Maintain or main 'taint?

Options
Jthanmyfitnesspal
Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,674 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hello, fellow maintainers!

I'm at that old goal weight once again.

It brings such a mix of feelings: Wanting to stop worrying about my weight all the time and but also wanting to lose just a little bit more.

Always an interesting moment. (I've been here many times!)
Tagged:

Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,674 Member
    @summerskier : First, thanks for the response!

    I am totally in the same situation since forever. What's a party without beer and nachos?

    2022 was a particularly hard year for me and I gained more like 20 pounds which are finally off since January. I usually do well until about October when it gets cold and dark. It's depressing, and I put on a few pounds. If it's <5lbs, I can usually drop it in January. This year it took from January to May!

    Best of luck to you and all the other maintainers out there!
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,674 Member
    The answer is: Main t'aint. (I spelled it wrong in the original post!)

    I've gained 10lbs in the past two months! 😱 (Lots of reasons. Details posted elsewhere.)
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,799 Member
    But the good news is you haven't just walked away from the whole process and you know the damage and how to fix it!
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,674 Member

    This is the worst thread I ever created! I totally whiffed it and gained all the weight back and more! 🤬

    In June 2023 I had cut down to a level that is about 6lbs less than where I am now. I've been cutting again since 1/1 and it's been hard to get where I am. I wish I could drop for 6 more pounds, but I think that 6 months of cutting is enough and I should go back on maintenance on June 1, whatever my weight on that day. I'm planning to do strict maintenance and keep logging for as long as I can.

    So, the question again will be: Maintain or main-t'aint? (I think this catchy phrase is going to catch on, amiright?)

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,333 Community Helper

    Maintain.

    I'm saying that with the context of your other recent thread in mind, too.

    If you decide you want to lose another 6, you can do that later.

    Diet breaks are good, physically and psychologically. Maintenance practice is good logistically and practically. Multi-win!

    Maintain . . . if we're voting here. 😉

  • Interbeing
    Interbeing Posts: 172 Member

    @Jthanmyfitnesspal Good to hear! My cross-country coach in college used to say that, "You can't outrun a bad diet". It is always difficult to tweak caloric intake when limited in activity. I am going through the same thing right now, dealing with a shoulder rotator cuff. I am in Physical Therapy, and limited with my workouts. I adjusted my diet, but have over compensated and ended up losing about 5 lbs over the last few weeks.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,674 Member

    I just ordered a Garmin smart scale. My reasoning is that I get lax on recording my weight once I go into maintenance. Also, I don't want yet another app monitoring my bodyweight, so I'm willing to pay the premium to get the Garmin, which connects to the Garmin app I already have.

    I was at 174 this morning. A bit below goal, so that's good! Going into maintenance, planning to keep logging my food as much as possible!

  • Interbeing
    Interbeing Posts: 172 Member

    I skipped my weekend 36hr fast this weekend as I am having challenges maintaining my weight. I was able to maintained a balanced diet, and kept somewhat active with the limitations of my shoulder. My physical therapy is coming along well and hopefully I will be back on the bike this week. I am still running a little under my goal weight, but I didn't lose any weight over the past week, and I am still within a healthy range. Have a great week everyone!

    Goal Weight: 185

    Average weight for this week, May 27- Jun 2: 179.0 BMI: 23.0

    Average weight for past month, May 6- Jun 2: 181.4 BMI: 23.3

    Average weight for past year, Jun 4, 2024- Jun 2, 2025: 193.4 BMI: 24.8

  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,799 Member

    I think the one thing we have to figure out in maintenance is how to have the things we really love (like i guess beer for Jimmy) without losing sight of the calorie balance. For me I had to learn how to have my favorite 300 cal donuts without tearing into a binge. If we have to restrict ourselves forever from those things life would not be enjoyable.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,674 Member

    Hello people! It's been an exciting month of maintenance. I've logged most days, but not over the past weekend with friends on vacation. I did lots of exercise (including two fantastic 1.25mi ocean swims!), ate lots of food, and drank a bit of beer. I came home up a couple of pounds. Yikes!

    But, it evaporated overnight (poof, 3.4lbs gone since yesterday), leaving me below my goal weight at the 1 month mark! 🎉(I'll take it, but I'll try not to get too cocky!)

    I've found I always bump up in weight if I have a couple of beers a night for a few days, as on vacation. Alcohol also makes my sleep worse, which I can track on my Garmin watch. Vacation ends, I stop drinking beer (or sometimes drink NA beer ), my weight drops a couple of pounds, and I get a good night's sleep. Amazing!

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,333 Community Helper

    I don't know about you, @Jthanmyfitnesspal , but I find I usually get a scale jump from water retention after a vacation-ish interlude, and for me that for sure drops off quickly. In a situation like that, I eat differently quite apart from calorie level (as you mention, beer could be in that picture 😉), and there's often car or plane travel of some distance before and after, and while I don't necessarily do my normal workouts, I may do more walking to sight-see or whatever. Any of that can bump up water retention, especially long car rides or air travel. Back to the normal routine, and that sorts itself out in a few days.

  • SafariGalNYC
    SafariGalNYC Posts: 2,293 Member
    edited July 1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48636930#Comment_48636930

    @Jthanmyfitnesspal inspiring!! When I got to maintenance - I started more muscle building to burn more cals!
    I hear ya about going back and forth with weight! Pandemic crap put some weight back on me too. It’s a process.

    Keep on monitoring!

    You are a success story!

  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,415 Member

    Reading this thread is a nice dose of reality. The work never ends…which is okay. Because we are in this together. The illusion that the work ends at a goal weight, is the lie we tell ourselves. best to know that maintainers struggle as much as those on the weight loss journey. They just look better doing it.. ha.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,674 Member

    @elisa123gal : thanks for your post! It's nice to know someone is reading!

    Now that it's Aug 1, I can report that I've done well for the month of July, ending ~2lbs below my goal weight. I've bounced around from 172 to 176lbs, but this morning I was 173lbs, so I can claim victory! I can't believe it's only been two months since I went into maintenance— it seems like forever!

    I've continued with the minimal or no breakfast approach. I'd like to be exercising in the morning. Ah, someday I'll get the hang of it. (Hope springs eternal.) But, I'll settle for the afternoon (which bugs my wife, as I get home a bit later.) The weather just turned a bit cooler, which is nice.

    Best of luck to all the other maintainers out there!

  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,799 Member

    We are still here (the maintainers) and I totally agree with @elisa123gal it is a lot of the same struggle but we look a LOT better doing it. I was actually having a really REALLY impressive start to the year and then I tripped running and boom. Out with a fractured foot for 2 months. It is scary how easy it is to just pack the pounds on when you go from 100 mph to 0 overnight. I seriously hate not being able to eat the same as I was when I was killing the mileage but I also refused to close my eyes and just give up. I am back to working out at a steady rate again and managed to "only" creep up about 3 pounds. Still I do not like it and what goes on the hips and belly so easily seems to be harder and harder to take back off. I mean what gain 2 pounds overnight and take 2 weeks to lose it? yup.

    And btw CONGRATS @Jthanmyfitnesspal on your success and guess what. Maintenance IS forever. :)

Categories