The Maintenance Club

There aren't many people who're active on the maintenance forum, but i'm convinced that maintenance is the affirmation that the project of weight loss/gain that we have gone through is not just a phase, but a commitment to a lifestyle.

some dietary habits of people who have lost weight and stayed slim:

1. Drink water before/during meals
2. Don't skip meals
3. Keep a food diary
   
4. Eat lots of vegetables and whole grain food
5. Exercise moderately and regularly
6. Weigh themselves consistently
   

we might not practice all of them... but we do at least have some things that keep us on the ball/on track! I'm hoping that this thread will help to keep those of us on this forum accountable and motivated. We could post our profile, and edit our post every week on friday to update one another as to how we've been doing, and to get motivated if we've been slipping off the wagon!

I'll start the ball rolling!

Name: doedoebird

Age: 21

Height: 5'6"

Starting Weight: 130lbs

Current Weight: 112lbs

Maintenance Range: 112~115lbs

*Now vs. Then: I'm definitely less sluggish, less easily fatigued, fitter (i can jog 6 miles at a shot!). Oh! and I've got better skin (and hair) too. :3
*i thought that this will help us remain motivated to stay on track subsequently whenever we feel tempted to slide off!

Aims: Regular and moderate exercise (3-5x a week of 30~60min moderate exercise), relatively clean and balanced (vegetarian) eating. Listening to my body (get better at eating when hungry and stopping when full).

Weaknesses: Boredom/emotional eating, a propensity to laziness and procrastination, a bottomless pit when it comes to certain foods (chocolates, cookies , ice cream and pastries....)

Strengths: I try to be self-aware. I am (or at least i try to be) kind to my body (in terms of both diet and exercise). I actually do like exercise (its after-effects especially). I'm a fidgety person. :3

**How I did this week, goals for next week: Last week was great, but a sleepover during which i didn't get any sleep has been leaving me dead tired for the past couple of days, exacerbated by the fact that i'm having my ToTM now (been feeling extremely weak and achy), and i'm also pretty stressed because i'll be going away from home for exchange in about a week. This week I'm just hoping to be able to hold on, stay calm, eat more (i've been having a terrible appetite) and do very light and relaxing exercises!

**I'm thinking that we should check in and update once a week, and the next week, we'll check in and when we do, clear away what we wrote down for the previous week. For me, this is symbolic. It's a pledge to move on, and refuse to be bogged down (or caught up) by what we did wrong in the past.

anyone with me?

Mmm, those meatballs sound so good!!  I don't mind the Ragu sauce, but everyone has different tastes.  I love very sweet stuff, so that's probably why I like it. 

Glad you won the 30 Day Shred auction!  I'm sure you'll be back to where you want to be in no time!  ;)

thanks for the encouragement.  Now to the logs, then out to work!

Hey everyone!  Karey -I am SOOO jealous that you're going on a cruise in April.  I bet it's all you can think about!  I love having something like that to look forward to.  How long is it?  Which islands are you going to?  What cruiseline?  I went on a carnival cruise with my husband for our honeymoon and it was amazing.  I weigh about 10 pounds less than i did then now so I would LOVE to buy dresses/bathing suits for something like that now.  I would do it again in a heartbeat if we a.)had enough money and b.)I had vacation days...oohhh well.  There will be a time when I'll be able to go again and if not...I've had some wonderful vacations so far in life and I can live off of their memories! 

Sue,  how does the 30 day shred work?  I've also heard of that a bunch of times but never really looked it up to see what it entails.

My husband and I are going out to eat tonight, I'm really excited!

Maintenance is going good so far...I've wanted to try eating a little less so I can get down to the lower end of the 5 lbs i want to maintain between (so I have a nice big cushion to work with before i need to worry), but it has been difficult.  I agree with a lot of people that this is almost harder than dieting.  It's like I want to eat everything (not terribly bad foods, just more and more portions of the 'healthy' foods I eat, ie cheerios, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc.). 

Have a good weekend everyone!

Hey mdillman, good to see you back.  As for the 30 day shred, I really don't know, as I haven't received it yet.  I'll let you know.  I learned about it from Lydia (pumpkin) in this group. 

As for cruises, Karey, that is exciting.  I have been on 2 cuirses.  the first was in '06 on the Queen Mary II, returning from Europe with my friend Ines (the really good cook).  It was fun; I love the ocean, but I would prefer to be in a tall ship.  One of my life goals is to sail the South Pacific in a tall ship and see the southern cross (remember the Eagle's song by that name?)

On the Queen Mary the food that we could afford (without paying $30-$50 reservation) was, to me, only good average restaurant fare.  And I did not lilke being around so many overweight people who simply gorged themselves.  The lifesaver for me was discovering Yoga - they had free classes.  The gym I would have enjoyed too, but there was an extra charge.

The second and last cruise was in Alaska with my husband.  Again fun, but with the same reservations:  not really great food and too many overweight people.  Don't mean to throw a damper on your trip, Karey - I'm sure it will be a blast.  I'd love to sail in the Caribbean too.  I've only been to St. Thomas and St. Croix for a weekend to attend a wedding.  I love the food and music there.

Well, I got to work outside  for about 2 hours, digging, raking and hauling - it felt great!  Hope to do more tomorrow - the weather is supposed to be warm enough.

Good weekend to all!

Mdillman~  Hey, good to see you back here!  Yeah, the cruise IS pretty much all I think about, I'm so excited!  It's a 5-day Carnival Cruise... goes to Nassau, Bahamas; Half-Moon Cay, Bahamas; and Grand Turk, Turk & Caicos Islands.  What islands did you go to on your honeymoon?  I bet that was fun!  I already bought two new swimsuits. 

I can answer some of your 30 Day Shred questions if you'd like... I had been doing it before I started my lifting for quite awhile.  I think it's the best dvd I've seen, but I'm pretty picky.  It's by Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser) and there are three workouts: Level1, Level2, Level3.  They each get harder and you use hand weights with them.  Each workout is probably around 20 minutes.  I've done Level 1 and 2 a ton of times, but haven't had the guts to do Level 3(I think Lydia/Pumpkin has though!)!  LOL  I like them because she's a no-nonsense kind of girl and gets right to business, no cheesy dance routines, etc.  It all depends on what you like though. 

I totally agree w/you that maintenance is tough!  I always want to eat more too... I love to eat.  At least it's healthy stuff we want to eat more of, right?  :)  Where are your hubby and you going out to eat?  I hope you have a great time!!  My hubby's b-day is Monday, so I know that I have some serious eating out in my near future!  And some kind of cake or dessert.  ;)

Sue~  Don't worry, you're not putting a damper on my trip!  It's nice to hear about other people's experiences.  I can't believe you had to pay extra for the food and to use the gym though!  All of our meals are included and as far as I know, the gym isn't extra... I'm pretty sure the spa and stuff is, but that's different.  As far as the overweight people go  - well, I was once one of them, so they don't bother me too much... just as long as I don't have to look at them in skimpy bathing suits with everything just hanging out!  LOL  At least I KNEW I was fat and didn't wear skimpy things so that others would be spared being nauseated!  ;)

Glad you got to work outside!  It was pretty nice out today!  yay, it's supposed to start getting into the 70's again now!!  Woohoo!

Hi Karey and mdillman,

First, Karey, about the food on the cruise, all our food was free, but if you wanted to eat in certain higher class restaurants, there was a higher fee.  We did a tour of the kitchen (that was another fun thing, watching a couple of cooking demonstrations by the chefs) where they showed us the separate kitchen areas for the special restaurants.  And if I remember correctly, it seems like they said they prepared the same foods, just made larger portions.  Or maybe they used the same foods (obviously they can only carry a limited amount on board) and prepared different dishes.

And about overweight people - you have a better attitude than I.  I can't explain why I feel angry - I feel angry at people who don't take care of themselves.  I always blame it on the fact that I, as a girl child, was made to pick up after my older brother (i.e., clean the bathroom we shared, where he smoked and I didn't, and gather and do his laundry, and ironing.)  But I should get over that, shouldn't I?

Down half a pound on the scale this morning - yay!  Logging religiously.  And hope to get in some good garden work before the rain (50% chance today).

Hey all! 

Well, I decided to come out of hibernation!  I've been really busy (and of course there is no sign of this letting up) and so I just haven't had time to think about anything health-related.  I'm still eating healthily(ish) and exercising, but I've kind of just been on auto-pilot.  I think part of it is that my husband has been out of town for work for about 2 weeks (he'll be back Monday) and therefore I don't feel like spending time cooking anything interesting.  I have just been living off oatmeal, veggies, and sandwiches.  Well, that and school has just kept me very busy.

So, anyway, how is everyone?  Sue, good job losing a half-pound!  It's sometimes annoying to have to be so constantly vigilant about eating and exercise, but it's so important to get a handle on any changes before they get out of control.  Have you gotten 30 day shred yet?  I hope you really like it.  I think it is just about the best 20-minute workout possible because it works your whole body with both weights and cardio.

Karey -- that is SO EXCITING that you're going on a cruise in April!!!  Oh, I hope you have so much fun preparing...buying more bathing suits and cute outfits and such!  Are you planning to do lots of day excursions?  Do you have to plan that all in advance?  Oh, it sounds like so much fun!  And even more fun now that you can happily show off your healthy body!  It's so much nicer when you don't feel self conscious.  Have you noticed a change since you've been lifting?  Being in the warm islands will be a great excuse to show off your new muscles!

I've never been to the caribbean or on a cruise, but oddly enough I am going on a cruise, too...except we're going in August and going to Alaska.  For years, my husband and I have been planning to take a trip after I take the bar (which is this July!  YIKES!) and we were going to take a Caribbean cruise, but my parents were planning to take my grandpa to alaska around the same time (it's the only state he's never been to) and asked if we wanted to come, too.  So now my whole family (brother and sister-in-law, too) is going to go on this Alaskan cruise together.  It'll be a whole celebration for me finishing the bar and my parents' anniversary, and my grandpa's birthday!  I am really excited.

But it won't be warm enough for a bikini!  :(

Sue, it's nice to hear your input about cruises.  Luckily, from what I've heard, all the restaurants are included and so is the fitness club (I am very excited about the fitness club!).  I was worried about what I would eat because of the whole vegan thing, but my mom (who has cruised with this company many times) says they at least always (24 hours a day!) have a buffet out with fresh fruit, raw veggies, and breads, so I know I won't starve!  As far as the overabundance of unhealthy people goes, I'm with Karey...it doesn't really bother me.  While I do sometimes wonder how people can be so careless with their bodies, mostly it just reminds me of how hard I have worked (and continue to work) to make sure I stay fit and healthy. 

...so, what else is new with me...Um, mostly just staying VERY busy with school.  In addition to classes, I have taken on another outside research project, I am acting in and helping to direct the Vagina Monologues, and I am trying to help plan another conference for this spring.  I thought the last semester would be easy, but I was WRONG!  I should be doing homework now, in fact...

MDillman, how is the writing coming?  Great job on the 16 pages!!  That's a little funny that you have been spooking yourself with your own writing, but that means that it's very good and realistic, right?  I love a good spooky story!  But maybe not right before bed ;)  Would it help you write more if you could find a different time of day to write?

Well, I hope everyone is doing great.  I'm off to go snowboarding.  Hey, a girl's gotta take a break, right??  :)

Oh, Karey, I meant to ask...did you see that Jillian is coming out with two new videos (maybe more?) on Feb 3rd?  I want to oder them, but maybe I'll wait and read some reviews first.

Hi Again, everybody!

Lydia, welcome back!  Boy, you sure are busy.  What area of law are you going to practice?  And thanks, you're right that it is hard to constantly have to keep on track, but so worth it.  I have a bikini figure but 64-year-old skin, so that's out.  But there are still plenty of pretty clothes and styles I can wear.  When our new master closet is finished (they started laying the foundation!) I'll have so much room I don't know how I will fill it.  And in addition my 30-something daughters tell me I need to get rid of most of my wardrobe.

I just came in from working 3 hours outside and feel so good.  We are building rosebeds, starting with transplanting bushes, digging out weedy, viney sod, raking and filling in with mulch.  Heavy work, but rewarding.

MDillan, it's so neat that you write.  I'm just reading Barak O'Bama's "Dreams From My Father" (for a book club, which is fun).  He is an excellent writer and has led a fascinating life.

Karey, I'll think of you eating out tonight.  I've been cooking kale and mustard greens from our garden, with soup bones and over rice - pretty good.  My friend Ines and I are planning to make paella sometime soon - I love it.

Don't have the 30 Day Shred DVD yet - I'll report when I try it out.

Ciao, everybody!

Hey all!

Sue~  Congrats on the half a pound down!! Did the 30 Day Shred arrive yet??  I'm so happy that we have our beautiful weather back now, yay!!

Lydia~  You sure sound busy!  That's awesome that you're going on a cruise too!  An Alaskan cruise sounds pretty... never been there though.  Sounds like a good opportunity for you to celebrate everything.  I am sooo excited to go on my cruise too!  Can't wait!  We haven't set any day excursions yet, but we think we want to go snorkeling and do a dolphin encounter.  I think those two would be the most fun for us.  Hopefully my body will look good by April... I do think the lifting is helping and that I'm firming up more.  How's your weight been?  Were you able to gain back what you needed to?  Hope you had fun snowboarding!  Wish I could have done that sometime... just wasn't much of a snow person.  Probably would bust an ankle anyways.  LOL  Oh, No - I didn't know Jillian was coming out with more DVD's... let me know if you get them and if they're any good.

Went out to dinner last night to celebrate the hubby's b-day... it was soo good!  Had a big piece of carrot cake for dessert - DELICIOUS!  I'm currently looking around for a recipe for carrot cake that I like that is low in calories and easy to make.  Oh, and it HAS to taste good.  LOL  I think carrot cake muffins would be really good... hmmm.  Anybody know of any recipes that you've tried?  There are so many out there, hard to tell what's going to be good... but, not that many are to low cal.  :(

Did my lifting workout tonight and boy, it was hard work!  I decided to make a protein smoothie afterwards, and it was.... interesting.  Didn't turn out like I expected, but it did the job I guess.  ;)  Well, gotta go get some sleep! 

Hey all ~

About the cruises:  Alaska is beautiful.  We went in May of '06 and were lucky enough to have a warm spell so it was fun marching around the deck with all the other "health nuts" to get my 2 miles in.  Unfortunately I missed one whole day at Ketchikan because I was taking Ibuprofen for a shoulder pain, and took too much.  They thought it was sea sickness but I never get sea sick, and the seas weren't rough enough to rock the boat.  Anyway, it helped to keep my weight down!

On a Caribbean cruise, I'd love to do the snorkelling and dolphin encounter too.  Maybe scuba dive again - I used to.

30 Day Shred still hasn't arrived.  Maybe today!  But we've been busy gardening.

Carrot cake - so yummy!  But I dare not eat it - don't want to reawaken the sweet craving.  I'm still hanging at 105.  I've learned, by more careful measuring and recording)  that I maintain at 1700 calories (at my current winter level of exercise) and will have to go down to 1500 in order to lose (sigh). 

Tonight I'm going to a Slow Food Cooking meeting and potluck, with lessons on soup making from a good local chef - looking forward to it.  And still experimenting with herbs and spices.  This morning we were out of milk, so instead of my usual cereal I cooked 2 eggs with a sprinkling of Cilantro and shredded mixed cheeses - good!  I've started my 5-week Indian cooking class - all about the 5 tastes (sweet, salty, pungent, astringent, bitter) and balancing foods.  Very interesting.

Hi all,

Sue, let me know how your slow food meeting went.  I have always been intrigued by slow food, but I am always in such a frenzy to eat and run...I am like the opposite of slow food!  I know I need to make more of an effort to eat wholesome foods.  I would love any hints on how to ease into it :)

Karey- What do you think about protein shakes?  Do you use a powdered mix?  I have tried 2 kinds of mix so far.  I have to find soy ones because I don't eat whey, and so far I think the Kashi GoLean shake mix is pretty yummy...and the kind I got at GNC is just so-so.  However, I got it strawberry flavor and when I made a smoothie with banana it was pretty darn good.  Oh, and have you found a good carrot cake recipe?  My friend makes a wicked good vegan carrot cupcake...but I'm pretty sure it is NOT healthy!  So far, I have had absolutely no success with low cal baking, so if you find out any secrets, I hope you share!

As far as my weight, I kind of gave up on actively trying to gain because it was making me hate eating.  But my weight seems to have stablized around 120-122, and right now I'm satisfied by that.  I had my check-up recently and went in to talk to the doctor about my bloodwork and he said everything looked great.  That was really reassuring to hear.

So, do you all have big plans for Super Bowl Sunday?  We really like football, so we're having a bunch of friends over.  Of course this means tons of snacking!  I am planning to try and make a vegan taco dip...luckily I have a few days to test it out before I try to pass it off on my unsuspecting friends!

Well, better get some work done before bed.  Have a great rest of the week!

Hello all,

The slow food meeting, specifically  the chef who demonstrated soup making, and then we got to eat it - ohmygosh, I think I have died and gone to heaven!

Butternut squash soup, with garam masala (Indian spices), a little cream, blended, and chopped apple.  Then Cajun collard soup, with chorizo (sausage). Then creamy tomato soup with gorgonzola cheese.  Oh, I want to make them all.  He made chicken tortilla soup and miso soup too, but I was too full from the others to try them.  They had salad too, with locally grown lettuces in great variety - so good!  Do you all know "Annie's" brand salad dressings?  They are really good.

This is my first Slow Food meeting, so I don't know much yet.  But it's people who are interested in getting back to home cooking, using healthful, locally grown products.  I'm lucky in that we have farmers markets here on Wed. and Sat., and New Leaf, an organic food store, where I can get good produce. 

Pumpkin, I would suggest asking around, finding people who are into slow foods, to learn about it.  And start with foods, or meals, or dishes, that you really like.  I'll be glad to share recipes and ideas with you, based on that.

Sue~  You're very wise to stay away from the carrot cake... it's trouble!  I shouldn't have made it.  Couldn't stay away from it and had to throw a bunch of it away.  :(  The slow food sounds interesting... never heard of that term before.  The soups sound delicious!  I LOVE chicken tortilla soup, one of my favorites.  Never hear do "Annie's" brand dressings... have to look for them.  

Lydia~  I like the protein shakes, they come in handy sometimes.  I usually use them after my lifting workouts.  I use the powdered whey ones.... I have a cookies and cream flavored one by Body Fortress?, that's kinda icky tasting.  I just bought a new one yesterday that's by Pure Protein (i like their bars too).  It's chocolate flavored and actually very good.  I'll have to check out the Kashi GoLean one... I didn't even know that made one.  For the carrot cake, I used the recipe off of EatBetterAmerica.com and tweaked it a bit more to reduce the fat and calories.  It turned out okay, but don't think I'd make it that way again.  Low cal baking isn't as easy as I had hoped!  No plans for Super Bowl Sunday... not sure if I'll watch it or not.  If I do, it's usually for the commercials, but they haven't been very good lately.  Hope you have a good time w/all your friends!!  :)

Hi Ladies!

I've been doing better and am still trying to get out of my little "funk".  I did get an awesome lifting workout in last night.  I pushed myself harder and was able to squat 3 sets/10 reps each of 60 lbs + the bar on my shoulders!  I had been chickening out and only doing about 40 lbs, afraid I was going to hurt my back or something.  But, I realized I CAN do more and am able to go all the way down too!  Yay!  I'm planning on trying 70 lbs + the bar weight next time.  Feeling stronger!  I felt WONDERFUL after that workout!  It's amazing what a good workout can do for you.  Now, if I could just get a decent night's sleep, maybe I'd stop feeling cranky and tired.  :)

Any of you ever try making home made protein bars??  Since I've been lifting I try to aim for about 135 grams of protein a day and that's a lot.  I've become a protein shake and protein bar junkie.  I love my protein bars, but so many are so high in calories and fat.  I really like the Pure Protein, Luna Bars, Balance Bars, and the Power Bar Triple Threat (smores flavor).  I came across a protein bar thread and someone said they make their own, so I figured I'd ask you guys about it.  I think I'll search online for some recipes and maybe try something... probably be a lot cheaper too.  I spend a lot of money on those bars all the time and I usually eat at least one a day, sometimes two.  :0

Hi Ladies,

Karey, glad to hear you are doing so well - 60 pounds!  I'm impressed!

I got my 30 Day Shred DVD and did Level 1, probably about 75%.  Felt soreness in chest and abs the next day, felt good.  I haven't done it since; I've been working outside 4-5 hours a day.

Still hanging at 105, a few pounds more than I'd like to be.  At least it's not going higher, and I WILL get it back down!

I've never tried to make protein bars, but I bet you are correct that it's a lot cheaper, and probably not hard to do.  I'll be eager to hear results if you  make them.  When I get a chance I'll look online and send you some recipes.

Karey~

Here are a couple of protein bar websites :  liftforlife.com, and youbars.com.  This last one is way too expensive, but it lets you choose all your ingredients, then you can see the caloric and nutrient info.

Yay!  Down .5 pound this morning!

Sue~  Thanks for the websites!  I made some a little while ago before I saw your post, but I think I may have gotten one of the recipes off of the liftforlife.com website... I know it was off a lifting forum.  I checked out the youbars.com just now and that is pretty cool and could definitely help.  Thank you! 

The bars I made turned out pretty good, but I wish they were a bit sweeter... next time I'll have to add in some Splenda.  They're pretty big bars and weren't too hard to make.  They have about 210 calories, 3-4grams of fat (mostly good from PB), and 16 grams of protein.  To make them a bit sweeter I drizzled a little bit of imitation sugar free honey over the tops of them while they were cooling.  It helps some and they're not too bad.  :)

Congrats on the half pound down!!  yay!

Hubby and I went out to lunch in Orlando today... went to the Cheesecake Factory.  I love that place.  Bad thing is that going there almost inevitably means - cheesecake.  I did good and had one of the weight management asian chicken salads (it was HUGE - ate the other half for dinner) w/low cal dressing.  Dessert was Craig's Crazy Carrot Cake Cheesecake.  :)  Good thing I worked out this morning and started doing some HIIT on the treadmill.  My first time doing HIIT, but very good exercise and you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.  Any of you do this?

Karey ~ that's cool that you made the protein bars.  I'm hesitant to use Splenda and have not tried imitation sugar free honey - is it good?  (I'm such a purist about flavors1)  But we have lots of lemons here, and I hate for any to go to waste - there is only so much lemon cheesecake we can eat!  I'd like to make lemonade, but just don't like the Splenda taste, and my husband won't eat it.

Fun eating out - that meal sounds good!  I love salads, especially when they make you big ones so you can take some home.  Last night I made a good soup: garden greens, chopped up and cooked in chicken broth, sauteed chopped onions and celery, with curry spice, garbanzos (some pureed) and navy beans, then half and half mixed in.  It was good, like Indian comfort food.

I used to do HIIT (Hi intensity interval training, right?) when I worked out last year; now I do it with my wheelbarrow, rake and shovel.

Down to 103.5 this morning, yay!

Hey everyone!

I'm so terrible at keeping up with you all...everyone sounds like they're doing great...  The protein bars sound great.  Is splenda proven to be bad for people?  Even in moderation?

i'm jealous about the cruises! I went to Progreso and Cozumel on our cruise...I think those are the only two islands we went to, I can't quite remember now though.  It was carnival so all the food was free and it wasn't gormet but it was all tasty, especially the sushi bar!  And the 24 hr pizza!  I had so much fun that week!

The writing is doing good, I turned it into the double spaced 'manuscript' font of courier new (i think that's what i'll need to use, i need to do a little more research on that one) and it's over 56 pages now!  Haha, it would be about 23 of the original pages i was using, with the times new roman single spaced.  I figured i'd go double spaced because i plan to print it and go through it to refresh myself on everything i have so far and change any errors.  It's going great though, which is really exciting!

My husband and I are Steelers fans, so last night was a great night for us...not so much for my maintenance or healthy eating though...I ate SOO much (probably over 4,000 calories...ick...oh well).  It was all really good though, and I'm eating a defecit of about 500 a day (so i'm eating between 1300-1500/day) for the next few days to get back down to where I was.  It was fun to take a day off though (and I didn't enter any of my calories, which I hardly ever do.)

Hope you all have a great week!!