Motivating your maintenence

if you lost your weight slow enough than you should not be falling back into bad habits. It took me 2 1/2 years to lose 50 pounds. I cant go back bc I have been living this way so long that I don't remember what it was like back then. I stay away from some foods but those foods I cut out over a long period of time. This is my lifestyle now and it is not hard at all the stay here for me. I do fluctuate give or take 3 or so pounds but no real weight gain.

What motivates me is reaching new fitness goals like power walking faster and longer, getting stronger and moving to heavier weight, being able to do another pull-up or hold a plank longer etc.

Also what motivates me is not letting the scale or food have power over me. I have control now.

Pictures help too. I made a photo with 4 side by side face images (before, year 1, year 2 and current) I can not recognize myself! To see my double chins shrink and my face and neck get smaller and smaller is extremely motivating to look at.

Catching a glimpse of myself in a reflection throws me off at times. I forget sometimes how much smaller I really am.

Being able to buy cute clothes and shoes (my foot shrunk 2 sizes and went from wide to normal!) feels really, really great.

Lastly, from time to time I try on my biggest pair of shorts (size 22) that were once getting tight, but I can now fit comfortably into one leg. It makes me feel so incredibly proud of myself to losing all of the weight on my own without starving, no diets or a gym membership and it reminds me to keep going!!!!!!!

Wearing my favorite pair of booty jeans regularly does help keep me on track, but for me, maintenance is the starting point. I have other goals and interests now... Increasing the weight I can lift, improving my endurance and power in Krav Maga, and so on. I couldn't "stay motivated" to remain the same for the rest of my life.

Look at myself in the mirror, weigh myself almost everyday, look at fat pictures of me, look at skinny pictures of me, try on old big jeans, try on smaller current jeans...and *kitten* this information 24/7

The key to maintaining for me is exercise. Never stop with the exercise!! Relieves stress and helps keep your weight in check.

I never want to undo any my hard work. It was hard work and I put in a lot of effort.

I'm healthier than I have been in years.

I look and feel greater than I have in years.

My continuing and changing fitness goals.

That I'm doing the best for myself.

That I get to have an interesting and healthy diet.

I appreciate indulgence far more than I used to.

My continuing and changing fitness goals.

This sums it up for me. When I first started improving my fitness I couldn't do a single pull up. It was downright depressing. When I could do 5 pull ups I changed the goal to 8. Later changed the goal to 10. I imagine I will keep moving the goals as long as I'm able to exercise.

Once you reach maintenence, what motivates you to stay there? Is it a picture of your unfit (or fat) self posted somewhere to look at every day? Is it the compliments you receive? Or is it the way you feel at goal?

It's too easy to fall back into old habits, and far too many people gain back the weight they worked so hard to lose.

So successful maintainers, how do you keep yourself in check?

It has nothing to do with motivation...it has everything to do with establishing a healthful lifestyle...one that is driven by proper nutrition (to include appropriate quantities of food as well as quality) and fitness. You have to understand that reaching your goal weight isn't the end...you haven't reached the finish line...you've actually just arrived at the starting line. Losing weight was (should have been) your training ground...now it would be time to actually run the race.

This is one of the biggest reasons that people shouldn't put so much emphasis on just losing weight...they should be emphasizing overall health and well-being and living a healthful lifestyle. Generally when you do these things, losing weight and/or maintaining a healthy weight are positive bi-products.

I remember after I had my second baby I was motivated to be my youthful self, regain my pre-baby figure, enjoy my body, and get back to dancing. And then a few years later I gained maybe 5 or 10 pounds. I was motivated again to be back to my best fitness and feel that way again and enjoy life. And now it continues to be a part of my life that I never want to lose and have to work towards again. I always see myself like I am at the beginning of a new challenge and a new transformation. There is always still so much more to achieve and accomplish with my fitness and my goals in weight lifting and as a dancer. I always want to dance, and never lose that. I am happy the way it feels to be in my body. I'm happy naked or in my jeans or exercise clothes. I want to move forward into all of my life with health and fitness. When I feel like I am losing the zest for it, I find new things in fitness that I can do and enjoy. I bought weights for my home. I joined a better gym (less expensive also). Having friends that enjoy fitness and dance helps also.

I am new to maintaining but I have some chances on my side:

1. I had to lose weight due to back problems (joint arthritis) and can not afford to gain as the pain is unbearable
2. I lost my weight slowly as no specific deadline (I weighted from week to week and I just refused any weight gain aver 14 days): I have to keep my ideal weight until I die, so a few weeks/months sooner or later does not change anything

If I see I get above my ideal weight by 2kg, I increase cardio for 2-3 days and reduce intake (if needed). I love cardio and try to keep my 7000 call exercise (lot of walking) per week.

Now my goal is see more abs by August, preferably replace some fat by muscle (unfortunately any extra kg is bad for my joints, fat or muscle so it is a very slow process) and run 10km in less than 50 min. If it is done by december, fair enough. I noticed better result since my deadline are not mandatory (I do not give up, I just progress).

I'm active. I don't feel good when I put on a few pounds - literally, it drags me down. I am more fit now than I ever was growing up, even in my athlete days. That and staying in my clothes. I cannot imagine a shopping trip that would involve having to buy bigger clothes.