Maintenance Thread

kath711

124.5 and happy with that.! Have a great weekend all!!

DeeDeeLHF

Hi all, 122.9, so very close to my goal. I think I would still like to see another pound or two gone. A friend said it is a vanity pound! She was right but there is something about seeing those numbers!!! I am willing to be really patient and know that I may not see it for a bit but getting the maintenance part down is more important right now.

I still weigh myself every day...just cannot seem to stop but I am not as hard on myself these days about the eating. I increased my calories to 1400 and I am focusing on exercising more. I want to reach a point where my calories are about the same every day regardless of exercise. I find that if I don't exercise it is just too hard to limit calories too. Usually it is on Sunday that I don't get a work out in and Sundays are such a family day that there is no way that I can limit calories to be at 1200. So after about 10 days at 1400 all seems well. I am maintaining.

And I agree wholeheartedly ladies, that maintenance sort of stinks. I am happy to be here but I did have this delusion that it would be over. I could eat what I want when I want...only to find out that this is a lifetime commitment. I guess that is the "lifestyle" change that everyone keeps talking about.

D

DeeDeeLHF

Hi all,

A friend Cindy, posted this on another thread and I wanted to share it with you as it is so timely!


It is from Shape August 2010:

Q. Over the past three years I've lost 50 pounds, thanks in part to doing six hours of cardio and strength training a week. Now that I'm at my goal, can I cut back?
A. We wish we could tell you yes, but exercise is just as important for keeping the scale steady as it is for losing weight. A study of obese women who had slimmed down found that only those who worked out for an average of 275 minutes per week (about 40 minutes per day) were able to maintain their weight two years later. "When you're thinner, you burn fewer calories all day long because you're not moving as much body mass around, says SHAPE advisory board member Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., an instructor of exercise science at Quincy College in Massachusetts. "If you don't make up for that deficit, you'll gain weight." You can get by with less if you make your workouts harder. "Jogging for 30 minutes burns roughly the same calories as walking for an hour," says Westcott. "Increasing the incline and / or moving faster also cranks up the intensity.


Soooo, I think I finally get it! This idea that we all think that when we lose weight we can then finally kick back and enjoy... After all isn't that why we are losing weight? to enjoy life more??? WRONGO!!! We are losing weight to be healthy!!! Being healthy means that we always need to be aware of what we are feeding our bodies. Healthy means that we will always need to exercise! So this is the real definition of "lifestyle change"!!! I finally get it and most importantly I am finally OK with it.

Thanks!

D

barty

Thanks DeeDeeLHF, well i'm still getting the exercise in but also the junk food at the moment :sad: :sad: :sad: so would have to do all day exercise to burn this lot off :embarassed: Tomorrow is a new day and i am going to try so soo hard to get back on track.... wish me luck

barty

Still not doing so well on the food front !!!! must try harder. Is anyone else still maintaining ???? or am I all alone

kath711

Checking in at 125 today so about the same and grateful that I did not increase a lot over thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday

tattoodfreek

Thanks DeeDeeLHF, well i'm still getting the exercise in but also the junk food at the moment :sad: :sad: :sad: so would have to do all day exercise to burn this lot off :embarassed: Tomorrow is a new day and i am going to try so soo hard to get back on track.... wish me luck

I am still here with you! It's been a rough week with food choices and motivation for me too. I am terrified of the scale. I would not be surprised if I gained 5 pounds in the last two weeks. Back on track so far today though

yvonnej1

I'm finding it hard now the cold weather and short daylight hours are here. Have made a bit more of an effort this week to get back on track and up my veggie intake. I've just made my second lot of soup, spicy parsnip, and it was absolutely delicious. However for the last 2 weeks I've only made it to the gym twice a week instead of my usual 3 times. When I was at my peak of losing weight I was exercising at home on the days I wasn't at the gym but I really don't seem to have the enthusiasm, energy or time at the moment. I'm going to be out of action exercise wise for 2 weeks from the 8th December as well so I need to get on top of my fitness before then so that I don't drop too far.

DeeDeeLHF

Yvonne, I hope you are OK! :flowerforyou:

Barty, you are not alone.

Well, get ready for some good news! On Thanksgiving morning I stepped on the scales and it said 121.7! (122 was my goal). I smiled all day long! The next day just for fun I stepped on it again and it said 121.0! Even better. So, I have arrived! I plan to stick with what I am doing for another month. In January I will re-evaluate the need to get to that elusive 115 that was my very first, unadjusted, original goal. But for now, I will enjoy my success!

I bought a pair of knee high boots on black Friday that actually zipped around my calf and they were super cute...not the fat girl kind with elastic!

For this next month I think 120-123 is a safe range that I would like to maintain.

D

HealthyChanges2010

bump

HealthyChanges2010

Hi all,

A friend Cindy, posted this on another thread and I wanted to share it with you as it is so timely!


It is from Shape August 2010:

Q. Over the past three years I've lost 50 pounds, thanks in part to doing six hours of cardio and strength training a week. Now that I'm at my goal, can I cut back?
A. We wish we could tell you yes, but exercise is just as important for keeping the scale steady as it is for losing weight. A study of obese women who had slimmed down found that only those who worked out for an average of 275 minutes per week (about 40 minutes per day) were able to maintain their weight two years later. "When you're thinner, you burn fewer calories all day long because you're not moving as much body mass around, says SHAPE advisory board member Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., an instructor of exercise science at Quincy College in Massachusetts. "If you don't make up for that deficit, you'll gain weight." You can get by with less if you make your workouts harder. "Jogging for 30 minutes burns roughly the same calories as walking for an hour," says Westcott. "Increasing the incline and / or moving faster also cranks up the intensity.


Soooo, I think I finally get it! This idea that we all think that when we lose weight we can then finally kick back and enjoy... After all isn't that why we are losing weight? to enjoy life more??? WRONGO!!! We are losing weight to be healthy!!! Being healthy means that we always need to be aware of what we are feeding our bodies. Healthy means that we will always need to exercise! So this is the real definition of "lifestyle change"!!! I finally get it and most importantly I am finally OK with it.

Thanks!

D

An excellent reminder for us all! Thanks for sharing her post:flowerforyou:

yvonnej1

Well, get ready for some good news! On Thanksgiving morning I stepped on the scales and it said 121.7! (122 was my goal). I smiled all day long! The next day just for fun I stepped on it again and it said 121.0! Even better. So, I have arrived! I plan to stick with what I am doing for another month. In January I will re-evaluate the need to get to that elusive 115 that was my very first, unadjusted, original goal. But for now, I will enjoy my success!

I bought a pair of knee high boots on black Friday that actually zipped around my calf and they were super cute...not the fat girl kind with elastic!

For this next month I think 120-123 is a safe range that I would like to maintain.

D

Hey that's great, well done :happy:

To explain why I have to take a break from exercise - I have back problems and am having some pain relieving treatment on 8th and then 15th Dec. I have had similar treatment with injections into the joints before and it really helps improve my pain and movement (hence I can exerise more fully) but it is very sore for a good week or so after. I have been told that the treatment I am having this time is more painful in the short term but offers longer lasting results, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

DeeDeeLHF

Yvonne, that sounds really intense!!! I will be sending up a prayer for you!

D

barty

Hello, Well I have had a much better few days and now at 121 pounds so nearly back at goal weight of 119 :happy:

yvonnej1

Hello, Well I have had a much better few days and now at 121 pounds so nearly back at goal weight of 119 :happy:

Well done.

I've tried to be good the last week or so but when I got on the scales last night I had gained a bit, however I usually weigh in the mornings so I'm hoping I can put it down to that!

Bermudabarbie

I'm still maintaining "in my range." I have a range of 133-138. I am not going to adjust the ticker. Just leave it with the 3 pounds to go. It's a little incentive. All together I have lost 84 pounds. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Otherwise, I get discouraged. I have lots of MFP friends who have huge journeys. They are looking to drop 100+ pounds. I have to keep reminding myself that I am on maintenance and that if I gain or lose a pound or 2 it's still OK.

I have a new picture, from Thanksgiving, that I am ready to make my main picture. I am sitting outside with my new jeggings, drinking a glass of wine, like a regular thin person would do at a Holiday Meal! That's the image I want to keep of myself. That I can do this -- long term!

Instead I am glued to my iPod checking foods and nutrients before I put anything in my mouth! Not normal.

But I am getting there. I am very happy to have come this far. I am NOT going back to being fat. From what I've learned on MFP and this wonderful community, I know I can do this!

jillybeanruns

Weighed myself for the first time since November 1st. Lost a pound and am down to 121! Maintenance range is 120-125 so I'm thrilled losing with the holidays and all the traveling I've been doing on the weekends!

I'm thinking about moving my range down to 118-123. I'm not really sure it makes a difference, but if I'm at the low end of my range (which I am now) I think I might slack a bit more with the holdays? Any opinions on lowering my range a bit?

Everyone seems to be doing well! So well done! Happy December everyone!

a1schwei

i am still fighting the slight thanksgiving/tom weight gain...i thought it was sodium weight at first but its sticking around almost a week later and i am getting a little discouraged...i know it is only a pound or two but i was getting used to seeing the slightly smaller number and i liked that a lot more it doesn't help that winter has officially started here in michigan with our first snow today (december 1st how appropriate) i live in the land of lake effect snow so my outdoor runs are all but extinct at this point last year i had a gym membership but the gym closed over the summer and i haven't joined another one because i've gotten such good outdoor workouts in (plus i'm trying to save money)...i try to use my sister's apartment gym when i can and i am pondering investing in a couple workout dvds...we will see...i need to figure something out i am getting married in 4 months (!!!!!) and i want to knock my fiance's socks off when i walk down the aisle right now my dress is already too big (i was too chicken to try on the smaller size and now i am kicking myself) but i don't want to gain back into the size i have...i'd much rather get it altered
sorry for my rant!!!!

Bermudabarbie

We all know Maintenance is a lot harder than we initially imagined. I wouldn't rush into going into a lower "range," until you have kept at your range at least 5 weeks. We can all continue to lose, if we put our concentration into it; but being able to maintain is important too.

Any Thanksgiving gain should be coming off soon. Maybe not in a week, but certainly in a 2 week period. Give it time. Since we have gotten this far, we probably know what we are doing wrong. For me it's the extra "treats" this time of year. I am not going to allow myself to be suckered into believing I deserve them. I don't deserve to be unhealthy. No matter how appealing all of the Christmas candy and baked goods are, they are not great for me. End of story!

DeeDeeLHF

It am still at the beginning of this mental adjustment. It is hard!

Andrea, I would rather alter the dress as well!!! How awesome!

Jill, I am not good for answering your question as I am there as well. It is really a mental game now.

Barbie, you are so right about all of the goodies...being healthy means simply saying "no" not because you can't or that you are afraid to gain weight but because it isn't healthy. Soooo hard to wrap our brains around this!

D

MacMadame

I'm back from doing my Ironman and my Thanksgiving vacation. Here's my write up on my Ironman:

http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2010/11/chuck-norris-never-did-ironman.html

I did well while I was gone, but came back to a house empty of good snacks and now my weight is up because its harder to make good choices. I hope to get to the grocery store tomorrow and get back on track!

lobster888

Hello everyone, I have been missing in action ..I have had a family emergency.( a death) I am really off track and it really shows. I have been very depressed - not exercising and making poor choices. If I can get throught the next week... I may be able to get back on track. For right now - I am just trying to keep my head above the water - so to speak. I just hope the damage isn't too bad. I will get back to it when I get over this hump. I will need all the support and help when I am ready. Thanks everyone!!

barty

Lobster, So sorry to hear your sad news, thinking of you and hope you feel able to come back with us soon x.

kath711

Lobster: So sorry about your loss.


stayed the same this week at upper part of range.

Bermudabarbie

Sorry about your loss, Lobster.

I am still at 136/ 137. Very pleased with this. Some days I feel that I do better than others, even staying within the same calories. It's the food and exercise choices I make for the days. I would never say that I had a "good day," if all I ate were sugary and fatty foods -- even if I stayed under my calorie goal.

It's still a struggle in many ways. Kind of constant surveillance. Someday I may "feel" like a thin person, but not yet!

HealthyChanges2010

New to maintenance, reached my goal weight at the beginning of Nov.:drinker:

Having a rough time thinking of eating more cals...likely a fear thing. Working on making the adjustment...

Nice to see this thread:flowerforyou:

HealthyChanges2010

bumping for another member looking for this particular thread:flowerforyou:

DeeDeeLHF

Lobster, so sorry to hear about this. These are the times that really test us.

Informal survey....in your opinion when life happens (death, illness, weddings, holidays) do you think it is better to go with the flow for a week and not worry too much than after a week or two go back on the restricted calorie plan or to try to continue during the stressful time? It seems to me that we should all be learning how to deal with life in a way that doesn't involve food. and that exercise would help us deal with the stress but for me the truth is when I am consumed by something in life, good or bad, I just cannot focus that heavily on the calories and things like fast food just happen. What are your thoughts?


Mac: Congrats on the IRonman!! Very cool!

Barty it looks like you are right on track with your running ticker.

Welcome Healthy Changes. This is not a thread where you tend to see daily posts but it is a helpful one as we are all in the same boat again. Trying to figure out how to increase calories to not gain. Changing self images, like what Barbie talked about. How to make this whole thing stick. I can identify with the fear factor! We all know at least one person who has lost tons of weight only to put it back on again and none of us want to be that person!!! Yikes! It has taken me 5+ years to take it off and I am afraid I could gain it all back in one year if I returned to the behaviors that got me up to 180+ to begin with!!

D

HealthyChanges2010

Thanks for the warm welcome Donna:flowerforyou:

yvonnej1

Donna, regarding your question about how we react when hit by life events my view is about trying to find a balance. Trying not to go completely off track by comfort eating but equally cutting myself some slack and being kind to myself. I think it is no good stressing about your diet on top of your other life stresses sometimes. That said though ideally if I indulge in 'naughty' foods or drink I try to offset it through exercise, I know for one that I feel much better if I can keep going to the gym, I get really twitchy when I don't.
Personally I have a bit of a challenge coming up as I won't be able to get to the gym or do much exercise in the next couple of weeks as I am having some treatment to my back. In the short term it will be more painful, stiff etc. but in the long term will help my chronic pain. So I have to adapt to not exercising and will need to watch my calorie intake as I will be pretty much inactive plus also fight the urge not to comfort eat because I am stuck at home and fed up.