MAINTAINERS Introduce Yourselves!

boatsie77
boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
edited October 31 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
YAY! With so many successful MFPers this new area is definitely needed. How about posting a before & after photo along with:

Age
Before & after weight
Start & goal reached date
Best strategy for removing weight
Current strategy for maintaining the weight

Just a suggestion...any inputs?
«13

Replies

  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
    YAY! With so many successful MFPers this new area is definitely needed. How about posting a before & after photo along with:

    Age
    Before & after weight
    Start & goal reached date
    Best strategy for removing weight
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight

    Just a suggestion...any inputs?

    Fun :)

    -Age: 34/female
    -SW 170s/27.9bmi
    -CW 122.5lbs/19.8bmi
    -Started last fall, end of October
    -Hit goal weight of 135lbs in March, and as I transitioned to maintenance I continued to lose/still losing a bit here and there. -Eventually I'll figure this whole thing out lol.
    -I did alternate day intermittent fasting for my weight loss plan
    -I don't really have a maintenance strategy right now. I've recently transitioned to a whole foods, plant based diet and that's been keeping things in check, and has actually caused some more weight loss. I do still weigh daily and keep track of it on an app I have on my phone.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    YAY! With so many successful MFPers this new area is definitely needed. How about posting a before & after photo along with:

    Age
    Before & after weight
    Start & goal reached date
    Best strategy for removing weight
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight

    Just a suggestion...any inputs?
    54

    225 -> 170

    12/27/2012 -> 8/1/2013

    No week day snacks, light breakfast, light lunch, normal family dinner, run 3 times a week

    Pretty much the same for maintenance except allowing a few more treats and some heavier lunches
  • Sweetsugar0424
    Sweetsugar0424 Posts: 451 Member
    YAY! With so many successful MFPers this new area is definitely needed. How about posting a before & after photo along with:

    Age
    Before & after weight
    Start & goal reached date
    Best strategy for removing weight
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight

    Just a suggestion...any inputs?

    33 yrs old
    SW - 203 lbs (over 50% BF)
    CW - 153 lbs (20.4% BF)
    Start date - January 1, 2012
    Goal reached - July 27, 2013
    Strategy for losing - Eat whole foods and cook at home most of the time, but don't deny yourself treats...everything in moderation. Exercise (both cardio and weight lifting are equally important in my eyes) and making sure you get enough healthy foods are really all that's necessary. I have followed the TDEE thinking for almost a year now.
    Strategy for maintaining - I don't currently have any advice as I'm just learning, but I've upped my calories to approximately TDEE and we'll see what happens as I only weigh myself once a month now, give or take.

    2cdtttj.png
  • perrinjoshua
    perrinjoshua Posts: 286 Member
    61 years old
    SW - 168 pounds
    CW - 130.8 pounds
    Start date - April 4 2013
    Goal reached - August 8, 2013
    Strategy for losing - 5:2 fast program - two non-consecutive days at 500 calories (recommended for a female) and healthy portion control and choices on the other days. Exercising on most days, increasing as I gained more energy and commitment to the plan. Logging everything and drinking my water.
    Strategy for maintenance - Just decided to start maintenance today! I'm on the 5:2 plan so will be now fasting one day a week only to maintain the no-pain benefit and uping my caloric intake on other days. My new calories for maintenance are around 1500 plus any exercise calories burned. I will have to monitor things and see how my body feels going with the one fast. If need be, I will fast on two days and increase my calories more on the other days. The anti-inflammatory properties from this plan are too important a benefit to lose.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    33
    SW 215
    CW 170
    Start Date: February 2011
    Goal Reached: November 2011
    Strategy for losing: Eat under my TDEE
    Strategy for maintaining: Eat my TDEE
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    Age : 46, male.

    Before & after weight : Max was about 210 lb. Maintaining at about 168 (+/- about 3 lbs) for 1 year.

    Start & goal reached date : Started losing weight about 2 years ago

    Best strategy for removing weight : Eat and drink less; move more. Cutting down on the beer was a biggie for me, but I never cut it out completely. I eat relatively low carb due to pre-diabetes but other than that I'm IIFYM.

    Current strategy for maintaining the weight : Lift some weights, do some cardio, keep eating right. I don't log anymore - I kinda know now how much to eat to keep my weight and sugar levels OK.
  • Melissa26point2
    Melissa26point2 Posts: 177 Member
    YAY! With so many successful MFPers this new area is definitely needed. How about posting a before & after photo along with:

    Age
    Before & after weight
    Start & goal reached date
    Best strategy for removing weight
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight

    Just a suggestion...any inputs?

    Age: 32
    SW: 161 CW: 127
    Start date: 2/1/11
    Goal reached: October 2012
    My strategy for losing was clean eating and running. I trained for a 10k and a half marathon during this time and kept my calories between 1,500 and 1,800 with 90% clean eating.
    I have been weight training and running to continue with maintenance. I will forever and ever eat clean. Currently I am following The New Rules of Lifting For Women.

    Yay for maintenance :bigsmile:
  • Brummig
    Brummig Posts: 94
    42
    SW 198
    CW 123
    Start Date: Sept 2010
    Goal Reached: March 2013
    Strategy for losing: My first motivation was to lose 40lbs for my 40th, spurred on by that years holiday snaps. I joined Slimming World, started doing Wii Fit, reached that 40lbs in 5 months. Stayed at SW, started jogging, lost another stone. Joined a gym and after a year of maintaining decided to try for the last 10lbs to reach a 'normal' range. Went back to basics on SW and started working with a PT and using MFP.
    Strategy for maintaining: never thought of it as a diet that would end when goal was reached. Still log regularly, though not every day, weigh in every week, exercising lots.
    [img]*http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b517/helenpatching/d06d6dd6-1436-418f-b8a5-5b83656bc8bc_zpsd3d492c6.jpg*[/img]
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Age: 41

    Before & after weight: 75kg -> 62kg (skinny fat to athletically lean)

    Start & goal reached date: March 2012 -> September 2012

    Best strategy for removing weight:
    Eat a calorie deficit but keep protein levels up; throw in a heavy lifting routine and regular exercise (choose your poison)

    Current strategy for maintaining the weight:
    This is an interesting one.
    Since December 2012:
    Strength training: I've been continuing with my lifting and gymnastics training, developing my strength and body control.
    Exercise: I cut down on most but kept the tai chi training going. Started playing tennis for fun once or twice a week.
    Food-wise: I now carb/calorie cycle. On lifting days, I increase my carbs to around 200g a day and my calories hit around 2600 otherwise I try to limit my carbs to around 150g a day and my calories to 2200.
    The result? I now weigh close to what I weighed over a year ago (weighed myself a month ago and it read 72kg). :laugh: HOWEVER, I'm not skinny fat any more. I look more muscular, athletic and basically more healthy than I did 6 months ago. Because I'm cycling cals/carbs, despite growing muscle, I haven't put any fat on. Or none that's noticeable.

    My on-going goal is to continue to develop my strength as well as my gymnastics ability. I want to deadlift double my bodyweight. Additionally, I want to do this kind of stuff: http://youtu.be/WC9RshZ3NJQ (Or maybe I should grow up.)
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    I'll play. :smile:

    Age: Between 40 and 50
    Height: 5'5"
    SW: 172 (November 2012)
    CW: 130-131 (reached mid-June 2013)

    Strategy for removing weight
    Eat real food. Eat less and do more. Fitbit for tracking. Use HRM, but don't take its burn stats as gospel. Walk a lot, and walk some more. Also jog, row, lift (on machines for now). Don't log strength as cardio. Moar protein, moar weight.

    Strategy for maintaining weight
    Eat real food. Keep logging and tracking. Net calorie goal is a small deficit (e.g., TDEE-80). Keep doing stuff. Do more of it. Start running in earnest. Add free weights and combat when I feel ready to take the plunge. Moar protein, moar weight.

    Working on striking a balance to avoid backsliding and avoid obsessing over daily scale fluctuations. Right now, I'm thinking if I hit CW+3 on an upward trend, I'll drop back into weight loss mode. But also watching to see what kind of weight it is. I've gained almost half a pound in the past month, which would concern me except it reflects a gain of 2.2 pounds LBM and a loss of 1.8 pounds fat. I think I'm ok with that, at least for now.

    Sorry, no pics to share at present. Didn't let many "before" pics survive, and haven't taken any "after" pics. I'm not into bathroom selfies and I'm kind of a privacy zealot. Maybe sometime this month.
  • AGE: 36, female

    HEIGHT:165cm

    SW: 88kg

    CW: trying to keep it under 62kg

    START AND FINISH DATE: Started October 2011, goal reached December 2012

    STRATEGY FOR REMOVING WEIGHT:
    I counted calories (numbers given to me by Calorie King), exercised and drank my water. Find an exercise you love doing and eat foods you love. Heck if you don't love salad, find something else or you wont stick to it.

    STRATEGY FOR MAINTAINING WEIGHT:
    Like the previous poster (whitebalance) I am "Working on striking a balance to avoid backsliding and avoid obsessing over daily scale fluctuations"
    I have also changed to a 5:2 fasting eating plan (or 6:1 for maintaining) but I am still finding maintenance a real struggle. I am glad they have a maintenance forum.
    Right now I am exercising 6 days a week, 3 running days and 3 yoga days. I still drink my 2 litres of H2O, I find it helps a lot.

    Sandeerah
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    YAY! With so many successful MFPers this new area is definitely needed. How about posting a before & after photo along with:

    Age
    Before & after weight
    Start & goal reached date
    Best strategy for removing weight
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight

    Just a suggestion...any inputs?

    Age 54
    Before 174, Goal 128
    Started December 2011, reached goal June 2012
    Dukan Diet , all 4 phases with on line coaching and Nike Fuel Band, and LOGGING!
    Following Dukan diet phase 4, logging and upping activity
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    So glad there is finally a forum for folks who have made it this far!!! I'm Tina, and I've been on MFP for almost a year. I've maintained a 90 lb loss for over a year.

    Age: 37
    Starting weight: 215
    Current weight: 125
    Best strategy: Tracking food and counting calories/WW points
    Allowing oneself a treat now and then and to not feel deprived. Structure your meals with foods that add volume, but not calories.
  • larnsperger
    larnsperger Posts: 161 Member
    Age: 54
    Height: 5'6"
    SW: 172 May 2012
    CW: 135
    GW: 150

    Began Maintaining December 2012

    Best Strategy: I log everything I eat! Love the app and how easy it is to log meals. I don't give up anything I really enjoy, I just enjoy in moderation. WATER WATER and MORE WATER!

    I did give up Diet Coke as I realized it made me crave snack foods and I suffer from migraines and I don't really need to be consuming artificial sweeteners.

    Lost eating 1200 calories per day, and I maintain at 1500 -1600 calories per day.

    Exercise: Walking and Pure Barre
  • Seesawboomerang
    Seesawboomerang Posts: 296 Member
    Age 42
    Height 5'8"
    SW: ~72kg (158lb) in Jan 2011
    Began Maintaining ~ Oct 2011 at 59kg (130lb)
    CW: 63.1 kg

    Best strategy for removing weight - log everything, exercise often, have a little of what you like and a lot of what's good for you. Portion control, healthy choices and lots more water were the biggest lifestyle changes for me.

    Current strategy for maintaining the weight - as you can see I've fallen off the maintenance wagon but will not take long to shed the few extra lbs that crept back. Best strategy is stay accountable. For me that won't be logging calories for the rest of my life, but will be to keep an eye on how clothes fit, and keep up the exercise regime as well as limiting bad food choices (limiting their frequency and/or quantity)

    Lost eating 1200 kcal per day, then upped to 1400, maintain at 1600-1700

    Exercise - cycling and walking, plus fairly easy weights for squats
  • JeanneTops
    JeanneTops Posts: 2,640 Member
    At last, a forum for maintainers.

    Age: 61
    Height: 5'6"
    SW: 242.5 (December 2009)
    CW: 152 (reached August 2011)

    Strategy for removing weight
    Didn't do anything I wasn't willing to do for the rest of my life. Focused on one day at a time. Logged in everything, did an hour of cardio 6 days a week. Kept my calorie level at my future maintenance level. Since I weighed more than that, I lost weight. I was willing to have it take time since my whole approach was to use the time while I was losing weight to learn how to not gain the weight back. Found a really great support group here on MFP.

    Strategy for maintaining weight
    The exact same thing as when I was losing weight. I've learned though that there's a lot more to maintenance than there was to losing. It really is harder mainly because life doesn't change, I am the same person with the same set of problems. Maintenance is about learning how to deal with those problems in a different way than trying to eat through them.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I feel a little bad because I haven't lost as much weight at most others, but I have been maintaining and leading a very healthy lifestyle for ~ 3 years

    Male
    Age 39
    Started at a soft 185, lowest was 165, currently 173-174(purposely at this weight from lifting)
    Started May/June of 2010, dropped about 10-12 lbs in 3 months. As I continued to run, I went all the way down to 165 during marathon training cycles. After my last one, I started stepping up the wieghts and like my current size/weight. I do plan to try and cut a little more, probably taking me to 170, while keeping my muscle.

    Best strategy for removing weight:
    At first it was all about education and portion control. Realizing how many calories were in things I didnt need and in things I drank. Since I was running a lot, I had to carry a small deficit and that worked very well to balance energy & weight loss. As I progressed, I started cutting out more and more processed foods.

    Current strategy for maintaining the weight
    I no longer count calories and hopefully never will have to start. I have found that eating as many whole, real foods as I can makes it extremely hard to over eat. I exercise a lot both running and strength training, so I'm sure that factors in. I have begun doing small expiriments with things to tweak, mostly out of curiosity. I've greatly reduced my dairy intake, I feel better for doing so. Far less bloating & stomach issues. I've greatly decreased my wheat/grains too.That seems to have more of a neutral effect. But i have never been that big on bread & pasta, so I'll just go along with it. Pretty much the only sugars I get are thru fruit, which i do eat a lot of. My next trial is Intermittent Fasting. Nothing too crazy, going to follow the 16 hr fast per day & see how that goes.
  • kristina1709
    kristina1709 Posts: 119 Member
    Age 31
    Before & after weight Highest 205-
    Current 130
    Start & goal reached date- Which time? ;) This last time I started after I gave birth in June 2011 at 194 lbs/ reached goal in May 2013 (this is not my first weight loss rodeo)
    Best strategy for removing weight - running and writing down EVERYTHING i eat.
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight- I am still trying to figure that out LOL
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    Age: I'm 41 now.

    Weight: 215, 38/40 pants (12/2009) -> 163, 31/32 pants (7/2011). So, two years maintaining with only slight fluctuations.

    How I lost: Most of the weight was lost before joining MFP and tracking... I changed the composition of my meals (macros) and that caused a calorie deficit, even though I wasn't tracking. I very intentionally ate a lot more protein, vegetable, and fruits... hoping that the more calorie-dense carbs would automatically "fall off", and it did. I'm a big believer in changing habits, a little bit at a time, until they become easy and natural to follow.

    How I maintain: This is easy since the habits are set but I have to watch to make sure I don't fall out habit. I weigh almost daily (and understand my normal water fluctuations), and keep track of how my clothes fit. If I get towards 170 or feel bloated, then I start tracking calories and macros bit more intently. Otherwise, I'm fairly loose about it.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    Age: 29
    Starting Weight: 285 lbs (40% bf)
    Current Weight: 195 lbs (19% bf)
    Start Date: December 2011
    End Date: March 2013
    Best strategy for removing weight:
    I worked with a dietician to combat a history of unhealthy dieting and overeating. Learning to log everything I eat was the bog game changer for me.
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight:
    I just finished up 2 months of Insanity to cut body fat (I went from 23% to 19%) and am now doing stronglifts to build some muscle mass. Once I get to a good place with my lifting, I'll switch back to a cut to remove the fat I'll put on during the bulk.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
    Hey! My name is Cathy

    Age : 26

    Before & after weight: Started at 252 lbs. Current weight: 122 lbs

    Start & goal reached date: Started when I was 24 years old(January of 2011). I hit my goal weight May of 2012(25 years old)

    Best strategy for removing weight: Exercise, healthier choices, portion control, moderation and substitution. Find a form of exercise that you absolutely love! And change things up to keep your routine fresh(keep that boredom far away!).

    Current strategy for maintaining the weight: Same as above.

    Just a suggestion...any inputs?

    I don't stress over food. I eat what I want when I want. I follow portion control and moderate how often I have guilty pleasures. Although I am a clean eater about 90% of the time, I don't stress over that 10% when I had that piece of cake or donut. I don't feel the need to go harder at the gym the next day because I ate something a little different. I exercise to nourish and reward my body, not to punish it. It's all about finding a program that can be maintained for life :)
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Hooray for maintainers!

    Age: 41/ female
    SW: 124ish (Jan 2012)/GW:115 ( I am only 5 ft tall)
    CW: 100 (lost a little extra weight recently due to unexpected illness. Wanting to maintain around 105)

    Initial goal was 115 because that was where I had been most of my adult life, but once I reached there I kept losing and felt good. My ideal weight is between 105-110, I think. Best strategy for losing weight was simply counting calories and exercising. I lost extra weight past my goal while training for a marathon.

    I have Crohn's disease and am currently in a flare which has caused me to drop additional weight below my goal. I am struggling to find the balance of food and exercise that will help me maintain my current level of fitness and maybe put on a few pounds, but not too much. Currently taking prednisone (steroids) which is making all of this even more difficult to figure out! Just hoping to get through this flare feeling good!
  • Lonestar5775
    Lonestar5775 Posts: 740 Member
    Age 55 6' tall

    Before & after weight 177 lbs. (with a gut) and 157 lbs. (without a gut)

    Start & goal reached date Jan. 11 '13 and July 15, '13

    Best strategy for removing weight Finally relaizing calorie counts for the food I ate. Started portion control and cut down on desserts.

    Current strategy for maintaining the weight Continued logging and reading more labels while shopping.
  • bipsqueen
    bipsqueen Posts: 57 Member
    Age: 52
    SW: 179
    CW 117
    GW 125

    Started: 6-25-10
    GW: approx 11/12


    I limited sugar and carbs to lose weight, I followed the book, Jorge Cruise, the belly fat cure. Now I just watch my daily calorie intake and keep it within the limits set by MFP and fitbit. I do still keep a close eye on the sugar and avoid it whenever possible.
    I lost more weight than intended, but like others, it felt right and I feel great. I have become a runner (which I wasn't even as a child!). I walk and run to help maintain my weight and to live a healthy lifestyle.
  • simsburyjet
    simsburyjet Posts: 999 Member
    3 yrs ago went from 188-168
    56 yrs old now weigh 169 but I am in better shape than in my 40s..
    I was down to 165 but felt too thin..
    I do pump, spin and push ups...

    I recently changed name in mfp but have been on site for about a year.. Log daily and eat all my exercise calories
  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
    Age: 25
    Before & after weight: Before 223.5lbs (15st 13.5lbs) After 150.5lbs (10st 10.5lbs)
    Start & goal reached date : Started 28th Aug 12 Reached 24th Dec 12
    Best strategy for removing weight: I upped the exercise, mainly due to having to cycle to work daily (16mile) and eating sensibly
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight: Taken up running to keep the weight off, watch what I eat but also allow myself to eat what I fancy. I have given myself a range of 6lbs, if at any given point my weight has increased more then I need to alter things to get it back down.

    Mentally I still see the chubby me but hey that takes a while. I'm currently 152.5lbs (10st 12.5lbs)
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
    YAY! With so many successful MFPers this new area is definitely needed. How about posting a before & after photo along with:

    Age
    Before & after weight
    Start & goal reached date
    Best strategy for removing weight
    Current strategy for maintaining the weight

    Just a suggestion...any inputs?

    Hi all,

    Age: 25
    Before weight: 140
    After weight: 124-126 ish. I like to sit anywhere in there.
    Start date: January 2011
    Goal reached date: May 2012
    Best strategy for removing weight: crossfit. I counted calories, did a lot of HIIT and heavy lifting. I saw a bigger improvement in my body in the 6 months I did crossfit than the year I did just cardio.
    Current strategy for maintaining: I still count calories albeit pretty loosely. I do weigh myself fairly often and when I see anything over 126 I know it's time to reign it in a bit and eat a little better. It's become a lot easier over the past year.
  • doggiesnot
    doggiesnot Posts: 334 Member
    Age: 43/male
    SW: 210 lbs CW: 160 lbs (5'11")

    Took it slow and steady over 2 years.

    Started with an elliptical and a recumbent bike (30 minutes to an hour) 3 x a week. The recumbent is set up in front of the XBox 360. On the elliptical, I read my Kindle.

    Had a PT for a couple of months who set me up with strength training (weights) 3 days / week for 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of cardio (I chose elliptical), and then 2 days / week of 60 minutes cardio. That worked well to drop pounds.

    Now, I bike commute to work 8 miles each way, I still lift weights at the gym, but not very seriously. I enjoy swimming. I've signed up for my first half marathon and am training for that. I like the Zombies, Run! iPhone app for running, as well as Runtastic for tracking my bike rides. There are many other good apps, like Endomondo, RunKeeper, iSmoothRun, and Gipis, to name a few.

    The best advice I can give is to eat right, track your food to help control portion sizes, find something fun to do, and make small goals along the way. I bought new shoes for running (as they recommend). I bought new clothes as I lost sizes, workout clothes included. Some clothes I got at Goodwill, you don't have to spend a lot of money.

    I've tried P90X awhile back but didn't stick with it for longer than 2 weeks. After my October race, I may pick it up again. Overall, have fun and enjoy your new, healthier life! :drinker:
  • Codefox
    Codefox Posts: 309 Member
    Age: 32/m (a/s/l...its AOL!)
    SW: 200 (6' 1")
    CW: 165 - 168

    Start and end is a little tricky because I initially did this 5 1/2 years ago. I was 200lbs and started tracking my food (pre-MFP days 8) ) and was very successful with it. At the time my goal was 170 - 175 which I hit about 5 years ago. I kept that off until last year when I stopped running regularly after injuring myself doing Insanity. Over the course of the year I let my weight creep back up until I was 190 in November. I was annoyed with myself, got back on the wagon and started running heavily again. By the time I ran the Disney Marathon in January (on my birthday!) I was already back to my 175 weight and that's when I decided I would go a little further this time and took my weight all the way down to you 165. I've been here since March and have since been working on BF% and strength in addition to my triathlon training.

    As for my strategy for getting & keeping it off? Eat less/exercise more.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Age: 36

    Before & after weight:
    SW: 255
    CW: 180
    I'm 5'11

    Start & goal reached date: Jan 2012/May 2013

    Best strategy for removing weight:

    * Focus on fat loss and losing inches, not the number on the scale.
    * I made sure everything I did was something I could maintain for the rest of my life.
    * Lift heavier weights. Too many pluses to mention.
    * For me going at this alone and reading forums worked out much better than having a weight loss partner.
    * Don't restrict foods. Instead watch portions and cook alternatives at home.
    * Going out to eat for a relaxed meal once a week. It gave me something to look forward to!


    Current strategy for maintaining the weight:

    * Continue logging everything I eat and drink.
    * Continue watching the portion sizes.
    * Continue working out and being active 6 - 7 days per week.

    I've tried losing weight many times and I have never been successful. I'm so darn proud of myself for getting to this point and doing it all on my own without a gym membership or buying a diet plan etc.!
This discussion has been closed.