jrwms714 Member

I just hit my 5 year maintenance anniversary and can honestly say it hasn't been all that difficult. Maintenance to me is just more calories than when I was losing. I still weigh and log - both daily - but in the past 7 years, my view of food has totally changed and that makes it much easier than when it was unhealthy. We…

Every day for me for the last 7 years, 5 of them in maintenance. It took a while for me not to freak at the number and Happy Scale helps with that. But when you are in maintenance for a while, you learn what works for you and how to handle numbers.

I totally agree with this. It takes time once you hit your maintenance goal for your mind and body to settle in ... you need to establish your range and to see what you can and can't do to stay within that range ... and also to have a plan about what to do when you go over that range for more than a week or for whatever…

Another bump for SummerSkier. 5 years in maintenance and I still don't carry over. But you will establish your own habits and what works for you as you go along. Right now, maintenance is very very new with you, so best to stick with weight/CICO until you know what works. And use a trending app if you don't already. Very…

I would just say that there is no life after dieting ... because you are not dieting ... for those of us who have been in maintenance a long while, we know that it's not dieting ... it's retraining your relationship to food and your overall lifestyle. If you are able to do that ... and it will take time, and patience, and…

[ [/quote] Trainers are often not great at the food part of losing weight, especially if they don't have additional certifications. Why not set your account up here, choose a low rate of loss (like 0.5lbs per week), and just eat the food you like within your calorie goal? If you are working to build muscle at the gym,…

For me, 4.5 years in, maintenance is all about being the same as weight loss, just more activity, more calories allotted. It is all about mind set and relaxing into your lifestyle and your healthier way of eating, while still remaining vigilant about your range. It is about not worrying overmuch when you go outside of your…

OP, I am 5'0 and moderately active ... without taking into consideration that you are at the smallest end on the BMI and may have to take a look at that, I'd have to tell you that petite women have much smaller calorie needs than others, and a lot of exercise is needed for me to be able to eat more than 1300-1400. I am…

Just an interesting tidbit: I have a friend who is a weight loss professional at a hospital ... she says that women under 5'4" (us petites!) and especially if postmenopausal have the hardest time losing and maintaining weight loss. So we are at a disadvantage already with our height, but think how strong that makes us when…

@frezisha : nope. Maybe you’re supposed to but I always just drink water

Glad that this works for some of you. For me, I track every day and have for the past 7 years. It's easy and quick and works with my Type A personality. Like others on here, I am also retired, so every day is a weekend and every day is one that I spend my NEAT and don't worry about it. My eating behavior and attitude has…

For me, I can always tell the difference between weight gain and water gain and it's simple: my rings are too tight overnight ... water gain! Weight gain, as noted above, creeps up on you slowly, but water retention not so much. If my wedding ring has suddenly become tight, I know what it is and I know it's time to watch…

Eggs, yogurt, fish, shellfish, legumes

Name:jrwms714 How long in maintenance:4.5 years Goal maintenance range: 136.5-138.5 Current weight:139.5 Current goal:range above Recent success: n/a. I keep yo-yoing from 138.5-140.0 Not where I want to be! Strategy for your goal: I still am cutting out snacks after dinner, which is a major help. What I really need to do…

It takes a while to figure it out ... sometimes the numbers are close but not exactly where you end up. I am 5'0" and 72 and I work out 5x/week and my number is 1500-1800, so yours seems low for your age and height, but if you are sedentary more than active, it could be accurate.

For me, it's some about being able to wear the same clothes season after season, year after year. But, more than that, it's about health ... everything has improved, as @SummerSkier mentioned above. All "numbers" are great at each annual physical ... I also have improved so many minor health issues that I am thrilled…

Slippery slope for me if or when that happens, so I didn't indulge that way during loss and never have during maintenance. If you recognize it and you know what it can lead to, then you can change the behavior. Not easy, I know, but it's what will help you achieve the weight that you want and the serenity that can go along…

I do the same thing.

Another vote for BMI being outdated and, often, inaccurate with all the variables it doesn't take into account. That being said, I totally agree with @kimny72 above. I'd love if if another 10 lbs. just fell off me, but my weight is in the range where I am the most comfortable and my recent annual physical had all my…

Name: jrwms714 How long in maintenance: 4.5 years Goal maintenance range: 136.5-138.5 Current weight:141 Current goal: Continue not eating after dinner, except occasionally. Recent success: Weight yo-yos back up to 140/141 when it should be trending 138-139. No successes this week. Strategy for your goal: Continue to avoid…

[ @neldabg You may be right. It is possible that during h.s, I was in an acceptable BMI range, although my physician said often that I should weigh about 10 lbs. less for my height. I was a teen and probably didn't know about the BMI, plus during those years, didn't know enough to disagree with him. We compare ourselves to…

I am 5'0" even ... I am also 72 years old with a body that has always been chunky/muscular from the hips on down while very tiny in shoulders, rib cage, and waist - a perfect pear shape. I have never ever been in the BMI range for my height, due to this, even when I weighed 110 in high school and throughout my 20s and 30s,…

Name: jrwms714 How long in maintenance: 4.5 years Goal maintenance range: 136.5-138.5 Current weight:139.5 Current goal: Continue not eating after dinner, except occasionally. Recent success: Avoiding the unhealthy snack trap on a few occasions when I usually fall into it. Also, have finally maintained below 140/141 for…

Most of the time, saddlebags are genetic. They for me. Weight loss and strength training can firm them up but they will still be there. At your BMI, I doubt that they are that noticeable, as others have said. I know how it feels to wish them away ... I sure did in my younger days. But now they are just a part of who I am…

This. Could not have said it better myself. I'm rounding onto 5 years of maintenance and I can tell you, OP, that water retention is still my particular anxiety-producer. I know what it is; I know it causes 3 -5 lbs. of gain on the scale that is not really gain, and I also know that 2 -3 days of drinking lots of water and…

NWCR is a highly respected, long-time organization. At one point, I joined many years ago ... then opted out. I looked into joining again a while back, but things had changed and there was just too much ongoing information they wanted that I was not comfortable giving.(Can't remember what or how; it's been a few years…

OP, salt can affect different people different ways. For me, one restaurant meal and I can gain 3 lbs. of water weight that takes 2 -3 days to flush out of my system. So I avoid salt as much as I can .. never use it at home, don't cook with it, but can't avoid it when eating out. It's in everything. Even if I say, "Please,…

Name: jrwms714 How long in maintenance: 4.5 years Goal maintenance range: 136.5-138.5 Current weight: 140.0 Current goal: Was back down in range for two weeks ... goal is to get back there again, no snacks at night. I have been doing that again and I think it has hurt what I am trying to do. Recent success: The two weeks…

Whatever works for you in maintenance is what works. OP, if you are the analytical/engineering type, then that's how it's best for you, like I am the organized, compulsive type, so I am still logging after nearly 7 years in MFP and that's what works for me. However, I do hope you reach a point where maintenance is more…

I eat out frequently and it's never really an issue. After 4.5 years of maintenance, I pretty much know what to do, which includes checking menus online and even photos in Yelp, whenever possible. If it's not possible, and I can't plan ahead, I do the best that I can. I am so into healthy food after all these years (7…