Maintainers - how do you keep your head in the game?

LumberJacck · October 2014

I'm just wondering if you do anything that helps keep your focus towards maintenance, and preventing gains. Are there any traditions, things you do, preventative methods etc that you do which help you stay at your current weight. I'd love to know of any.

ianthy · October 2014

Hi

I lost 74lbs annd have been on maintenance since June. I think you have to find a way to live and enjoy maintenance. Personally I think if life feels like one long endless diet then you are more likely to return to your old ways. For me, logging and working out keeps me on track. I can get bored easily so I like to try new things - currently kettlebells and I would like to try C25K later this year too.

No more than 2 meals out a week and if poss stay within my daily limit or use exercise/activity to balance it out over the course of the week.

Also nothing is excluded - I like ice cream and love cake too. So my 'plan' includes these food items in moderation.

Occasionally I slip or fall of plan - tomorrow is another day and I get back on and keep going. This is a new way of thinking for me... there was a time I would slip off plan and then go AWOL for months!

Enjoy your success, remember how hard you have worked to achieve it - don't let it slip away.

RaspberryTickleChicken · October 2014

hmmm ... It will be 2 yrs this Dec on MFP and my very 1st yr completing maintenance.

I think what logging consistently has made me a 'mindful eater.' I consciously choose to eat a meal or a snack. I never just plop down on the sofa with a can of honey roasted peanuts & just mindlessly shove handfuls in my mouth.

I plan all my meals out in advance - especially when I eat out. I tend not to go to restaurants without a published nutrition guide.

Keep Learning About Yourself: I recently had a craving for Peanut M&Ms so I bought a bag out of the vending machine & devoured it. I went to log in my calories and was like 'oh that was SO not worth the X amount of calories AND when it was all gone I was left rather unsatisfied.' So I learned that when I snack now, I really want something that satisfies & deemed worth the calories ie. PB on Choc Chip waffle. Less calories, less fat & less sugar than the Peanut M&Ms but BOY is it SO much more satisfying!

Good luck!

BigGuy47 · October 2014

I switched my goal from weight loss to fitness. Being over 50 I do strength training to improve my strength and reduce muscle loss. I think if my only goal was to lose weight, I would have stopped putting in the effort once I hit my goal.

dopeysmelly · October 2014

I'm still finding my way in maintenance for real, but I've had a "maintenance mindset" for a few months.

I'm far more interested in my fitness goals now - joined the Y, already increasing the weights/switching around my workout every couple of weeks, plan my next workout while I'm doing my current one, planning on entering a 5K in July , focusing on building up muscle tone in both legs post-knee surgery, am scouting places for yoga classes.. And those are just the "targets" I have right now. The first time I run 2 miles non-stop I'm getting a running watch. I was always too heavy to run comfortably before, but now I struggle NOT to run (surgeon's orders)!

In comparison, I use the food diary primarily to plan the next day's meals (it's just so efficient and makes preparing the family meals post-swim practice much easier), and making sure I get the nutrients I need. I also use the recipe builder to adapt recipes I've always done to increase the protein/fiber/healthy fats and reduce the refined starch and sugar, which I'm finding challenging and interesting.

Honestly, watching the scale and calorie target is the basic metric which means it's possible for me to do the more interesting stuff.

rsclause · October 2014

I finally gained a few pounds (5) so I upped my running distance and run each weekday again until I get back to my happy weight again. Lost two pounds yesterday.

cwolfman13 · October 2014

Healthful habits lead to a healthful lifestyle which lead to a pretty easy time of maintenance. Slipping back into bad habits and the standard American diet (or equivalent) is pretty much going to result in putting the weight back on pretty quickly.

I do not log and haven't done so in over 18 months...I am mindful of my consumption in terms of both quality and quantity...my nutritional profile is excellent and I exercise regularly. I have bad days and bad weeks here and there, but by and large I live a very healthful lifestyle which has allowed me to maintain these past 18 months without keeping any kind of diary or logging...just being mindful.

I would also add that I regularly sign up for various cycling events...I'm by no means a competitive athlete, but I enjoy getting out and participating in these events and just having a good time and it keeps me motivated to train, train, and train some more.

ShannonMpls · October 2014

I continue doing what worked for me during maintenance.

1) Planning.
Every Saturday or Sunday, my husband sit down and plan out our menu for the week. We go shopping. I create the recipes in MFP. We decide what meal we're eating when (this lets me balance macronutrients - carb-heavy meals will be followed by a lower carb meal, for example). We write it down, do any necessary prep (like roasting squash for a risotto, for example - things easier to do on a lazy Sunday than after work).

I pre-log every workday without exception. The means deciding what I'm eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner the day (or days) before. Sometimes my whole week is pre-logged by Sunday. I pack up my food the night before and it's all ready to go.

This method really keeps me on track.

2) I log my food most of the time.

3) Exercise.
This is key. I have a bunch of friends at my gym so it feels fun. I am on the Board so I know a lot of staff people too. It's a community.

I get into certain gym classes, I sign up for races, I set goals. Exercise helps with everything in my life: stress, depression/anxiety, weight. It's key to my success.

4) Activity.
I also try to be more active in my day to day life. My fitbit helps with this - the 10k step goal is awesome, I love being #1 on the weekly rankings among all my Fitbit friends, I am more apt to walk to someone's office than call, and I just plain move more.

But mostly, what keeps my head in the game is remembering how much more I enjoy my life now than when I weighed more than 300 pounds. Things are more fun, I am better balanced and more confident, and I just ... prefer it.

So if I have an off-day, I remember where I was and where I am and I make the choice to live this new life instead of my old one. That doesn't mean I'm perfect, that doesn't mean I never give in and order pizza (just did this Sunday..oops). It just means that, in the long-term, I know where I want to be and what I need to do to get there.

130 pounds lost. 2 years of maintenance.

skyqueen6 · October 2014

I'm new to MFP. I went from a miserable (everything seemed to hurt) 198 lbs to a mostly pain free 128.5 lbs. I am on maintenance and have been for about 1 month. I log my food and exercise regularly. I exercise and eat healthy now to stay healthy. I exercise to sleep better as well as staying healthy.

summer8it · October 2014

I've been maintaining for more than 18 months, and here are some of the things I do:

I weigh myself almost every day, to make sure I'm still in my maintenance zone (a 4 pound range). This does NOT work for everyone's psyche, but it works for me.
I log my food 4-5 days a week, with weekends off. It keeps me mindful of what I eat without making me feel oppressed.
I'm more relaxed with my food choices on the weekend, allowing myself more treats, so long as my weight is in the maintenance zone.
I log my exercise on MFP every day, and I've linked to EveryMove, which gives me points toward rewards. I choose the charity rewards, and feel good that a charity is getting an extra dollar every week or two because I exercised!
I do cardio I really enjoy, and I use my weightlifting time for guilty pleasure TV shows.
I enjoy and appreciate my body!

dopeysmelly · October 2014

summer8it wrote: »

[*] I enjoy and appreciate my body!

Oh, yes. Definitely this!! It's not that I didn't love myself before, but now I'm actually amazed at how I look and what my body can do for me.

Spiderkeys · October 2014

for me, maintaining is about skipping meals, eat more one day, punish yourself the next day by eating less, weigh daily, watch your sodium levels, expect tough flucations in weight... Sounds harsh, but works for me, and I've been maintaining since April and haven't even gained back a pound.

yoovie · October 2014

i make sure not to give it too much thought.

kluvit · October 2014

The only clothes I have are the ones that fit NOW, and I've invested a fortune in them, so I have tremendous motivation to make sure they continue to fit.

To do so, I use the same tools that worked to help me lose:

I maintain a +/- 3 pound range, and reaching the +3 means going back to weight loss strategies...logging everything and staying within macros.
I take breaks from logging, but I always come back if I start developing bad habits, add new foods to my diet, want to focus on exercise goals, or start approaching the upper limit of my range.
I typically eat the same things, but when I add new foods or go to new restaurant, I plan accordingly.
I make choices based on my budget and decide what is "worth it" to me. I still eat some of my favorites such as breakfast tacos, french fries, and ice cream, but typically not all on the same day...all are fine as long as I've got enough calories in the budget.
I even plan for the occaissional binge weekend (2-3 times per year...vacation, holidays, etc.) by increasing workouts and decreasing calories to lose in advance to the lower end of my acceptable range.

skyqueen6 · October 2014

I'm in.

BlueBombers · October 2014

I've been maintaining since January. I have kept up the same routine as I had while I was losing (eating more mind you, less cardio and more weights) and logging everything. It's become a part of my everyday life.

Also, I just have to look at one of my "before pics" when I was at my heaviest. That gives me enough motivation as I never ever want to get to that point again.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · October 2014

LumberJacck wrote: »

I'm just wondering if you do anything that helps keep your focus towards maintenance, and preventing gains. Are there any traditions, things you do, preventative methods etc that you do which help you stay at your current weight. I'd love to know of any.

I've been maintaining for 2 years.

I focus on fitness, not weight. Having goals I want to hit with my lifting makes it much easier to stay on the rails with food.

I still weigh in regularly. For me it's daily but I don't think that's for everyone.

I still log food. There may be a point where I no longer do. The new recipe builder may make that day arrive sooner rather than later.

I_Will_End_You · October 2014

I weigh myself regularly. If it seems to be going up, I cut back a little, if it's the same...I keep doing what I'm doing.

nxd10 · October 2014

I've been maintaining 18 months. It isn't rocket science. I keep logging and trying to get my 10,000 steps a day. I weigh every morning. I eat 3 meals a day plus a 9PM snack almost every day. I only eat food I really love to eat (except maybe at lunch, which my husband packs for me). My breakfast and lunch are filling but light (600 calories total usually - 800 if I eat out). That gives me enough calories that I can eat almost anything we normally have for dinner plus ice cream and not have to think about going over.

So I don't feel I need to deny myself anything and I just watch my portion sizes. I eat out a lot but split meals with my husband or take home half. Logging helps me make sure I eat enough.

And I do LOVE looking sharp.

nehushtan · October 2014

Logging.
Regular bicycling.
Logging.
Reminding myself of past failures.
Logging.
Looking in the mirror.
Logging.
Visiting the success forum on MFP.
Logging.
Strength training regimen.
Logging.
Looking at old pictures.
Logging.
Looking at other men my age and older who are out of shape.
Logging.
Looking at other men my age and older who are in shape.
Logging.
Telling my story to other people.
Logging.
Remembering that other people know my story.
Logging.
Fear of failure.
Logging.
Liking my new wardrobe.
Logging.
Noticing that I still have a tendency to overeat sometimes.
Logging.
Threw out my old wardrobe.
Logging almost as soon as I finish what I've eaten.
Knowing that my wife is proud of my success.
Logged consistently for almost 1500 days so I keep logging.
My diet nuggets (see my blog at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/nehushtan).
Logging.
Having a cycle of breakfasts that are easy to make, stock, and rely on.
Logging.
Having calorie-cheap easy-to-make suppers.
Logging.
Having a wife that has been through the process with me and supports me knows what I need and what I can't eat and buys and cooks food I can eat and eats them with me even though she isn't currently on a diet.
Logging.
Knowing that other people are following my example.
Logging.
Not putting logging off to the end of the day.
Making room in the daily calorie budget for a little fun food at the end of the day.
Logging.
Knowing that I can count on myself to keep at it.
Knowing from experience that a holiday or a mistake will not destroy everything.
Knowing that logging is going to keep happening after a holiday.
Remembering to log things that I forgot to put in yesterday's log.
Logging holidays and binges and birthdays and mistakes.
Keeping track of my calories on a weekly basis so I can save up calories for splurges later in the week.
Logging (again).
Logging is honesty.
Logging is another way of looking in the mirror.
Logging is for me not for you.
Persistence.

teagirlmedium · October 2014

I have limited the amount of sweets I am allowed to buy every week. I have also limited the amount of money I can spend at fast food places. So I do not eat as much of the heavier foods I used to.

Maintainers - how do you keep your head in the game?

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