Maintenance Thread

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  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    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
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    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
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    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
    BirdieM Posts: 791 Member
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    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
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    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
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
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    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
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    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
    barty Posts: 729
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    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
    kath711 Posts: 712 Member
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    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
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    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
    Bermudabarbie Posts: 568 Member
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    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
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    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
    Bermudabarbie Posts: 568 Member
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    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
    lobster888 Posts: 861 Member
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    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
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    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. :love: Sorry, but I do enjoy a real slice of pizza more than my whole wheat home baked version!:laugh:
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    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
    barty Posts: 729
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    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
    hungrymarathongirl Posts: 444 Member
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    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
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    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
    barty Posts: 729
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    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:

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