Do you like what you are setting yourself up for?

NWCountryGal

This one dawned on me about a week ago, somewhere in my reading, a very bright lady, well informed, well read, made a reply to a post that was so simple to understand but I could see finally, why so many people do the yoyo thing (this is not a new fat-burning exercise, that I know of:laugh: ).

When people lose weight, and usually quickly, say maybe 2-3 or even more pounds a week, many are so amazed, envious and convinced that this is the way to go. Aside from common sense tell us there is more than just fat disappearing at these huge amounts of weight-loss, what about when those same "winners" get to their "goal" weight? How much do they eat to maintain that weight? My guess is they must keep eating that very, same amount. Now some people are happy with only eating 1200 or whatever amount. They are not into eating over that at any time or not enough to gain the weight back. Who would want to do that. But from all I hear and see about low calorie diets, many (maybe most) people gain it all back once they try to eat normal foods again. I think some want to eat normal because they may possibly feel week or cravings for foods they've missed so much. I don't know, I haven't been there.

I know that the amount I eat needs the hard workouts I do or I would gain weight and store fat once again. But since I have a new lifestyle and working out is becoming like brushing my teeth (can't handle not brushing my teeth and feel the same about exercise).

I guess the question I would have to ask myself (and I have) is how do I want to eat? What do I want to eat, and how much. I think I am average and I don't like to feel over full, so, I am starting to eat smaller meals (more of them). I also don't feel a slave to food and think about it 24/7. I eat when it's around the time, or not, depending, and I think of fuel, fuel to feel good and enable my bod to function at it's best possible level.

So I am just going to throw this out here and ask you all to think ahead to a year or two or more. Is what you are eating now, what you want to eat the rest of your life? Do you think it is something you "can" maintain or "want" to maintain. If it is, then wonderful! If it isn't, rethink what you are doing. I still have to check myself on this. Do I want to keep working my muscles? Do I want to keep eating all this food and the types of food I am eating? Am I happy with it, am I full of energy, am I more confident I am building my body to the best health I can have, am I working towards protecting my joints and bones that deteriorate as we get older? I hope I am but I am always open to learning more about getting to all these goals. I hope you are too:drinker: :drinker:

denise

Koldnomore

I am eating exactly the right number of calories that I will have to eat to maintain my goal weight when I reach it (1700). I am just fine. I work out IF / WHEN I feel like it. If I don't work out I just do what I am doing, I don't have to adjust calories at all apart from tapering down as I age

TravelDog14

When I reach my goal weight I do wonder how the maintenance part will work.

I've tried hard to make the changes in my diet and exercise be ones that don't impact on how I need to live my life.
As an example, while I could join a gym I know I'm not the type to stick with it over the long term, so I don't. My exercise is home-based (treadmill and free weights) which makes it easy for me to do.

The weight has continued to come off for three months so I'm satisfied with the "pace" of my losing although I see how people could easily be tempted to speed the weight loss up. For me that wouldn't be sustainable, so I will just keep doing the slow and steady routine.

gatorginger

I love what I am doing because before this I skipped meals and now I eat all day so yes I love what I am doing because for one I never deprived myself of the foods I loved or I would have never been able to do this. The only thing different is portion control and it isn't hard for me because I'm not as hungry as I used to be when I skipped meals. There are days I overeat, but I look at them as rewards and enjoy them, I do however jump right back on portion control and so far this has been great for me. Food will always be a struggle for the majority of us because it taste so good lol.

NWCountryGal

I am doing the same, it's something I read about "eating like the thinner person you want to be" and it is working. Yes, I won't have to change anything either and I love not being hungry and full of energy!! Yessssssss!! denise:drinker: :drinker:

I am eating exactly the right number of calories that I will have to eat to maintain my goal weight when I reach it (1700). I am just fine. I work out IF / WHEN I feel like it. If I don't work out I just do what I am doing, I don't have to adjust calories at all apart from tapering down as I age

NWCountryGal

That's the ticket, looking ahead a little, realizing that this will get us to our goal yes, but what about when we get there! Awesome, I workout at home too since I don't like going out somewhere:laugh: denise:drinker: :drinker:

When I reach my goal weight I do wonder how the maintenance part will work.

I've tried hard to make the changes in my diet and exercise be ones that don't impact on how I need to live my life.
As an example, while I could join a gym I know I'm not the type to stick with it over the long term, so I don't. My exercise is home-based (treadmill and free weights) which makes it easy for me to do.

The weight has continued to come off for three months so I'm satisfied with the "pace" of my losing although I see how people could easily be tempted to speed the weight loss up. For me that wouldn't be sustainable, so I will just keep doing the slow and steady routine.

maricash

So I am just going to throw this out here and ask you all to think ahead to a year or two or more. Is what you are eating now, what you want to eat the rest of your life? Do you think it is something you "can" maintain or "want" to maintain.

I think that's a question everyone who is considering a fad diet should ask themselves . . . and everyone else too. In my case, I'd say the answer is yes. I am eating at a calorie level that leaves me satisfied and will be low enough to maintain a lower weight (at least if the tables and charts are to be believed). I started out eating about 300 calories a day lower then I am now, but I was hungry all the time, so I moved to a one pound a week goal and it is so much easier and feels perfectly sustainable. I have occasional days when I don't log anything, either because of a social event or just an intense craving. I don't worry about it, because I know I'll be back to normal the next day.

I've also found exercise that I truly enjoy doing, which means that I'm likely to keep at it. This has also been key. I tried so many exercise programs in the past and never kept at it because I hated them. I hate going to the gym and I always will. However, I love to dance, walk, and do yoga and these are things I can see myself continuing to enjoy or do.

Anyway, thanks for this post. I think we'd all be healthier if we thought in terms of how we want life to be in 2 years, rather than in 2 months, which is how far a lot of the fad diets seem to take you.

NWCountryGal

I agree that being mindful of our foods and for me, not getting into those lazy modes or other excuses to really, be mean to myself. I think that is what I did many times. I love the way your plan works ginger:) You helped me a lot in realizing many things about how I needed to eat right (eat enough mostly) Thank you much, denise:drinker: :drinker:

I love what I am doing because before this I skipped meals and now I eat all day so yes I love what I am doing because for one I never deprived myself of the foods I loved or I would have never been able to do this. The only thing different is portion control and it isn't hard for me because I'm not as hungry as I used to be when I skipped meals. There are days I overeat, but I look at them as rewards and enjoy them, I do however jump right back on portion control and so far this has been great for me. Food will always be a struggle for the majority of us because it taste so good lol.

Gramps251

If more people thought this way there would be no need for the "New breakthrough diet of the day" industry and the economy would crash again. That's just crazy talk!

I agree with you and my eating/exorcise habits aren't a "diet" but just the way I live now.

p21usa

I am at goal weight...have been for two months...started at 1200 cal/day and now up to 1570. But, like you, I exercise every day (can totally relate to the teeth brushing analogy) and I end up eating about 1850 cal/day. I don't eat "dieting" food anymore (e.g. only salads/yogurts for lunch) but I do make sure I keep one meal light and the other two medium-sized. I avoid fast food lunches and think I will never be able to go back to them...my only "sacrifice". So I think I can stay here. I eat like a fit person now, instead of an unfit person!

gatorginger

I'm at my goal weight and it isn't so hard to maintain. I just keep eating the allotted number of calories. I have however still lost a little bit probably because I could probably eat more than 1500 but right now I am satisfied with this amount. Some days I eat 1600. I do have cheat days from time to time where I gain a pound or two but I drop them off usually within the week. This has been a lifestyle change for me and the 1 or 2 pounds I gain doesn't stress me out because I lost way more than I ever thought I could and am wearing size 4 or 6 depending on the cut and if I gain a pound or two I can still wear my new size clothes.

Most of the time my cheat days or days I can't control :}

bcattoes

I know that the amount I eat needs the hard workouts I do or I would gain weight and store fat once again. But since I have a new lifestyle and working out is becoming like brushing my teeth (can't handle not brushing my teeth and feel the same about exercise).

This sentence caught my attention, because this is true for me. But I also know that just because I am very "into" working out regularly now, that doesn't mean I will feel this way for a lifetime. I feel better when I exercise regularly. I feel sluggish and not like myself when I don't. But still in the past, I have slacked off to point of gaining weight and feeling sluggish and not like me. It's why I had to lose weight last year. It's why I had to lose weight 5 years ago and why I had to lose weight 10 years ago.

I am not a yo-yo dieter. Diet is the easy part for me. I've eaten about the same amount and the same diet for decades. Most of my favorite foods are healthy foods now. But I have been a yo-yo exerciser. Life gets so busy sometimes. It's been more than 1.5 years I've kept it up this time. But I still know I am in danger of backsliding again. I have to constantly think about it. MFP helps with that because it's a constant reminder.

TheRealParisLove

This is the new normal. When getting healthy, junk food needs to be the exception, not the rule. I define junk food as anything that comes out of a package or a restaurant.

It is also important to continue to log meals long after one reaches his/her goal weight.

NWCountryGal

Excellent, got chills reading your reply. You are so connected with the reality of it all! Just too many are deceived by the media plus the fact that with me, I see someone has lost a lot of weight and I instantly want to do whatever they did to get that way. But then since MFP friends, I have been able to see the difference in just losing "scale" weight, and a lifelong ability to stay at healthy weight, as well as feel energized and as few of health issues as possible. Not to mention enjoy food without ever having to feel hungry or deprived of any goodies;)

denise:drinker:

So I am just going to throw this out here and ask you all to think ahead to a year or two or more. Is what you are eating now, what you want to eat the rest of your life? Do you think it is something you "can" maintain or "want" to maintain.

I think that's a question everyone who is considering a fad diet should ask themselves . . . and everyone else too. In my case, I'd say the answer is yes. I am eating at a calorie level that leaves me satisfied and will be low enough to maintain a lower weight (at least if the tables and charts are to be believed). I started out eating about 300 calories a day lower then I am now, but I was hungry all the time, so I moved to a one pound a week goal and it is so much easier and feels perfectly sustainable. I have occasional days when I don't log anything, either because of a social event or just an intense craving. I don't worry about it, because I know I'll be back to normal the next day.

I've also found exercise that I truly enjoy doing, which means that I'm likely to keep at it. This has also been key. I tried so many exercise programs in the past and never kept at it because I hated them. I hate going to the gym and I always will. However, I love to dance, walk, and do yoga and these are things I can see myself continuing to enjoy or do.

Anyway, thanks for this post. I think we'd all be healthier if we thought in terms of how we want life to be in 2 years, rather than in 2 months, which is how far a lot of the fad diets seem to take you.

brevislux

Right now I'm eating 1200 kcals a day, and I know I can't do it every day for the rest of my life. It's not THAT hard, because I'm almost completely vegan so there aren't many high-calorie foods I can eat, but still I ate a normal amount during the day and now I'd really love some beer but I can't have one. I think that in order to live this way I'd have to have a cheat day once a week or two, or increase my intake by 100-200 kcals. Because otherwise life would kind of suck and I'd find it pretty tough to enjoy social events.

To be honest, I'm not sure how much I should be eating once I decide I want to just keep the weight the way it is. Is it the BMR? Or something else? Really, really have no clue.

NWCountryGal

This is awesome too, and I am so happy you found your "pace" and I am sure you will maintain it because you have the knowledge. Seems like once we know the truth, we just can't go back to being uninformed:) Hmm, reminds me of one of my fave quotes from the biible "the truth will set you free" denise:drinker:

I am at goal weight...have been for two months...started at 1200 cal/day and now up to 1570. But, like you, I exercise every day (can totally relate to the teeth brushing analogy) and I end up eating about 1850 cal/day. I don't eat "dieting" food anymore (e.g. only salads/yogurts for lunch) but I do make sure I keep one meal light and the other two medium-sized. I avoid fast food lunches and think I will never be able to go back to them...my only "sacrifice". So I think I can stay here. I eat like a fit person now, instead of an unfit person!

gatorginger

I agree that being mindful of our foods and for me, not getting into those lazy modes or other excuses to really, be mean to myself. I think that is what I did many times. I love the way your plan works ginger:) You helped me a lot in realizing many things about how I needed to eat right (eat enough mostly) Thank you much, denise:drinker: :drinker:

I love what I am doing because before this I skipped meals and now I eat all day so yes I love what I am doing because for one I never deprived myself of the foods I loved or I would have never been able to do this. The only thing different is portion control and it isn't hard for me because I'm not as hungry as I used to be when I skipped meals. There are days I overeat, but I look at them as rewards and enjoy them, I do however jump right back on portion control and so far this has been great for me. Food will always be a struggle for the majority of us because it taste so good lol.

You have to experiment Denise and find out what works for you. I don't exercise like most of the people in here, my exercise is very very moderate. I've always walked on break at work before I every started on mfp. I used to have a treadmill years ago and wore it out but now I have a new one at home. If I feel like getting on it I do if I don't I don't. I do give myself breaks from exercise, you will see many days I don't log any. To me the key is just being consistent with it weekly not daily. If you get over stressed with it you won't want to do it. I am glad I was able to help you some, it's all about experimenting and see what works for you. I'm hear anytime you need me :}

NWCountryGal

I don't know if you would be interested in my workout but you can check it out, partly on my profile and partly here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/discussion/7882-hooya-give-me-more

If you have questions, lots of good folks in there and I spend maybe at most, 30 min 4 times a week and I work out at home, no gym equipment, no gym membership. I work out wearing anything I want and anytime I want;) Write me anytime:) Meanwhile you are a winner because you are here today and knowledge is everything, and being honest and aware of things we ALL need to look at and work on:) denise:drinker:

I know that the amount I eat needs the hard workouts I do or I would gain weight and store fat once again. But since I have a new lifestyle and working out is becoming like brushing my teeth (can't handle not brushing my teeth and feel the same about exercise).

This sentence caught my attention, because this is true for me. But I also know that just because I am very "into" working out regularly now, that doesn't mean I will feel this way for a lifetime. I feel better when I exercise regularly. I feel sluggish and not like myself when I don't. But still in the past, I have slacked off to point of gaining weight and feeling sluggish and not like me. It's why I had to lose weight last year. It's why I had to lose weight 5 years ago and why I had to lose weight 10 years ago.

I am not a yo-yo dieter. Diet is the easy part for me. I've eaten about the same amount and the same diet for decades. Most of my favorite foods are healthy foods now. But I have been a yo-yo exerciser. Life gets so busy sometimes. It's been more than 1.5 years I've kept it up this time. But I still know I am in danger of backsliding again. I have to constantly think about it. MFP helps with that because it's a constant reminder.

NWCountryGal

I agree and I like to log my meals, not just for me, but so others can see what I eat. I was so afraid to go over 1200 calories but I have increased my calories and never gained a permanent pound (fluctuates within 1 or 2 pounds)but I have built my muscles and have a long way to go still but I am reaping benefits that don't have to do with a scale;)

denise:drinker:

This is the new normal. When getting healthy, junk food needs to be the exception, not the rule. I define junk food as anything that comes out of a package or a restaurant.

It is also important to continue to log meals long after one reaches his/her goal weight.

NWCountryGal

First of all, you are doing great! You are here and interested in your health and you are honest. I don't know what your goals are but you can use several caluclators to determine your bodies needs. Ulitimately, we each have to decide that by listening to our individual bodies but calculators can give us a healthy starting point. I can share some links with you and if you like, you can read up on BMR, TDEE(Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and the calories deficit to lose fat and gain muscle in a healthy way. Or, if you need to gain, that info is there as well.

Here is one site I think is good: http://scoobysworkshop.com/ When you get there, on the right-hand side, you can click on Fitness Tools. This will get you some info. If you read and decide you want to go with what you've read, MFP allows you to set "custom" settings which many of us have done. Or, there a lots of winners that go with what MFP gives us as a BMR but they eat their exercise calories in order to feed our bodies enough to burn fat yes, but also build/tone muscle.

Write me if you like or check in on the the group "eat more to weigh less". If you want some weight training without a gym or equipment, you can come to a group called "Hooya, Give Me More" we are really doing well in there with our strength training;)

denise:drinker: :drinker:

Right now I'm eating 1200 kcals a day, and I know I can't do it every day for the rest of my life. It's not THAT hard, because I'm almost completely vegan so there aren't many high-calorie foods I can eat, but still I ate a normal amount during the day and now I'd really love some beer but I can't have one. I think that in order to live this way I'd have to have a cheat day once a week or two, or increase my intake by 100-200 kcals. Because otherwise life would kind of suck and I'd find it pretty tough to enjoy social events.

To be honest, I'm not sure how much I should be eating once I decide I want to just keep the weight the way it is. Is it the BMR? Or something else? Really, really have no clue.

bcattoes

I don't know if you would be interested in my workout but you can check it out, partly on my profile and partly here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/discussion/7882-hooya-give-me-more

If you have questions, lots of good folks in there and I spend maybe at most, 30 min 4 times a week and I work out at home, no gym equipment, no gym membership. I work out wearing anything I want and anytime I want;) Write me anytime:) Meanwhile you are a winner because you are here today and knowledge is everything, and being honest and aware of things we ALL need to look at and work on:) denise:drinker:

I workout at home too. Always have. Well, at home or outside. When I had children at home I just didn't have the time or money for a gym membership, so now that I have the money I don't see the point. Time is still an issue. I have a full time desk job, aging parents and a special needs grandson we often have to help out with, so I can't workout whenever I want (I wish!!) but I squeeze it in when I can.