Maintainers Weekly Check In - October 2018

Name: Hannah
Age: 29
Height: 5'10"
Total weight lost: 25lb
Time it took to lose: 1.5 years
How long in maintenance: 15 months
Maintenance weight range: 152-156
Average weight recorded from 2017 (12 months): I don't know

Average weight recorded from January:
Average weight recorded from February:
Average weight recorded from March:
Average weight recorded from April: 155.57
Average weight recorded from May: 156.6
Average weight recorded from June: 156
Average weight recorded from July: 157.1
Average weight recorded from August: 157
Average weight recorded from September: 155

Week of...
October 7: 154.4 (trend 154.7)
October 14:
October 21:
October 28:

Success/ Struggles of the week:
Been eating too much for the last week or so My sons birthday was last Friday (9/28) so I made him a cake for Saturday, and it was so big I was eating a piece (a large piece) every night for the next 3-4 days. Also I decided to switch to early morning work outs so they don't interfere with family time (I like to ride bikes with my kids!) and since I'm up so much earlier and working out I get really hungry so I have to eat breakfast which I normally don't. So that's adding on calories... I'm going to have to figure out somewhere else to cut back I guess.

Name: Marti
Age: 67
Height: 5'3"
Total Weight lost: ~50 lbs.
Time it took to lose: 22 months
How long in maintenance: 7 months
Maintenance weight range: 103.5 - 107.5
Average weight recorded from 2017 (12months):118.5

Average weight recorded from January: 107.5
Average weight recorded from February: 106.2
Average weight recorded from March: 104.8
Average weight recorded from April:104.8
Average weight recorded from May: 104.9
Average weight recorded from June: 104.9
Average weight recorded from July: 106.1
Average weight recorded from August: 105.5

Week of...
October 7: 103.4
October 14:
October 21:
October 28

Success/Struggles: Spent the last 3 days camping at Lake Tahoe. Came back to find that one of our enormous trees had cracked in the serious wind we had while we were gone, and fell completely across the front of our house and driveway. Fortunately we had put our car in the garage, and the tree missed the front porch, but I cannot believe how expensive it's going to be to get rid of it

Sending positive vibes to everyone for a successful upcoming week!

Name: Harper
Age: 40
Height: 5'1
Total Weight lost: 50
Time it took to lose: one year, four months
How long in maintenance: about 15 months
Maintenance weight range: 117-122
Average weight recorded from 2017 (12months):

Average weight recorded from January: 121.5
Average weight recorded from February: 119.9
Average weight recorded from March: 121.7
Average weight recorded from April: 122
Average weight recorded from May: 120.7
Average weight recorded from June: 121.4
Average weight recorded from July: 121.8
Average weight recorded for August: 122.5
Average weight recorded for September: 122.5

Week of...
October 7: 125.2
October 14:
October 21:
October 28:

Success and Struggles: I have been totally out of my routine lately, and I can see it is taking its toll on my weight. I have a lot of projects right now, and they are all competing for my attention -- very difficult to keep maintenance a priority even though I know it should be! This week I am concentrating on just getting back to my daily schedule. I think I'll see my weight come back into range as long as I am planning out my meals and tracking. I've been pretty consistent with exercise, but I think I'll try to push myself a little more.

Name: It's ME!
Age: About a year older than I was last year. (middle aged)
Height: Just short of 5' 7"
HEAVIEST weight: 175.4 in early 2013.
Total Weight lost: 31 pounds total; 24 pounds since January 2018; then gained a bit
Time it took to lose: About six months (assuming start date January 2018)
How long in maintenance: Two months, then backsliding; But BACK ON TRACK!
Maintenance weight range: 142 - 148 (and not sure that's the right answer)
Average weight recorded from 2017 (12months): 163.8

RECENT weight about 170 during most of 2017
ACTUAL weight recorded from January 2, 2018 (only weigh-in that month): 168.2

Average weight recorded from February: 157.5
Average weight recorded from March: 154.4
Average weight recorded from April: 153.2
Average weight recorded from May: 151.6
Average weight recorded from June: 150.2
Average weight recorded from July: 146.8
Average weight recorded from August: 148.1
Average weight recorded from September: 148.8

Average weight Week of...

October 1-7: 147.4 (average of only two days since I was on a river trip most of the time)
October 8-14:
October 15-21:
October 22-28:
October 31:


Success of the week:
Had a great river trip even with the rain.

Struggle of the week:
My last river trip of the season may be coming up next week.

Name: Abbey
Age: 23
Height: 5’2”
Total weight lost: 35 pounds
Time it took to lose: 9 months
How long in maintenance: 1 month
Maintenance weight range: 120-125
Average weight recorded from 2017 (12 months): 155 (before I began)

Average weight recorded from January: 152.6
Average weight recorded from February: 143.8
Average weight recorded from March: 136.8
Average weight recorded from April: 135.0
Average weight recorded from May: 128.2
Average weight recorded from June: 123.8
Average weight recorded from July: 120.2
Average weight recorded from August: 119.2
Average weight recorded from September: 120.0

Week of...
October 5: 119.4
October 14: 121.6
October 21:
October 28:

Success(es)/struggle(s) of the week:
I did well for most of the week this week. Sunday was a bit of a crapshoot (SO came home from the hospital and I hadn’t meal prepped yet, so we ate out). Then...yesterday was my birthday, and I definitely indulged. So I know that my trend up is mostly water/sodium. However, I have to be really conscious that this doesn’t mean I get complacent. I have a wedding to attend tomorrow, and will be in California for a work conference all week next week. I’m almost anticipating indulging too much already, when I should be trying to strategize as to how not indulge. Hoping I can come up with a good plan and avoid becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. I am in a wedding the week I get back from California and the dress was altered to fit my new body perfectly (so not much room for “error”). Trying to keep the more long-term in mind this week.

Age: 43
Height: 5'2"
Total weight lost: 45
Time it took to lose: 30 lbs in about 9 months, the rest over a year
How long in maintenance: about 6 years
Maintenance weight range: 103-106
Average weight recorded from 2017 (12 months): probably around 108?

Average weight recorded from January: 102.8
Average weight recorded from February: 102.9
Average weight recorded from March: 103.1
Average weight recorded from April:103.2
Average weight recorded from May:103.3
Average weight recorded from June: 103.5
Average weight recorded from July: 103.7
Average weight recorded from August: 103.9
Average weight recorded from September: 103.4 <--noticed I made a typo last week

Week of...
October 7:103.7
October 14: 102.0
October 21:
October 28:

Success/Struggles: I've been to the gym every day this week Back to doing a warm-up on the rowing machine for 10 minutes, then about 20 minutes of resistance training, then an hour on the treadmill listening to my audiobooks. I'm still struggling with what to do as I can't do some of the upper-body stuff that I used to without it hurting my shoulder (I was an idiot and pulled a muscle in my left shoulder the day after I got the splint removed from my right arm ) I need to change my routine regardless as it's just hacked together from exercises a trainer I used a few years ago had me doing and I really want to try Strong Curves or Nerd Fitness Beginner Bodyweight Workout - bodyweight appeals to me right now as it's something I can do at home. I used to take yoga classes and have been thinking about starting that back as well.

Name:ExistingFish
Age: 30
Height: 5'0" (153cm)
Total weight lost: 36.5lb (16.6kg)
Time it took to lose: 6 months
How long in maintenance: 1 month
Maintenance weight range:117lbs-123lbs
Average weight recorded from 2017 (1 month): 122.6


Average weight recorded from September: 122.6

Week of...
October 5: 119.9lbs (t: 120.6)
October 12: 119.7lbs (t: 120.4)
October 19:
October 26:
October 31:

Success(es)/struggle(s) of the week: I have been struggling with logging. Or not logging, that is. I know I'm eating more calories than my goal, but my body seems to be burning them because I'm finally maintaining ( and not losing, which I was doing last month). So I probably need to adjust my goal.

Name: sofchak
Age: 36
Height: 5’3”
Total Weight lost: ~30 lbs
Time it took to lose: ~9 months
How long in maintenance: Over a year
Maintenance weight range: 120-125
Average weight recorded from 2017: 117

Average weight recorded from January: 120
Average weight recorded from February: 124
Average weight recorded from March: 126
Average weight recorded from April: 125
Average weight recorded from May: 124.5
Average weight recorded from June: 124
Average weight recorded from July: 123
Average weight recorded from August: 123
Average weight recorded from September: 122

Week of:
October 6th: 121.5
October 13th: 123.0

Successes/struggles of the week: First time I’ve seen a significant week over week increase in a while. Turns out college campuses keep a lot of candy around for Halloween.... and I love chocolate, especially when it’s free! Between the candy, stress, TOM, and water weight from recent physical activity, I would have been shocked if it didn’t go up!

While I am very happy at the new job and doing well in school, this house move is just draining me - I had no idea all the complexities that go into turning your (soon to be previously) primary home into a rental property. Ugh. It’s a whole new to-do list on top of an already huge to-do list. Then I eat to compensate for the stress of it all.

On a positive note, I kicked butt at Tough Mudder last weekend!!! My husband and I were supposed to do the 5k together on Saturday, but we missed a turn and ended up doing the 5 mile version together!!! Oops! Then on Sunday, I did the 10 mile version solo. Lots of fun... my arms and legs felt fine but my abs were killing me for days afterward. Gives me a new focus before next year’s races.

Have a great week everyone!

Name:Pam
Age:60
Height:5'5
Total weight lost:200
Time it took to lose: Started Jan 2016
How long in maintenance: Since Sept 2018
Maintenance weight range:130-135
Average weight recorded from 2017 (12 months):

Average weight recorded from January:
Average weight recorded from February:134.75
Average weight recorded from March:132.7
Average weight recorded from April:131.3
Average weight recorded from May:129.6
Average weight recorded from June:127.85
Average weight recorded from July:128.3
Average weight recorded from August:126.25
Average weight recorded from September:126.4

Week of...
October 7:125.8
October 14:125.6
October 21:
October 28:

Success(es)/struggle(s) of the week:My work provide a InBody test by Crossfit so thought why not let's see my numbers. I weight in like I always do every morning, went for test I was 1 pound thinner according to them. She said I was doing great my body fat percent was 20.2 my BMI is 20.7 my Basal Metabolic rate is 1345 which she explained to me what I burn if I was in a coma. This is what I find interesting MFP only gives me 1445 to maintain. The next thing she said shocked me told me I could stay to gain 5-10 pounds as I was so thin. I proceeded to bring out my pictures of me before I started my journey told her no way that was going to happen because if I start I might not stopped. She agreed stay right where I am at and not to lose more,

Now my issue I'm having trying to get her words out of my head to gain. I have been fighting to get those words all week. I don't want it to give me a reason to eat.

icemom011 wrote: »

Name: Irina

Success(es)/struggle(s) of the week/month: not sleeping enough is my main struggle. I have promised myself so many times to just hung it up and go to bed earlier and yet when it comes to it, i rerely do. Truth is, there's no a very good and valid reason for me to be up. Just trying to extend my day, have some me time and a bit extra downtime, but it all comes at my own expense. I'm grouchy in the morning, i can't get up when the alarm goes off, it's not worth it. Yet i continue doing it. We are getting into arguments because of it too. Need to change this asap.

@icemom011, I'm commenting because I too put a high value on me time and downtime, (and I well know what insufficient sleep feels like). Just wanted to say that maybe it's a plus that it's causing arguments, because BOTH of you will be motivated and inspired to find a solution - just imagine the joy of a routine evening that features the other person, whom I assume to be your partner, taking over some of your chores or responsibilities, even for just an hour or two, while you chill out! Anyway, have fun working out a solution, and don't shortchange yourself! But do let us know if your partner starts struggling to get enough sleep 😊 lol.

I haven't posted an update in a while, but will say that this whole MFP Maintenance concept/emphasis is sure an effective way to avoid going back to the starting point, as used to be the norm for so many of us, including me. Clearly we all consider it unthinkable to ever do that again... yet when we begin Maintenance, we hardly dare believe it will work!!! I have a generous Maintenance weight range (below 153, preferably in the 140s), and have generally been in the 140s for over a year now. 146 today. Reading all your comments sure helps me keep my head in the game - there is something about a whole group of people working on the same thing that energizes and validates our own struggles, so thanks again!

Thanks @fidangul for setting up this thread and for maintaining it for so long. And thanks so much Stephen for setting up the newer threads.

@pkweir, I get the same thing, words echoing in my head and maybe eventually leading me astray. What helps me in those situations is putting my own twist on them, rather than simply hoping to forget them. Like, if someone told me I could stand to gain 5 - 10 lbs as I was "so thin", I would put an "Oh ain't life grand, a health professional has described me as THIN! I have definitely done what I set out to do! Yay me!" twist on it - and treat it as "You've come a long way baby!" I think psychologists say that it isn't so much what people actually SAY to us that matters, but what we make of what they say say to us, what we tell ourselves that it means...

@sofchak, it's a pleasure to see your pictures, you are brimming with health, vitality, and strength. Yup, a Tough Mudder allright! Great to hear that you're happy at the new job and doing well at school. Amazing that you are also dealing with, not just a house move, but also becoming a landlord - good grief, just think how carefree your challenging life will seem when that is finally all settled... you already have an awesome "can do" attitude!!!

Wishing everybody a great week! 😊🌸🌺