fearing relapse........need feedback from other big losers

I recently lost approximately 90 lbs in 4 1/2 months from extreme dieting and fanatical workouts. I feel and look the best of my life and am very happy. The problem is in the past month or so I have found myself making poor food choices and indulging myself in favorite high calorie dishes. The good news is my desire to go to the gym has not diminished at all. I do 30 mins. Of weight training and 40 to 50 mins. Of cardiovascular in the morning everyday and go for walks 3 to 4 evenings a week. My weight has fluctuated 3-6 pounds above my all time low but I pretty sure I'm building muscle. So I just wanted to hear from people who went back to eating "normal" and stuck with exercising and their experiences. Iworked to hard to get to where I am but I do want to enjoy food and drink again, thanks mfp family!

Maybe your problem is that you were on a DIET and you did not really Change your eating habits. Maybe you should look at it THIS time as a Lifestyle Change, and when you hit a Number it will be like Oh-yeah-good...BUT I still gotta eat like I eat because Certain things just do not come under My Plan for Life (I may eat a thing once a year, but if it don't fit>>>I MUST Quit!!!)

Everything in moderation. I've kept my weight off for about 8 years (it took about 8 months to loose, not 4 months and 90 pounds), but every other year or so I get a reality check becasue I've gained like 10 pounds. I'm here now because I had surgery (I could barely move for about a month and a half), a honeymoon, and the holidays...I gained 13 in 5 months. You will always need to watch what you eat, but let yourself have your favorite things once in awhile...just dont let it get out of hand...We are basically addicts, we will always have a problem and we just need to learn how to control it.

God, grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change;
the strength to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Think of your food as you would your "church" clothes... Don't bring out the good ones every day! I am no expert on keeping weight off, I gained 30 back over 5 years before I committed again in Jaunary, but with the exception of a bad/stressful couple weeks (I apparently am a stress eater!), I try to space out the good stuff. Once a month or every couple weeks, I let myself have that thing I've been craving... fast food, whatever it be. Portion sizes would be smart, have a small portion of that delicious item, but eat a salad first so you eat the high calorie stuff in moderation....

One thing I plan to do is become my own personal chef. I do not cook AT ALL really, fortunately I have the best husband in the world who is a fantastic cook. But, in my effort to learn to cook, I plan to find healthy alternatives to some of those delicious foods, like pizza. It may not be the best choice in food, but if I can find a delicious lower calorie alternative for my favorite stuffed crust pizza I would be a happy girl!

Also, maybe have a warning point, a 5 pound weight gain or a favorite pair of jeans not fitting right anymore, that if you hit this point it means you need to tone it down on the eating for awhile? I personally plan to never buy a larger size in clothing again! Denial will not be an option anymore... (Oh, I'm not gaining weight back, I just want to have loser clothes to feel more comfortable so I will get the size bigger...)

Good luck to you! Remember this is a journey, not a destination. You did the work, now you do need to do some work to maintain it. You wouldn't buy a beautiful house and let it fall into disrepair, would you? Paying attention to the small stuff and fixing the problem before it becomes a big one is one of the key factors in maintenance, IMHO. Good luck and congrats on the fabulous loss!!

Trish

SW 10/05: 265
LW 4/06: 185

SW 1/11: 214
CW 5/11: 175

GW: 160