Healthy Maintenance Support Group**

Hi!  I'd like to start a new 'HEALTHY Maintenance Support Group' thread here... We can lend support to one another through-out our maintenance journey, share health and nutrition information, daily food menu's, any interesting recipe's etc....  Most importantly, there will be NO weigh-ins and please NO posting of weights.  The actual number isn't important here... (in other threads I've participated in it actually can get quite discouraging)... so, please, none of that here.  Let's focus on maintaining a healthy weight, being healthy, and living life.   So, who's with me??

Okay, I'll start by introducing myself...

My name is Karey and I've lost about 50 lbs here on CC... I've been maintaining it for almost a year (Sept. 17th).  I'm 28 years old (almost 29 - in Sept) and about 5'7"... I'm not going to post my weight, but I'm maintaining a healthy one and trying to build a bit more muscle and get more definition.  I have a fairly physical job and exercise usually 5-6 times a week...  I like to run (only short distances), walk my dog, do EA Sports Active workouts, and lift weights.  I'm very interested in being healthy, but yet indulging occasionally and just living life as normally as I can.  :)

I'd like to join. I've just recently gone into maintenance mode and am mostly concentrating on eating healthy and sensibly and being more active. It took me 2 years to lose 35 lbs so I definitely had time to develop a whole new mindset (it's not a temporary diet, it's for life). I'm very active gardening and walking/hiking with my dogs in the summer, but I'm not sure what I'll do in the winter; I hate cold and snow and I haven't yet found a structured exercise to fall in love with. Oh--my name is Marg, I'll be 50 in October. I enjoy cooking, which has probably been a lifesaver--at least I know what's going in!

Original Post by mageeg:

I'd like to join. I've just recently gone into maintenance mode and am mostly concentrating on eating healthy and sensibly and being more active. It took me 2 years to lose 35 lbs so I definitely had time to develop a whole new mindset (it's not a temporary diet, it's for life). I'm very active gardening and walking/hiking with my dogs in the summer, but I'm not sure what I'll do in the winter; I hate cold and snow and I haven't yet found a structured exercise to fall in love with. Oh--my name is Marg, I'll be 50 in October. I enjoy cooking, which has probably been a lifesaver--at least I know what's going in!

 Hi Marg & welcome to the group!!  :) 

Congrats on entering maintenance mode and your 35 lb loss, WTG!!  Slow and steady weight-loss is definitely a good thing and I'm sure you'll be able to keep if off being you did it nice and slow.  Yes, I agree 100% that it's not a temporary diet, it's a lifestyle...   I'm glad you enjoy cooking and being healthy... maybe you can rub off on me more... I want to be healthier, but I'm not much of a cook at all...   very limited.  LOL

What kind of dogs do you have?  I love dogs (I'm a groomer)!  I have a German Shepherd/Australian Cattle Dog mix (looks like a miniature German Shepherd) and she is the best dog ever... so smart, loyal, and protective. 

I also hate the cold and snow... are you up north?  I'm from up north, but we hated the winters, so we moved down south.  Now it's too hot in the summer, but the winters are gorgeous.  Maybe you could try cross-country skiiing in the winter, or maybe snow boarding?  What about snow-shoeing?  Hmmm... not sure what else... I always stayed inside in the winter and hibernated, lol. 

Hi Karey!

I think that this is a great idea becasue really, what IS maintenace but another word for life, and we all want a happy+healthy life I think!

I always love to hear tips and thoughts of others, lol, and would love to share my own! 

I will post more tomorrow, getting into bed now, but thank you Karey, I need to focus on HEALTH+LIFE, its not a perfect number, amount, whatever, its MY life and i need to live it to the fullest!

Original Post by agruskin:

Hi Karey!

I think that this is a great idea becasue really, what IS maintenace but another word for life, and we all want a happy+healthy life I think!

I always love to hear tips and thoughts of others, lol, and would love to share my own! 

I will post more tomorrow, getting into bed now, but thank you Karey, I need to focus on HEALTH+LIFE, its not a perfect number, amount, whatever, its MY life and i need to live it to the fullest!

 Hey Agru!!  I'm so glad you joined us!!  :)

I LOVE what you said above, I couldn't have said it any better!  Right on, girl!  You are always so healthy and have a lot of good info and tips to share... you've been such a good influence on me too, so hopefully we can all help and learn from each other. 

Okay... Nighty, night!  I'll check back tomorrow....  everyone have a good night!  :)

My name is John.  I lost 45 pounds from March 2nd to June 22nd, and basically have been in maintenance since then.  I was going to lose more pounds, but I decided that I am healthy at the weight I chose to stop losing pounds at.

mageeg:  Well, preparing meals, cooking, and cleaning the dishes are all forms of exercise.  It sounds like your outdoor activities are great exercise.  I have an exercise bike next to my TV and use earphones to listen/watch TV as I ride it.  I don't know if something like that would work for you in the winter or not.

K9:  Ok!  No weigh-ins. Great job of losing 50 pounds and maintaining for that long.  I hope I am able to do that.  Below is what I think is a great site for choosing healthy foods.  I have found that I have chosen quite a few of the foods on the list to include in my diet.

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

------------------------

Something I love to eat in the morning, which I know is not for everyone, but it gives me a lot of protein and Omega-3s, are two 4oz. boneless, skinless salmon fillets, coated slightly with EVOO and cooked in a skillet and to which I add black pepper and granulated garlic--they could be grilled or broiled, also.

A second thing I eat a lot of is a pizza with the crust made from only whole wheat flour and active dry yeast.  One can add some sugar, salt, olive oil, etc. to the dough--but it is not necessary.  If I want to keep the 15" pizza really low in calories, I just add low-sodium diced tomatoes mixed with a few tablespoons of medium salsa.  If I want to add more to the pizza, I can choose any combination of bacon bits, parmesan cheese, nonfat cheese, lean ground beef, lean white meat chicken, red and yellow bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, white onions, etc, etc.  Each piece (1/6th) of pizza can be anywhere from 120 calories to 300, depending on what I feel would be a good pizza to make at any given point.

What are some healthy foods that all of you have found that you like and eat often?

I'd like to join! but, I have to get ready for work. so I'll post more later ;)

my name is Stacey. I've never really had any weight problems.. I was raised with horrible eating habits and was told I could "eat anything b/c of my fast metabolism". So I did.. I got in that habit and have been working really hard to break it. I think I got up to 160 at one point, my lowest was 130 and now I'm somewhere in between that ;) but at 5'8", I am at a very healthy weight!

I love riding my bike, hiking, walking, lifting weights, swimming, rollerblading, pretty much anything. I don't particularly care for running, but like to run on a trail when I can. I also have an elliptical at home that I use pretty frequently.

I try to eat as clean as possible which would probably be 75% of the time. I'm not perfect, but I hopefully have strong enough of a mindset to do it that when I decide to have kids, I can encourage them to eat healthy :) Like Karey, I definitely indulge because life is just too short to live without treats!

Karey - this is such a great idea!! I'm pretty excited about this group :) and you are right, reading other people's weights can get rather discouraging. I like being healthy. I like exercising. My weight is fine where it's at but sometimes reading about others, I think, well if they can weigh XXX, then so can I. but in reality, I think my body has found its set point. I'd still like to lose a few, but if I don't, it isn't the end of the world. I have a lot going on right now in my life that is much more important than my healthy weight :)

magee - nice to meet you! sounds like you have great, active extracurricular activities :) I hate cold, too. Karey has some good ideas with cross-country skiing and all that. I bought an elliptical that folds up for $700 and have been using it for about 3 years, especially in winter. It has done me well :) I like cooking also but I am definitely still learning!

agru- hey! health+life... good call :) It isn't about a number, so lets all hide our scales ;)

John - Hi to you, too! my favorite healthy foods... hmmm... I'd have to say eggs, broccoli, any seafood, oatmeal (only in the winter), all fruits, almonds, avacado, turkey breast, chicken breast, idk.. there are a whole lot :)

talk to you all soon!

Hi, I am back as I said, my story...

I'm 25.  When i was younger i was slightly overweight, i think, about 5'3.5 and averaged in the 150s in my teems.  when i went to college i gradually lost weight just bc of the lifestyle change, walking to+from class, diff foods+what not.  Weight+excercise were not on my mind til my senior year.  i began excercising a few times/week but was not crazy about it+still ate normally.

when i graduated+moved back home, i began night courses for grad school+had more time on my  hands.  i began spending too much time at the gym, classes daily, spin 3/wk, too much and not eating my calories back once i was down to a healthy weight.  i continued to lose and became underweight.  i was scared to eat enough+gain it back, i was anorexic at the age of 21-22.  i began treatment.  it was very expeeensive, therapt 3/2k+nutrituon 1/wk.  it did not work bc i did not WANT it to work.  i wasnt ready to recover.

once i stopped the treatment, graduated w/ my masters+was ready to work, i realized i needed+wanted to recover.  i gained back about 25lbs on my own.  i got a job.

im now working on recreating my life that i lost w/ the disease.  i get caught up in how much ppl excercise, how much i need to to be healthy or maintain or this+that.  im working on finding a balance and trying to understand what "normal" is.

lol, well thats me!

Good afternoon everyone!!  :)

Welcome to all of the new members!!  =)

John:  Welcome and congrats on the 45 lb loss!  I think you'll be successful in your maintenance, and we're here to help you along.  ;)  Thanks for the link, it looks great!  As for my favorite healthy foods... Hmmm...  I'd have to say chicken breast, oatmeal, eggs, green beans, apples, pineapple, yogurt, whole wheat bread, and natural peanut butter.  Oh, and I love those cocoa roasted almonds - fantastic (Agru got me hooked). 

Stacey:  Welcome!  You're so lucky to have never really had weight problems... I've had to struggle w/being heavy starting in my early twenties and everything I ate just kept creeping up on me until I finally found this website and lost it all for good, yay!  I think you're at a good point now, especially for your height and being somewhat athletic.  Besides, you've said previously that you like your body and your feminine curves.  :)  It's good that you try to eat clean 75% of the time, and no one is perfect...  I agree, you have to indulge from time to time, life is too short!  Yes, I have gotten very discouraged in other threads reading everyone else's weight... I keep thinking, should I be that low?  No, because I'm not them and maybe that's just too low to go anyways.  Besides, just because they weigh less doesn't mean they're any healthier or in better shape than me... I may have more lean muscle mass than them, which weighs more and they might have more fat on them.  So, the number on the scale isn't really enough to go by... there are lots of other factors.  I'm glad you're excited about this group, so am I.  I'm hoping it's going to be a healthy and encouraging thing for everyone involved.

Agru:  Once again, glad to have you!  Thanks for sharing your story... I knew you had suffered from anorexia, but I was always curious about it and your struggle... I think you can teach others a lot from it.  I'm glad you were able to turn it around and gain back some healthy weight.   We can help you find that balance and to understand what "normal" is again.  :)

Hi everyone!

Magee, im also up north, where are you?  we're not bog cooks in my family but i bet thats a help! in the winter i try and do workout videos but i only like the short ones, 20mins if you have any that you like but its deff hard to do after a day of work!

Pilgrim-healthy foods i like-peanut butter, trail mix, whole wheat bagels, sea bass, yogurt (need to limit) apples,  i sort of include ALL foods as "healthy" bc i beleive in not resreicting myself from ANYTHING so EVERYTHING is healthy to me, some things you can have a little more of and some a little less, what i think at least.  i dont do the ALL natural thing and i do still eat some weirdo chemical foods but for the most part i just eat whatever is available! lol

Krrpt-hi!

Today im trying to change as much, or anything, from my "normal routine" to try and be a little more flexable and not so rigid.  so this morning my mother made pancakes w/ trail mix+prunes mixed in.  I WAS going to have something else but i thought, this is not something that happens daily, i can have whatever anytime but this i cant so my day so far-

B: a pancake stuffed w/ trail mix+spread w/fig preserve, bowl of cereal w/milk, a greek yogurt, and a big apple (i LOVE bfast!)

L: tofu salad on a roll, lots of fruit

ill still have snacks and for dinner we're making black bean burritos/quessadilla(dont know diff), veggies prepared from a store, and challah rolls

i also always have a bedtime snack

my activity today has been a 15 min mile, 8 mins on the elliptical, 5 mins stairmaster

have a happy+healthy day everyone and thank you Karey again!

agru:  I would agree with you in general that if we eat in moderation, many foods are healthy for us.  However, any food that has transfat should be avoided as much as possible.  The process of hydrogenation to make solid transfats and the negative effects of transfat on blood sugars in the body and cholesterol are all connected to why transfat are, over a period of time, very dangerous.  So my advice is for us to avoid eating foods that have much in the way of transfat.

Hi guys!

Agru:  Good job on going w/the flow and changing up your menu a bit!  Those pancakes w/trail mix sound really good!  Great job w/your exercise too!  Oh, you're welcome - and thanks for participating!  :)

My day:

B-fast: ww waffles w/fresh strawberries, egg beaters & lt cheese, OJ

S: Cliff Mojo Mountain Mix Bar

L: Strawberry Poppyseed Salad w/chicken (Panera), french baguette

Dessert: Chocolate Fix (I know, so bad... have hormone issues right now and crazy chocolate cravings... this ice cream always makes it better) mmmm

S: Cocoa Roasted Almonds

D: Taco Bell - 2 Fresco Crunchy Tacos, 1 Fresco Chicken Ranchero Soft Taco

S: Made chocolate marshmellow cupcakes from my Hungry Girl Book... ate 2 of them and bringing the rest to work... also ate other miscellaneous chocolatey or PB things around the kitchen...

High calorie day for me today, but it's okay... I think my body needed the extra cals right now... lots of hormone issues going on right now...  lots of cravings... better day tomorrow

Workout: Full Body Weights Supersets, situps & bicycle crunches, walk

So after getting back to the straight and narrow after getting off the straight and narrow at the family reunion, I promptly got off the straight and narrow again and decided to make some whole wheat pancakes using ricotta cheese.  When I was surfing the Net, by pure accident I stumbled onto a ricotta pancake recipe, so I knew it had to be fate. 

I had seen one of the Food Channel shows where well-known food celebrities select their favorite places to eat breakfast.  This one TV hostess picked a place that makes blue berry pancakes using ricotta cheese.  Anyway, I did the basics of separating the yolk from the whites and whipping the whites and then blending them back into 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (my wrinkle--not theirs), 3 egg yolks, a teaspoon of vanilla, 3/4th cup of skim milk, and a teaspoon of baking powder.

Well, the pancakes tasted scrumpdillyoushus and I covered them in real maple syrup, but they looked rather odd, since I made them way too big and they sort of went crazy when I flipped them in the pan.  So a few hours later I decided I knew what I had done wrong, and I made a new batch and made sure the pan was the right temp and made smaller ones.  They turned out really tasty again, but I still have not quite gotten the flip down.  

But tooooooooooooooo mannnnnnnnnnnnny calories!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning everyone!

John:  I'm right there w/you about having too many calories yesterday.  I'm glad you enjoyed your pancakes though.  Today is a new day and I'm going to try and behave myself....

My plan for today:

B-fast:  Egg Beaters w/lt swiss, Kashi Golean Oatmeal w/1 tbsp natural PB, Coffee

S: Pure Protein Bar

L: 1c Cottage Cheese w/sliced granny smith apple, cinnamon & splenda, homemade Cheesy Broccoli Mushroom Soup

S: Cocoa Roasted Almonds

D: Not sure yet...  Probably have a snack later too...

Well, I'm off to work!  Have a great day everyone!!  :)

k9:  I hope works goes fast for you.  I haven't made up my mind if I am going to behave today or not.  I am going to get in a full day's of exercise, but I already started the day off with two 5 oz hamburgers.  I plan to eat shredded cabbage and carrots today, but there are two chilled bottles of wine just calling my name.

yesterday turned out like...

B: a pancake stuffed w/ trail mix+spread w/fig preserve, bowl of cereal w/milk, a greek yogurt, and a big apple (i LOVE bfast!)

L: tofu salad on a roll, lots of fruit

S: a ginormous apple dipped in honey

D:black bean burritos/quessadilla(dont know diff), fage 2% (out of sour cream), veg salad

S: apple, yogurt, PB

my day averaged to 1850 calories

WO- 15 min mile, 8 mins on the elliptical, 5 mins stairmaster

I'm really happy about my eats yesterday.  I'm normally very rigid w/food and am glad i tried 2 new foods.  The black beans were great and deff a new fav!

K9-Hi! the cupcakes sound AMAZING! so i know u said u felt great about your day yesterday but here's a little more to get u thru it-

1- ive been told that during "that time" ur body actually burns more calories and therefore needs MORE calories! (same when your sick, your body needs more to fight the illness!)

2-something iwas told by another member on the site about eating+excercise- think of it like this, your body needs a certain amount of food/fuel just to function+maintain, when u excercsie, u need MORE food/fuel to work thru that activity so on days ur more sedentary, DON"T eat LESS but rather have a maintenance day and on more active days, eat MORE to fuel your activity!

PILGRIM-hi! hamburgers sound like a great bfast! i was ALSO thinking about that this morning bc its so nice out like a bbq!  but WHY just veggies the rest of the day?  sounds like ur setting urself up for failure and later overeating something u didnt want bc u were so hungry, ya know?  i dont see a mess up, y not eat all food groups in most meals+snacks, that should be a good starting point.

John:  Thanks, it went by pretty quickly... I got sort of sluggish around 3pm, but had some coffee and made it through until 5pm.  So, did you have the wine??

Agru:  Great job on being a little less rigid w/your eating!  Yay, for finding a new fav w/the black beans!  Thanks for the extra tips.... the hormones have just been so screwed up lately that it's constantly making me want to eat everything.

The rest of my day...

Dinner:  Ate out at Ale House... had the Cajun Chicken Pasta  (couldn't resist some comfort food)

So far tonight involves way too much candy... Dots, Skittles, Starburst... you get the idea.  I really really need to pull myself together and get back on track tomorrow - enough splurging!  I need someone to give me a good kick in the rear!  I WILL do better tomorrow.  I WILL.

k9:  I know what you mean about sluggish.  I had 2 hamburgers for breakfast, and I don't know if that jumpstarted my metobolis, or not,  but I felt good the whole day.  (Yesterday, I felt blah and yada yada, and ate too much and had trouble execising)  I walked and biked and liftted, etc, and, yes, I had the wine.  I had a great day, and I hope you and all the fellow members had a great day, too.

John:  Glad you had a great day and had your wine and got your exercise in!  Tomorrow I'm going to do better and get back on track... today and yesterday was just craziness and too much junk.  I've only gotten about 6 hours of sleep each night too, so being tired always makes it harder for me to avoid junk food and sweets.  I did have a nice dinner w/the hubby though and I'm enjoying my candy.  ;)

Everyone at work today really loved the Chocolatey Marshmellow Madness Cupcakes I made last night!  They ate them all and some even wanted the recipe... they were only 109 cals each. 

Anyone like to listen to Podcasts?  I've found a new one that I love... it's so informative and I just really like the topics and they make it easy to follow... it's called 'Beyond Diet' and is created by nutritionist Keith Klein.  He just did one on eating disorders that was very interesting, and I've downloaded a few back episodes - one on reading labels and the disception, and another one on women's hormone therapy (which I need now, lol)...  Here's their website http://beyonddietpodcast.com/.  I usually just download them in itunes though.  I also like 'The Nutrition Diva: Quick & Dirty Tips'... short and very informative usually.