terrified!

griersonwedding2015 · May 2015

i lost the 70 lbs i wanted to lose and went from 205 percent to 135... i am on week two of maintaining and have stayed within a pound of 135... heaviest weighing in at 136.6...i almost cried but i have to remember fluncuations!

i was wondering how often i should continue working out! i go sun, mo, tue and i rest wed, go thurs and fri... but today i was exhausted and skipped the gym and i am already nervous for sunday! and already thinking of doing cardio after work because i feel guilty for not going this morning

any tips on how to control my anxiety during maintenance?! i also read you should give your body a 5lb allowance... like my goal is 135 but as long as i stay under 140 i should be happy. is that a good idea???

any positive thoughts or stories will help!

Unknown · May 2015

This content has been removed.

nxd10 · May 2015

Congratulations! Anyone with enough willpower to do all of that can certainly maintain.

Don't be afraid. This is going to be the rest of your life. You need to find a way of eating, exercising, and being happy.

Think about getting a fitbit or other gadget to measure your activity. I could never get to the gym every day, but it's easier for me to add more steps into my day and know that I'm getting some exercise. And to adjust my eating lower on the days I don't.

Also - you will be MUCH happier if you pick a range for your weight. Staying in that range is success - every single day for the rest of your life. Because that's your new goal - not hitting a weight or losing that weight, but staying in that range.

Lots of people choose a 5 pounds range if they fluctuate. But if you're more comfortable, go for a 3 pound range. How much did you bounce around every day when you were losing? For me, it was around 3 pounds. I weigh every morning - otherwise I would start getting anxious when my 'weight date' came up. And it could be an odd day I step on the scale. Instead, I weigh every morning. If I'm still in my 3 pound box, I get to do the happy dance. Another victory.

Congratulations! Enjoy your accomplishment. You can maintain.

griersonwedding2015 · May 2015

i think 3 lbs range would be good! i think 4 lbs was ever he highest i fluncuated during losing and thats with irregular BM.

i have the fitbit charge hr! so i plan to help that on days i dont go to the gym to encourage me to do some extra walking!

thank you so much for encouragement! i am so excited to start this new journey of maintaining my weight but im just so scard because i dont want to fail!

but im hoping by continuing to log my food and just think positive that i can do this!!!

sijomial · May 2015

Start looking much, much further ahead!
Build in flexibility to allow for meals out, holidays, vacations.....
Don't try to micro manage your weight day to day or you will stress yourself out.

Definitely have a suitable range - my weight can fluctuate 5lbs in a day but everyone is different.

Also please separate exercise from weight control.
Do it for health, fitness, strength, a challenge - even for (gasp!) enjoyment.

My experience at maintenance has been entirely positive, after 20 years of being fat I enjoy being slim, I enjoy the energy of being fit and healthy, I enjoy my food, I enjoy my exercise.

griersonwedding2015 · May 2015

that is a great way to look at it! i love this new lifestyle! i need to find some new work out routines i think to spice it up!

RoxieDawn · May 2015

I still workout as if I were "dieting"..

sijomial wrote: »

Start looking much, much further ahead!
Build in flexibility to allow for meals out, holidays, vacations.....
Don't try to micro manage your weight day to day or you will stress yourself out.

Definitely have a suitable range - my weight can fluctuate 5lbs in a day but everyone is different.

Also please separate exercise from weight control.
Do it for health, fitness, strength, a challenge - even for (gasp!) enjoyment.

My experience at maintenance has been entirely positive, after 20 years of being fat I enjoy being slim, I enjoy the energy of being fit and healthy, I enjoy my food, I enjoy my exercise.

^ nicely said..

Zara11 · May 2015

I'm not at maintenance - I was, and then I gained all the weight back because I slipped back into bad habits. What I wish I'd done (well, lots of things, but...) was to have a new reason to work out! LAll I'd cared about was losing weight, but I wish that once I'd reached my weight goal, I had a new goal be it a level of fitness (i.e. learning how to lift heavy, get ab lines), days in the gym, training for a tough mudder, etc.

A range sounds good. And when you slip out of the range, get on track immediately. Don't do what I did!

LivingtheLeanDream · May 2015

congrats on the loss! try not to fret over fluctuations, most of us have a 3-5lb range, if we go above it we just eat at deficit to get back in the zone once more. Its good to keep on weighing yourself but perhaps if handling fluctuations bothers you, once a week would be enough just to make sure you're staying on track.

As for workouts, if you're tired you need a rest day. Personally even though I've been maintaining for 8 months my workouts have actually increased. Thats the thing about maintenance, you have to focus on something other than weight loss as its no longer about losing.

Wishing you all the very best

jcim1ru · May 2015

Excellent work! Congrats!

I reached maintenance about 7 months ago and I still continue to exercise on my regular routine. What I changed was the type of exercise and the intensity of it. I started focusing more on toning, shaping, sculpting and getting my body fit all over instead of just burn, burn, burn those calories.

I also played around with my calorie intake number until I figured out what "a day without exercise" netted me in calorie burn. I learned that for me 1400 is a typical, no additional exercise type of day. MFP was allowing me 1650 calories for maintenance.

I adjusted it manually to 1400 and that seemed to be the secret of success.

The other thing to keep in mind, if you still exercise and refocus your body will continue to change. I've lost no additional weight, but I've lost another 1- 2 clothing sizes in some areas.

And lastly, do expect fluctuations. I'm tough on myself, I expect a +/- 3 pound range without any stress. The limit is 5 pounds. If it reaches that, then I either cut back on the thing I've noticed I added to my diet (aka sugars, sweets, desserts) or I add in a bit more intense exercise or an extra couple miles of walking in the evening.

The important thing to remember is to not stress over it, stress retains weight. Take some deep breaths and get to know how your body works now that it's shifting out of weight loss mode and into lifestyle mode.

Good luck to you!!!

DancingMoosie · May 2015

Don't be too worried about the fluctuations--I can weigh in as low as 112 at the doctor's, then as high as 120 at home another day, and boom! weigh 115 the next. As long as you keep track of trends and how your clothes fit, you can stay on track.

Maybe changing up your workouts a little will help with anxiety. You reached your weight loss goal, maybe set a new fitness goal. Do you lift weights or do any strength training? Do you use cardio machines or go outside? Workout dvds or classes? Try something new!

BigGuy47 · May 2015

griersonwedding2015 wrote: »

...went from 205 ... to 135...

Awesome.

griersonwedding2015 wrote: »

i am on week two of maintaining and have stayed within a pound of 135... heaviest weighing in at 136.6...i almost cried but i have to remember fluncuations!

Yes, fluctuations happen.

Relax. You're doing well.

work2bafitbadass · May 2015

sijomial wrote: »

Start looking much, much further ahead!
Build in flexibility to allow for meals out, holidays, vacations.....
Don't try to micro manage your weight day to day or you will stress yourself out.

Definitely have a suitable range - my weight can fluctuate 5lbs in a day but everyone is different.

Also please separate exercise from weight control.
Do it for health, fitness, strength, a challenge - even for (gasp!) enjoyment.

My experience at maintenance has been entirely positive, after 20 years of being fat I enjoy being slim, I enjoy the energy of being fit and healthy, I enjoy my food, I enjoy my exercise.

So hard to find the right balance... I am struggling with this also. The above really helps and very well said! Thanks!

Emilia777 · May 2015

sijomial wrote: »

Start looking much, much further ahead!
Build in flexibility to allow for meals out, holidays, vacations.....
Don't try to micro manage your weight day to day or you will stress yourself out.

Definitely have a suitable range - my weight can fluctuate 5lbs in a day but everyone is different.

Also please separate exercise from weight control.
Do it for health, fitness, strength, a challenge - even for (gasp!) enjoyment.

My experience at maintenance has been entirely positive, after 20 years of being fat I enjoy being slim, I enjoy the energy of being fit and healthy, I enjoy my food, I enjoy my exercise.

This is SO well put. I had associated exercise with health control for so long. Lately I’ve been lifting cause I love it, running when I feel like it, and feel a whole lot better about everything.

OP: congratulations on your amazing results! I know what you mean about fluctuations psyching you out, but what I find helps a lot is switching my focus from *weight* to *health and strength*. So, while weight check-ins and measurements can be helpful to make sure you’re on track, maybe you might benefit from changing your perspective a bit. Are you still tracking your calories?

cwolfman13 · May 2015

griersonwedding2015 wrote: »

i lost the 70 lbs i wanted to lose and went from 205 percent to 135... i am on week two of maintaining and have stayed within a pound of 135... heaviest weighing in at 136.6...i almost cried but i have to remember fluncuations!

i was wondering how often i should continue working out! i go sun, mo, tue and i rest wed, go thurs and fri... but today i was exhausted and skipped the gym and i am already nervous for sunday! and already thinking of doing cardio after work because i feel guilty for not going this morning

any tips on how to control my anxiety during maintenance?! i also read you should give your body a 5lb allowance... like my goal is 135 but as long as i stay under 140 i should be happy. is that a good idea???

any positive thoughts or stories will help!

my fitness didn't change just because I went to maintenance...my consumption did. in fact, I tended to train harder because I actually had the energy to really train. perhaps you should sit down and actually identify some fitness goals and realize that fitness can and should be done for the sake of fitness.

you also have to realize that body weight isn't static...if you can't wrap your head around that, you're pretty much doomed to misery. You're always going to have water retention/release as well as variable levels of waste in your system, hormonal fluctuations, etc. You need to pay attention to the trend over time, not the actual number...stop being so scale-centric.

I basically fluctuate anywhere from 185 on the low side to 190 on the high side...my average over the last 5 months or so is 188 which I consider to be my "true" weight.

Also keep in mind that when you go to maintenance you're going to fill your glycogen stores as well...glycogen has mass and thus weight. When you diet, your glycogen stores are chronically depleted...when you're at maintenance, they are full. It is not uncommon for someone truly moving to maintenance to actually gain 3-5 Lbs just with glycogen gains...more if they were low carbing.

aylajane · May 2015

I think maintenance is hard because it is not a "visible" goal anymore. While losing, you had a number that you "hit" and boom - "success". Maintainance is just ongoing, forever, trying to stay in a range... there is no real "SuccesS" because there is no end in sight.

I think it is critical at this point that you come up with other goals to hold your focus and feel that "progress" and "success" again. Usually fitness goals are good, as they help you maintain without focusing on it. If you like to run, register for a race every other month that is just at the edge of your abilities (i.e. if you can run two miles, register for a 5k every other month). That way you get a little break, but constantly having to be ready for the next one. Set a goal to run a half marathon in a year or something. If you are not a runner, pick pushups or pullups or something you struggle with. Pullups are hard for women - set a goal to be able to do 1 real one within 6 weeks, then 5 within 6 weeks after that (they get easier after the first one!).

Other goals help too! Whether its learning a new skill, or doing bucket list stuff (including things you may not have been able or wanted to do while overweight - jumping out of a plane, backpacking the AP, etc.).

You need something else to focus on *while* maintaining. Maintenance is very hard to have as your only goal!

griersonwedding2015 · May 2015

i just got back on! thank you guys so much for the imput. i really needed the extra encouragement today!!!! you all helped me feel much better and i am going to sit down and continue making goals for myself!!!

srcurran · May 2015

I agree with those who say keep the exercise routine and adjust the food intake. I haven't gained any back having been on maintenance now for 7 weeks or so. I have lost a few pounds more than I wanted to. I'm finding it's really hard to eat more (which I never thought I'd ever say in my life). I'm allowing a five pound fluctuation but don't want to lose any more. I also don't want to slip into bad habits again. I'll figure it out. If a lose any more my boobs will disappear completely!

griersonwedding2015 · May 2015

yeah i ended up loosing more!!!! i gotta work on intake of cals!! my boobs left forever sgo sadly. they are eay way way gone

i was a dd now an A

PokeyBug · May 2015

I forget how long I've been at maintenance, but it's been less than 3 months. Just as when I was losing, I try to do around 2 hours of resistance exercise and 2-3 hours of cardio every week. Some weeks (like this week), I feel like resting, so I slack a bit. Some weeks, I feel really good and end up working out 6 days a week. I've noticed that I am naturally less hungry when I don't work out. I'm pretty careful about my food choices on those days, too, and make sure that I stay within my calorie limits for non-workout days.

rhtexasgal · May 2015

I have been maintaining for 3 months now and it is important to have a new goal once you reach your ideal weight. I switched to wanting to be able to do a chin-up or pull-up. My upper body truly needs some work so my trainer that I work with 2x a week is creating a plan for me to achieve that. Because I have body inflammation due to auto-immune issues (ulcerative colitis is in remission), it takes me a little longer to achieve goals because I stay sore longer. No worries! Once I achieve my next goal, I will set a new one. I realize that as I gain some muscle, the scale will go up but as long as I can keep sliding up my new size 4 pants, I am good! I am not so fixated on the scale so much any more.

I also dropped a gym day so now I am going 5 mornings a week instead of 6. On the days I don't work out, I make sure that I at least manage 10-15,000 steps that day.

TitaniaEcks · May 2015

I prefer to keep a 3-lb range because if I allow more, it tends to let me slack and let the pounds creep on slowly (first 4, then 5, then 6, and next thing you know I've packed on 15 extra lbs). It's easy enough to knock off 2 extra lbs with a week of strict dieting, but 5 lbs is more of a commitment and more disheartening.

I weigh myself once a week without obsessing. If I see the scale approaching the top of my goal range, I do keto for a few days and I'm back toward the bottom. Can't do that with a 5-lb range.

terrified!

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