In your Opinion-Why is it harder to maintain than to lose?

phdiva12 · April 2013

Hello All,

As I near my goal weight loss (yay!), I am putting more and more thought into actually maintaining the weight loss. It's no secret that most people who lose weight will gain the weight back. Why do you think that is the case? I know for me, I know how to be on a binge and I know how to be on a "diet", but actually geting to a point where I can say, I've lost enough and I just want to maintain, is new for me. I know for me when I think back on my weight gains after a loss, I realize that when I felt more comfortable with my appearance, I slacked off too much. I also started going out more because I felt more confident- going out meant eating and drinking too much, too ofen. What's your opinion or advice?

kiykiy79 · April 2013

I'm hoping that the good habits and creating a good balance will help me avoid gaining anything back... In my case I have officially been in maintenance since late January and have lost another 5 lbs without really trying... I think it is because of the fear of gaining. I can not get myself to eat the 2100 calories I need to maintain my weight. I sometimes struggle to eat 1500.

I think finding what works best for you is the way to maintain. I will probably experiment with flexible dieting next month to see how I like having high, low days and how my body reacts.

I would really like to stay at this weight so I'm pulling back on my cardio this week and focusing more on my lifting.

In the end - research says people that continue to journal their meals maintain longer than those that don't so I know that I will continue to log my meals, but my level of intensity has to change with my goals (i.e. going from calories focus to macro focus).

The journey never ends and in my mind - if you look at it in that mindset you will be successful. Although I reached my goal weight - I still set goals for the month to keep myself in the game. ;-)

dazzo62 · April 2013

Hi! It's hard - plain and simple. I have maintained my weight loss for 26 years (have had small ups and downs). Exercise HAS to become a way of life - no way around it. I have always tracked what I eat and tried to go to Weight Watcher meetings when I could. I haven
t been able to go for the past 6 months so I was very happy to find MFP.
I think you have to have a support group.
Best of luck - please feel free to friend me

phdiva12 · April 2013

Thank you for the feedback! I guess I get worried that I won't be able to maintain the journaling, even though I've done it for the past 7 months now. I have this little voice in my head that keeps saying, "You've done it so far, but do you really think you can do this your entire life?" I think a lot of the doubt is coming from the fact that as a society, we are more focused on the temporary diets and not the lifestyle changes. Mentally, I'm just starting to wrap my head around it. Isn't it funny, that the normal, healthy, rational things we should be doing, seem irrational and abnormal?! Having these discussions with you all, really helps it "sink it." Thanks again!

majope · April 2013

I lost over 30 pounds in 2011 and didn't have much trouble maintaining (back now to lose additional weight). I tracked for a few weeks at maintenance to get a feel of how much I should be eating, then only went back to tracking a few times when I'd put on a few pounds (from travel, holidays, or when the summer got so hot that I couldn't run much).

I did find that those times I returned to tracking after not doing for a while, my concept of "one tablespoon of peanut butter" had slipped, so it was nice to get reminders of portion sizes. So, you don't necessarily have to keep your food diary up forever--just as necessary to either lose a few pounds or to refresh your idea of how much you should be eating.

I also agree with dazzo62 that exercise is key to maintaining weight. Find something you like to do enough to do it forever--then do it. Forever. For me, that's running, but it could be almost anything: cycling, hiking, dance, weights, Pilates, walking, whatever.

slimgin62 · April 2013

Journal, journal, journal! Awareness is the key and if you don't journal, your awareness creeps down as your weight creeps up! I am a WW lifetime member who is using this WONDERFUL tool to lose "a few extra" and then to maintain. After 20 years of WW (on and off as I have needed it) This program was just the boost I needed to get excited again! Good luck to you.

Francl27 · April 2013

It depends. When I gained it all back (14 years ago or something), it's because I was following a restricted diet and wasn't able to stick to it anymore. I honestly don't remember what happened, it's been too long, just that I got a job, went to school, had to eat out instead of at home, and went back to my old eating habits I guess.

The main thing really is that once people lose their weight, they think they can eat more, and just go back to their bad eating habits. Even worse with restricted diets obviously... you start eating things you avoided again... and gain. You pretty much have to keep doing what you're doing, just eating more calories. Knowing myself, I'll probably have to keep my diary forever.

ruwise · April 2013

I think people use gain again because they are happy with the way they now look. They no longer have a goal and often have been depriving themselves to get to that goal and don't realise that you have to change for life to stay at goal. I have lost weight and gained it back before. What I'm doing differently this time is using the fat to fit methodology whilst losing weight which means I am pretty much eating the number of calories that I need to eat for the rest of my life now. The weight loss will be slower but when it comes to maintenance it will just be carry on as I have been doing which I think is easier.

aberc · April 2013

It's that mindset IMO.

You're focussed and dedicated when you want to lose weight. You make 100% sure you stick to your calorie goal, you work out 3+ times a week, etc.. More importantly, most people don't allow themselves "treats" or punish themselves if they do.
When you're maintaining, you most likely have the body you want so you don't care as much and you end up slacking off. They forget that they made a LIFETIME COMMITMENT and not just a temporary diet.

Tricep_A_Tops · April 2013

I think its harder to maintain because when your losing you have a goal(s) to keep you motivated and focused. Also seeing that scale keep moving lower and lower and seeing the changes in your body is better motivation than watching them remain the same. For me, its harder to maintain, thats why I always have to keep setting new goals, otherwise I will get bored and lose my motivation.

sugarcoated403 · April 2013

I think both are difficult for different reasons and both need the same things to be successful - commitment, time and energy. I lost 103 lbs in 2012 and have maintained since December. I journaled through my weight loss but not near as diligently as I do now. I, like you, know how to binge and how to diet but the in-between is a bit o a mystery.... I have incorporated some small totally sustainable changes:
1. No cream in coffee (I use skim milk and sweetener)
2. No daily lattes (even non-fat) I drink loose leaf tea
3. Exercise for at least 30 min per day... have you seen this yet...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo&feature=player_embedded#!
4. I do not keep any processed foods in my house - my pantry is full of ingredients only. If I want a snack - it is deliberate and planned vs. mindless eating out of a bag while standing in my kitchen!
5. Journal every day

I've made lots of other changes but those are the easy ones that "feel" right. I fluctuate between 1 - 5 lbs per day (although generally weigh once per week).

lilmissymoo90 · April 2013

i might stop logging but ill probably be a slave to the scales and keep an eye out that way ive been here over a year i know what i should and can eat without gaining weight and i have days of now and then so i dont feel deprived i think ill be fine after if i start to creep up ill start logging again x

MissFuchsia · April 2013

It's definitely harder because of the minset. It's much easier to think 'screw it - I'm eating what I want'.

It took me around 2 years to lose 100lbs so thought once I got to be goal weight it be so easy. Unfortunately, i have to have the same determination to keep it off as I did losing it. That's means still logging, eating clean, working out at least 5 days a week, changing fitness routines etc. It's all worth it though

boatsie77 · April 2013

I know the last time I dropped this amount of weight--and gained it all back again +10 extra, I didn't resolve the reasons I turned to food as my drug of choice in times of stress, boredom, celebration, whatever. I struggled to hit my goal, looked and felt great, then when the diet was over, proceeded to gain it all back by returning to my old friend food for comfort and companionship.

I've worked on breaking my addiction to food while at the same time using MFP to keep tabs on my nutrition and exercise. I know I'm probably going to have to continue to log my food and exercise for the foreseeable future while i'm in maintenance.

There's a reason why our mind connects food to 'something' and causes us to overeat--maintenance is more than just the mechanics of food choices and exercise--one must work through and break that connection or controlling one's weigh will become a lifelong struggle-and you'll be "Food's Forever B!tch."

In your Opinion-Why is it harder to maintain than to lose?

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