Maintainers - how do you keep your head in the game?
Replies
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I always want to go forward, never backward. I was in a lot of pain when I heavier. I log every day. I exercise about 4 days a week. I treat myself to a can of my favorite soda every day. I weigh myself about once a week.2
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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.
Great advice!6 -
Staying in maintenance is fairly easy for me (now 2.3 years of main) because the alternative is simply unacceptable. I made a promise that I would NOT regain the weight that I worked so hard to lose. I have a maintenance plan that I've developed that is working for me and that's really all I need. I eat smaller portions and limit my junk food, two new habits I needed to develop, since junk food and too large portions were largely responsible for my weight gain. With those in check, together with staying active and prioritizing eating nutritionally dense food, maintenance has been pretty easy.
It also helps to remind myself that eating better and exercising regularly is my choice. No one is forcing me to do these things. Choices have consequences and I like the consequences of my healthier lifestyle. I certainly could choose differently and eat tons of junk food and be sedentary and watch a lot of TV, but those choices would have a lot of negative consequences that I just don't need nor want. So I choose a different path.9 -
I'd say exercise is the key. I've lost 130 lbs since April 2013. Staying active is key for me. Not only does it burn calories but if I never stop, and never sit, I can't eat. I usually don't eat until after my shift is done at work like 10:30 pm. Do as I say, not as I do. I've developed a bit of an eating disorder according to my trainer. Ideally you should eat 3 meals and 2 well balanced snacks a day and keep moving. They say to shoot for 10,000 steps a day. They add up quickly. Good luck!4
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I still log but it is a life style for the most part yes at times I have treats but I don't do it on a regular basis. I love exercising and that helps3
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I've been maintaining for about...13 years now. For me it was about creating a REAL healthy lifestyle. Exercising because it's good for me. Eating great tasting healthier foods. Keeping emotional (boredom) eating in check. Not eating when I'm not hungry.
I weigh daily. I get at least 10,000 steps a day. I create new exercise goals. I try new activities regularly.
I eat now how I ate when I was losing. I try to focus on getting lots of nutrient dense vegetables, meat/fish/poultry, seeds and nuts, dairy, legumes, some fruit, and *some* whole grains. I build my meals around "meat and two veg" rather than what fits between two slices of bread. I eat bread/tortillas, for sure, but not every meal. It works for me. I found what did and I stuck with it all these years.
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I hit maintenance in August 2014 and am on the fast track of learning. I will continue to log as it's very easy for me to mis-gauge my portions. I got a FitBit to track my 10000 steps but don't have it connected to MFP because I don't like to roller coaster on the scale that happens with it. Weekly weigh-ins just like before. Nothing different other than eating more food and keep weight gain at bay. A 5 pound variance is allowed with a 10 pound maximum gain. Easter to lose 10 than 78.
In a nutshell, I track, move, weigh..adjust and repeat.4 -
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.
What helps me to keep my head in the game is remembering the heart attack i had in Feb. 2013!! Had already lost 50 pounds but that was the wake up call to get to the "normal" BMI and stay there AND keep moving!
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I've been at maintenance for almost a year now. I find that logging everything I eat is #1 for keeping me on track. I also started doing strength training a year ago along with my cardio and love the results. If I find myself gaining a few pounds I just reevaluate what I've been doing. I fluctuate around +/- 5 pounds. Also since I will be 45 in a few weeks I've really been trying to eat healthier too.2
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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.
This ... and what others have said .. I only have clothes that fit in my closet, all others gone. and I log.
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I've only been in maintenance for a month now, but this what works for me:
- When I was in deficit, I simply ate less of everything. Very little excluded; everything was balanced, but calories were reduced
- Now that I'm in maintenance, I eat the same foods as before, just a bit more of everything
- I still log everything I eat. Otherwise, left to my own devices, I would start overeating again.
- My focus now is on building fitness. The weekly routing that works for me is 3x strength, 2x fast cardio (elliptical), 1x long moderate cardio (hiking), 1x rest day.
Best of luck!8 -
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.
I like this approach.1 -
I log my food 90% of the time. weigh myself often. lift my weights religiously. enjoy any foods I so desire. been maintaining for almost two years.4
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the five-pound rule is common:
if you get more than five pounds away from your 'maintaining' weight, it's back to the diet.5 -
I accidentally lost about 1 lb.
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I finally have developed the habits to go back to eating healthy, not matter how bad a meal or day is. It almost takes effort to eat bad now for an extended amount of time because it's going against my habits. I can also really feel the unhealthy food making me unfocused and tired all the time. The trick is to go back to eating healthy as soon as possible and not let it go for weeks or months.7
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bethleahnutrition wrote: »I finally have developed the habits to go back to eating healthy, not matter how bad a meal or day is. It almost takes effort to eat bad now for an extended amount of time because it's going against my habits. I can also really feel the unhealthy food making me unfocused and tired all the time. The trick is to go back to eating healthy as soon as possible and not let it go for weeks or months.
Congratulations! Me too1 -
I have never been fat,, BUT I have to kick butt to stay hot, how bad do you want it??? if you want to be hot,,, then get it in your head,,,hot, hot hot hot,,,, make it happen.7
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I try to keep my weight at 134 lbs and no higher than 136.
I keep focused on my fitness as I can pretty much eat what I want (in moderation) now. Mostly I make better choices and keep an eye on portion sizes.
I have too many gorgeous UK size 10 clothes that I want to keep on fitting me lol...that keeps my eye on the ball!1 -
i weigh myself nonstop and have a designated range i'm allowed to be in depending on what i'm doing. I started to bulk up some and i said i wouldn't let myself get above 220 and now i'm trying to lean down and each week i have a designated weight that i want to be and i adhere to it. If i'm above where my range is, then i make myself do cardio more or be extra strict on my diet.1
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