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?

i posted before, but i never did the whole introduce yourself questionnaire, which i think is great.

Name: heather

Age: 26

Height: 5'7"

Starting Weight: 155lbs

Current Weight: 133lbs

Maintenance Range: 125ish-130ish

*Now vs. Then:    i am more sporty, i play with the kids at family parties, i run around. i love shopping and clothes again. i'm not invisible anymore. i feel like me.

Aims:  at least 30 min of gym time most days after work

Weaknesses: what my husband wants to eat, takeout when i'm lazy. eating too much when i get home from work.

Strengths: i really enjoy healthy food and i can cook. i know i am perfectly capable of losing weight, but the trick is to keep it off now.

**How I did this week, goals for next week: this week i was ok (not great though) with eating, but i didn't go to the gym, i ran errands instead or went home. the more i stay out of the gym, the harder it is to get back into the automatic habit. so next week i want to put in my 5 days no matter what.

Kellygoff- Hey girl! I know what you mean maintaining between a few pounds, I actually thought my period caused a gain, but now that it is gone and I am still the same, it kinda gets discouraging at times. I am measuring around a 4 pound difference though. As far as lifting, I am so scared I will bulk, so I just do the turbo sculpt to get strength training in, or a few machine exercises at the gym and I play a game with myself when counting reps to try to make it fun, like 1, 2, 3, 4, push lin 5, 6, 7, think about those arms, 8, 9, 10, okay 2 more, 11, 12, you can do 15, 13, 14, ahhhh score! I know it sounds dorky, but it works for me...

Heather- welcome again! Great to hear your stats, we are the same height....congrats on finding your maintanence level and sticking to 30 min workouts and eating rather healthy. I know what you mean about errands and not going to the gym, maybe you could just try doing a walk around the neighborhood or something?  But don't be hard on yourself, sometimes the body needs a break!!

ME- up a pound again today..ughh...didn't really meet intake yesterday, only got to around 1500...maybe I will aim higher tonight, going out for drinks so that should help!!

You know Linny, I will try anything.  Who knows, it may work!  I'll let you know :)  Don't be scared of lifting, it has done amazing things for my metabolism.  I dont think I have bulked up at all, just really toned.  I get tons of compliments on my arms and back, I just wish I could just get into the mode of doing it more than 2x a week.

I am going to really try to get in 3 days next week...I think I can, I think I can...( I have been reading too many kids books :))

Hope you all have a great weekend.  Enjoy your drinks, Linny!

**How I did this week, goals for next week: I did okay. There was a small jump for weekend eating but the green line is still moving down slowly ( a pound in a month!) But now I'm only 3 lb from goal weight, which is in the maintenance range. I'm not really trying to loose, just want to stop that gradual upward float of the trend line. Linny gave me good advice about alert relaxing on the weekend but I am logging during the week.

My goal is to work with weights 3X this week. My trick is to do only 2 reps of each exercise, instead of 3, and then allow myself to enjoy a pilates or yoga class. When I do all 3 reps I'm too tired for a class. I'll try this for a month and see how it goes. I'm going to an introductory lesson at a bellydancing school this week. Has anyone else tried this>

Have a great weekend.

Helllooooooooooooooooooo? This could be such a great thread, where is everyone?

**How I did this week, I’ve been treading water, or for a more positive spin maintaining, this past month, up and down the same 2 lbs., still 3 from the goal I achieved in May. I think I’m also getting a little crazy with measuring, counting, and logging. So I’ll try no food logging for a week and see how it goes.

goals for next week:Strength training is continuing. It has been 6 weeks. Goal:  3X a week for about 40 minutes. I haven't lost weight or inches but I do look less jiggly and my clothes fit better. I have a smoother look in dresses, and most surprisingly, I'm beginning to enjoy it a little bit.

I went to an Oriental dance studio for an open house. So much fun, so empowering. The director said every woman can dance and every woman deserves to dance! The participants looked like Everywoman, all ages, all shapes, having fun. Classes begin this week.

 

Hi all...just thought I would check in.

The last week or so has been good.  I didn't go too crazy over my birthday, but I still had a lot of fun - so that's the best of all worlds.  My weight has varied quite a bit day-to-day, but I have been within a pound or two of the "goal" so that's fine with me.  Today I actually weighed in at 123, which is a new low and a little less than my goal, but I imagine it's just part of my natural fluctuations.  I have been maintaining on between 1500-1900 calories for the last couple of weeks and doing my regular daily exercises.  Does that seem right?

Also, for a combo birthday present/back to school and internship prep/reaching maintenance reward, I bought a WHOLE NEW WARDROBE!  It was really expensive, but I needed it big time.  I didn't have any nice slacks, skirts, or jeans that fit, and I needed some nicer outfits for my internship this semester.  Plus I got new workout clothes!  Woot!  It was kind of scary, though, because that means I am really commited to this weight!  I cannot gain or lose now, because I have sunk way, way to much money into clothes!  It was fun, though,  I have never been so happy shopping...looking for those Smalls, 6s, 4s, and even 2s.  It made me really proud of what I have accomplished.

So yeah, I guess my goals for next week are just to keep it up.  To listen to my body, make exercise a priority, and manage my time well.  I am also going to re-join the gym next Saturday, so I need to make a schedule of days I am going to the gym and then stick to it.

Hope you're all doing great!

Hey everyone...just checking in.

Great to hear you are doing well pumpkin!

I have had a breakup this past week so I am forcing to hold my weight at maintanence without going under...I lost about 4 pounds in a day, but am managing to eat up to my intake level...ughhhh no appetite bites when my mom goes grocery shopping!

Aiming for 1500 at least.

Hey everyone - checking in.

First, hang in there, positivelinny.  You have the right motivation and goals, and friends are here to cheer you on. 

I've been maintaining at 101-103 for 4 months.  I used to use the logs religiously every day, but have discontinued since early July and seem to be doing OK.

I weigh at least every other day and eat well:  toast and lo fat cheese or cereal for breakfast, Huge salad for lunch, a little meat and lots of vegetables for dinner.  Carrots, fruit, lo fat yogurt or pudding, or lo cal popcorn for desserts.  Also 2 or 3 glasses of wine.  I just made the French dessert "pot de creme", which I love, but only eat 2 ounces.  I am 5'2", work very hard almost every day in my vegetable garden, and feel great.

I am very grateful to this website for helping me with my weight loss and maintenance.

Uh oh!  This thread is dying away!

I don't want that to happen.  I thought maybe we could do weekly weigh-ins.  What do you all think?  Maybe Fridays?

I reached my goal 6 weeks and one day ago.  That day I weighed 124.5, and today I weighed 124.5.  Hurray!

What about you guys?  How is maintenance going?

 

Hi,

I don't want this thread to die away either.  Congratulations, pumpkin314, keep it up!  (Or should I say, "Keep it down!")

I've been maintaining since May, fluctuating between 101-03 (I'm 5' 2").  I know it's on the thin side, but I eat a very healthful diet, mostly vegetables, and strong and feel great; besides, I love being able to share my daughters' clothes!

I love to work in my vegetable garden, and I love to cook. One difficulty; my husband is a meat and potatoes guy, and I prefer vegetables.   He'll eat frozen TV dinners and frozen breaded things, neither of which I like.  So we often end up eating different meals.  I'd like to cook for him, but find it difficult to things we both like.  Any suggestions?

I love chocolate - love to think about it.  But I find now that I can cook it (chocolate tortes, pots de creme, chocolate mousse) for others and not overindulge myself.  Just a taste is ecstatic, satisfying.  In my teens and early twenties I was a real sweets freak:  I often would eat half a gallon of ice cream or a whole Sara Lee cake for dinner.  I can't really explain how I changed; it happened on a trip to Europe in '04, when I just decided to eat less and learned to eat very slowly and to stop when I felt full.  Somehow the emotional need to fill myself to bursting has subsided.  This website has helped me a lot too, and I am very grateful.

 

 

Hi everyone!  I was looking through the maintenance forum hoping to find a group or buddy to help me stay focused during my newly attained maintenance phase... and, I came across this wonderful thread.  Are you guys up for a new member??  I just reached my weight-loss goal on September 17 (my b-day!) and need some peeps for support/advice.  =)

Name: Karey

Age: 28

Height: 5'7"

Starting Weight: 182lbs

Current Weight: 135lbs

Maintenance Range: 135~140lbs (looking to put on more muscle, so a little more would be acceptable)

*Now vs. Then: I'm more self-confident & have more self-esteem.  I'm learning to love my body and to treat it right.  I have more energy & want to be active and go out more.  I'm becoming a runner - I never liked to run, or even exercise, but now I feel badly if I don't.   Overall, just much healthier - and happier!  =)

Aims: To complete the Couch to 5k (on week9), work on my lifting routine, and to try to continue my exercise - day one: running, day two: weight lifting.  Would also like to strive to build more muscle, especially in my arms.

Weaknesses: Boredom/emotional eating, my husband - when he talks me into going to get ice cream, lol.

Strengths: I am very goal-focused... I have my eye on the prize!  I'm not going to get distracted/discouraged and give up on my goal.  I'm almost religious about logging everything I eat into cc everyday and I'm liking the new healthier me.

**How I did this week, goals for next week: This week was tough... I'm new to maintenance and really am not sure how much I should be eating yet.  So, I think I may have put on a few pounds, which has me a little scared.  I'm so afraid of getting heavy again.  Hoping my body just needs to adjust and it'll even out.  Goal for next week is to straighten out my lifting routine and maybe research some new lifts.

Welcome!  I know what you mean about being scared about gaining weight.  You feel so good at the new weight, and the new clothes fit so well.

When I first started maintenance, I found that weighing in daily, first thing in the morning, and religiously using the daily food, exercise and weight logs really helped me get used to how much I can and cannot eat and how much exercise I need to do.

Now I still weight in daily, but do not need to keep the daily logs.  If I ever see the scale creep up, I will go back to daily records.  Hope this helps.

Sue

Sue~  Thanks for the welcome!  =)  I usually weigh myself once a week, but I may try out your suggestion of weighing in daily.  I'm just worried that if I'm up some that day I'll freak out and be cranky all day long and I'm sure I fluctuate a lot.  I guess I'll just try it out and see what works for me.  So, you don't log your food in daily?  Do you just guestimate?

First, if weighing once a week works for you, then I would stick with it; don't want to freak out and start eating more due to stress!

As I am postmenopausal and eat a pretty similar diet day after day, I don't seem to fluctuate more than a pound or 2.

Keeping my diet simple helps:  I usually eat a bowl (big, like 2 cups) of good cereal, like Kashi mixed with mini wheats (I look for the lowest calories on the labels) and 2% milk or sometimes lofat yogurt.  That holds me til lunch, which is most often a HUGE salad of greens, carrot, celery, tomato, cucumber, onions, sometimes capers, sometimes a few seeds, and no more than 2 ounces hard cheese, and light oil and vinegar dressing.  Dessert is a lofat pudding or yogurt, or fruit.

Dinner is a small serving protein (usually fish or chicken), green vegs, sometimes diet popcorn.  I vary:  I like spaghetti, all kinds of French and Italian food, but nothing breaded or loaded with butter, flour, etc.

What saves me, I think, like when we go out to eat or to a neighborhood potluck (which I love because there are so many different, good foods to try!) is that I am very careful to take small portions, eat very slowly, drink water (or wine), and the minute I feel full, even if I haven't cleaned my plate, I stop eating.

It was scary at first: that's why I depended on monitoring calories, exercise and weight.  And if I saw my weight going up, I would go back to that. 

I'm too scared right now to not log my food.  I think I'll wait a bit until I figure out if I can maintain or not... It feels like I've gained some, which makes me nervous.  Actually, my belly seems a bit pudgy lately for some reason.  The rest of my body isn't too bad, but my darn tummy... lol.  It sounds like you eat really well and healthy.  I love cereal, it's so good... right now, my favorite is the Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters and skim milk - yummy.  The Fiber One Oats and Chocolate chewy granola bars are to die for too.  So, eating a lot of bread probably isn't the best thing for your figure, is it?  I love bread and pasta.  I usually eat bread daily.  Sorry for the rambling!  It's nice to have someone to talk to about this that's in a similar situation.  All of the other threads I've been in, no one is there half the time, lol.  =)

Hey K9stylist!

Welcome!  I am excited that you joined this group because you and I have a lot in common!  I also just made my goal for my birthday on Aug 21st, I am also married, and I'm on week 9 of C25K!

I have also found maintenace to be pretty nerve-racking.  I JUST reached my goal, and I am so scared I will screw it up!  It's been okay so far, though.  Over the last week I have upped my calories with no ill effects, so that has made me feel good.  I am coming to terms with the fact that maintenance is not an exact science.  I need to acknowledge that I'll probably go over my calories by a bit half the time, and be under the other half - I can't obsess over eating the exact right number of calories every day.  I will therefore probably fluctuate within a few pounds very often, but as long as I don't freak out and adjust, I think I'll be fine (and I'm sure you will, too).

I'm also still logging every day.  I'll probably do that for a loooong time.

How is C25K going for you?  During week 8 I started running the full 5K distance, because I am actually going to run a 5K on the 12th of October (2 weeks from today!!), and I want to be ready.  Are you planning to run a 5K any time soon?

Anyway, welcome!  Hope you stick around this group :)

Hi Pumpkin!!

Thanks for the welcome!  Yes, we do have a lot in common, don't we!?  Congrats on making your goal on your b-day too!!  I LOVE that I made it on my b-day, it was the best gift.  I just did week 9 of the c25k this morning... it felt great to actually run the 30 minutes!  I would love to run a 5k... there's one in Orlando coming up in October, it may be the 12th also, but it's on a Saturday.  I can't do it on Saturdays because I work and it's my busiest day at work (when I make all my money, lol).  I wish there'd be one on a Sunday and I think I'd actually do it since I usually take Sundays off.

Congrats on upping your calories successfully.  I'm hoping I didn't gain too much since starting maintenance.  I'm not really sure what number of calories I should strive for... I usually stick around 1800-2000ish.  I agree with you about the not obsessing about over eating and eating the exact number of calories.  I'm sure once we eventually feel more comfortable we may stop calorie counting and our numbers will never be exact, but we'll be fine.  Someday.

By the way, I was looking at your gallery and I like your style.  =)  I wish I had more style, lol.

I'm so glad i found this group!  I've been hoping to find a group I can fit in with (& people that are on here quite often, since I like to keep myself motivated & check the forums quite often).   TTYL!  :D

Karey

Ooh, glad I popped into this thread :)

Name: Rachel

Age: 22

Height: 5'3''

Starting Weight: 126

Current Weight: 114

Maintenance Range: 110-115

*Now vs. Then: Now:  I can run miles and love it, the fat between my thighs doesn't touch, now I REALLY love hiking, now I FEEL the energy when I eat food, now I really love my body.  Then:  couldn't even run a mile without being completely winded, thought that my thighs were "curvy", I liked hiking a lot but it was WAY harder than it should have been, then the foods I ate made me feel sluggish and gross, then there were times I would look in the mirror and get so angry with myself.

Aims: Run the Bolder Boulder (10k) in May, learn how to ice climb this winter, complete my climbing class in March, climb Mt. Rainier within the next two years

Weaknesses: low self esteem

Strengths: my goal-orientedness, my ability to multi-task and my desire to be healthy.  Also, I learned how to climb for my birthday and it completely changed my life, so just wanting to do that pushes me to be healthy and strong.

**How I did this week, goals for next week: This is the end of the first week that I've realized I need to be maintaining.  My struggle for this week has been to up my calories, I guess I was a little scared to eat more.  I think I've done great though because I did set a new, higher calorie goal and although I should be eating more than that, I've gotten up to my GOAL at least.  Next week I will up my calorie goal by probably 100 cals and start running again after a week of walking/jogging to rest my ankle which was ironically injured doing a non-sport (high heels+dancing for 2 days straight haha)

Karey-  Thanks for the compliment!  I have found that having "style" is a lot easier since I no longer have to hide in my clothes!  I hope you can find a 5K to do.  I've notice that at this point in the C25K program, running isn't as exciting as it was during, say, week 5, and I think running in an actual race will be a huge boost to my motivation and a lot of fun.  Let me know how week 9 goes for you...I am going to do my first run of week 9 tonight!

Rachel - WELCOME!  I know it's hard to make the jump from "losing" to "maintaining," but congrats on upping your calories.  Your body is probably happy to have the extra nutrition, and as long as you listen to your body, you should be fine.  Also, that's awesome that you just started climbing.  I have only tried a couple of times, but I have a grood friend who is a very avid climber and I know it has totally changed her life (and her body).  Let us know how your climbing adventures go!

Thanks for the welcome, Pumpkin :)  See you around the thread lol