Maintenance Thread

MacMadame

I've been out of town.

So the not logging anything has been interesting. My weight is the same but my body is getting scrawny. I think I am still losing fat and gaining muscle. I have been doing some pretty heavy strength training lately because I want more muscle, but I don't want my bones to stick out either. I guess I'll see what happens.

DeeDeeLHF

MacMadame, You look amazing! I can't believe your weigh tloss. You are the one who inspires me to think that 122 might not be where I want to stop.

MacMadame

Definitely don't "settle" with your goal weight. OTOH, it's more important to achieve a "happy" weight than an "ideal" weight. Sometimes they can be the same though and that's always nice.

BirdieM

I weigh myself on Wednesdays so today was my "check in" day on the scale. I maintained the same weight. :bigsmile: Have a great day all!!!:flowerforyou:
BirdieM:drinker:

jillybeanruns

Hey everyone! Can I join in?

I put myself on maintenance at the end of June when I hit 120 but then stopped logging my food and gained and shot up to 125.8 (September 1).I decided that for me it wasn't worth it to keep hanging on to 120 being my goal. So in the last month, I've decided to just maintain in the 120-125 range and what do you know, I've shot down to 121.6. I'm happy where I am now!

I've having trouble eating enough to maintain though. I've been doing some serious running and I eat about 100-120g of protein a day and a good 30g of fiber and I'm just full.

Does anyone else have any issues with actually eating it all? I love to eat and my maintenance is 1580. I can get to the 1580 but I can't get beyond 1800 in a day on days where I burn off quite a bit.

millerll

My weight fluctuates a lot, even now that I'm on maintenance. I've been sick with a nasty cold the last 2 weeks. :sick: I didn't go to the gym at all last week and could barely get through work. I tried hard to keep to my calorie goal, but I lost my appetite and ended up losing about 4 pounds last week. :noway: I'm on the mend now, though, and so far I'm back to around 125, which is my goal. I was worried about gaining last week since I couldn't exercise, but I pulled through. I'm still a little weak, so my workouts haven't been stellar, but at least I'm back in the gym. And my appetite has returned, which is of course a double-edged sword! I'm just making sure to eat really clean for a while to get my health back on track. Have a great (and healthy) weekend! :drinker:

DeeDeeLHF

Great job Birdie!

Miller, I hope that you are fully well soon. It is so hard to take those breaks when we don't feel well and harder still to go back to the gym or routine not feeling as strong as you did before. Amazing that you are still losing!

I am thinking of dropping off this thread because as soon as I was within a pound of my goal, I started gaining. I can never really figure that out. I am under calories most days and exercising. I mix things up with exercise, never doing the same thing too long,and toss in an over calorie day about every 7-10 days. Plus, now after being here for awhile, I am reconsidering my goals.

I will be ecstatic to join a maintenance thread but I need to earn it first.

Best of luck ladies. You all rock and inspire me greatly!!!

D

barty

Hi, well this week has been much better and i'm back down to 119.5 so only 0.5 above my goal weight :bigsmile:

DeeDee Dont leave us :noway: !!!!!!! My weight is up and down (many more ups) you are so close to your goal, hang on in there and it will suddenly drop off ..... this maintenance thing is a tricky business....... seems easier to keep loosing than to maintain lol

kath711

124.5 this week and have no idea why i did not gain cause ate awful this week and had to skip two days i normally exercise for other commitments. maybe mixing it up kept my body guessing!

DeeDee, dont leave. I believe we all struggle to maintain and that is why we are here and not totally off of MFP. I truly think if i was to drop off i would starting really gaining again. Anyway, most of us have a range to stay within about so if you are close, i believe that is part of maintenance.

DeeDeeLHF

Thanks guys, I think I am just so frustrated right now. My pattern is to maintain a weight for about 5-6 weeks then suddenly lose 3 pounds on week 7 and 8 but then slowly gain another pound back only to maintain that weight for another 5-6 weeks. I have been doing this for two years so you would think i would get it but every time I start losing suddenly, I have this delusion of grandeur that it might continue! So, this time when it started I was hoping to hit my goal, only to stop short by 1.5 pounds! So with that extra pound added in again, my ticker says 3 pounds to go.

It is also frustrating to see that maybe 122 is too high for my goal weight and that I might want to re-evaluate that. To be honest, it scares me! I thought that this season of dieting was coming to an end and that maintenance would be easier. Instead, I am looking at another year of doing this. (For 5 years now, I have averaged 10-12 pounds lost). I just saw pictures of myself from Saturdays birthday celebrations (my daughter turned 11) and I didn't like what I saw. In my mind I am thinner than what I saw.

In my minor freak out, I have had a terrible weekend. I have felt like a bottomless pit and have had access to too much party food!

I am tired.

Maybe I will take a month off from even trying to lose. Maybe I will increase my calories to 1500 and just keep exercising. Take sometime off and then go back at it right December 1st.

Sigh...

Sorry to be such a downer. It is not my norm to be so down about all of this.

D

Bermudabarbie

You are not being a "downer." You are going from personal, actual experience.

I think that I, too, am at my "goal weight." I started on MFP with just a small goal. However, I have been battling weight loss on and off for my entire life. I was a plump girl and teenager. Lost in University. Watched myself like a hawk in my 20s because of the job I held. Started to "put in on" in my 30s. Reached over 200 pounds and a size 18W. That was it. Went down slowly over about 5 years. And then came to MFP. I admit that I am thin now. But I am not obsessing as some think over these last few pounds.

I am just so afraid that I will put the weight back. It's scary. My face looked better when I was heavier, but I like the lower weight and how my clothes fit now. It is not as easy as people think to transition to Maintenance. I still feel I am "one candy bar" away from disaster. It's going to take a little getting used to.

DeeDeeLHF

You are not being a "downer." You are going from personal, actual experience.

I think that I, too, am at my "goal weight." I started on MFP with just a small goal. However, I have been battling weight loss on and off for my entire life. I was a plump girl and teenager. Lost in University. Watched myself like a hawk in my 20s because of the job I held. Started to "put in on" in my 30s. Reached over 200 pounds and a size 18W. That was it. Went down slowly over about 5 years. And then came to MFP. I admit that I am thin now. But I am not obsessing as some think over these last few pounds.

I am just so afraid that I will put the weight back. It's scary. My face looked better when I was heavier, but I like the lower weight and how my clothes fit now. It is not as easy as people think to transition to Maintenance. I still feel I am "one candy bar" away from disaster. It's going to take a little getting used to.

Barbie!! That is exactly how I feel!!!! It has taken 5 very long years for me too to take it off and I am so afraid of returning to it. I feel like there is a stack of dominoes all lined up and if I accidentally tip one, it will all fall and I will be fat again. It was soooo easy to get fat and sooooo hard to become un-fat! I feel like I want that buffer. It isn't that I am really dissatisfied with my current weight, it is that I am afraid of every pound that fluctuates upward!

D

Bermudabarbie

Donna -- I understand fully. I've even taken a break from commenting on a regular, daily basis to all my MFP friends. I have new photos, but I am reluctant to post them as it does look like I am on the slim side, but, somehow I am not 100% there.

I look at some of the gals and guys who have made great strides. They've not only lost huge amounts but are in super, healthy shape -- running -- doing intense work outs, etc. I am still just trying to "balance" my foods so I reach my calories intake without going over my sugars, fats and sodium.

This is a great site. I want to continue to be active and to help others. But somehow I feel somewhat of a fraud.

Takes concentration and application and focus. I'll get there!

Thanks, everyone, for your support.

lobster888

Hey everyone! I am back from my honeymoon and ready to get back on track!! I did pretty good considering - high end of range but have there before lol. Really happy to see all the post on this thread! Will be logging in and posting here!!

DeeDeeLHF

Hey everyone! I am back from my honeymoon and ready to get back on track!! I did pretty good considering - high end of range but have there before lol. Really happy to see all the post on this thread! Will be logging in and posting here!!

Congratulations! The pictures are beautiful! what a happy day!

My husband and I went away for a week back in May to celebrate our 25th anniversary and I was pleased that I gained very little. After a week I was back where I started. The eating out and different foods added a lot of sodium and water retention. It was nice to have a bit of a break. If we weren't lying on the beach we tried to stay really active with walks and bike riding.

Welcome home!

Barbie: I really do understand. I keep trying to figure out when this "lifestyle" thing is going to happen to me! I want to live a certain way but my addiction to the pleasures of the old ways still lingers and taunts me. Sorry, but I do enjoy a real slice of pizza more than my whole wheat home baked version!:laugh:

MacMadame

Hey everyone, I'm back... I'm not tracking my food right now so I'm not around as much.

So far I've been doing really well not tracking. I've even gotten smaller and had to give away some of by biggest pants!

barty

Hey everyone! I am back from my honeymoon and ready to get back on track!! I did pretty good considering - high end of range but have there before lol. Really happy to see all the post on this thread! Will be logging in and posting here!!

Wow!!! you look amazing........ congratulations........ well done.....and welcome back

hungrymarathongirl

I hope its not too late to join. What a great idea for a maintenance group. I have been struggling with this since I reached my goal weight a few months again. I usually bounce back between 109 - 114. I have found that maintaining is much hard than losing ever was!

DeeDeeLHF

WElcome Mom2jh. Of course it is not too late to join, anyone is welcome.

Thanks everyone, I do want to stay, I was just feeling discouraged.

D

barty

HI, mom2jh welcome and I know exactly what you mean..... losing weight is easier than maintaining......I'm up from 119.5 last week to 121 this week (it was all my own fault though :grumble: ) i'm trying to stick around the 119 mark !!!

DeeDee, sooooo glad to hear your staying :drinker: we all get discouraged lol.

Good Luck to everyone with trying to maintain :bigsmile:

kath711

I have been doing terrible these last couple weeks. So much going on with kids and halloween and cant even find time to exercise. Also did not get to weigh this week either as I weigh at the gym but kind of glad I dont know! I was within about 2 pounds of maintenance but now creeping back up. Gonna get back on it after Sunday (halloween). Have a great weekend and dont eat too many treats!!

MacMadame

I'm up today ... at the top of my allowed range. I hardly drank anything over the weekend so I'm sure that didn't help.

tjf9

I'd like to join in here too, if that's ok.

My name is Tonya and I lost 75 pounds in 2006-2007. Since then I've been plus or minus 7 pounds from that point, currently on the plus side and trying to get back to the minus side. I've taken up cycling (racing) and want to get my weight down a little further than before so I can get up the hills faster! So I'll be hanging out here until I at least get to minus 7 (126 pounds), with a goal of getting to minus 13.

I restarted in earnest last Monday (right after my birthday) and managed not to have any halloween candy. I'm focusing this week on staying in touch with my hunger and not eating just because I'm bored or tired.

I look forward to connecting with others in maintenance!

lobster888

Still trying to get back in the groove.... I did get up and exercise this morning and plan on going to my spin class tonight. So hard to get back in the routine after being out of it. Hard to log in everyday too. Afraid to weigh myself - really afraid!! Just trying to get back in the routine of exercise and logging in. Then I will worry about weight!!! I have to get a grip because I don't want to gain all the weight back and the holidays are right around the corner YIPES!!! Maybe I will go online and order my power 1/2 . I seem to get motivated with new exercise routines. HELP!!!

MacMadame

So based on my cycles... I expected to shed a bunch of water weight and it looks like it's started today. :happy:

I'm trying to decide if I need to log again. I want to make sure I get enough protein every day and it's hard to do that without logging, but I'm also sick of eating to the numbers instead of to my hunger and what my body is trying to tell me. I am thinking about just writing things down in a notebook to keep a running total of the protein. It's almost as much work as MFP but it doesn't cause the craziness than logging everything here does.

DeeDeeLHF

I have a hunch that logging might be something I do for the rest of my life!!! Not sure I know yet how to maintain.

D

tjf9

I have a hunch that logging might be something I do for the rest of my life!!! Not sure I know yet how to maintain.

D

I thought I would track forever too, but eventually it died away. The key is to know when it's time to pick it back up again. I had to kick it into gear last week, but then spent the weekend in a place with no internet and no cell coverage. I didn't track online, but I did have a mental tally going and knew how much I could and couldn't eat. I came home to a loss. Now that I have internet again, I'm right back to logging and it's having the desired effect!

Make sure you have a rock solid monitoring plan and you know what to do when the scale creeps up. You'll do great!

tjf9

So based on my cycles... I expected to shed a bunch of water weight and it looks like it's started today. :happy:

I'm trying to decide if I need to log again. I want to make sure I get enough protein every day and it's hard to do that without logging, but I'm also sick of eating to the numbers instead of to my hunger and what my body is trying to tell me. I am thinking about just writing things down in a notebook to keep a running total of the protein. It's almost as much work as MFP but it doesn't cause the craziness than logging everything here does.

Personally, I log if I'm trying to hit a goal, but that doesn't work for everyone. If you know how much protein is in the food you eat, can you just track that number by itself - no logging, just a tally? Might be easier...

tjf9

Still trying to get back in the groove.... I did get up and exercise this morning and plan on going to my spin class tonight. So hard to get back in the routine after being out of it. Hard to log in everyday too. Afraid to weigh myself - really afraid!! Just trying to get back in the routine of exercise and logging in. Then I will worry about weight!!! I have to get a grip because I don't want to gain all the weight back and the holidays are right around the corner YIPES!!! Maybe I will go online and order my power 1/2 . I seem to get motivated with new exercise routines. HELP!!!

When I'm really not motivated, I try to pick just one thing to improve and focus on that for 2 weeks. If exercise is an easy place to start, just hit your goals there for 2 weeks. Then weigh yourself. You'll already be feeling the success of the exercise, and it will hopefully put you in a mindset to be able to manage your weight differently, if that's what you need to do. Good luck!

BirdieM

Still trying to get back in the groove.... I did get up and exercise this morning and plan on going to my spin class tonight. So hard to get back in the routine after being out of it. Hard to log in everyday too. Afraid to weigh myself - really afraid!! Just trying to get back in the routine of exercise and logging in. Then I will worry about weight!!! I have to get a grip because I don't want to gain all the weight back and the holidays are right around the corner YIPES!!! Maybe I will go online and order my power 1/2 . I seem to get motivated with new exercise routines. HELP!!!

Sometimes when I don't want to get weighed:noway: is exactly when I should get weighed. :ohwell: The stress of NOT knowing can make you eat.:frown: Today I got weighed and thought I had gained weight and I stayed the same.:bigsmile:
Good luck and beautiful pictures.:flowerforyou:
BirdieM:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: