Maintenance began today
rdlewis123
Posts: 106 Member
After a very thoughtful comment from my SIL who is also my BFF, I decided my 2 year weight loss journey is over and it is time to maintain. In two years I have dropped from 208 to 147.2 pounds. That is a 60.8 pound loss off my 49 yo, 5'4" frame. I work out 3-5 times a week which includes teaching Zumba and weight training. In the last 10 months I've lost about 10 pounds which is pretty close to a maintenance level. I honestly feel I'm more prepared for this more than I've ever been on previous times of weight loss. I'm excited to continue my journey of good healthy habits!
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Replies
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Congratulation! I wish you happy and easy maintenance.
Take a look at this thread - lots of helpful info: Why does this seem scarier?0 -
You look great 61 pound loss is awesome! Congrats!
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Congrats! :flowerforyou:
And I agree, you don't look like you need to lose any more weight, well done 0 -
Nice guns, lady! Congratulations on your success. Your starting point is about where I am now, and I am impressed with your results.0
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rdlewis123 wrote: »After a very thoughtful comment from my SIL who is also my BFF, I decided my 2 year weight loss journey is over and it is time to maintain. In two years I have dropped from 208 to 147.2 pounds. That is a 60.8 pound loss off my 49 yo, 5'4" frame. I work out 3-5 times a week which includes teaching Zumba and weight training. In the last 10 months I've lost about 10 pounds which is pretty close to a maintenance level. I honestly feel I'm more prepared for this more than I've ever been on previous times of weight loss. I'm excited to continue my journey of good healthy habits!
Congratulations! You have done this the right way, which means maintenance will be a cinch for you. You can do this!!0 -
Congratulations! Very well done! Keep up the exercise, and keep on being awesome! You rock!0
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Congrats!
and from your pic, your SIL is absolutely right, you look fab 0 -
Congrats! That is an amazing accomplishment!0
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Congratulations! You look and sound just wonderful.0
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The guns!!!0
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Congratulations! Any words of wisdom you want to share?0
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goldthistime wrote: »Congratulations! Any words of wisdom you want to share?
1) scales are not your friend
2) calories in vs calories out
3) find workouts you LIKE to do
4) find a workout schedule you can live with in two years, five years
5) find the support you need in places you feel safe
6) most importantly, do it fo
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Oops 6) got lopped off
6) do it for YOU0 -
Great advice, all of it. Continued success with maintenance.0
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You look great and I'm sure you'll be fine in maintenance.............after two years you have it figured out, and your words of wisdom are perfect.
I've been here 2 years as well and will be there (at maintenance) in just a few more lbs......
A big congrats to you!!!!0 -
Thanks for all the kind words! Looking forward to this next phase.0
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You are amazing--and look at those guns! Congratulations and best of luck. You're right: the scale is NOT your friend.0
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rdlewis123 wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Congratulations! Any words of wisdom you want to share?
1) scales are not your friend
2) calories in vs calories out
3) find workouts you LIKE to do
4) find a workout schedule you can live with in two years, five years
5) find the support you need in places you feel safe
6) most importantly, do it fo
I'm confused by #1. I've read in several places that one of the common habits of people who have successfully maintained weight loss over a long period is that they regularly weigh themselves to keep things in check. Why do you feel differently?0 -
Congratulations on your success!
If I understand you correctly, you lost about 50 pounds in your first year and a little over 10 the second year. What do you think accounts for your steady rate of loss the first year? Would you mind sharing your calorie goal over that year (roughly)? I'm the same height as you, but have not had nearly the same rate as you!0 -
rdlewis123 wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Congratulations! Any words of wisdom you want to share?
1) scales are not your friend
2) calories in vs calories out
3) find workouts you LIKE to do
4) find a workout schedule you can live with in two years, five years
5) find the support you need in places you feel safe
6) most importantly, do it fo
I'm confused by #1. I've read in several places that one of the common habits of people who have successfully maintained weight loss over a long period is that they regularly weigh themselves to keep things in check. Why do you feel differently?
I think it's the idea that the scale isn't the only or even the best way to measure your progress. It doesn't tell you the difference between water, fat, or muscle weight. It won't show you how different you look. On the other hand, I greatly value the scale as one tool in my toolbelt. Over time (week and months, not hours and days), movement up or down tells me important information. And a food scale . . . priceless!
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rdlewis123 wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Congratulations! Any words of wisdom you want to share?
1) scales are not your friend
2) calories in vs calories out
3) find workouts you LIKE to do
4) find a workout schedule you can live with in two years, five years
5) find the support you need in places you feel safe
6) most importantly, do it fo
I'm confused by #1. I've read in several places that one of the common habits of people who have successfully maintained weight loss over a long period is that they regularly weigh themselves to keep things in check. Why do you feel differently?
I think it's the idea that the scale isn't the only or even the best way to measure your progress. It doesn't tell you the difference between water, fat, or muscle weight. It won't show you how different you look. On the other hand, I greatly value the scale as one tool in my toolbelt. Over time (week and months, not hours and days), movement up or down tells me important information. And a food scale . . . priceless!
That is EXACTLY what I meant. There comes a time when the scales WILL NOT move, but other things like loose clothing, progress pictures, etc. show that your body is changing. The scales are not the be all end all of weight loss. However, in the beginning of my journey, I weighed religiously. There just comes a point when it is the least reliable source of progress.0 -
Congratulations on your success!
If I understand you correctly, you lost about 50 pounds in your first year and a little over 10 the second year. What do you think accounts for your steady rate of loss the first year? Would you mind sharing your calorie goal over that year (roughly)? I'm the same height as you, but have not had nearly the same rate as you!
My progress the first year was due to calorie deficit and regular Zumba and weight training 3-5 days a week. During this time I was using a point system to track my food but around December I realized I was not eating enough to feed my workouts. I'm thinking the calorie level with that system was 1200 or less. That's when I switched to MFP. When I switched, my calorie goal was around 1800 calories. I stayed with that throughout this current year. While it shows I just lost about 10 pounds I went down two sizes. Thus the reason I quit depending on the scales to measure change.
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rdlewis123 wrote: »Congratulations on your success!
If I understand you correctly, you lost about 50 pounds in your first year and a little over 10 the second year. What do you think accounts for your steady rate of loss the first year? Would you mind sharing your calorie goal over that year (roughly)? I'm the same height as you, but have not had nearly the same rate as you!
My progress the first year was due to calorie deficit and regular Zumba and weight training 3-5 days a week. During this time I was using a point system to track my food but around December I realized I was not eating enough to feed my workouts. I'm thinking the calorie level with that system was 1200 or less. That's when I switched to MFP. When I switched, my calorie goal was around 1800 calories. I stayed with that throughout this current year. While it shows I just lost about 10 pounds I went down two sizes. Thus the reason I quit depending on the scales to measure change.
Sounds like with your weight training and eating at close to your TDEE you accomplished quite a bit of body recomp. Which is where your percentage of body fat goes down, but your percentage of muscle goes up. That is a difficult and slow process - congrats on your progress!
Measurements are key because they can tell you if you are recomping and getting smaller, or just stalled due to sloppy eating and/or logging.
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rdlewis123 wrote: »Congratulations on your success!
If I understand you correctly, you lost about 50 pounds in your first year and a little over 10 the second year. What do you think accounts for your steady rate of loss the first year? Would you mind sharing your calorie goal over that year (roughly)? I'm the same height as you, but have not had nearly the same rate as you!
My progress the first year was due to calorie deficit and regular Zumba and weight training 3-5 days a week. During this time I was using a point system to track my food but around December I realized I was not eating enough to feed my workouts. I'm thinking the calorie level with that system was 1200 or less. That's when I switched to MFP. When I switched, my calorie goal was around 1800 calories. I stayed with that throughout this current year. While it shows I just lost about 10 pounds I went down two sizes. Thus the reason I quit depending on the scales to measure change.
Thank you. That's helpful to know! BTW, I agree that it's more about body composition than scale weight and also getting there by doing things that you love and feel you can sustain. Otherwise, what's the point of losing weight in the first place?0 -
True that!0
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Bravo!!!! So nice to read a positive and inspiring post!0
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