Maintainers questions

sijomial · March 2022

HappyGrape wrote: »

Bumping old discussion, hoping for some new replies

It was interesting to see my comments from five years ago so thanks for bumping this old thread my friend.

Couple of big lifestyle changes since then - no I don't mean just changing what I eat!!
Retired from an IT desk job later on in 2017 and started a part time job which is far more active doing property maintenance, refurbishment projects, decorating, gardening and also became a granddad so spend far more time crawling around on the floor.

Eating wise I get to eat quite a bit more as both exercise volume and general activity are higher.
Over 6,000 miles cycled last year at age 61 which is the most ever for me.
Tend to skip breakfast more often as I prefer eating the majority of my food in the evenings.

Few injuries over last five years (knee ligament, clavicle displacement, worst disc prolapse of my life (gas & air just gave me a headache and morphine almost completely ineffective), repeated fat pad impingement in my wonky knee, injured a wrist again) but general health including blood test health markers remain overall excellent.

Settled into a yearly pattern of staying in a 7lb weight range, lighter in the Spring to Autumn main cycling season and allow a drift towards the top of my range in Winter. One of my very few hard rules is that hitting my upper weight limit triggers action (eating and drinking less).

AnnPT77 · March 2022

Wow, it's rare to see an old thread that actually has solid content: So many that come back from the olden days are . . . iffy, IMO. So, OK, now I guess I've been maintaining long enough to participate.

HappyGrape wrote: »

Total weight loss

How long did it take you to lose the weight?

I started out at 5'5", 183 pounds, which is just over the line into class 1 obese BMI. That was in 2015, when I was 59.

I committed to weight loss on April 17, joined MFP to log on July 25, when my rough-counting approach began to level out a bit.

I was shooting for 120 pounds (after a couple of goal adjustments) then, and hit that in March, 2016. I now maintain at around 125 pounds, which I'd hit in January 2016.

I guess that's either 58 pounds in about 9 months, or 63 pounds in about 11 months?

What method did you use to lose the weight?

Calorie counting, approximating at first, then logging with MFP.

How long are you in maintenance?

6+ years.

I've been up and down a bit during that time, but entirely within the normal BMI range, and fitting in the same (US size 6) jeans, so I'm calling it all maintenance.

How do you deal with social situations and vacations?

It varies. True special occasions I may eat over maintenance calories, perhaps even way over. That could be holiday meals, or a special restaurant meal, or something.

I "calorie bank" - eat a small amount under maintenance most days, maybe 100-200 calories tops - in order to eat more indulgently sometimes. Sometimes that indulgence is social or vacations, sometimes just because I feel like it.

My favorite vacation is rowing camp, and one can eat pretty freely while rowing several hours a day! On city vacations, I eat pretty indulgently because that's part of the fun, don't much worry about it. I know how to lose a few pounds if I need to . . . and I don't usually need to.

What is the biggest challenge for you since you are in maintenance and how do you deal with it?

Potluck meals. I've given up. I just eat whatever. They aren't that frequent - handful of times a year.

What does a day of eating look like for you now, compared to when you were losing weight? Did it
change? How did it change?

I didn't change the range of foods I ate (already ate fairly nutritiously), just adjusted portion sizes, proportions within a meal, and frequencies of calorie-dense foods, to hit a reasonable calorie goal. I've been vegetarian for 47+ years, thin to fat then obese and back again, but that had nothing to do with body weight .

I used to eat things just because they were there, kind of mindlessly shoveling food into my mouth. I'm a little more thoughtful about it now, but do make it a priority to eat enjoyably. Life is too short to eat things I dislike. Fortunately, I like lots of things, and love veggies/fruits.

In fact, I think I enjoy food and eating more, now that I'm more selective.

As long as I'm logging (which I expect to do indefinitely, most days anyway), I use that as a tool to be pretty on-target with nutrition, too. I have a protein minimum, a fat minimum, strive to eat at least 5+ and ideally 10+ 80g veggie/fruit servings daily. I think about getting MUFAs/PUFAs and managing sat fats, getting reasonable O-3/O-6 balance, but don't have strict goals for those.

I eat less of what I'd call "filler foods" that aren't all that delightful to me, which tends to be bread I was using as a sandwich container (I just eat the fillings, usually, with increased veggies), wheat pasta (more inclined to use higher-protein legume pastas now, in smaller portions with more veggies), grains.

What your exercise is like now, compared to during weight loss?

I didn't much change exercise: I'd been quite active for a dozen years, even while obese.

I'm a rower, on-water when I can, machine when I must. I started that in my mid-40s, even competed (not always unsuccessfully), while staying obese. I like riding my bike, took spin classes twice a week pre-pandemic, now added a stationary bike to the rowing machine at home. I work out 6 days most weeks year around.

I'm lackadaisical about strength training, and did try to be a bit more consistent about that while losing weight, but there was no dramatic change of routine.

What strategies you use to get back on track after splurge, vacation or holiday

Mostly it's not an issue. When I'd let my weight drift up a bit (maybe 10-12 pounds or so over 4 years), I just cut back on indulgences, kept my tiny calorie bank deficit going, lost that weight again very slowly but painlessly - it took 12-15 months.😆

Have you dealt with setback or injury preventing you to be active? How did you deal with it?

Sure. I'm active, and age 66. Stuff happens.

That's one thing I like about the "MFP Method" of separately accounting for exercise calories. I have a reasonable understanding of how much to eat when I exercise, or when I can't. Since I've been quite active for 20-something years now, I get moody, tense, and feel poorly physically if I there's a long break in exercise. So far, I've only had physical issues that took me entirely out of exercise of all types for a short time. I could normally get back to at least walking (after surgeries) or upper body exercise (when I broke my ankle) even if I couldn't do all my normal stuff.

What is your biggest tip you would like to give to someone looking to either lose, or maintain weight

Figure out personalized tactics, don't buy into "one single true universal path to weight loss" as advocated by some of the named diets and diet gurus. If an approach works for you personally, use it. Somewhere during weight loss, figure out your personalized maintenance habits, things that will work nearly on autopilot, and practice them.

rosebarnalice · April 2022

HappyGrape wrote: »

Total weight loss 59 lbs (this time)

How long did it take you to lose the weight? 10 months . . . and 51 years (overweight yo yo dieter & body shamer since childhood-- but this time it's sticking

What method did you use to lose the weight?volume eater averaging 40+ g fiber per day and BRUTAL HONESTY with weighing, measuring & logging food, and recording my weight. I fail when I lie to myself.

How long are you in maintenance? about a year

How do you deal with social situations and vacations? Social is easy: I say "no thank you," or "I'm not really hungry right now", and change the conversation. My friends and family know me well enough to know I mean it. Vacay: stick to the plan as much as possible, log as best I can, and if I'm a pound or two up when I get home, I know what to do about it.

What is the biggest challenge for you since you are in maintenance and how do you deal with it? Honesty. Sometimes I'm ashamed of what I eat. There are some old old old head games there. But if I'm willing to eat it, I have to be willing to log it--so I do. Even when I don't like what I see.

What does a day of eating look like for you now, compared to when you were losing weight? Did it
change? How did it change? Only difference now is that I eat about 200 calories more per day

What your exercise is like now, compared to during weight loss? Same. 3X per week for about an hour.

What strategies you use to get back on track after splurge, vacation or holiday Remind myself that I know what I need to do because I've done it before. Also, schedule a swim IMMEDIATELY upon returning so I get back into a routine quickly.

Have you dealt with setback or injury preventing you to be active? How did you deal with it? After my hip replacement, I doubled down on weighing, measuring, and logging, and was very careful not to go over my exercise allotment. When I was finally cleared to go swimming again, I reveled in it!.

What is your biggest tip you would like to give to someone looking to either lose, or maintain weight Patience, honesty and FEELING feelings instead of FEEDING them. I didn't get fat overnight-- I got fat through repetitious choices that become habits--the most damaging of which was the habits of either stuffing down bad feelings or fluffing up good feelings with food. Seeking emotional comfort from a physical source was not mentally or physically healthy for me: I had to practice active self-coaching A LOT: Hey, there, beautiful: Whatcha looking for here in the pantry? You know you've had plenty of calories (your MFP log says so!), so what are you really hungry for--because we both know it's not food. Whatever this feeling is, it's JUST a feeling--it's not a threat, it's not going to cause us physical harm. So let's close the pantry, go sit in our favorite chair and just FEEL whatever this is, okay?" .

ahoy_m8 · April 2022

Hi, @HappyGrape.

My goal was maintenance when I first started calorie counting (on another site before MFP), so I have a different experience and lack some of the insights of those who have lost an appreciable % of their body weight. My heaviest was high school and I'm probably ~30lb lighter now (don't remember exactly). I lost weight after an ice skating injury my freshman year. I do not recommend that as a weight loss strategy, but I managed to maintain that loss since.

I've been maintaining for 30+years (pregnancy excluded). To me, that means gradually re-gaining and re-losing the same 5lb over & over. When I hit the top of that 5lb maintenance range, I course correct with a SMALL deficit (1-2lb/mo loss). My exercise and diet are the same when I'm cutting (just slightly less quantity). Bottom line is I intuitively eat more than I need to maintain, so if I am not doing something intentionally to limit my intake, I am probably gaining. Calorie counting is the quickest and easiest way to maintain I have found. If I found something easier, I would do that instead. I used to have really erratic swings between over- and under-eating, bingeing and over-restricting. Without an objective consistent way to measure intake, my guesses were off and it was easy to overcorrect. Tools like MFP help me be a lot steadier.

For long vacations and holidays, I might not track at all. Especially on foreign soil where all my meals are in restaurants. It's just too hard to guess. In general I try to enjoy the hell out of the experience but eat (and drink) a little less than I really want. I also try to stay super active. On shorter stays or where I'm actually doing some cooking, it's easier to make accurate guesses and I'm more likely to track. But not always.

As for getting back to the routine after the vacation is over, if my weight is up I will eventually decide it's time to take care of it. I don't want new clothes, and I don't like feeling uncomfortable in tight clothes so I guess that's my motivation. I will say, though, I actually LIKE my exercise and way of eating, and that helps. I depend on discipline rather than being in the mood. Often I don't want to start a workout but I'm always happy I did it.

Injury is a bummer. I had a shoulder condition (not actually an injury) that took me off strength training for almost a year. Yes, I lost strength. It was a huge bummer. Instead of my regular ST, I had these awful PT exercises to do. They HURT. But I did it religiously, and eventually the condition resolved with no surgery or other intervention. I restarted ST with lighter weights and I'm still rebuilding to past strength. I think it really pays to be serious about injury prevention but also realistic that setbacks will happen. And to be smart about healing before loading up too much too soon.

I believe deep in my heart that the only thing that really leads to lasting change (in relationships, career, health, habits, anything) is small things done faithfully, not a herculean effort here and there. E.g. in a marriage, it's not that one over the top anniversary present 10 years ago that makes a marriage better so much as the small kindnesses we extent every day. Same with health. It's not the annual "cleanse" but the small daily habits that make the difference over the long haul. Hence, my tip would be make your routine enjoyable and easy for you. That will make it harder to make excuses.

rosiekin · April 2022

HappyGrape wrote: »

Total weight loss
Approximately 100lbs (7 stone)

How long did it take you to lose the weight?
I lost the bulk of my weight (5 stone) in 10 months, a further stone over the following 6 months as I tried to find my maintenance calories, and now a further stone since I took up walking during lockdown. That last stone has left me bordering on being underweight so is something I need to address

What method did you use to lose the weight?
CICO / logging on MFP

How long are you in maintenance?
7 years plus

How do you deal with social situations and vacations?
Save up calories in the days leading up to a big meal out

What is the biggest challenge for you since you are in maintenance and how do you deal with it?
Not under eating even a teeny weeny bit / not obsessing too much about social occasions when I’m not in control of how my food is prepared / fending off folk who think I have lost too much weight (until recently, I didn’t agree with them because my BMI was 21/22’ish) /

What does a day of eating look like for you now, compared to when you were losing weight? Did it
change? How did it change?
I eat a lot more pizza now! I definitely ate a lot more healthily when I was losing my weight.

What your exercise is like now, compared to during weight loss?
I did very little exercise while losing my weight. After reaching my goal, I did start swimming regularly, and since March 2020, I now walk at least 10,000 steps a day

What strategies you use to get back on track after splurge, vacation or holiday
I’ve been extremely lucky, I’ve never really had to get back on track. During the first couple of years of maintenance, I probably had about 5 days/occasions when I felt I was going to lose total control but managed to talk myself round beforeI did much damage. Luckily I’ve not experienced that feeling of loss of control for a number of years now.

Have you dealt with setback or injury preventing you to be active? How did you deal with it?
No

What is your biggest tip you would like to give to someone looking to either lose, or maintain weight
Be kind to yourself. Accept that you’ll be going on a journey, and the people you’re closest too might not want to come along for the ride!. Log daily to be accountable. Expect fluctuations in your weight. Accept that by changing your weight, you won’t necessary change other things in your life. Be careful not to replace an obsession with food with other obsessions. Exercise but make it manageable. Be prepared to change/adapt how you eat if you lose too much weight, or if you regain a bit of weight. Get used to not having the high losing weight brings. Accept that it’s ok to have an off day when your eating doesn’t go as planned, but don’t make that an excuse for an off week/month.I could go on and on but I’ll stop there!

HappyGrape · April 2022

I love all answers. Amazing tips.

rwood566 · May 2022

HappyGrape wrote: »

Total weight loss
344 lbs i started at 566 and today am 222.2

How long did it take you to lose the weight?
37 months

What method did you use to lose the weight?
nutritionist, behavior therapist, walking, gym after 30 months.

How long are you in maintenance?
today is day 1 of maintenance.

How do you deal with social situations and vacations?
i try to plan for the events as early in the day as possible so i can modify my early calories to give me extra room for the events.

What is the biggest challenge for you since you are in maintenance and how do you deal with it?
learning how to do maintenance eating. i still don't have my "bottom" weight from my dr.

What does a day of eating look like for you now, compared to when you were losing weight? Did it
change? How did it change?
i have been increasing my cal by 200. i am letting my body get used to the new amount and seeing how my weight goes. if it goes up steadily i will cut back some.

What your exercise is like now, compared to during weight loss?
same, but it will be dropping for a bit. i am having skin removal surgery may 6th.

What strategies you use to get back on track after splurge, vacation or holiday
i go meal by meal, not day by day or week by week. if i have a splurge, i log it and then tell myself to start again at the next meal and not wait for the next day.

Have you dealt with setback or injury preventing you to be active? How did you deal with it?
i get the occasional back pain so i can't walk or do much at the gym. i do extra stretching and arm weights at home while i heal.

What is your biggest tip you would like to give to someone looking to either lose, or maintain weight
be truthful to the one person that matters in this journey....YOURSELF. if you log, you are only lying to yourself, if you cheat you are only cheating yourself.

rwood566 · May 2022

all of these posts are so amazing. i love all of the tips. i could have chosen any of them for my own post as they all are so accurate. congrats to everyone here.

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