Maintenance Thread Part 3
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P.S. Is it really 60-90 minutes a day for 3 months?0
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Good morning!
Maggie, absolutely I'll give you my thoughts on this.
Yes, it is at least an hour a day-- a few days are and hour and 15 min. Yoga is an hour and a 1/2, there is one day that is 45 minutes. One rest day, or stretch video. It's definitely a commitment, but I know you do that amount of time anyway, right? judging by the exercises I see you doing daily.
I was actually really bummed at first when I found I had to buy a pull up bar, but I did, and although that's my least favorite part of the exercise program, I can now do 1 or 2 pullups where I couldn't before! I use just free weights--I have 3, 5 and 8 lb weights that I used for all my Jillian workouts. I bought 10s, but can't use them yet. You do not need resistance bands if you have weights. Or if you wanted resistance bands, you could use them instead of the pull up bar. I did not buy a yoga mat since I do this on a carpet.
I'm about to enter week 8, and I have learned so much. I love it actually. Tony Horton is fantastic. I love that the people in the videos are all "real people". They all sweat and look like people we know, as opposed to total perfect-body people. It's a nice change from Jillian, because in her videos you are never allowed to stop. In these, it's more strength-based, so it's a little slower paced without all the crazy cardio, but very intense otherwise. After a few weeks of being annoyed by the fact I was having a hard time getting my heart rate up and burning a lot of calories, I'm finding it's giving me exactly what I need: toning. I am doing the "lean" program, because it was explained that this is better for toning and overall lean-ness since I don't need big-boy-muscles
Anyway, I'm learning to like the stretching and yoga. I'm learning new exercises. I'm learning that it's not all about calorie burn. I would highly recommend it. So next week I'm supposed to take pictures for day 60 (the end of phase 2) and I'll let you know if I think I see big results. I didn't see anything really after the first 30 days. So far, I'm feeling better and I can definitely feel/see the new-found strength on the arms. Other mfp friends who have been through this say it mostly happens late in phase 2 and into phase 3, so I'll see in a few weeks!
As for afterwards? I am going to reassess how much time I need to spend on exercise. I do feel like this is all I can focus on. And it's great, because I feel a great sense of accomplishment, probably the only one in my life right now aside from my wonderful son and happy family. But I haven't been doing things in real life that I need to focus on.....
Definitely let me know if you have any other questions--would love another pal to do this with me!0 -
Thanks very much for all that Robin. The time does worry me, as although I do quite a lot now, much of it is on a bike in front of the TV! I don't generally like doing more than 30 minutes per day on other stuff. But I think I need to get my head straightened out a bit in this respect, and start to see it as an investment. It's just that I'm rarely home before 6.30 pm ... excuses, excuses!
Incidentally, I have seen people talking about P90X2 - is that another option for you to do next?0 -
Thanks very much for all that Robin. The time does worry me, as although I do quite a lot now, much of it is on a bike in front of the TV! I don't generally like doing more than 30 minutes per day on other stuff. But I think I need to get my head straightened out a bit in this respect, and start to see it as an investment. It's just that I'm rarely home before 6.30 pm ... excuses, excuses!
Incidentally, I have seen people talking about P90X2 - is that another option for you to do next?
Maggie, you amaze me that you can workout so late---if I was working those hours, I'd probably get up super -early in the morning and do it, although it would be quite an adjustment. I could never do a workout past like 4....I'm usually mentally friend after that. I have to look into P90x2---good suggestion!0 -
I also usually work out late as well. I used to be a morning workout person but now that our kids are all away at college, working out after work is better for my schedule. I joined the gym across from my office and go there straight after work. This lets me miss the evening commuter traffic so that when I am done, it's a much faster trip home. They have great classes after work so I just mentally commit to make my favorites and that gets me there.0
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I also usually work out late as well. I used to be a morning workout person but now that our kids are all away at college, working out after work is better for my schedule. I joined the gym across from my office and go there straight after work. This lets me miss the evening commuter traffic so that when I am done, it's a much faster trip home. They have great classes after work so I just mentally commit to make my favorites and that gets me there.
That sounds great! I actually prefer gyms in some ways - having other people working out around you can be really motivating. But not an option for me now, and I've come to enjoy the privacy of exercising at home (e.g. I can stop for a rest whenever I want without feeling embarrassed!). I sometimes wonder if I should be getting up earlier to workout, but I'm already up at 5.45 am, and don't think I could bear to make it any earlier.
While I'm here, can I ask for views about something? I've been going through a period of really intense hunger recently, and have upped my calorie intake accordingly - I reckon I should be listening to my body telling me it needs more food. I have seen a bit of a gain on the scales, but interestingly I can't see any extra fat in the mirror, my measurements are the same and my clothes fit the same too. I have been doing more weight training, so I'm thinking there's a possible connection there. Do you think it could possibly be that I might be building a teensy weensy bit of ... dare I say it ... muscle? That's what i'm hoping you'll say, but I am open to other possible explanations, lol! I suspect it isn't so easy to build muscle in one's 50s anyway.0 -
I've been going through a period of really intense hunger recently, and have upped my calorie intake accordingly - I reckon I should be listening to my body telling me it needs more food. I have seen a bit of a gain on the scales, but interestingly I can't see any extra fat in the mirror, my measurements are the same and my clothes fit the same too. I have been doing more weight training, so I'm thinking there's a possible connection there. Do you think it could possibly be that I might be building a teensy weensy bit of ... dare I say it ... muscle? That's what i'm hoping you'll say, but I am open to other possible explanations, lol! I suspect it isn't so easy to build muscle in one's 50s anyway.
I work with a trainer at my gym and he has emphasized how important it is to properly feed your body enough fuel if you expect it to work out and build muscle. Also it's essential to listen to your body. It sounds like your body is asking for the fuel necessary to do those hard workouts that you do. And yes, muscle weighs more than fat so I would say it's definitely some muscle building going on there and you are right to listen to your body's requests for more fuel!0 -
Hi everyone!
I stumbled upon a post Robin made on another thread where she recommended someone join the maintenance group. I didn't even think to look to see if there was a maintenance group when I started into maintenance in September of last year. I hope you won't wind if I join the group. I look forward to getting to know all of you more and maintaining with you for years and years to come!!! :happy:
A little about me - I had lost 55 pounds back in 2004 and maintained it for a couple of years. But then I let life take over, quit the gym, and fell back into all of my old, bad habits. In March of last year, thinking about the fact that I'd be turning 40 in August and had gained back 35 of the 55 pounds I'd previously lost - I went on a mission to become "FIT BY 40!" I'm happy to say that I achieved my initial goal and even lost a few more pounds beyond that initial goal...for a total weight loss this time around of 40 pounds.
I see a few of you talking about strength training (P90x and NROLFW). I've never done P90x, but I did start NROLFW before Thanksgiving and completed the first stage. Then I slacked off with the NROLFW program over the holidays...instead choosing to take BodyPump and a class called Total Tone at my gym, while occasionally throwing around some heavier weights in our basement (my husband works out at home and has built up a pretty nice gym!). I totally credit weight lifting for the major change in the SHAPE of my body. I got into lifting when I lost weight before and knew it needed to be a major key for me this time around, too. After I get past some major 'time eaters' I have right now in my day to day life, I want to put together a plan to blend the 'heavy lifting' with the 'endurance lifting' - instead of doing just one or the other. Like maybe 2 days of NROLFW (Mon/Fri) with one BodyPump or Total Tone class (Wed)? In another month or two I'll dig into that thought a little more...
What my 'plan' for maintenance is:
1) Continue to log here daily to remain accountable to myself because I know how easily I can let it all slide (giving up food logging was a major contributor to my past maintenance failure)!
2) Continue to workout on a regular basis (5-6x per week with at least 3 strength training workouts)...although I do listen to my body and sometimes take several rest days in a row if I'm feeling run down.
3) Use how my clothes are fitting as a guide to my weight and only weigh in about once a month so I don't obsess over the scale (I've been know to do that!!!).
4) Stay connected with others who are focused on living healthier, happier lives! I know this sounds silly, but support groups with people who have similar goals are really important to me...they help me stay inspired and motivated. Walking away from all of that last time, it was way too easy for me to fall into the mindset of some 'real life' friends who never give a single thought to eating healthy or exercising.
Thanks for 'listening!'
Jess0 -
Wow that is so fabulous and focused!!!!!!!!!0
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Hi everyone!
I stumbled upon a post Robin made on another thread where she recommended someone join the maintenance group. I didn't even think to look to see if there was a maintenance group when I started into maintenance in September of last year. I hope you won't wind if I join the group. I look forward to getting to know all of you more and maintaining with you for years and years to come!!! :happy:
A little about me - I had lost 55 pounds back in 2004 and maintained it for a couple of years. But then I let life take over, quit the gym, and fell back into all of my old, bad habits. In March of last year, thinking about the fact that I'd be turning 40 in August and had gained back 35 of the 55 pounds I'd previously lost - I went on a mission to become "FIT BY 40!" I'm happy to say that I achieved my initial goal and even lost a few more pounds beyond that initial goal...for a total weight loss this time around of 40 pounds.
I see a few of you talking about strength training (P90x and NROLFW). I've never done P90x, but I did start NROLFW before Thanksgiving and completed the first stage. Then I slacked off with the NROLFW program over the holidays...instead choosing to take BodyPump and a class called Total Tone at my gym, while occasionally throwing around some heavier weights in our basement (my husband works out at home and has built up a pretty nice gym!). I totally credit weight lifting for the major change in the SHAPE of my body. I got into lifting when I lost weight before and knew it needed to be a major key for me this time around, too. After I get past some major 'time eaters' I have right now in my day to day life, I want to put together a plan to blend the 'heavy lifting' with the 'endurance lifting' - instead of doing just one or the other. Like maybe 2 days of NROLFW (Mon/Fri) with one BodyPump or Total Tone class (Wed)? In another month or two I'll dig into that thought a little more...
What my 'plan' for maintenance is:
1) Continue to log here daily to remain accountable to myself because I know how easily I can let it all slide (giving up food logging was a major contributor to my past maintenance failure)!
2) Continue to workout on a regular basis (5-6x per week with at least 3 strength training workouts)...although I do listen to my body and sometimes take several rest days in a row if I'm feeling run down.
3) Use how my clothes are fitting as a guide to my weight and only weigh in about once a month so I don't obsess over the scale (I've been know to do that!!!).
4) Stay connected with others who are focused on living healthier, happier lives! I know this sounds silly, but support groups with people who have similar goals are really important to me...they help me stay inspired and motivated. Walking away from all of that last time, it was way too easy for me to fall into the mindset of some 'real life' friends who never give a single thought to eating healthy or exercising.
Thanks for 'listening!'
Jess
Hi Jess - thanks for posting that it is a great idea and so similar to what I plan to do.
I have also started "New Rules" Stage One and have kind of sacrificed Body Pump (which I love) so that I can focus on the programme. I found that the days that Body Pump fall either clash with my days lifting in the gym or are on the next day which isn't a great idea when you have sore muscles.
I am currently lifting 3 times a week and cardio twice (not Pump though) but perhaps if I only did the heavy lifting twice a week instead of 3 I could still do Pump?
I am also giving up the scale for a while and not weighing until March- I have recently upped my calories to 1800 (including exercise) as am keen to build some muscle.0 -
Good morning!
Jess, yes, so glad you found us! Just made me realize we should probably send out posts about the maintenance group every once in awhile. I, for one, tend to forget to even search groups once I found this one....
Your maintenance plan sounds a lot like mine too! Right now I'm in my first week, phase 3 of P90x (day 61). This is my first time on a big program, and I really like it. Although I'm psyched that it should be over next month. I'm itching to get outside at least a few days/week. I also have a "no weighing" mindset and have challenged myself to continue that as a goal this year. So far so good. Yesterday I actually looked at the scale for a few seconds....thinking, thinking....hmmmm..but then said to myself, "what if I see a gain, how will I feel"....and then I walked away. It's amazing how crazy we can get about it. Anyway, I wrote about it last month if you want to check out....http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin1117/view/victory-over-the-scale-185885
I may hop on after I finish P90x, as a benchmark....but still haven't decided yet.
So many people are talking about the "New Rules". I'm thinking of downloading the book to see what it entails. It sounds to me though it's something you have to do at a Gym?? I only do home-stuff...is this possible to do at home? I'm going to be on a quest for something new in a few months so am curious.
Well, I just heard my son's alarm to I had better get him up. I read in an Eating Well headline about Oatmeal this morning so maybe I'll make that for breakfast....it talked about the writer always needing a 2nd breakfast--and that is me too--and Oatmeal can curb that. Hmmm, we shall see, I'll give it a try.
Hope you all have a great day! Robin0 -
hey maintainers! our thread is a little slow these days. hope everyone is doing well.
do you think we should restart this thread on the main forum again? I think we all forget about it here in the group....no new people see it
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what do you think??0 -
I think you might be right Robin - I know I simply forget to check in here. Sorry about that! But speaking for myself, I know it is also because now that I am maintaining, I am (slightly) less obssessed than before, and therefore less likely to be scouring the site for ways to achieve the magic number on the scales. Perhaps we are now a more laid-back bunch of people?! :glasses:0
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Hey fellow maintainers. Long time lurker, first time poster. I been following this thread for quite some time. I lost 110 lbs over the course of a year in 2010. I have been on maintenance (in my dr's opinion) for over a year. I have only come to this realization myself recently. I guess since I have lost weight before but never maintained it, I didn't want to let up this time. In the past few months I am slowly coming to the realization that what I've done has become part of my life and I need not fear my old self. I still count calories; but just to track myself. I would never be able to get close to what maintenance calories should be.
I recently purchased a treadmill and weight machine for my basement and am now going after strenght results knowing that if measurements and clothing size go in the right direction, weight in inmaterial.
I wish the best to all you maintainers because "Weight loss is hard, maintenance is Hell!"
Good Luck,
Pete0 -
Hi Pete! Nice job! Keep up the good work! Whatever it is that you are doing, it is working, which should be a comfort to you. We all fear regaining what we have lost so that is only natural. I also think that it takes along time to readjust our self perceptions so that when we look in the mirror, we see our bodies in an accurate fashion.
Robin, I agree that things have been slow on this thread. I check for updates regularly, but have not actually posted. Not sure what the answer is -- whatever you think is fine with me.
My update is that I am now more than four months into formal maintenance mode, and am still not really at a point where I feel I have the right balance. I have been gradually increasing my daily calories and, looking at the week as an average, tried to eat back a lot of my exercise calories. MFP gives me a base daily calorie budget to maintain my current weight of 1510 calories. I burn between 2000-3000 calories a week but do not use a heart monitor so am unsure of the accuracy of those numbers. I have been trying to eat eat least 1700 calories a day with some over days. But I continue to lose weight. So more adjustments are in order.
I am 5'6" and 58 years old. My start weight was 198 and my initial goal was 155 (but in my heart of hearts it was 145 and I did not want to admit that I had so much to lose). I hit 155 last August and then went for 145, which I got to in Sept. By late October I was at 135 and was really ready to stop. However, I have kept losing (very slowly) even as I increase my calories and my last home scale weigh-in showed me at 123.5. With a BMI below 20, that's too low for my comfort level. I think my range needs to be at least 125-130, if not 128-133.
Because it is hard for me to take in more than 1700 calories a day on what I like to and usually eat, I am going to try to go out to dinner at least once a week and try to "splurge" -- eat some bread, drink a bit of wine and order something a little more caloric than what I usually have. I also am trying to add more protein to my normal meals so if I do a chili I am adding some cooked ground turkey. If I have pork chops I will eat a larger portion. I have increased my salmon portion from 4 oz to 8.
My immediate goal is to gain about 2-3 pounds and then try to keep it stable.
I think my metabolism is so revved up by my exercise that I need to increase my fuel that I give my body. But if I were to get injured or not be able to do my normal routine, I need to be able to scale it back if my metabolism slows down.
Maintenance is a tricky business!
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Here in the States it's a long weekend for many -- President's Day on Monday. The weather should be great so I may do some gardening!0 -
Sorry I haven't checked in for a while. I have been a bit absorbed in the lifting programme I started- but have had a few worries this week. I had increased my calories to 1800 which is slightly above maintenance, but I wasn't comfortable with it so I put them back down to 1700 but was still eating all my calories back so a lot of days I was eating about 2000 +.
The problem is I starting getting REALLY hungry and no idea why, maybe related to the lifting I'm not sure but on some days I was eating 2600 calories or more- clothes starting to feel tighter and alarms bells are going off!
I weigh in on Friday for the first time in 4 weeks so have had to reign myself in seriously now! On the plus side I am feeling myself getting stronger which is a good thing.0 -
Hello, I am new to your group. I joined the MFP website in December 201. Had already lost 46 pounds and was maintaing by trial and error since March 2011. Since losing, my weight has varied anywhere from 121 to 130 and it's been driving me nuts that I am having a hard time keeping it steady. Goal weight was 130 pounds but my body seems to prefer 125 give or take a few. My new goal is to concentrate on strength training. I would like to be able to do a chin-up unassisted and do military style pushups properly. I am addicted to the scale and weight myself a few times a week. Can't imagine being in maintenance without really knowing where I'm headed!0
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Hello all:
I"ve been missing for quite awhile for many of the same reason as others. Maintaining has its ebb and flow and quite often I just need to limit some of my time on the computer. Has anyone else found that using the iphone app also causes you to check in less on the discussion boards? Its that way for me.
Just catching up....I've been up and down since Christmas and am trying to get back into my good logging habits. Fortunately my running and exercise routines stay pretty steady and its the one thing that keeps the lbs from coming back on too quickly, but they do seem to come back on and I need to refocus and lose a few again.
Awhile back there there some comments about not hitting the 'completion' button as we don't want to draw attention to our diaries. So funny, as I had been doing that also. I did look today and there is a setting where you can turn off th posting to the wall when you hit the complete so that no one else will actually see the completion. I don't really know what that complete button really does for you anyway but I did want to let people know you can change that setting.
Robin, you had queried about people being able to find us. I really don't think we're any less visible being in a group. I just did a search on 'maintenance' and our group was listed by virtue of the fact that we had some recent posts. In other words, people will see us searching either in groups or otherwise and we do seem to have new people find us.
I"m coming up on a year on maintenance this month and am happy with where I"m at. I've bumped back down the calories to get back to goal and will forever need to remain diligent but do realize I will continue to go up and down within a range. 5 lbs above goal seems to me to be the trigger for me which forces me to go back to the 1200 cals/day until I get back down.
Is there anyone else but me that wishes messages on this group were pushed to us via email? I sure would be a lot more likely to keep in touch and response to people if I didn't have to remember to come online and specifically check the board. If others feel this way, maybe a future enhancement could be made.
Guess that's about it for now. Thank you to my friends who do such a nice job of encouraging me!
Martha0 -
Hey All! I haven't had much time to check in either: being sick and having my son home this week on vacation.
Martha, most of what you wrote really resonates w/me. Yes, definitely using the apps makes it harder to check in on posts. And you are right, while maintaining we sort of have "figured it out". I am always just so surprised there are not more maintainers like us who have found that thread and contribute. When I was first maintaining I was a wreck, and the gals helped me so much. I thought some new folks might have joined and taken over...not the same 10 of us! Anyway, no worries. I'm glad you were able to find the thread on search--I had thought the "group" topics did not show up on the main forum. Oh, and Martha, you might want to write up a 1 year maintenance review of all you have accomplished! We would love to read; and it's something you can look back on and be proud of......
Kitkat--welcome to the group. And your goals sound great! Have you thought about setting a "maintenance range"? It helps because our weight does vary so much day to day. Depending on the person, setting a 4 or 5 lb range helps keeps us from driving ourselves crazy. I have been on a no-weigh kick lately so am not sure where I am but generally my range is 119-123 and when I am weighing, as long as I'm w/in the range, my peace of mind is ok.
Jo--great update! It seems like you are doing everything right. How is your splurge meal concept going? I would bet you are much happier! I pretty much count on the same thing--at least once a week where I go over and it really helps me feel like I can eat whatever I want still and do not deny myself. And it overcompensates for any low-eating days too. Oh, so is there a reason you don't want to get an HRM to get a more accurate calorie burn on exercise? You know, I waited until a year after joining MFP, so was already in maintenance. I remember sitting there with a spreadsheet trying to calculate. "Hmm, well if I take the MFP estimate and take off 50%, or should it be 30%.... and then only eat 80% of what my diary shows....." I have to say, I do not miss that. The not-knowing drove me crazy. Once I finally decided to buy the HRM I made the decision to trust it (even when the #'s seem wacky....and they still do), my mind has been much more at ease. I would highly recommend it!
Augiedad--welcome! Glad you finally posted and congrats on what you have accomplished so far! Sounds like you have a great home gym. Keep us posted on how your strength goals are coming along.
Maggie--yup! I think we are more laid back now...definitely and thank goodness!
Keiraev--are you doing the New Rules? What do you think of it? I'm trying to decide on something to do next and of course, it seems like everyone is flocking to this program. I'm kind of intrigued!
Well, if you happen to get this far, things are fine with me. I haven't weighed myself since November. I set a goal to stop the madness of the scale. I am on day 77 of P90x and can't believe I have made it this far. I am not sure I look any different--we'll see when I take pics at 90 days. If I see a difference, maybe I'll post a picture. I'm now contemplating doing another full month because I don't feel accomplished on a few things--specifically push ups and pull ups. And I want to get a few weeks of better diet, no celebrations or holidays. I think March might be a good one for that. I assume I'm in range because my fitted jeans still fit. I do wish I could get rid of the muffin-top though....drives me crazy....I'm looking at an ad right now of someone pinching theirs--do you get that ad?? Argh.....I need to get back to Jillian's "no more trouble zones"......I miss her a bit.
Anyway, I'm on borrowed time, I'm sure my family will be waking up any second now. Hope you are all doing well and it's so great to hear more about what you are all up to!0 -
Thank you Robin, for that nice long post. It's always good to read what you have to say.
I seem to be heading off in a slightly different direction now. I have just started the New Rules of Lifting for Women (yes, I've jumped on the bandwagon), so I'm lifting heavy weights. It is very different from what I've been doing for the past few months, but actually that makes it interesting. Gone is the compulsion to leap around manically for hours on end; instead there is maximum effort (i.e. to the point of failure) for a short time. I'm still doing cardio in parallel though, and although one of my reasons is because I believe it is good for the heart and lungs, if I'm honest the main reason is so that I can eat more!
In fact, one of the features of the NROLFW is that you need to eat higher than maintenance, which is really scary. As far as I can work out, you do actually put a bit of weight on in order to build the muscle but lose fat in the long run. It is a difficult balance to get right and as I've only just started I haven't really worked out properly what my body needs. At the moment I'm going over maintenance calories by 100 or so a day (actually, I think I had maintenance set slightly too high but never mind). I'm not convinced that I will be able to build much new muscle at my age, but others have assured me that it is possible, so we will see. It's all interesting stuff. I am utterly convinced about the benefits of doing it, in terms of preventing osteoporosis, maintaining strength and balance as I age, but also that great psychological boost I get from feeling strong.
But although I'm engaged in a new adventure, I really like this maintenance group, and I will certainly be one of those who stays around. It's just so nice to talk to friendly, supportive people who are no longer focused on calories and small changes in weight. One thing I would say about being on maintenance though, is that on its own it isn't quite enough for me: I am a project person, and I like to have something to work towards. So the workout programmes which are progressive and time-limited suited me well (30 day Shred etc), and the NROLFW is about 6 months, I think, so it should see me through the summer! I'm guessing that the same is true for a lot of other people, as in the NROLFW group for example there are tons of women who are clearly not there to lose weight. Maybe people either gravitate towards goal oriented threads, or disappear altogether.
I'm also wondering if it could be a bit off-putting to potential new people when others seem to know each other well already. In fact, most of us don't actually know eqach other that well, so in case anyone new to maintenance is reading this, please don't be put off - we would love to have new people on baord: You can contribute as much or as little as you feel like.0
