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Robin1117
Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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Good morning! Just wanted to post this for maintainers who may be interested. I just hit my 2 year Maintenance Anniversary this week! And wrote this up yesterday about lessons learned......

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin1117/view/maintenance-is-a-choice-my-2-years-of-maintaining-263772
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  • kitkat4141
    kitkat4141 Posts: 379 Member
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    Best information I've ever read on maintenance, period. Thank you Robin for a superb education and distilling the tenets of maintenance into manageable and easily understood nuggets of information.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    thanks KitKat--hopefully our struggles will make it easier for the new folks!
  • soniams
    soniams Posts: 95 Member
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    Thank you, thank you so much for this. I am at that transition point. Close to maintenance but not ready to give up the weight loss goal yet. Two of your comments resonated the most with me: 1. Average your calories for the week and 2. Maintenance is a choice. These will really help gain the focus I need right now.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Thank you, thank you so much for this. I am at that transition point. Close to maintenance but not ready to give up the weight loss goal yet. Two of your comments resonated the most with me: 1. Average your calories for the week and 2. Maintenance is a choice. These will really help gain the focus I need right now.

    you are welcome! congrats on your success so far!
  • IAmJeanaK
    IAmJeanaK Posts: 43
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    Good morning! Just wanted to post this for maintainers who may be interested. I just hit my 2 year Maintenance Anniversary this week! And wrote this up yesterday about lessons learned......

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin1117/view/maintenance-is-a-choice-my-2-years-of-maintaining-263772

    I just got done reading this also. Everything you said made since & hit home big time.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Love it! I am maintaining too, so if u want an extra friend...?
  • nermal6873
    nermal6873 Posts: 344 Member
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    Great blog post! Thanks for sharing.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    so glad you guys found it useful....appreciate the feedback!
  • quietHiker
    quietHiker Posts: 1,442 Member
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    Very well written and such great tips!

    My hardest thing to conquer right now (I've been maintaining for 7 weeks now) is being scared to get close to my maintenance calorie number because it just seems so high...but I try every day to remind myself that I CAN eat more, I just have to be mindful of what the MORE part is that I am eating (aka, no big mac meals every day lol)...and I'm slowly getting there, but can be a challenge some days.
  • PeeTeePee
    PeeTeePee Posts: 235 Member
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    My hardest thing to conquer right now (I've been maintaining for 7 weeks now) is being scared to get close to my maintenance calorie number because it just seems so high...but I try every day to remind myself that I CAN eat more, I just have to be mindful of what the MORE part is that I am eating (aka, no big mac meals every day lol)...and I'm slowly getting there, but can be a challenge some days.
    I so agree with this! I've been maintaining for a few weeks, but keeping my calorie intake a little lower, 'just in case'. I've now made the decision to go to the maintenance level and trust in myself. The OP article is a great inspiration to help me with this.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Very well written and such great tips!

    My hardest thing to conquer right now (I've been maintaining for 7 weeks now) is being scared to get close to my maintenance calorie number because it just seems so high...but I try every day to remind myself that I CAN eat more, I just have to be mindful of what the MORE part is that I am eating (aka, no big mac meals every day lol)...and I'm slowly getting there, but can be a challenge some days.

    thanks! I definitely agree w/this! I don't think I reached the maintenance calorie level mfp suggested for me until over a year after I started maintaining. I definitely went baby steps with that. Just going up by 50 calories/day for a few weeks, seeing how that went and then very gradually increasing as I was comfortable there was no gain. I think I even had it set at "lose 1/2 lb a week" for awhile--where I didn't lose, but was able to maintain at whatever that base was on that setting, since it was sort of at a mid point. I think this is actually one of the hardest parts --determining where that level is. It isn't as easy as just switching to "maintenance" in goals and running w/it.....

    take it slow if you are more comfortable with it and it'll be just fine!
  • ggeise14
    ggeise14 Posts: 386 Member
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    Great tips - thanks! I am close to goal and thinking about what maintenance will be. I reached my goal two years ago through WW but just for a short period. I found this app in April 2012 and it's been helpful and free. Over the last year I've started some strengh training (on my own at home) and went through C25K again this summer/fall. Finally, whatever combination I've been using has helped me lose the 10 lbs I've been yo-yoing the last year and a half! I try to eat mainly non-processed foods, I've added protein powders, etc. Who knows what the exact triggers have been, but I'm thrilled to be where I'm at now.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Great tips - thanks! I am close to goal and thinking about what maintenance will be. I reached my goal two years ago through WW but just for a short period. I found this app in April 2012 and it's been helpful and free. Over the last year I've started some strengh training (on my own at home) and went through C25K again this summer/fall. Finally, whatever combination I've been using has helped me lose the 10 lbs I've been yo-yoing the last year and a half! I try to eat mainly non-processed foods, I've added protein powders, etc. Who knows what the exact triggers have been, but I'm thrilled to be where I'm at now.

    congrats on all your progress! and I'm glad you found the post helpful!
  • kajpen
    kajpen Posts: 120 Member
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    Love the tips! I'm in maintenance now... and have unknowingly implemented a bunch of the tips you posted :-). I'll tell ya, "maintaining" is a whole new challenge... good thing I loooooove challenges! :-)
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Love the tips! I'm in maintenance now... and have unknowingly implemented a bunch of the tips you posted :-). I'll tell ya, "maintaining" is a whole new challenge... good thing I loooooove challenges! :-)

    thanks so much!! glad we connected and that you found them helpful! maybe time for you to write up some tips of your own!!??
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    maintaining over the holidays is a big challenge..I have been a little down and unfocused and.thought I'd re-read the tips and comments for myself as a reminder, and for others....
  • SP2Bfit
    SP2Bfit Posts: 114
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    great tips. Nice post!
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    thanks!! Here's to another year of Maintaining!!!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Thanks for the tips. I read your blog post ages ago, and now as I'm actually facing maintenance, I'm quite nervous about this whole thing, so it's really helping to re-read them! :)
  • Sheikie
    Sheikie Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks for this post, Robin! I've been maintaining over 75 lbs. for 2.5 years and have also learned with each passing day. One thing that seems to be working for me is that I have a window of 5 lbs. for my goal. Therefore, I always am still aiming for a goal...like getting to the bottom number especially after "loosening up" to the almost top number over the holidays. Perhaps some might find this frustrating but it really helps me live/maintain happily!

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