my experience with maintaining 6 months in

kennyh75

It's a challenge, certainly....

I think the worst part was the minor "bounce back" gain, which is apparently typical... I was down to 178, about 65 pounds over 8 months lost, which frankly was a bit too skinny, and went to maintenance..

I think the key is just overcoming the psychological fear of gaining. I gained about 5 pounds in the ensuing month or so, though it also might have been a daily fluctuation... that still scared the sh%t out of me... the good news is I weighed myself yesterday and I'm back to 180, even though I clearly have become a bit more liberal in my eating habits, though always logging.

omma_to_3

I saw something online (so not sure if it's correct or not) that once you go back to maintenance, your body is able to replenish your glycogen stores which have probably been depleted by calorie deficits while working out. And that may lead to an initial 3 to 5 pound gain. Makes sense, though not sure if it's accurate.

jenniferlayten34

I recently lost a significant amount of weight too. Do you know of anyway to keep the weight you lost maintained, because I think maintain it is harder than loosing it. When you loose weight everyone is in a hurry to compliment you, but then you loose the weight and it seems like family members try to give you the green light to go back to your eating habits that caused weight gain. Like, "You deserve it." or "It is just one little piece of cake, it won't hurt you."

teamnevergoingback

I recently lost a significant amount of weight too. Do you know of anyway to keep the weight you lost maintained, because I think maintain it is harder than loosing it. When you loose weight everyone is in a hurry to compliment you, but then you loose the weight and it seems like family members try to give you the green light to go back to your eating habits that caused weight gain. Like, "You deserve it." or "It is just one little piece of cake, it won't hurt you."

I think the best way to do it is not think of yourself as on a diet, making it a lifestyle change. Your new habits over time will not be new anymore, they turn into current habits and just a way of life. I have kept of 45 pounds for 4 months now by NOT going back to how I was. I changed one small thing a week until it stuck. Make your family see that your are different. How about, you deserve a nice massage, not cake! Haha.

kennyh75

It's absolutely more difficult to maintain then to lose. Besides the psychological hangups I mentioned earlier,... it's frankly, not as fun (the complements stop, there really is no "goal" per se)....


My advice is simple? Keep logging and focus on fitness goals, like running... I ran a 5K in 26:42 yesterday... it was awesome!

Marylisssy

That's a great idea, rewarding yourself most the time with something else other than food!!!!! I'll keep that one posted!!!!!

lporter229

Remember too, that life is full of peaks and valleys. Over the long haul, you may have some ups and downs. The key is to not ever let it spiral out of control. It's much easier to lose 10 lbs over again than 100 lbs. I have an "Oh no" weight limit set for myself. If I ever see myself approaching that weight, I know it's time to spring into action. This method has served me well since I was a teen ager.

gatorginger

I've been maintaining for quite some time now and I find it rather easy. I do have occasional cheat days and of course I gain a pound or two when I do that but all I do it knock off 300 calories the next day from my maintenance calories and I can lose the weight from my cheat day within a couple of days. I look at it as a lifestyle change and so far it has worked well for me.

flumi_f

I've been maintaining for quite some time now and I find it rather easy. I do have occasional cheat days and of course I gain a pound or two when I do that but all I do it knock off 300 calories the next day from my maintenance calories and I can lose the weight from my cheat day within a couple of days. I look at it as a lifestyle change and so far it has worked well for me.

I think, this is absolutely a good strategy! Good job to all maintainers!

I saw this link in another posted topic. It's an eye opener. A docu 'why is it so difficult to maintain' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A. They say weightloss goes over diet, maintaining over exercise. After watching the video, I better understand why.

wmbrett

I'm only a few months into maintenance - but here is what I've changed since I've started my weight loss, and hope to keep for the indefinite future:

1. I've paid much more attention to portion sizes - especially when it comes to cheese and chips;
2. I exercise just about every early morning on the elliptical while working my way through various Netflix TV Series;
3. Although I never gave up beer, I have certainly changed the way I drink beer - I start with a great micro-brew, but then move to much lighter beers.
4. I eat healthier foods, healthier chips and dips, vegetables and dips, and healthier meals;
5. I eat a great breakfast sandwich every morning full of eggs, sausage, ham, and various cheeses - starts my day off right (I used to just skip breakfast);
6. I use a FitBit and try to get at least 17,000 steps per day (elliptical included) and get outdoors much more often to walk for the enjoyment of it;
7. I still log everything on MFP - I've been doing everything on MFP for about a year, and yes, logging gets old, but it keeps me honest and keeps my cheating in check.

JenRunTriHappyGirl

I have been mainintaining since April.... 6 months now. I am not finding it to be that difficult. I know what food choices I used to make and I just won't do it anymore. I also have maintained steady fitness goals.... completed my first triathlon last weekend. Now, I am registered for my first half marathon. That helps me a lot because I can't really eat bad and slack on the workouts too much since I have an event coming up. When I first started this, it was a diet. Now that I am in maintenance, I realize much more that it really is a lifestyle. I even tell myself that I can go to Wendy's and get a pretzel cheeseburger with fries.... then I go to Wendy's and I order a small chili and a side salad. I give myself days off where I do not count.... like this Sunday is my son's birthday and I am not going to worry about it too much.... just pay attention to how much I am eating. But even on those days, I still eat realitively healthy.

kborton1122

I've been on maintenance since May and am finding it difficult as well. I've put on 5-7 lbs. My body seems to be maintaining at the new "gained" weight, but I really want to go back to my goal as I feel better there.

So I keep plugging on in hopes to get back to that number and stay within a couple of pounds of it. I just want to be able to keep the jeans size that I am currently in and be comfortable in them (not tight). Most people think 5-7 lbs is no big deal, but it does make a difference in how my clothes fit me.