I have no problem losing it, I have a problem maintaining it!

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  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
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    OK, this might sound unkind, but....
    I had to sever my connections with unhealthy people and make new friends of common interest.
    And after losing 100 pounds, I had to accept that though I reached my goal, the journey was on-going.

    It took two years, and I have maintained my weight loss for almost 3 years.

    On the other side of this coin was my friend who lost about 80 pounds. His philosophy was that he'd go back to unrestricted eating once he completed his crash diet of meal replacements and frozen diet entrees.
    He lost 80 pounds in 4 months...and within a year had gained it all back plus an additional 15 pounds.

    We do not have to be that guy.

    Steady, lasting success is a life's journey. I wish you well.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    3 years ago I found mfp by chance...from day one when I saw that activity meant I burned more calories I made a conscious decision that I would workout - not for the love of it but because I knew I would be benefit in lots of ways...

    I started walking (hate the idea of gyms and don't have time for a 60 mins round trip drive), gosh those few miles I walked weren't easy, that's how out of shape I was! But it was invigorating plus I had my hubby by my side encouraging me (he had seen enough tears from me feeling fat and frumpy)

    Then I decided to try something different - I committed myself to getting up 30 mins earlier for 30 days to do the 30 day shred...and I did it :smile:

    And something happened to me. ..not only did I lose weight (not that much, around 3lbs in 30 days) I lost inches and my self esteem went through the roof! The endorphins kept me on a high going to work each day :smiley:

    Anyway I haven't looked back, 3 yrs later I still get up early to run/walk/lift, I've basically been maintaining my weight for 2 years although strictly speaking I only decided to call it maintaining a year ago when I felt I was fighting to lose 3 more pounds when my body just clung to them for dear life lol. Of course once I gave up the urge to lose them they came off themselves lol

    I like to eat so I move, but I also now love to move so it's win win for me :smile: ...if I can enjoy being active, anyone can :smiley:
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    You are definitely not alone. The statistics are staggeringly high (80% - some studies have this % even higher -) for gaining all of the weight back and a lot of us gain back even more than we lost. A very small percent keep the weight off for 5 years or longer. The key for many of us to get those statistics moving down, is to never let our new habits revert back to our old way of eating. We CAN change this! Many people here have, and many more of us are doing our best to stay healthy and active on maintenance.

    I have lost over 1/2 of my body weight and have kept the weight off for 21 months. I have to monitor my weight and not allow myself any more than a 5 pound gain. When that happens, I cut back calories a little, and/or lengthen my time at the gym. So far, so good. I want long term success.

    You have to find what works for you best. This is really an individual effort, as is losing the weight.
  • carliekitty
    carliekitty Posts: 303 Member
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    Make exercise a habit! Download some podcasts that you enjoy and just walk!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    As someone who has been in maintenance for years, I can tell you it's about changing your life. You can't see it as a short road to a goal of losing weight, and then being done. You are setting out on a lifelong road. Changing your life is an ongoing learning process. It's not about working out or going on a miracle diet, it's about learning to change the way you view food.
    Eating less is the key. Seriously. Portion control and variety, eating the right balance of macronutrients for your body. Being active is important too. Not necessarily "I have to exercise every day" but that moving is important.
    Buying a food scale, learning about the right balance of food for your body, and what portion sizes are, are the first steps. Calculating your calorie deficit, and sticking to it every day. When you weigh all of your solid food, you realize just what a single serving is, and how many calories are in each serving of your food. Having a single serving of foods you enjoy keeps you on the right track, rather than depriving yourself of them, and later binging when you finally do eat them.
    Long-term success is about knowledge, and tools. Having all of this in your hands and feeling comfortable with both makes you able to handle the challenge of weight loss and maintenance.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    This is my third (and worst) round of losing weight. The first two were in 1980 and 1984, after my children were born. Each time I gained (and lost) twenty pounds. But for me, it was simple to maintain. I ate what I wanted and when the scales went up a couple of pounds, I cut way back for a couple of weeks. Usually the scales didn't go up, sometimes they went down, but when they did go up past my weight of comfort, I simply started eating less until they went down, which didn't take but two or three weeks.

    Of course that was over thirty years ago, and I was a bit younger than now! I quit smoking in 2004 and my metabolism went nuts. When I got up to 169.8, I slammed on the brakes. I dropped about ten pounds before finding MFP, and have dropped another 18 since. Still have 32 to go. THIS is the hard part! I only hope maintenance will be as easy as it was before. When I get there, all I will do is weigh myself every day and if I get a couple of pounds over, slam on the brakes again!
  • Naaer
    Naaer Posts: 212 Member
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    I have read all of these posts with great interest, as it seems that this is the HARDEST thing to do regarding weight loss...I have lost forty and put on twenty...You're right...It has to be a lifestyle change, although this is easier said than done...
  • kelloua
    kelloua Posts: 3 Member
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    I think the key is to find habits you're willing to maintain long term. I find it helps to find forms of exercise you really enjoy and find rewarding. That's precisely why I love bar classes and have kept with them. I find them hard but somehow I enjoy them and find them rewarding. On the days I don't take one I find them missing it. I also think sometimes people are prone to extremes eating either ALL healthy or ALL unhealthy. For me it's a mix of both and stopping thinking of foods as good or bad. I just eat the less nutritious ones in moderation.
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
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    You have to develop a routine. You need to step on the scale very often. Some say 1 time a week other 1 time a day but in the end you shouldn't let even a day go by that you don't think about your health and eating. Develop a range (Mine is 118 - 124) when you notice the scale leave that range adjust the diet until it is at the mid point again.
  • mattyc772014
    mattyc772014 Posts: 3,543 Member
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    kelloua wrote: »
    I think the key is to find habits you're willing to maintain long term. I find it helps to find forms of exercise you really enjoy and find rewarding. That's precisely why I love bar classes and have kept with them. I find them hard but somehow I enjoy them and find them rewarding. On the days I don't take one I find them missing it. I also think sometimes people are prone to extremes eating either ALL healthy or ALL unhealthy. For me it's a mix of both and stopping thinking of foods as good or bad. I just eat the less nutritious ones in moderation.
    triciab79 wrote: »
    You have to develop a routine. You need to step on the scale very often. Some say 1 time a week other 1 time a day but in the end you shouldn't let even a day go by that you don't think about your health and eating. Develop a range (Mine is 118 - 124) when you notice the scale leave that range adjust the diet until it is at the mid point again.

    Excellent! Well said! Awareness is so important in this whole process. Love all the advice. :)
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
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    This is my second "real" go around with losing weight. This time seems to be sticking as I have met my weight loss goal and have maintained for six months now. Several things are different now than they were previously.

    1. Instead of losing weight for someone else (trying to keep appealing for hubby), I did it for myself. In turn, my confidence rose and THAT is what keeps hubby attracted as he told me, not losing weight (although that was a bonus for him). He said that seeing my confidence and self-esteem rise in myself made him happy that I was happy.

    2. Goals - I always have a goal. First was the goal to get down to my goal weight of 125. Well, I surpassed that and hover between 119-123 consistently. Well, I needed something new to shoot for so now I have been weight training so I can do pull-ups. I have never been able to do them before so one of these days, I will get it and then I will create another goal to meet.

    3. Tools - It wasn't until I got my Fitbit One that I truly started losing weight consistently. I truly did not realize how inactive I was until I got it. Now, it helps me to keep moving. And when you move, you lose! I also invested in a food scale. Wow - that was an eye-opener to see how much I was overeating.

    4. Proving my doctors wrong - My doctors wanted to put me on meds for pre-diabetes and cholesterol. They did not think that diet and exercise would do it for me. I also have inflammatory bowel disease called ulcerative colitis. Guess what? It is in remission and has stayed in remission. No meds, except health supplements as needed. I am also proving them wrong by lowering my cholesterol by eating MORE fats. Doctors don't really know much about diet plans ...

    5. Nix the word diet from your vocabulary - I prefer to call it a new eating plan. Diet has a connotation that it is temporary. A new eating plan however is a lifestyle change and that is what losing and maintaining weight is - a lifestyle change.
  • pug11
    pug11 Posts: 23 Member
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    I'm with the 90/10 group here, eat well 90% of the time and have my treats the other and I've kept 50 pounds off doing it this way, used to "diet" down then gain it all back driving myself crazy.

    It's just a lifestyle now, also doing things I love to do, hiking, running hills, weight lifting etc.

    I also do enjoy logging my food each day! that's a big thing for me in maintaining.

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Caitwn wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    I'm trying to find the link, but there was a recent video release of findings from the National Weight Control Registry and they identified several key successful habit of individuals losing and keeping off 30lbs or more.

    http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

    First of all they identified a higher motivation than losing weight, such as "being a better parent".
    They exercised 60 min/day.
    They logged their activity.

    All of this is based upon small changes that have dramatic impact over time. Just continue developing good habits and if you start to drift, correct and make small sustainable changes to get you back on track.

    Maybe this is the video you mean? It's a talk by the director of the National Weight Control Registry, reviewing the data from thousands of participants who have successfully maintained weight loss of 30 pounds or more. It's easy to listen to and has some good information:

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=8kNcaESoDng

    @Caitwn Thank You! Been looking for that everywhere!
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
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    I maintain just by logging in on MFP. I weigh myself once a week, if I eat too much one day, I cut back the next. That's what works for me.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    @Caitwyn. Thanks for the YouTube link. Very informative.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    mccindy72 wrote: »
    As someone who has been in maintenance for years, I can tell you it's about changing your life. You can't see it as a short road to a goal of losing weight, and then being done. You are setting out on a lifelong road. Changing your life is an ongoing learning process. It's not about working out or going on a miracle diet, it's about learning to change the way you view food.
    Eating less is the key. Seriously. Portion control and variety, eating the right balance of macronutrients for your body. Being active is important too. Not necessarily "I have to exercise every day" but that moving is important.
    Buying a food scale, learning about the right balance of food for your body, and what portion sizes are, are the first steps. Calculating your calorie deficit, and sticking to it every day. When you weigh all of your solid food, you realize just what a single serving is, and how many calories are in each serving of your food. Having a single serving of foods you enjoy keeps you on the right track, rather than depriving yourself of them, and later binging when you finally do eat them.
    Long-term success is about knowledge, and tools. Having all of this in your hands and feeling comfortable with both makes you able to handle the challenge of weight loss and maintenance.

    ^^^Yes!

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