my lessons - for next time in 'maintenance'

gentlygently · February 2016

I lost 15lbs or so a while back using MFP - upping Excercise and controlling my portion size / sweet
Tooth. I stopped logging, and MFP befriending but kept swimming and am a regular on a swimming group here.

I have about 15lbs to lose all over again and I have been reviewing my weight history etc I have been reflecting on what I have learnt

I eat healthily just a bit too heartily ...
I couldn't keep logging going - it was driving me bonkers
I have been able to keep the obvious 'excercise' going eg swimming and I like being reasonably fit

Crucially my weight gain matches the activity loss - eg whole afternoons in bed, no school pick up walks - of getting sick. (Lose my job levels of sick). This is where my maintenance fell apart....but I am now able to stay awake afternoons, and even go for walks then on good days.

So, Having lost the weight before, I know I can do it again and am quite confident about it. I am currently losing without logging. A bit less cheese, smaller pieces of cake, smaller portions - and a lot more walking...It is going fine. Touch wood I guess!

So this time, When I get to maintenance levels I plan to:

- weigh once a month
- Use a 5 lbs rule (and weigh more often if I reach the 5 lbs cap)
- Set activity goals not just fitness ones
- if I am unable to be active (eg have one of my many relapses) consider carefully if I want to gain some weight and lose it later when feeling better, or cut calories straight away
- not rely on my jeans to tell me I am getting too porky - that really did not work for me....

And I Consider if my goal weight should be 5 lbs lower, so if I am 5 lb over it is within a better range...

It has helped me to write this out. Thanks for reading.

lorrpb · February 2016

Great job of reflecting to figure out what you can learn from past experiences.

Nikion901 · February 2016

great plans ... a month is a long time in between weigh-ins though. You might consider doing a more frequent weigh-in because, as you know, weight fluctuates from day to day and you wouldn't want to freak-out from one moment in time a month apart from the last time.

gentlygently · February 2016

Thank you both.

(I weighed in weekly before, and if the weight was a bit 'odd' the weighed in next day to see if it was a water thing - and never weighed in PMT time! But good to remind myself of this. Thanks for the prompt.)

HarrietByron88 · February 2016

Thanks for this post -- I found it helpful to read! Your goals and strategies seem level headed. I can relate to the 'relapse' part where activity levels in all spheres of life tail off. If you can coax yourself out the door for a short walk during those times, it may help boost your confidence and get the endorphins going again.

LivingtheLeanDream · February 2016

your plans are good, wishing you every success this time around and then maintain nicely. The plans you listed are basically how I've kept to my goal range for 3yrs+

OrionSlayer · February 2016

I like your '5lbs rule". When I get to my goal weight and start maintaining that should be helpful.

middlehaitch · February 2016

A 5 lbs range is excellent. I have maintained within mine for 6+ years. I think a single number can't take in special events and life's hiccups the same as a range can. It is a lot more natural.

@gentlygently, if you used to weigh your food last time you were logging, review your previous portion sizes and re- establish them.

This could mean weighing food again, without logging, for a short time so you can eyeball more accurately, or weighing out portions on your dinner plate and then taking a photo so you have a visual reference base for your more commonly eaten foods.

Looks like you have a good plan.

Cheers, h.

amusedmonkey · February 2016

gentlygently wrote: »

I lost 15lbs or so a while back using MFP - upping Excercise and controlling my portion size / sweet
Tooth. I stopped logging, and MFP befriending but kept swimming and am a regular on a swimming group here.

I have about 15lbs to lose all over again and I have been reviewing my weight history etc I have been reflecting on what I have learnt

I eat healthily just a bit too heartily ...
I couldn't keep logging going - it was driving me bonkers
I have been able to keep the obvious 'excercise' going eg swimming and I like being reasonably fit

Crucially my weight gain matches the activity loss - eg whole afternoons in bed, no school pick up walks - of getting sick. (Lose my job levels of sick). This is where my maintenance fell apart....but I am now able to stay awake afternoons, and even go for walks then on good days.

So, Having lost the weight before, I know I can do it again and am quite confident about it. I am currently losing without logging. A bit less cheese, smaller pieces of cake, smaller portions - and a lot more walking...It is going fine. Touch wood I guess!

So this time, When I get to maintenance levels I plan to:

- weigh once a month
- Use a 5 lbs rule (and weigh more often if I reach the 5 lbs cap)
- Set activity goals not just fitness ones
- if I am unable to be active (eg have one of my many relapses) consider carefully if I want to gain some weight and lose it later when feeling better, or cut calories straight away
- not rely on my jeans to tell me I am getting too porky - that really did not work for me....

And I Consider if my goal weight should be 5 lbs lower, so if I am 5 lb over it is within a better range...

It has helped me to write this out. Thanks for reading.

Just want to elaborate on this one. Oh how important this is...
Before I got a fitbit I would be pretty satisfied that I was being active when I had a good workout. Little did I know how much a hard workout affected my day to day activities if done in the morning. Turns out I was basically burning the same amount of calories on days I deliberately exercised and days I didn't because I'm apparently so successful from an evolutionary standpoint that I tend to instinctively down-regulate my activity to burn fewer calories on exercise days. I had to both pay attention to my daily activity and move my harder workouts to my evenings to make sure my calorie burn is correct to my goals.

middlehaitch · February 2016

@amusedmonkey, I honestly don't think that is so unusual. (Good workout leading to lower daily activity.) That is why I am such a big fan of eating back exercise calories. I know if I don't, I slow to a crawl.

Cheers, h.

swim777 · February 2016

Did anyone here go a couple of pounds below your range to counteract the water weight that comes back during maintenance?

middlehaitch · February 2016

No I didn't. But it is quite common for people to do that if their maintenance is going to be a few hundred calories more than their deficit calories.

Another thing you may want to do @swim777 is increase your calories slowly. It can help with the water and body waste increase, mentally and physically.

Cheers, h.

gentlygently · February 2016

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and advice. Appreciated.

swim777 · March 2016

middlehaitch wrote: »

No I didn't. But it is quite common for people to do that if their maintenance is going to be a few hundred calories more than their deficit calories.

Another thing you may want to do @swim777 is increase your calories slowly. It can help with the water and body waste increase, mentally and physically.

Cheers, h.

Thanks for the response. Really good excited to finally hit maintenance!

my lessons - for next time in 'maintenance'

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