Maintenance

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The Lack of Passion in Maintenance

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paxbfl
paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
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I'm realizing that I'm a bit unusual in that I am really becoming very passionate about maintaining my weight-loss.

I guess it's because I've lost the weight and gained it back several times over the years, and I'm just very, very focused on not doing that this time. Of course, I've never had MFP to help before, so I'm optimistic.

It seems like people get very excited about losing weight and either fail (and disappear from MFP), succeed (and are rarely seen again - at least until they return to lose the weight they gained back), or (the most common) have success but are still trying to lose to get to that ultimate and elusive "ideal weight" - so they never really make it to maintenance.

If this is to be successful, there should be passion in maintenance! We should take pride in staying even (which I'm finding is very challenging to do) and keep it going for many years to come.

Replies

  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    I've been at my current weight since last August. I've actually dropped a few pounds gradually since then but overall it's the same.

    I think it's important to have fitness goals to work towards when you reach or get closer to your goal weight. Focus on these and not the scale and you won't have too much of an issue keeping the weight at what you finally achieved. There is no "success". There is only changing to a new goal. Well, I guess success at the first goal (weight) but don't let that be the final goal for you.
  • quietHiker
    quietHiker Posts: 1,442 Member
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    Great post! We should be passionate about our newer, healthier lifestyle. I agree with iWaffle too. I tihnk it's important to have some sort of goals when you're maintaining, whether it be fitness goals, eating more fruits and veggies, or getting more muscle definition.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
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    I was passionate about maintaining as well. I've been maintaining for a year and a half. Like those above, I made new goals. After a while of doing the same thing with no particular goal in sight, it can take the wind out of your sails.

    After maintaining and tweaking my diet for a while until I figured out what my maintenance calories were, I started working on gaining strength and cardiovascular fitness. I'm currently doing my first bulking and cutting cycle to gain more muscle and I signed up for my first 5k/mudrun this month.
  • kim_mcintire
    kim_mcintire Posts: 19
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    Thank you so much for this comment!!!

    I would love to hear some goals people have set for themselves in maintenance. I have been in maintenance for almost two years. My original goal was 125 which I held for over a year. But I was very restricted in my daily calories, so 130 is a weight I feel good at and can still enjoy food. A new goal I have for myself is to increase my muscular strength, and enjoy the awesome benefits of increased muscle burning fat. Another goal is to only allow myself one treat per day. And for it to be a reasonable calorie amount (under or around 200.) I'd really love ideas on how to keep your passion at this stage. When the scale stays the same we need to find ways to challenge ourselves in new areas and not become complacent because we have met and maintained our weight loss goal.
  • BodyCombatGirl73
    BodyCombatGirl73 Posts: 96 Member
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    Couldn't agree more with all of the posts here. I started MFP in May 2012 and I reached my "elusive" goal weight of 135lbs in July and even went a couple of pounds below (I'm 5'8" and was at 133 in July). What I did find at that weight was that it didn't look great on my upper body. My breastbone was protruding and it was simply "too skinny" for my face and upper body. So I decided in the late Fall to let myself gain a couple of pounds. I am still tweaking my weight against my calories and trying to figure out if I should move to setting a daily calorie limit that already includes my exercise calories (so more like my TDEE) instead of adding them to my "sedentary" calories (desk job). I am in the upper 130's right now and am trying to figure out my "comfortable" weight where I can eat without feeling deprived. I am going to guess that for me, that weight is between 136-138.

    Throughout all of this, I have kept up my varied training program of different classes (bootcamp, circuit training, Tabata, Les Mills BodyPump, BodyCombat and CXWORX) and have recently added a 5K race at the end of this month. I try and do a workout at least 6 days a week and on a day off, I try to make sure I am active somehow (skiing, golfing, good walk with the dog, etc.).

    And I can definitely say that maintaining is way harder than losing. But I am committed and can see my gains in strength since really amping up my training since last May. No more "girlie" push-ups for me! Now I have to tackle full-out triceps push-ups...those are still REALLY darn hard on the toes! And looking forward to doing some more races. I could see myself maybe trying a 10K and in the long-run a 1/2, but I will never have the desire to do a full marathon. But running and trying to best a PB, I could see myself getting hooked on that! Oh, and next year, definitely want to do a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race! Gotta keep it interesting!
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
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    lol
    I thought you were talking about something else!

    not sure what kind of friends you have here on mfp, but most of mine are in maintence mode as athletes.
  • kistockman
    kistockman Posts: 80 Member
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    I've been on maintenance for only a week and it may be too early to remark, but this is my second time on maintenance. The first time was with Weight Watchers and I maintained that weight pretty happily for years. Then my new goal was to decrease my weight just a bit more....just to have a buffer so my WW goal weight was my highest weight of the week.

    Well, with the help of mfp, I met that new goal in about 5 weeks! I'm so excited to have broken through what I thought was a Weight Watchers plateau. Now that I am counting calories instead of WW points, I'm actually having more fun trying new foods.

    My problem though in this past week is being too afraid to eat up all of my calories. In fact, I keep dropping weight. Maintenance to me is not only that I not gain the weight back, but perhaps just as importantly not keep losing.

    Yesterday, after forcing myself to eat a snack before bedtime, i was still under calorie goal. Tonight....right now, after dinner I have over 500 calories left! I'm really not hungry, but getting worried I'm trending to starvation with a fear of the numbers.

    Did any of you struggle with this once you hit your goal weight?
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    I've been on maintenance for only a week and it may be too early to remark, but this is my second time on maintenance. The first time was with Weight Watchers and I maintained that weight pretty happily for years. Then my new goal was to decrease my weight just a bit more....just to have a buffer so my WW goal weight was my highest weight of the week.

    Well, with the help of mfp, I met that new goal in about 5 weeks! I'm so excited to have broken through what I thought was a Weight Watchers plateau. Now that I am counting calories instead of WW points, I'm actually having more fun trying new foods.

    My problem though in this past week is being too afraid to eat up all of my calories. In fact, I keep dropping weight. Maintenance to me is not only that I not gain the weight back, but perhaps just as importantly not keep losing.

    Yesterday, after forcing myself to eat a snack before bedtime, i was still under calorie goal. Tonight....right now, after dinner I have over 500 calories left! I'm really not hungry, but getting worried I'm trending to starvation with a fear of the numbers.

    Did any of you struggle with this once you hit your goal weight?
    Yes, I had a similar problem and ended up losing for longer than I intended because I couldn't figure out exactly how much I could eat. Or how much I should exercise. Still playing with the numbers. I hit my goal in July, but was still losing until almost October, but very slowly, and I actually started losing weight again after the holidays because I had eaten poorly over the holidays and when I went back to healthy eating, dropped a few. I was also training to walk a half marathon in February--which incidentally was my first goal after I reached my weight goal.

    In response to the rest of this thread, I agree that we have to keep setting goals. I have a 10K coming up in May, and next February, I intend to run the half marathon that I walked this year. I am also trying to figure out a healthy body fat and make sure I can get there.
  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
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    lol
    I thought you were talking about something else!

    not sure what kind of friends you have here on mfp, but most of mine are in maintence mode as athletes.

    I didn't think of that, but if you're in maintenance you're fit - so "passion" shouldn't be a problem! ;)

    Most of my MFP friends are still losing... they look at my diary in disbelief, amazed at the calories I eat in a day.
  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
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    But running and trying to best a PB, I could see myself getting hooked on that! Oh, and next year, definitely want to do a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race! Gotta keep it interesting!

    I'm going to do some of those races this Summer too. Maybe a color run and zombie run. They all sound like fun.
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
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    Maintenance just isn't very exciting though, is it?

    When you are losing you have the excitement of seeing how much you have lost each week, which keeps you focused. You don't get that in maintenance.

    I'm interested to know what kind of goals you set yourselves (other than not putting any weight on!) when you are in maintenance. I really think that continuing to have goals would help me, but I'm not sure what goals I would set myself.
  • kistockman
    kistockman Posts: 80 Member
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    I agree, it would be great to see "Goals During Maintenance"

    No future marathons for me but:

    I have started the 30 day squat challenge to ramp up my toning
    Included 3-4 days of yoga to my fitness plan
    eat more green salad
    drink herbal teas

    Anyone else?
  • Joloco4444
    Joloco4444 Posts: 18 Member
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    I'm approaching maintenance now and need to think of some goals (that don't include exercise!!!)
  • kistockman
    kistockman Posts: 80 Member
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    I'm approaching maintenance now and need to think of some goals (that don't include exercise!!!)

    Really?! Oh, I love to exercise. I really cannot imagine ever not doing it. In fact I see myself continuing to add to my exercise from now to my deathbed.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
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    My problem though in this past week is being too afraid to eat up all of my calories. In fact, I keep dropping weight. Maintenance to me is not only that I not gain the weight back, but perhaps just as importantly not keep losing.

    Yesterday, after forcing myself to eat a snack before bedtime, i was still under calorie goal. Tonight....right now, after dinner I have over 500 calories left! I'm really not hungry, but getting worried I'm trending to starvation with a fear of the numbers.

    Did any of you struggle with this once you hit your goal weight?
    Yes, it's a mental switch to get away from trying to stay under a calorie goal. There is the fear of regaining after all the hard work.
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
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    I suppose I do have goals in terms of exercise - I aim to do 3 sessions of yoga per week, swim at least once a week and walk/cycle 75 miles every month.

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