Hit Maintenanc, loved It, then I fell of the wagon.
HavenIryxia
Posts: 116 Member
In February I went to maintenance and I absolutely loved it, I stayed on it for a good three months. Then I bought a Bodyfit Media Core device and became overly obsessed with my calorie burn and calorie intake which added stress to my life. Three months into maintenance, stress from multiple sources got the best of me and I ended up gaining 7 of the 57 pounds I had originally lost, back. Now I am trying to get back 130 so that I can go back to maintenance for awhile. I know what caused me to gain the 7 lbs, I am completely conscious of the choices that I had made, however now I am back to eating a strict 1200 calorie diet for the next couple weeks to lose the 4lbs I have to lose to get back to 130, and it is a struggle. I am able to stick to it strong for 2-3 days, but by the 3rd day I start getting nervous, wondering if just eating 1200 to get these excess pounds off is the right way to go. By that time I end up upping my calories to 1400 but I am greatly disappointed because it seems I can't stick to a 1200 calorie diet for more than 2 days. I am not entirely sure why I keep flip flopping or what, but I desperately just want to be 130 again. Atleast for a little while to take a break from the added stress that dieting brings on its own. If any of you have any advice for me I would greatly appreciate it. Or maybe just a friendly word or two. I have felt so off and down lately in regards to my weight loss journey I feel like giving up for now. Not entirely sure what to do.
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Are you doing any exercise? - not only good for you body but good for stress as well. I find I can't live on 1200 cals per day but if I exercise I then can eat those calories also.0
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I workout usually everyday, burning 350-500 on a normal day, there have been other days where I have burnt more than that though, but that is usually on the weekends when I have more time during the day.0
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I was in maintenance for around 4 months and I fell off the wagon and gained about 4lb and just went through a few weeks of no exercise and eating whatever and however much I wanted (basically going straight back into the habits that got me fat in the first place!). It was only when putting on a new pair of jeans I had bought as part of my smaller wardrobe and finding I had a muffin top poking over the waist bumped me back down to earth.
I had worked damn hard to get to maintenance weight - a sometimes gruelling process of hunger, hard physical exercise and total overhaul of past bad habits that I was disappointed in myself for starting to undo it. However I realised what had made me fall so spectacularly off the wagon:
I was sick of constantly measuring and watching and fretting about what I ate.
I was putting immense pressure on myself to do tough workouts and feeling guilty for not doing exercise on any one day.
I was maintaining and yet I still felt 'on a diet'.
Anyway...long story short...I got back on the wagon (I really didn't want to be fat again) but things had to change. If I was to shift the 4lb I had gained it would be slowly. 1/4 of a lb a week, no way would I ever go back to 1200 cals. It's not pleasant and it's not maintainable. 1500 cals for me and eating back exercise cals as I felt like (though generally I 'save' exercise cals to eat more at weekends, hitting a weekly net calorie goal rather than a daily one).
Daily exercise routine needed to be knocked on the head it really was the aspect making me feel the most miserable. So it went and exercise went back to just walking done as part of the daily routine with maybe a weekly 5k or half hour at the gym when I felt like it.
So this is where I am now....if I choose not to move much on a day, I eat accordingly, and just have a laid back approach to it all working to weekly cals from Sunday to Sunday (I get some awesome feasts on a Sunday if I have spare cals to eat from the week! ; ).
The 4lb have gone in less than 2 months and I feel happy enough in this 'groove' to take this forward as maintenance and I'm finally happy with it.
So ditch 1200 calorie a day routine. You're too experienced in this weight loss game to go back to that! Spend this time working out what works for you...is it eating less, or moving more or finding the right balance....maybe try eating to your weekly calories allowing you more flexibility and less daily pressure. I've found a lot of people on maintenance do that.
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@stuffinmuffin: I realized that doing the 1200 calorie a day thing wasn't going to work for me. So I opted for a 1500 calorie a day (without eating exercise calories back) and see where that puts me. I am sure there are days where I may eat a few of those exercise calories back, but not too many of them. Setting myfitnesspal to an intake of 1500 says I should lose .4 pounds a week and if I skip out on the eating my exercise calories it might be more than that. I am hoping that this change will make me happier because as of right now the "eating a strict diet thing" is stressing me out and we all know that stress doesn't help with weight loss and sometimes even hinders it.
Thank you for your advice and words of encouragement. They have helped me a lot
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My two cents--I think that upping your calories to 1500 plus exercise makes a lot of sense. It sounds like you've tried 1,200 calories and it isn't maintainable for more than a couple days & it is stressing you out--so, yeah, I'd agree that you should loosen up your diet a bit.
I've been on maintenance since last fall, and since that time I do not consistantly log foods or track exercise. But, because of that, I weigh myself every day (at a minimum once a week) and wear my new clothes to make sure that I'm not gaining. I also have continued my healthy eating habits (eating lots of vegetables, not snacking, avoiding calorie bombs unless it's a holidy/birthday/etc) and exercise 3-4 times per week / move around more. If the scale is creeping up or if my pant's waist is getting tight (which HAS happened), I begin logging, eat healthier, and exercise more. The key for me is to stop the weight gain early so I only have 2-3 lbs to lose. It can be difficult to maintain (especially during December), but for me it's worked.
I hope this helps or at least gives you another viewpoint. Good luck with maintenance--I hope that your seven lbs disappear quickly. You can rock this 0 -
@msielbeck - I love your advice and you sharing your experience. I just began maintenance and am trying to figure out how to train myself to be more "weekly" oriented instead of daily.0
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I've been on maintenance since last fall, and since that time I do not consistantly log foods or track exercise. But, because of that, I weigh myself every day (at a minimum once a week) and wear my new clothes to make sure that I'm not gaining. I also have continued my healthy eating habits (eating lots of vegetables, not snacking, avoiding calorie bombs unless it's a holidy/birthday/etc) and exercise 3-4 times per week / move around more. If the scale is creeping up or if my pant's waist is getting tight (which HAS happened), I begin logging, eat healthier, and exercise more. The key for me is to stop the weight gain early so I only have 2-3 lbs to lose. It can be difficult to maintain (especially during December), but for me it's worked.
I'm only a month into maintenance mode. I still don't trust myself enough not to log in daily, but I'm making my way toward taking a similar approach. I got a little lax with the calories the first couple of weeks, and as a result my new clothes felt a little big snug last week. But instead of freaking out I just decided to buckle down and be more mindful of eating smarter, and also used that setback to go harder in my workouts. Got on the scale this morning and I'm right back to my goal weight. The challenge for me going forward is trying to strike a balance between being more relaxed in my approach to nutrition and exercise, but not to the point where I start creeping back into the habits that got me in trouble in the first place.0 -
I have been on maintenance mode for 1 month and 7 days and I still also log daily. My weight sort of fluctuates, a few pounds each week (2 + or -)…and I tell myself 2 pounds is nothing to freak out about…but if it's more, then I try to figure out what choices I'm making that could be the cause.
I say, 1200 calories is too low, and to up it a little (to where you are comfortable), and continue to workout….and then we'll start back up in maintenance mode again.
Exercise will always be a part of our lives…even if it's just a short walk around the block. 0 -
@msielbeck - I love your advice and you sharing your experience. I just began maintenance and am trying to figure out how to train myself to be more "weekly" oriented instead of daily.
Awe thanks, glad i could help!
It's definitely a balance for me and I'm sure I appear neurotic when it comes to food. In general, I follow the 80/20 rule--80% of the time I eat healthy & 20% not so much. For example, if I am craving a bagel for breakfast, I'll have a salad for lunch. If I'm eating out for lunch, I try to make sure that I have vegetables & a reasonable portion size.
The worst food challenges for me is at the office. My coworkers are more than happy to eat donuts/cupcakes/fast food on a regular basis. Very rarely do I partake with them because I like to eat treats with my family and fast food when i'm working in the field. So even though I'm depriving myself at the office, I get to dine out or have wine & dessert with my family. For me it's totally worth the sacrifice, no matter how delicious their food smells.
Logging definitely helps keep track of food intake, and I absolutely recommend it, especially if you are upping your calories. It is the best way to make sure that you are staying within your limits and are getting the right balance of nutrients.0 -
... became overly obsessed with my calorie burn and calorie intake which added stress to my life. Three months into maintenance, stress from multiple sources got the best of me and I ended up gaining 7 of the 57 pounds... I am completely conscious of the choices that I had made, however now I am back to eating a strict 1200 calorie diet for the next couple weeks
first, you're 100% aware, THAT'S GOOD!
You mentioned the obsession on calories in/calories burned and I KNOW for personal experience that this is the exact way to trigger self sabotage. Can we judge ourselves? It's pretty normal.
I am a "graduate dieter" since I mastered the art of losing the same 15 lbs (I am 5' 3'', they make the difference) in some months time, for the last 10 years. I did not figured out yet how to maintain and my advice for you come from a person who's trying by trial and error to find the same balance.
Do not obsess about weight or scale goals. Do not restrict to 1200 kcals, but go for habits that could meet the maintenance (long term). That's pretty obvious and generic, BUT TRUE.
I also found the Flags-method recently from the web. It is from a chapter of " Staying in the Game: Managing Lapses". When you acknowledge you're on the yellow/red side, you'll know which behaviors or habit to fix. It's better and less stressful than referring to a "kcals/number limit!"
GREEN FLAGS
*You drink at least 4 glasses of water per day
*You drink less than 2 sodas per week
*You eat 2-3 fruits per day
*You eat 3 or more veggies per day
*You don't skip meals and you enjoy your meals
*You plan your meals, pay attention to your food intake and track your food
*You exercise 5 days a week (strength and cardio)
*You do exercise that makes you feel good
*You steer clear of trigger foods and find healthier substitutes
*You listen to your body and stay injury free
*You think positively and believe in yourself
*You give yourself credit for your efforts
*You plan occasional indulgences and high calorie food into your plan instead of eating them on a whim
GREEN = keep going, you are doing GREAT!
YELLOW FLAGS
*You feel tired of your food choices and your meals lack variety
*You experience increased cravings for sweet/salty foods
*You don't get to the grocery store often enough for fresh fruit/veggies
*You miss meals and snack more on your trigger foods
*You feel more tempted by unhealhty foods at social engagements
*You don't have "time" to fit in exercise even though your schedule has not changed
*After a day of eating poorly, you think you've blown it and lost control
*You're not drinking your water
*You're not meeting your fruit/veggie intake
*You rely on alcohol or caffeine to get you through
*You feel unmotivated to get to the gym or exercise
*You cut your workouts short
*You make excuses
*It's been more than 3 days since your last workout
*Your workouts seem harder but you are doing the same old routine
*You allow more negative self-talk to clutter your mind
Yellow = caution, warning that something has gotten in the way of your health/fitness goals. This is the time to re-evaluate, re-focus and renew your committment! Make a small change in your foods or change up your exercise. Start logging again, get on the scale. The most common problem in sticking with a program is boredom, so change things up at this point before you reach any red flags!
RED FLAGS
*You are not paying attention to your food and you've stopped tracking all together
*You feel restricted by your food choices
*You eat 1 or fewer fruits per day
*You eat 2 or fewer veggies each day
*You drink less than 48 oz water each day
*You drink one or more alcoholic beverages per day
*You use sugar/food as a pick-me-up
*You hide food or secretly eat alone
*You stop weighing yourself so you can avoid the truth
*You miss an entire week or more of exercise
*You drop out of an exercise class or group
*You quit meeting with trainer or don't renew your gym membership
*You have an injury and are not doing anything proactive to make it better
*Negative self talk rules your thoughts, you call yourself bad names, you feel like you are not worth it, etc.
Red = Stop! You're on the fast track to your old behaviors and lifestyle! Take a few breaths and give yourself credit for all you've done up til now. You've proven you can be successful. It's important to know that we ALL make mistakes--no one eats/exercises perfectly all the time. Pick one thing you can change today to get back into the green zone.
ps: that's the amazing blog where I stole the list
http://maintainmyweight.blogspot.it/2010/08/managing-lapses.html
ALL THE BEST**0 -
Thank you for the flag system post. That is really interesting and full of information that I could definitely benefit from.
With a lot of thought I have decided to partake in a partial maintenance system. Meaning my food intake for full on maintenance is 1700. However I decided to only eat 1500 and if I need to dip into exercise calories I will (but that won't be happening regularly). I still would like to lose but it doesn't matter to me if it is slowly. I will go into full on maintenance mode when I hit 130 (4 lbs away from that goal). I am hoping for less stress and more results with being able to increase my calories.
I just got back from a weekend vacation so my goal this week is to lose whatever couple pounds I gained from going away for the weekend and possibly getting to my goal or closer to my goal before my 5 day vacation at the end of the month. Wish me luck! And thank you all for all of your support and advice!0 -
I also hit maintenance, thoroughly enjoyed being there, then lost control. My initial heaviest weight was 137lb, and I got down to 122, maintaining around 122-125. Because of uni getting busier and more stressful, I lost control. Weight got back up to 134lb, and for the last couple of months I've been struggling to shift it. Today I had a break through, and am down to 130lb, aiming for 120 (uni next year will be stressful, and I'd like to start a little lighter than maybe I need to be). It seems to be harder this time than last time, but I'm going to get back to maintenance.
I also like the list of flags, and in somethings I fit into each category, so I'm going to try and work on bringing the red flags into a green flag 0 -
I posted a topic yesterday about this and didn't get any responses, other than one kind friend who posted on my status with her response. I found this topic this morning and its just what I need!
Here's an excerpt from my post..............When I came here at 143 I lost every week until I hit goal of 125, dropped an additional 10 pounds and stayed at 115 from November 2011 till early June (within a couple pounds of it). Started the slow slide into old habits, took vacation, came home and just can't pull myself together. I'm up 4 pounds (to 119) and still can't stop myself from eating poorly. I hate the way it makes me feel physically, sick to stomach and just yucky. Then there's the way I beat myself and promise to do better tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and I don't do better. I've tried to analyze what's happening and I just can't figure it out. I just can't seem to get "there" mentally and its affecting me both on the scale and physcologically. I've been great with my exercise, no problems there.
FYI I am 49 y/o and 5'3" tall.
I did well yesterday so I am hopeful that I can do this again.......its only a few pounds. To make matter more complicated, I am perimenopausal, hadn't had a period since February, but got one this morning (Its been brewing for a while....felt it coming). That could explain some of the gain too (I hope so anyway!).0 -
I don't think beating yourself up over a slip is a good idea - I mean, 4lb isn't a lot to gain, some people fluctuate that much in one day. At least you've recognised that you're sliding and that's a really good thing which you should acknowledge. And you're here telling up about it. Are you really strict with yourself when you are on maintenance? Because nothing is fundamentally bad in small quantities. Indulgence in moderation?0
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I don't think beating yourself up over a slip is a good idea - I mean, 4lb isn't a lot to gain, some people fluctuate that much in one day. At least you've recognised that you're sliding and that's a really good thing which you should acknowledge. And you're here telling up about it. Are you really strict with yourself when you are on maintenance? Because nothing is fundamentally bad in small quantities. Indulgence in moderation?
I totally believe in the everything in moderation approach.0
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