Bleh, maintaining isn't maintaining anymore

Lietchi
Lietchi Posts: 7,198 Member
in Motivation and Support

I've been thinking about posting for a while now, but not quite sure what to say. Perhaps I'll just start with a few screenshots that show the heart of the issue...

It started with: yay!

Screenshot_20250424_225115.jpg

But not so yay anymore, especially since December:

Screenshot_20250424_225209.jpg

Clothes are getting (too) tight and that really sets of alarm bells because I do NOT want to buy a new wardrobe 😬

Replies

  • Kupla71
    Kupla71 Posts: 2,135 Member

    Hi Lietchi, hang in there and try and nip it in the bud. You have done so well. You know what to do. Do you think it’s your diet that’s causing the weight gain or are you not running as much anymore?

    Right now I’m focusing on my diet. I gained a few pounds and want to get my eating under control. I still walk and swim a little but that’s it for exercise. I don’t know what works for you but you know what does. 😊 Good that you have noticed your weight gain now and can take the steps to lose again and maintain. You can do it!!

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,656 Member

    @Lietchi : I so know how this is. My weight trend since 2015, when I joined, looks like a series of slow climbs followed by quicker descents. The worst was this past two years. Moving into a new house and getting several injuries (including a foot injury at one point and then a back injury later) did me in. One thing I tell myself (over and over) is

    "the sooner I intervene, the easier it will be to fix."

    It does seem to be getting harder as I get older. I used to be able to drop in excess of 1lb/week, now I barely lose 1lb/week, and only if I really deprive myself. And, it seems to pop back on when I have even one indulgent evening. Urg!

    It can help to shake things up one way or another. Partial or complete fasts can help reset your habits, for example.

    Anyway, you know the drill. Time to lean in.

  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,293 Member

    @Lietchi , ^^^ all of this. The good people (you included) who have been here for a long time are spot on. I too, am doing it again. I am one of those who hasn't succeeded at long-term maintenance yet. I lose, I regress, and within a year or two, I'm arresting the slide up the scale. Even though I have stated right here, in the forums, that I am probably someone who will always have to log, I don't do it. Self-sabotage. Laziness.

    I think @Jthanmyfitnesspal has a great mantra (I'll be borrowing it!). It's where I am right now. I caught it, but it is still frustrating, and the older I get, more challenging. I am making another international move across the globe which will disrupt all of my routines, but I am determined to do my best to stay on track and not wait to establish new routines.

    You're definitely understood here. I always appreciate your posts. They're honest, helpful, vulnerable, and kind. We're rooting for you 💃

  • pridesabtch
    pridesabtch Posts: 2,746 Member

    @Lietchi I've been around a few times over the last 12 years or so (started as Notfortyet and now I'm 51) and I've seen your journey. I've always admired you, and still do. I have lost multiple times and never successfully maintained. You have maintenance under your belt, you know how. Kudos to you for not hiding from it. You've got this!

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 7,198 Member

    Thanks for the encouraging and kind words!

    Before December things were already a bit 'iffy' because my metabolism is a bit quicker than Garmin estimates, which gave a false sense of security that indulging would go unpunished. It was true but only within reason obviously, not the level of overeating I've 'graduated' to since December.

    So what happened in December? I had some disruptive digestive issues that required me to eat more frequently (the longer I would stop eating, the more nauseous I would get). My stomach is not fully recovered but stable enough to dial back the constant snacking - but of course it has turned into a habit...

    Combined with...

    • Incorrect calorie adjustments since MFP implemented the new activity levels
    • Lax food logging (not helped by the previous point)
    • No adequate replacement of the newsfeed (and dwindling activity in the community)
    • Less running, first because of the nausea and then trying to get back into the habit (being heavier and stopping for a few weeks, didn't help either - I had to dial down my speed)

    Well, the screenshots illustrate the result perfectly 🙂 The upward trend is definitely still there now, I'm trying to get my logging under control first, to at least have a number I can rely on, before lowering it.

    I'm currently on a 4 week trip in France and northern Spain, so there will be wild guesses in May (and yummy French food), but we have rented houses/apartments and I brought scales (food and personal) to keep some measure of control. And we will be walking a lot, 20k steps yesterday. This trip reinforced the wardrobe issue, my newest hiking pants were too tight, I had to bring an older pair with me!

    To be continued...

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 7,198 Member

    One week into my holiday/road trip in France and so far I've managed to improve my logging consistency. Still eating above maintenance but sort of under control since I'm preparing most of my own meals - indulging a bit too much for the calories my walks and hikes have been giving me (44km so far).

    Digestive issues still bugging me, but I guess indigestion in the evening does cut down the evening snacking (even it's bad for my beauty sleep) 🤪

    My weight is down 3lbs, but more than likely due to water weight weirdness.

    20250515_131601.jpg
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 7,198 Member
    edited May 26

    Day 13 of my trip. I was surprised to see that my food intake was a few hundred calories lower last week than the weeks before, both total and net calories. Not quite maintenance yet, but better than the hundreds above maintenance from before. Although it is a bit of a guessing game with some restaurant dinners thrown in, of course.

    Weight trend seems to have stopped its linear ascent (seems - I've been known to drop water weight while on holiday) but still happy to see the change).

    Screenshot_20250526_180137.jpg

    I've had some rough moments - rebound from stopping PPIs is real and period pain without being able to take ibuprofen is no fun either 🙄 but some lovely nature (and castles) here to explore. I even managed a run this morning - I'm usually a treadmill runner, in my cool basement, so it was HOT but good to do something more strenuous than hiking for a change!

    Picsart_25-05-26_21-05-41-052.jpg

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