitness level I have previously enjoyed.

    (Family needs have had me on (and off) the road for the past 18+ months so I have done my bare basics in exercise and find it hard to get back into my previous routine knowing more travel will be needed at the drop of a hat.

    Who would have thought at 65 you (I) would be the one supporting 2generations below and one above.
    I thought I would be in my rocking chair, cat on lap, wine in hand, with the younger generations looking after me B))

    Sorry guys, I ramble, h.

    OK, I may have blown it, I may have given myself DOMS for the first time in years, but I did keep moving this week.

    (For years I’ve had an hour a day ‘rule’ and I’ve not let it go, I’ve just never been so low in intensity/effort before.)

    Had a good walk every day and did 15-30 min workout daily, alternating bodyweight and dumbbell. Not heavy duty stuff at all, but at least I did it.

    Weight, as always, is stable ranging between 101.6 to 103 this week.

    And here ends the first week.

    Cheers, h.

  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,281 Member
    Week 2. Back where I want to be in terms of weight, but not in terms of consistency. I am not ok with the undisciplined eating, gain weight, lose weight, undisciplined eating cycle.

    This week my goals will be

    1. Eat enough each day ... good food choices with variety,
    2. Ride 6 days
    3. Go to the health club at least 4 days.

    l'm also looking for a more tangible way to envision my longterm goal ... "just maintain" doesn't seem to do it for me. Or, maybe I should forget long-term and just focus on these weekly goals? Losing the weight, it was really important to have that longer term goal front and center.
    Maybe that is no longer true?
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