Maintenance is the hardest thing!!

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  • newhabit
    newhabit Posts: 426 Member
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    i am trying to lose the last 8-10 lb that i gained while on "maintenance" so i know very well what you mean. the problem is that we feel we worked hard and then there is a slip back to the old lifestyle. that is what happened with me. now i'm ready to refocus and get the last 8-10 off but it's been very hard! the key is to truly make it a lifestyle change. for me, the exercise is not the part i stop doing, it's the diet part.
  • Fred4point0
    Fred4point0 Posts: 160 Member
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    I've been in maintenance mode since May. The key to staying on top is looking at your old photos and remembering when you were at start mode and how you felt.That should be enough to keep or put you back on track.
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
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    I am struggling with maintaining. It has been 3 months so far and am trying within a 5-10 lb limit. Each time I eat a little over it sends me into a day or two of weight gain of 5-10 lbs and then I struggle all week to get it off again. I find it best so far to weigh everyday and it is easier to work on a 2-5 lb gain than 10-12 lbs. I still haven't figured out the right combo of calories and exercise that I want to maintain long term.
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    Maybe you could put together a bunch of pictures from your heaviest weight and make a list of all of the things you hated about being that weight? You could look at it every so often as a reminder.

    I'm actually sort of nervous about maintaining (even though it's reeeeaaaallllyyyy far away). I know I'll be scared to increase my calories because I'll be petrified about putting the weight back on. I'm sure it will get easier over time, but I'm definitely going to read old blog entries and look at old pictures to keep myself in line.

    Also, I've heard it helps to get rid of any clothes that are too big. That way, when you feel your clothes getting tight, you don't have the option of putting on your "fat" clothes. When you feel your jeans getting tight and don't have anything else to wear, it pretty much forces you to drop a few pounds.
  • Rockmyskinnyjeans
    Rockmyskinnyjeans Posts: 431 Member
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    Loosing weight is hard
    Maintaining is hard
    Being fat is hard.......
    Pick your hard!

    I still have about 10-15lbs to go but I have just realized that once I get there I won't be able to just forget MFP. It's a way of life to be healthy. You can't just lose than start to over eat all over again.

    It all pretty much sucks...lol But I would rather be healthy and look half ways decent:)

    ^^ This. None of this entire battle/journey, whichever you call it, has been easy. I know I worry about slipping into old habits now that I am essentially in maintenance. The most important thing to me is to keep focused on the big picture and that's my health and happiness... and most of all my confidence in myself.
  • simplycee
    simplycee Posts: 29
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    Loosing weight is hard
    Maintaining is hard
    Being fat is hard.......
    Pick your hard!

    I LOVE this quote and intend to use it. I find that I am hungry more because I am working out more than I ever had in the past. Maintaining is hard but the reward is soooooooo worth it.
  • jowings
    jowings Posts: 157 Member
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    I was very scared when I started maintaining, so you are not alone! In order to keep myself encouraged and in order, I started weight training 3 times a week (for about 30 minutes-45 minutes each day). At first, I started putting on weight, but this was because of initial water weight and my body adjusting. I started at my goal weight of 130, went up and down (as high as 139) and after about 5 months, settled in between 135-136. As far as diet, I guess I do something a little strange and keep my calories at 1400 during the week and then I don't log on the weekends at all (which usually equates to one or two cheat meals a week). This has kept me happy and trip for the past 6-7 months or so :). My body has a bit more muscle and I can have a few extra treats here and there without going overboard. I sometimes take breaks from logging (when I am on vacation etc. but usually try to stay pretty on top of it. Hope this helps and good luck!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Maintaining for over a year now. Losing weight is a physical and mental challenge. Maintaining is almost pure mental. You already know how to eat right. You already have a good exercise regimen. You KNOW how to do the physical part.

    For me, the hardest part of maintenance is staying motivated. It's a lot easier to keep yourself going when you're seeing regular changes on the scale or how clothes fit.

    So you have to set new goals. New kinds of goals. Currently, I want to be able to run up one beast of a hill in my neighborhood that I currently can only run 1/3 of the way without stopping to walk. I want to set a new PR in my 10k in a little over a week. I want to get rid of the last traces of cellulite on my thighs and I want more muscle definition in my calves and shoulders. I want to be able to bench press my body weight... and I'm only at half my body weight now.

    Sometimes I still think, "WTF am I doing this for?!" I was mostly able to maintain a normal body weight by eating whatever I want and not exercising, so it seems really kind of stupid to bust my *kitten* to maintain now. But I still do it.
  • ValRAAAAY
    ValRAAAAY Posts: 270 Member
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    THAT'S what I'm gonna start calling this plateau I've been on since Easter. MAINTENANCE! SO STINKIN' FRUSTRATED! But at least I have a name for it now!!! :-)
  • KipDrordy
    KipDrordy Posts: 169 Member
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    Now that I fit clothes well, and feel good I want to eat, eat, eat! what's up with that?? Encouragment needed.

    Some good advice already given. I agree with maintaining your daily journal. It's way too easy to conveniently "forget" where you're at. I've been concerned about gaining weight back once I'm at my goal weight. One of the things I'm making sure of is that my weight loss isn't being done by doing things I can't (won't) continue in the long term. For instance, exercise. I notice a lot of people going from couch potato to workout freak in order to lose weight. It's unrealistic for me to think that I'm going to be able to sustain being a workout freak, so I've made my exercise routine rather mild and sustainable. If I decide to do more, I will do it once I'm already at goal weight. Also, try changing exercise to match the season. If there's snow on the ground, get some snow shoes and try walking around parks in them. Bike in the summer. Lift weights while stuck indoors. Sign up for different fitness classes or yoga. This way, the routine doesn't get overly monotonous.
  • meeka472
    meeka472 Posts: 283 Member
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    The good thing about maintenance is that you utilize the same skill and discipline you used to lose the weight. Something that I've found works for me is by setting personal fitness goals. Be it a certain number of pull ups I want to be able to do our how many calories I want to burn in the week and going after that goal. I also have a goal of having as healthy a diet as possible so I have fun trying low trans fat healthy meals as well.
  • bwcrouch
    bwcrouch Posts: 105 Member
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    Bump - Hopefully I will need this in just 6 months (or less)
  • SASSYnCHICago
    SASSYnCHICago Posts: 98 Member
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    Maintaining hasn't been too difficult for me - likely because I've completely changed my mindset. I still log all of my food, still exercise, and still look for ways to reduce calories while still feeling full. The only thing that's changed is that my daily calorie goal has increased from 'losing' to 'maintaining'.

    Get advice! it really is mind over matter :)
  • SASSYnCHICago
    SASSYnCHICago Posts: 98 Member
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    Now that I fit clothes well, and feel good I want to eat, eat, eat! what's up with that?? Encouragment needed.

    Some good advice already given. I agree with maintaining your daily journal. It's way too easy to conveniently "forget" where you're at. I've been concerned about gaining weight back once I'm at my goal weight. One of the things I'm making sure of is that my weight loss isn't being done by doing things I can't (won't) continue in the long term. For instance, exercise. I notice a lot of people going from couch potato to workout freak in order to lose weight. It's unrealistic for me to think that I'm going to be able to sustain being a workout freak, so I've made my exercise routine rather mild and sustainable. If I decide to do more, I will do it once I'm already at goal weight. Also, try changing exercise to match the season. If there's snow on the ground, get some snow shoes and try walking around parks in them. Bike in the summer. Lift weights while stuck indoors. Sign up for different fitness classes or yoga. This way, the routine doesn't get overly monotonous.

    Great advice - keeping your exercise to a your ablility and interest are very important. I do a huge varity of things: kickbox, swim, bicycling and weight lift and know after dropping the pounds even run! never thought that would be able to do that. I will defintly keep up the exercising seeing I love the way I feel.
  • SASSYnCHICago
    SASSYnCHICago Posts: 98 Member
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    Maintaining for over a year now. Losing weight is a physical and mental challenge. Maintaining is almost pure mental. You already know how to eat right. You already have a good exercise regimen. You KNOW how to do the physical part.

    For me, the hardest part of maintenance is staying motivated. It's a lot easier to keep yourself going when you're seeing regular changes on the scale or how clothes fit.

    So you have to set new goals. New kinds of goals. Currently, I want to be able to run up one beast of a hill in my neighborhood that I currently can only run 1/3 of the way without stopping to walk. I want to set a new PR in my 10k in a little over a week. I want to get rid of the last traces of cellulite on my thighs and I want more muscle definition in my calves and shoulders. I want to be able to bench press my body weight... and I'm only at half my body weight now.

    Sometimes I still think, "WTF am I doing this for?!" I was mostly able to maintain a normal body weight by eating whatever I want and not exercising, so it seems really kind of stupid to bust my *kitten* to maintain now. But I still do it.

    Love your motivation and future goals - Let's be friends :)

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