Confessions of a Maintainer
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Some days I don't trust the process at all. I am currently recomping (or trying to..) and I keep worrying that I am not going to see progress in the end.2
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It is an addiction and will never go away. Tame the demons.5
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I still, after 5 years maintaining, lose control. I stop logging, reduce exercise, eat more, stop weighing myself. Then one day when my jeans feel like they are vaccumed on me, I finally realize this isn't going to work anymore and get back on the program. It's something that I have to CONSTANTLY think about. If I get lax, I'm gonna gain. Now, I never gain more than 10 pounds (I know now that I never want to do lose 40lbs ever again), but I still let myself do it now and then.
I can't be left alone with a full bag of ANYTHING. I still think the best bowl for ice cream in the container.
I still hate exercise.13 -
I'm still a glutton just a pickier glutton. Like instead of eating a bag of generic aldi brand potato chips i'll eat a bowl of trader joes ghost pepper potato chips.12
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marty_smith wrote: »Okay, well. I have been maintaining for 6 weeks now, and I'm pretty bad at it. I literally go back to snacking some evenings, pigging out fri/sat/sun and just in general neglecting my old routine. The only thing that helps is my job (walking 15k steps by 1pm every day as a postman) so that ensures i can mostly stay at my goal. Only problem is when i have time off and dont work i have a real bad week.
My only way of maintaining really is 2 weeks off, 0.5 week strict dieting to go back to goal, then another 2 weeks or so eating rubbish with the odd healthy day here and there. Currently on a week of 1600 calories again though as didn't do great last week! Oh well. Lord knows what id do if i wasnt a postman!
Do you struggle those 2 weeks that you are at a deficit to get back to your goal? I find now that even a slight deficit can be hard for me (grumpy, fatigue etc.)6 -
marty_smith wrote: »Okay, well. I have been maintaining for 6 weeks now, and I'm pretty bad at it. I literally go back to snacking some evenings, pigging out fri/sat/sun and just in general neglecting my old routine. The only thing that helps is my job (walking 15k steps by 1pm every day as a postman) so that ensures i can mostly stay at my goal. Only problem is when i have time off and dont work i have a real bad week.
My only way of maintaining really is 2 weeks off, 0.5 week strict dieting to go back to goal, then another 2 weeks or so eating rubbish with the odd healthy day here and there. Currently on a week of 1600 calories again though as didn't do great last week! Oh well. Lord knows what id do if i wasnt a postman!
I am similar, I tend to way overeat every other weekend or so and then eat below maintenance for a few days after to get back on track.
I've been maintaining since April after losing 90 lbs and yes I'm still obsessed with food. But I feel completely in control. I confess that I'm way too dependent on logging though and if I don't log, I completely go back to old habits.
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Occasionally, I actually do still eat the entire pizza, maybe plus a coupla craft beers, and some chocolate. But I intentionally set up my routine daily calorie goal somewhat under my estimated maintenance calories so I can, because I knew I'd want to.
It's early times yet, I've only been maintaining for 5 months or so . . . but so far it's working.11 -
I too love food. Nothing was off limits when I was losing and nothing is off limits now. If I can work into the plan I do it. I am far pickier about what is worth it. I see a number of comments about hating exercise, I don't get it. Weight loss would have been pure hell and maintenance an unbearable life sentence if I didnt have the ability to up calories in with exercise. I've never used exercise as punishment for overeating but a means to eat more and remain in plan. I don't like the days where I can't be active.
Nothing is better than to finish a long ride a know if you want a salted caramel blizzard you can have it because you banked the calories.15 -
Some days it takes all my willpower to restrain myself from entering the kitchen, cause I know that if I set foot in there, I will turn into one of the Lamia from Greek mythology and eat everything I can get my gluttonous hands on.8
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I ate white pasta 3 times last week2
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BikeTourer wrote: »I too love food. Nothing was off limits when I was losing and nothing is off limits now. If I can work into the plan I do it. I am far pickier about what is worth it. I see a number of comments about hating exercise, I don't get it. Weight loss would have been pure hell and maintenance an unbearable life sentence if I didnt have the ability to up calories in with exercise. I've never used exercise as punishment for overeating but a means to eat more and remain in plan. I don't like the days where I can't be active.
Nothing is better than to finish a long ride a know if you want a salted caramel blizzard you can have it because you banked the calories.
I'm the same way as you regarding exercise. I feel that my days suck if I can't do any. Heat waves and Winter suck for me because I can't go for my 3 mile walk after dinner (that's typically on top of whatever exercise I had that day). I HATE week ends now when my husband just wants to stay home and chill. So I just do my own things.
I still don't like most exercises though, but I tolerate riding my stationary bike while watching TV and I love walking (even on the treadmill, but they have games so it keeps me busy). it probably helps that I'm an introvert and use that time to recharge.
The worst probably is when my legs need a rest... at 1.5/3 hours of walking/biking a day sometimes, they just can't keep up with me1 -
I'm on year 3 of maintaining in a good range after losing about 35 lbs. I stopped logging for the most part, but still come back to it when I feel my weight drifting too far northward. I've learned some lessons that work for me:
a) I don't limit my choices, if there's something I want, I eat it but in very limited portions. A spoonful or two can satisfy me.
b) When I think I'm hungry, I'm often thirsty. A big water or a decaf herbal tea will often satisfy the craving. I try this first.
c) I am not drawn to fruit, but when I bite into an apple or a pear, I realize how much I love them. I try to divert myself away from the cookies and to an apple etc, and I'm never disappointed, unsatisfied or feeling guilty.
d) It's still not easy. I like food. I've gotten OK with feeling hungry at times and realized occasional hunger is not going to kill me
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In October, I will have maintained a 105 pound weight loss for 10 years, and I still fight the part of me that wants to dive headfirst into a gallon of ice cream. Vacation is the toughest time because the little devil on my shoulder tells me that it's okay to eat anything I want when I'm on vacation.23
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I don't think of food as simply fuel for my body....I eat the things I really like and MOSTLY bear in mind what is best for me nutritionally. I've only been maintaining for a couple of months but so far, so good. Oh confession...I like wine too much for comfort lol.
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I always feel like I'm one big meal / box of chocolate away from my former self.29
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Over three years in maintenance/recomp here... My confessions...
- I've had a lot of mild injuries from overdoing my chosen modes of exercise. Had to spend 6-8 weeks in physical therapy last year for a couple of them.
- Walking, hiking, and kayaking have proven much more effective for reducing my BF% than lifting had been. I find this mildly disturbing.
- Sometimes I forget to wear my fitbit and don't even care. Sometimes it's even hard to care about logging, but not logging is scary.
- I suck at calorie restriction, routinely exceed my net target, and have become a terribly "dirty" eater at times.
- I still weigh in nearly every day, and still react more than I should to the daily fluctuations. Even though I know full well that what I weigh from morning to morning has more to do with what time I ate dinner than anything else.
- I love love love wearing skirts now... but sometimes I miss my boobs.
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I've lost around 30 lbs in the last few years and when I hit my goal weight in April 2016 I was hit with the realization that I don't know how to find the sweet spot that is maintenance. Good news: I still exercise several times a week, log foods, and weigh myself once a week. Bad news: Eating pasta, baked goods, and have gained 3 lbs. I like the idea of seeing food as fuel...maybe that will work for me.1
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I freaking love stuff that's bad for you maybe a little too much. Went to Portillos this afternoon and had 2 Hotdogs and a shake. Probably 1200 calories combined. In really scared that j will never be able to eat normally2
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