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Sunday started my 4 month maintenance/recomp period. This is part of my overall plan to be over-prepared for full-time maintenance... assuming that is possible.

For several months now I have been working on habits, NEAT improvement, and trying to consider my strategy. It helped me to stop thinking of this as preparing for maintenance and start thinking of it as self-improvement and not just with regards to weight management and fitness. I have been building other good habits because I believe good habits breed the same. If I am going to fit more exercise into my day I need a stronger habit base to improve time management. If I am going to maintain my accountability and make mindful decisions I need to understand how to establish better habits and environment to reduce temptation.

I have increased both my NEAT and my exercise calories. I have overshot my goal there but I suspect that will scale back down some over time.

As it stands my plan is to do 4 months of maint/recomp, return to a deficit for a couple of months, and then do another 4 months. After that I am sure I will be ready to finish my weight loss phase.

I know it won't feel exactly the same because I will always know this is ending and real maintenance is forever but I want to simulate it as much as possible. I want to feel like I will have a good handle on this because going back to my morbid obese life just can't be an option.

Right now I think I will continue with my practice of banking some calories for the weekend. That seems ridiculous at this calorie level but I really have no need for so many during the work week. I don't want to start drinking weekly or even monthly but I never intended to push alcohol so far out of my system so banking gives me an opportunity there too.

I appreciate any wisdom offered.

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Replies

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,546 Member
    I echo the slightly crazy, like a fox, bro up-thread. As long as you keep keeping that head in the game the way you have been you will be in as good a shape as anyone can be!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,937 Member
    Make it so, ND.

    I think for me it's like going to work every day - it just has to be a priority.

    I believe you'll be a welcome addition to this forum. Er, Welcome! :flowerforyou:
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I doubt I will see a weight I can use as information for about a month. I always upswing 7ish pounds initially anyway when eating maintenance and adding more exercise or higher intensity exercise will throw more mud into the water.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,948 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    I doubt I will see a weight I can use as information for about a month. I always upswing 7ish pounds initially anyway when eating maintenance and adding more exercise or higher intensity exercise will throw more mud into the water.

    That's true. I just personally find it helpful to constantly remind myself that the scale will jerk me around. And that knowledge is enough to keep my paranoid and pessimistic two-thirds talked far enough back from the edge, y'know. :smirk: But that's my own hang-up.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    What was hard for me: transitioning to feeling "success" without seeing the scale move down. I learned to let maintaining be its own reward, but it was a big mental adjustment.

    Giving yourself time to adjust to maintaining is a great idea. I wish I'd been as intentional with it, but it all worked out.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    I understand your concerns and we all have to be diligent in keeping our heads in the game. I think your idea has merit. I learned the hard way when arriving at maintenance that I had some misconceptions about how to deal with it. In the back of my mind I was going to be able to eat lots more now that I had "arrived". One of the most shocking things was that I never lost that last 10 pounds because I was at maintenance level in my calories without knowing it. And I thought I was dieting! That was a rude awakening. The last year has been a journey too as I gained back 15 pounds. I am slowly taking it back off but I realize now just how hard I will have to work to maintain. It's worth it as you well know. I no longer feel crippled by my fat. I am finally "normal". Hang in there @NovusDies you are an inspiration to many of us.

    The person that seems to do everything perfectly is not my role model.

    Well then I will be of no help to you at all. :sunglasses::lol:

    Hell, I only had to lose 20ish lbs and I managed to gain 10 of them back in the blink of an eye because I decided I didn't feel like paying attention anymore. I mean, I managed to not really pay attention while still logging daily, geesh.

    I'm not for a second saying we all go through the same thing regardless of where we started from, and I'm sure you and I will have to deploy very different strategies and deal with different struggles to have any kind of long term maintenance success. But I think the commitment to keeping our head in the game and the understanding that it's up to us to make maintenance happen is the key. And being patient through the ups and downs, and perhaps the occasional slight backslide.

    Not sure if anyone told you yet, but newbies have to swab the deck.

    I feel weird because I don't need to direct you to a stickie post. :blush:

    I feel cheated without a link.
  • SlayLikeAWarrior
    SlayLikeAWarrior Posts: 89 Member
    @NovusDies, it looks like you have weighed your chances and willing to take the dive. The only way to learn and be successful is by taking risks and learn from the outcome. Good luck my friend!
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Sunday started my 4 month maintenance/recomp period. This is part of my overall plan to be over-prepared for full-time maintenance... assuming that is possible.

    For several months now I have been working on habits, NEAT improvement, and trying to consider my strategy. It helped me to stop thinking of this as preparing for maintenance and start thinking of it as self-improvement and not just with regards to weight management and fitness. I have been building other good habits because I believe good habits breed the same. If I am going to fit more exercise into my day I need a stronger habit base to improve time management. If I am going to maintain my accountability and make mindful decisions I need to understand how to establish better habits and environment to reduce temptation.

    I have increased both my NEAT and my exercise calories. I have overshot my goal there but I suspect that will scale back down some over time.

    As it stands my plan is to do 4 months of maint/recomp, return to a deficit for a couple of months, and then do another 4 months. After that I am sure I will be ready to finish my weight loss phase.

    I know it won't feel exactly the same because I will always know this is ending and real maintenance is forever but I want to simulate it as much as possible. I want to feel like I will have a good handle on this because going back to my morbid obese life just can't be an option.

    Right now I think I will continue with my practice of banking some calories for the weekend. That seems ridiculous at this calorie level but I really have no need for so many during the work week. I don't want to start drinking weekly or even monthly but I never intended to push alcohol so far out of my system so banking gives me an opportunity there too.

    I appreciate any wisdom offered.

    Bro, why in the *kitten* do you think you will have problems on maintenance? You seem to be smart and fairly resilient. You got this.

    I was in a prison of my own fat. It created disabilities from which I am now free. I am allowed to be afraid of regaining. More importantly this is not a new thought. When I thought I might do this months ago it immediately felt right. I may not listen to my body that much but I do trust my instincts.

    I am also very aware that for the foreseeable future the thought of bulking will not sit well with me. I also know that if I lost all my weight right this minute I still won't be happy with my aesthetics because my fitness level is still too low. I have spare fat so I might as well try to convert some of it to muscle.

    I have roughly 25 pounds left to lose. I am in a good place and in no hurry. Unless I get news from a doctor that puts a priority back on losing weight I see no harm in this approach.

    We are more alike than we are different. I have been through all of that and am continuing to fight my fears slowly. Anytime you need to chat, send me a message. Us "big" boys who have lost insane amounts of weight need to stick together.