5 years on maintenance and my secret

Yanicka1
Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I have been 5 years on maintenance now and my weight stayed in a bracket of +/- 5 pounds. Send me $$$ and I will tell you how!!!!

Kidding I will give it for free

Pants........pants are my secret. I have one size of pants in my closet and only a few of those can stretch. I got rid of everything else that does not fit. When my pants get uncomfortable ....I have to face the choice....do I choose to buy bigger pants and gained even more weight or do I make the choice to lose the few pounds that will bring me back down. I never decide to buy new pants. It make it a conscious choice.

What is your secret?
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Replies

  • HippySkoppy
    HippySkoppy Posts: 725 Member
    He he good one. <3

    I weigh daily, measure regularly and still log....3 years strong for me. Oh and pants are a great one too.
  • trulubi
    trulubi Posts: 15 Member
    Great idea. I own few pants in size 10 and 12, so I have a choice, but honestly I do hate it. I need to lose and never get another one in size 12!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Yeah I got rid of everything that was even one size too big.
  • niamibunni
    niamibunni Posts: 110 Member
    Yoga pants lie. Non stretchy jeans tell the truth! :)
  • work2bafitbadass
    work2bafitbadass Posts: 11 Member
    food logging for me! Eating well isn't my problem..mine is portion control!
  • areallycoolstory
    areallycoolstory Posts: 1,680 Member
    Yanicka1 wrote: »
    I have been 5 years on maintenance now and my weight stayed in a bracket of +/- 5 pounds. Send me $$$ and I will tell you how!!!!

    Kidding I will give it for free

    Pants........pants are my secret. I have one size of pants in my closet and only a few of those can stretch. I got rid of everything else that does not fit. When my pants get uncomfortable ....I have to face the choice....do I choose to buy bigger pants and gained even more weight or do I make the choice to lose the few pounds that will bring me back down. I never decide to buy new pants. It make it a conscious choice.

    What is your secret?

    i think this (or a version of this) is going to be mine too :)
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    That didn't work for me. Because I'm tall my pants continued to fit just fine as gained 20 pounds. That was BEFORE MFP. My secret is I log everything and step on the scale every morning. When I get outside my 5 pound window, I drop 250 calories/day. That seems to happen every winter. In the spring, I pop it back up and I'm fine. Easy peasy.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    That didn't work for me. Because I'm tall my pants continued to fit just fine as gained 20 pounds. That was BEFORE MFP. My secret is I log everything and step on the scale every morning. When I get outside my 5 pound window, I drop 250 calories/day. That seems to happen every winter. In the spring, I pop it back up and I'm fine. Easy peasy.

    I have to say that I am only 4'11''....so 5 pounds for me equal uncomfortable pants lol
  • llbrixon
    llbrixon Posts: 964 Member
    I really have a feeling I am going to have to log my foods when I reach maintenance and keep within calorie limits. The pants things will not work for me...I am still wearing the same pants when I was 23 pounds heavier. The pants are loose now, but I can still wear them.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    That didn't work for me. Because I'm tall my pants continued to fit just fine as gained 20 pounds. That was BEFORE MFP. My secret is I log everything and step on the scale every morning. When I get outside my 5 pound window, I drop 250 calories/day. That seems to happen every winter. In the spring, I pop it back up and I'm fine. Easy peasy.

    I'm about 20-25 lbs / size as well. You're right, makes them a lousy feedback mechanism for us tall folks.
  • ericGold15
    ericGold15 Posts: 318 Member
    Funny, and smart

    ::two thumbs up::
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I've been maintaining my weight loss for 3 years :smile:

    Keeping on being active, keeping an eye on overall calories and regular weigh ins ensures I keep maintaining :smile:

    I couldn't go by pants/trousers either, I could gain 10lbs that way without realising and no way will I ever allow myself to gain anywhere close to that much again.
  • dcarter1020
    dcarter1020 Posts: 73 Member
    I weigh myself almost daily. I know to some it sounds obsessive, but it's a way for me to stay aware. Whenever I go a long weekend without weighing I'm usually up a couple pounds. Logging helps but weighing keeps it in the back of my mind.
  • 007Aggie
    007Aggie Posts: 110 Member
    dcarter1020 wrote: »
    I weigh myself almost daily. I know to some it sounds obsessive, but it's a way for me to stay aware. Whenever I go a long weekend without weighing I'm usually up a couple pounds. Logging helps but weighing keeps it in the back of my mind.

    This is me too. I like looking at my graph and seeing the trend. Without the data points, it's much harder to analyze.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    Congratulations! You are in a small group of people that have kept the weight off for over 5 years!
    Great job!
    I am @ 2 years, 3 months on maintenance. My goal now is to make it to 5.
    Your plan is a good one!
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
    I'm doing similar but am still in the losing phase. I used to wear size 18 pants but got rid of them when I could fit into a size 16. I can only buy smaller, not larger. I've been taking way too many cheat days lately and those size 16s are tight. One choice - no more cheat days until I can comfortably wear the 16s again, then an occasional cheat meal (not day). I look forward to donating the 16s and buying size 14.
  • meglet2202
    meglet2202 Posts: 35 Member
    I've been eating horribly lately and today was the first day that my pants felt tight. I've gained 5 pounds from my lowest, which still wasn't my goal weight, although close. Back to it today! I'm glad I got rid of EVERYTHING that was too big.
  • star1407
    star1407 Posts: 588 Member
    Yanicka1 wrote: »
    I have been 5 years on maintenance now and my weight stayed in a bracket of +/- 5 pounds. Send me $$$ and I will tell you how!!!!

    Kidding I will give it for free

    Pants........pants are my secret. I have one size of pants in my closet and only a few of those can stretch. I got rid of everything else that does not fit. When my pants get uncomfortable ....I have to face the choice....do I choose to buy bigger pants and gained even more weight or do I make the choice to lose the few pounds that will bring me back down. I never decide to buy new pants. It make it a conscious choice.

    What is your secret?

    :D Fantastic post! I love it.
    Well done on your success and I will definitely take your advice when I eventually reach my gw
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,252 MFP Moderator
    llbrixon wrote: »
    I really have a feeling I am going to have to log my foods when I reach maintenance and keep within calorie limits. The pants things will not work for me...I am still wearing the same pants when I was 23 pounds heavier. The pants are loose now, but I can still wear them.

    I have to continue logging as well to stay in maintenance. I've been doing a horrible job of it lately, and am at the very top of my maintenance range. OP, Love the pants.... LOL! I have a particular pair that is supposedly the same size as the rest of my pants, but I can't fit into them right now. They're my 'oh crap' pants. I know when they get tight that I need to tighten up my logging. :)
  • areallycoolstory
    areallycoolstory Posts: 1,680 Member
    dcarter1020 wrote: »
    I weigh myself almost daily. I know to some it sounds obsessive, but it's a way for me to stay aware. Whenever I go a long weekend without weighing I'm usually up a couple pounds. Logging helps but weighing keeps it in the back of my mind.

    i weigh daily as well. it really works for me, so i plan on continuing that along with logging. but i think i will incorporate some version of the pants thing as well. maybe one size over and under. that's what i have right now. all of them fit. the smallest are snug comfy, biggest ones are lose comfy, mid range one are just right and look good for work:-).

    this calorie thing seems like a good idea too. i would probably decrease by 100. no reason not combine the ideas into a cohesive plan :)
    nxd10 wrote: »
    When I get outside my 5 pound window, I drop 250 calories/day.

  • svinson319
    svinson319 Posts: 20 Member
    That's a good tip. I actually have "goal pants" as opposed to a goal weight. Well, I do have a weight in mind, but I have a pair of pants that I wore at a happy and reasonable weight and I intend to get back in to them!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    I've already been planning to continue logging indefinitely, but this pants idea is great!

    I've already thrown out a ton of larger-sized clothes. I like the idea of only having size 10 or 12 (Australia/UK) things only.
  • melstampz
    melstampz Posts: 28 Member
    Good secret! I've been wearing skirts since so much weight coming off meant I was buying new pants only to have to buy more new pants. Can't wait to get to my maintenance weight so I can use your trick!
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
    I have the same :D I have a pair of purple pants that keep me fking honest too - they NEVER stretch. I have to gain about 7 lbs before I can tell the difference (i'm 5'10" w/ a normal-range BMI).

  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    I have the same skinny drainpipe jeans that cost a fortune from deisel and they are my litmus test. I love love love them and just hate it when I start to muffin top!
  • Rumpenissen
    Rumpenissen Posts: 20 Member
    My goal is to fit into size 40 (US size 10) pants and stay there. Am in size 44-46 at the moment, so a long way to go. But when I get there my plan is also to use the pants for maintainance. I can make up excuses to not get on the scale, but no excuses for not wearing pants/shorts. :wink:
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    I plan on doing the same. I got rid of a whole box the other day but, still have more lying around. I think i'm going to buy a fancy wifi scale and find a way to fit it in my shower bathroom. So every day before I get in the shower i step on the scale and have my weight logged and charted. That way if my weight starts to creep i can set up warnings before i go too far down the rabbit hole
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    After over 4 years at goal weight, I finally got rid of my fat clothes a week ago :lol:

    I still log everything, and I have fitness goals that drive me.
  • mattyc772014
    mattyc772014 Posts: 3,543 Member
    Pizza and ice cream. I fit it in once a week or so. Keeps me sane.
  • bibliocephalus
    bibliocephalus Posts: 74 Member
    Thanks for the pants tip, I have been putting the larger sizes away as I get smaller (have gone from a 16 to an 8 in about 18 months), but I think getting them out of the house all together is a better idea.

    In terms of maintenance, I plan to keep logging forever, I think the secret for me has been to realize that my success is due to having made a lifestyle change vs. a temporary change just to lose the weight. Logging keeps me honest, and mindful of my food choices. p.s. I eat pizza and ice cream on occasion, but I adjust my calories and exercise accordingly, I know myself well enough to know that I will not be successful on a long term deprivation plan.

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