GOAL ZONE Maintenance chat
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@jugar - I feel a strong connection to Canada because my father was a hockey player and coach. It’s too bad you haven’t been able to see your family or play music with other musicians, but it seems we’ve moved into another scary phase of the pandemic here in the U.S. so I understand the caution in traveling. Canada seems to be managing the spread well, according to my Canadian friend who lives here but has traveled to Canada to help her son settle into college there.
My sister is a nurse, and her husband is chief of medicine at a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and I worry about the toll that the extra stress of the pandemic is having on them. I feel as though we are so fortunate to have an ample supply of vaccines in the U.S. and people are putting the frontline workers in danger. I’m glad they are starting the booster shots for people who are more vulnerable - and hope they allow the booster for medical workers (and other frontline workers) soon. Some of them received their first vaccine in December 2020 and I think the booster is usually recommended within 6 months. Anyway, I respect other people’s decision - and don’t want to stir up controversy - but I hope we can reduce this latest spike in positive cases. On the positive side, I feel safe in my community and I’m glad we are starting to see more vaccines shared across the globe.
I really didn’t mean to ramble on about current affairs so I’ll provide my (originally) intended update below and just add that it sounds as though you’ve found the perfect pace and lifestyle for you and your family to thrive. Good for you! … and thank you for hosting this space so others can find the balance and success that works for each of us. I appreciate your insights and thoughtful comments based on the experience you’ve gained through your own personal success. Thanks again!2 -
I’m getting closer to the Goal Zone - Maintenance.
Today, I just about hit my goal weight, but it will likely take a few weeks to settle there. Usually, I wait for three ‘data points’ at a particular weight because of daily fluctuations. It’s good to see some progress though…
It was quite a big jump from Friday (126.8) and Saturday (127) to suddenly move to today’s weight (125.2). I participated in a rowing competition (informal, somewhat beginner level) but there is no way I burned that many calories in one day. In fact, I thought I went over my calorie target on Friday and I didn’t move much at all because it was an intentional rest day before the race day. At first, I was committed to rowing on Friday morning with my usual group at the local boathouse, but the weather was terrible. So, the coach told us to workout on our own. In the end, I think I made the right decision to rest because we won all three races!
I don’t race much but a summer session ended at the boathouse that adopted our group during the pandemic. Since our boathouse was closed, many of us learned to scull (two oars) in individual boats instead of the 8-person sweep rowing (one oar each) so we could maintain distance between people.
Now, the ‘new’ boathouse (on a different river in Washington, DC) has reintroduced sweep rowing and they didn’t have enough rowers to fill their boat. So, I joined with 7 other rowers and we practiced once together on Thursday before racing on Saturday. I was in the ‘stroke’ seat, which sets the pace, and I felt a bit responsible for the outcome. Even though it was an informal event to ‘cap off’ the summer session, I didn’t want to let the team down, especially since I was the person most ‘outside’ the usual group. So, I’m relieved that we performed reasonably well as far as the rowing technique and pace goes for our level. We really challenged ourselves to row at a faster rate and I was really tired after we had finished … satisfied but completely out of energy for the rest of the day. I cooked a nice dinner and relaxed!0 -
Correction: I mistakenly referred to the third shot in the COVID-19 vaccination series as a ‘booster’ shot; but, I just learned that the booster shot is different and will likely cover new variants of the virus. I just don’t want to contribute any misinformation. I apologize for the error in terms. 😬0
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@PatriceFitnessPal
What an exciting race you had - it is such a challenge to try something new under that kind of pressure, but it sure sounds like you rose to the occasion. Your big jump down in weight sounds pretty normal to me after an intense cardio workout like that - well done! And don't worry about your terminology error - I am sure that people understood what you were getting at, but it is good you made it clear. Thanks!1 -
I was able to reach my goal weight and maintain it for the past week. So, I’m checking in with the GOAL ZONE Maintenance Group.
Are there some active members here? I think there are at least 3-4 of us based on recent responses. How are things going for you?
I appreciate the insights and advice offered in earlier posts. I’m working to incorporate what I learned from you all, as I continue to solidify good nutrition and exercise habits. Thank you for all the great contributions you make to the MFP community!0 -
It has been pretty quiet here for sure! I think the most important thing is to stay active on your team, and then this group is secondary in some ways.
I have been doing all right - a bit up from where I'd like to be, but not over the top of my "zone". I'm sure it will get back down again - it has just been much too fun to snack more than usual lately, and I'm in the kitchen a lot as my vegetable garden winds down and is giving me WAY too much to do there. I freeze a lot of soup, sauce, pesto, and individual veggies, so it is a ton of work. And now the apples - we have a few apple trees as well, and I have never seen them so laden. Sigh. Lots of jelly and applesauce already done, but much more to come. I am inviting everyone I can think of to come over and pick apples. And take them away. So that I never have to see them again.
One question I'm going to bring up in my team is about making a meal end. I am sure I am not alone in loving to eat! But once I get started, I want to stay there and eat something else, and then another something. Even when I plan the meal, sometimes it is hard to draw the line, stop eating, and get on with the day. Way back when, while I was still searching for a way to lose weight that actually worked, I tried meal replacement shakes for a while. It did not last long because I'd much rather having something to chew on, but one thing I liked is that once the shake was gone, the meal was over. It was simple. I feel like I need to re-visit ways to end a meal easily and definitely. Usually it is not a problem, but now that I am not working (I'm retired), there are no schedule constraints. Some things that work - tea (or herbal tea) to end it; make a phone call as soon as the planned food is done; brush teeth,,, I'd love to hear what anyone else does. Thanks!0 -
@jugar — I have wonderful memories of apple picking with my family in the fall season so the image of your trees and garden made me smile.
I like to end a meal with a cup of tea, as you noted. The German tradition of taking an after-dinner walk is something I always aspire to incorporate into my day but I have never been able to get it going. I think the translation of Verdauungsspaziergang is something like ‘a walk to help digest a meal’. My dog loves it when I can make it work!
When I was younger, we always had dessert so I had to replace that habit. Sometimes I’ll eat one small chocolate - or a couple of pieces of dried mango - with my tea but I’m trying to limit my sugar intake. So, a simple cup of tea or brushing my teeth works best for now.2 -
I am still 20+ pounds from my proposed maintenance weight, but reading these posts has been so inspirational! I've read a couple of pages at each end, but will gnaw my way through all of them over the next few days.
So inspirational!! Well done everybody!! I am so impressed!0 -
I am still 20+ pounds from my proposed maintenance weight, but reading these posts has been so inspirational! I've read a couple of pages at each end, but will gnaw my way through all of them over the next few days.
So inspirational!! Well done everybody!! I am so impressed!
It is great to see you here! Getting prepared for maintenance and not just thinking of it as the goal, done and dusted - you will know what you're getting into in the next phase. You know - the one that will last for the rest of your life! I'm finding this month's challenge to cut out all the processed, artificial, refined foods is helping me off the brink of a bad slip. I'm right back into my maintenance zone, and feeling much calmer now.
So come back any time!1 -
@LaurieWrobo - Do you use this space to support you while working to maintain your MFP goals? I haven’t had a chance to sift through previous messages but I thought it might be a good place for you to connect with people who have achieved their initial weight goal and face similar challenges adjusting to this new ‘phase’ — sustaining change.
In October, I commented that I like to finish a meal with a cup of tea or one small sweet snack. Recently, I’ve had trouble limiting the portion to a small amount, for example, eating 2-3 mini chocolate snacks instead of stopping after eating just one. Extra candy, left over from Halloween, was the culprit. In mid-November, my husband was traveling so my meals were less structured and then my son came home for a visit from college and I bought additional ‘treats.’ The candy and other items are almost gone now - and my exercise group is starting up again after a three week break - so today feels like a reset day.
I joined a short 30-minute yoga session and plan to visit the local gym for 30 minutes of cardio. So far, I’m on track with my nutrition goals and I’m going to make an appointment for a DEXA scan now so I can use the baseline results to help set my body decomposition goals for the coming year. I hope others are doing well and I hope you’ll check in when you get a chance to share an update on your progress and/ or what you’re learning.0 -
Ending a meal is a great topic. It is good to make it almost a ritual, but then it gets stale and a new one is in order! I find a good astringent tea helps (herbal or green), but sometimes it is good old pre-logging and knowing that this bit is the END of the meal, or brushing teeth, or even some kind of pickle.
This space is a good one for specific maintenance issues, but I find that most things can continue in the teams as well. It is not very different, losing vs maintaining. As much as we would like it to be!0 -
December has been very quiet here in the Zone! Let's be sure to drop in to share what we might need to tweak, any ideas that have helped, surprises that have happened, and how it is going for maintenance. Suggestions for how to make F2F better for those who are maintaining are certainly welcome
Almost 2022! Wow.0 -
It's pretty quiet in here. How is everyone doing with maintenance? I just reached my actual goal number of 122. My zone is 118-126. 8 pounds seems reasonable.
My name is Debra. I am 49 years old and 5 feet tall (tall?) ok- whatever. I started in this group in June of last year. 7 months to lose 37 pounds. I may tweak the weight down just a bit for a cushion in that 8 pounds, but I don't know. I'm comfortable at 122 right now. If it goes lower, great, but if not, I'll be happy in my zone.
I joined a gym and have been slowly easing back into running after a knee injury.
I enjoy crafting and spending time with my grandbabies. I have a 4th one due next month. Their current ages are 2, 1, and 5 months. I also enjoy spending time on my little hobby farm. I have no idea how many chickens I have. I think it's more than 50 but less than 100. (The first rule of raising chickens is to NEVER actually count your chickens). I also have 11 turkeys, 3 ducks, 1 emu, 2 ferrets, 17 cats, 5 dogs, and 3 goats.
I work full time as Field Activity Support Team member for Tractor Supply Company.
I have a busy day ahead of me today with getting ready for some winter weather. I live in Georgia. We do not have harsh winters here. Tomorrow is not supposed to get much higher than freezing for the high temperature.
I'm off to feed and start dragging hay bales.
Happy Saturday!0 -
Thanks for the intro Debra @IDebraK !
I love getting to know a bit about everyone, and to figure out this maintenance stuff together. I am also around 5' short (!) maybe 5'1" first thing in the morning standing tall.
I think your range is good for now - when I lost around the same amount as you, I stopped at 120-125 for a year. It took 9 months to lose the weight, and the low 120s felt great. After that time, I have slowly brought it down to 112-117, and that is now working really well. My doc used to say 110, but I'm just hungry all the time as soon as I hit 113 and I think things are just peachy right around 115. Right now I'm going through the usual winter high, but it will go back down as soon as the temps get back up to something milder. Right now, we're having below zero (Fahrenheit) temps a lot, so a little extra weight helps to keep warm out there. I go snowshoeing most days, and luckily I love the winter.
Your farm sounds great! I used to have quite a few critters, although not that many. Then I met my taller half who has severe allergic asthma and I had to give it up. I really miss them, but ended up with 2 amazing kids who are now 25 and 29, so I guess the trade was worth it. I still hang out with and on horses whenever possible, and I even have a "contaminated" car so that my husband can get into our clean car. It makes going riding much easier - just shower at home and not worry about the hair in the car. I just saw a video of someone who is selling a horse - she was riding in her arena and there was an emu who kept running in there and dashing around. The horse was not bothered in the least! It was pretty funny. Emus are such odd looking beasts!
Happy hay dragging
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@jugar - Emus are so funny. One of the chickens ran out of her pen while we were putting in hay. While we were chasing that chicken, Emu was just doing zoomies all over the yard. I wish I would have videoed that, but I was laughing so hard I couldn't even stand up. Her name is Emu. LOL Officially, it's Julia, but we call her Emu.
I got lucky with my partner. He's as much of a bunny hugger as I am. We had some hay left over from all of the coops so we gave 2 bales to his sister's horses. The old one is 35. He is just precious. I have never actually had horses, but I do enjoy spending time with them.
I can't imagine negative temperatures. We are expecting rain and then snow. I believe the accumulation is supposed to be about a half inch. There is NO bread at the grocery store. LOL
My doctor hasn't really suggested a weight for me. He's pleased about the weight loss, but when I got down to 130 he just said that he would not call me over weight.
In my head, I want to try for 119. It's more of a mental challenge to see if I can do it. If I actually do it, I could tweak the goal. Right now, I want to just stay in the zone.
Food is not too hard. I'm gluten free anyway, so carb control is set by my intestines. I don't eat what they don't like. I had to kick the sugar. Peanut butter cups are my nemesis. When I need a sugar rush, I grab a banana now.
It's nice to meet you and get this maintenance thing rolling.1 -
Weight is up a little this week. From 121.8 to 124. I'm still in my zone. Eating hasn't really changed much. I did get in a few more carbs than usual. I also added weights to my workout. Not too long ago, I had to buy new clothes. When this journey started, I was in a size 16. I didn't buy clothes until I was in an 8. I bought them about 2 months ago. Yesterday, I had to wear a belt with the 8s. I can pull the waistband about 6 inches from my body. My boyfriend made the comment that maybe I had gained muscle. Then he said what everyone says, "Muscle weighs more than fat." I had to assure him that 1 pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as 1 pound of fat. A pound is a pound. However, I do know that muscle is more dense, and a pound of muscle takes up less space than fat. So his theory could be correct. Maybe the muscle is the reason for the gain. I'm 3 weeks into the weight training. My clothes are loose.
I love the little Fitbit badges and am trying for the 30,000 steps in one day badge right now. That equates to about 13.5 miles in one day. It's doable. I have decided to reward myself with the Fitbit Versa 3 when I hit that 119 pounds and the 30,000. I currently have the Versa 2. The only real difference in the two is that the Versa 3 had built in GPS, so I won't have to use my Garmin on runs.
I'm trying figure out how to make a run playlist right now. In the past, I've had my Ipod nano or used the runkeeper app. I'm doing the C25K to not blow this knee out. Keeping my pace at a 10 minute mile has been challenging. Before the knee injury, my furthest distance was a 30K. When I complete the C25K, I plan to sign up for an actual 5K race and keep the 10 minute mile pace.
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Building muscle almost always puts on weight - some of it temporary. As you stress a muscle to make it stronger, it holds more water to heal the micro tears the work produces. That always makes a little spike for a bit after a hard workout. Recovery days are important!
I'm seriously impressed with your running! I, too, had to change a lot of things after a knee injury about 9 years ago. I don't run, but I sure put in the miles on snowshoes, hiking, and horseback. The horseback riding was the hardest adjustment. For many months I could not put any weight on that leg with the knee even slightly bent, so putting weight into a stirrup was out of the question. My daughter, luckily, had the most amazing horse for riding bareback and I got a super bareback pad that make things comfy for his backbone and my butt. For a year, that was my fun - and it did great things for my riding. It was hard healing from that injury in all kinds of ways, but that one was the best!
Playlists? I'm kind of useless on those, but use the pre-made ones on spotify or whatever streaming thing. You can download them for offline use if you have a paid account.0 -
I can't believe that I did it! Actually went over a bit!
I just love the little badges and stuff with the Fitbit. It says my next challenge is 50 floors in one day. Guess I'll be on the stair climber next. LOL
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@jugar ... I love riding horses! I haven't been riding in years.
I have not been riding since the summer - the horse I was supposed to have permanently as of May (the one in my photo black with the white spotted blanket) is not going to be mine for the next year at least, it seems. I'm so sad! He is an amazing horse, and I miss him a lot. My daughter and I kept him for years for his owner (he is a breeding stallion) on the understanding that he would be ours when he retired from breeding. He was supposed to retire in May, but the owner's other stallion (she had 2) died, and she has kept "mine" even though he is now 19. He's going strong, doing great, but I don't think I'll end up with him. In the meantime, my daughter has found me a young horse and she is training him for me this coming summer (he will be 3 in April). He is adorable, and I think he'll be a good horse for me. So it is a waiting game... I will have to get riding again this spring if I want to be ready for a youngster, though! Lots of core work, and keeping those legs strong 1
