Rollercoaster ride

Hi, this is my first time on here, but I've already read a lot of great advice given to others. 

Here is my situation, I lost about 20 lbs and got to my goal weight in January of this year.  Since then I have had trouble maintaining.  I have been up and down 5-10 lbs over and over.  Basically my cycle is do really well for a few weeks or month and then go on a binge and blow it, just to have to cut calories to bring it back down.  My lowest weight was 133, but I'm happy to stay around 135 at 5'6" tall.  I've never been the type to binge before now, but for some reason if I have 1 sweet then I'm going to have 10 sweets, and don't stop until I'm sick.  I know what I need to do is shoot for eating healthy 90% of the time, and not get so hung up on the scale, but I can't get my mind into the "healthy lifestyle" and stay there.  I've started working out 4-5 x a week, and I really want to be able to live my live without obsessing about food, please help!

Hey nitanne,

It seems as though you are depriving youself of the less nutritious stuff while being healthy, then you hit a low and binge.

What I suggest is concentrating on your calorie intake + portions and fitting in your 'less nutritious' foods all week long.

Maintaining is life, so make your changes life changes.

If you have any questions or would like to clarify what "healthy lifestyle" consists of, I'd love to add more.

I am trying to make lifestyle changes, and your suggestions are greatly appriciated.  I really want to move from the "dieting" mindset to living healthy and Normal, ie eating in moderation, giving in to some cravings, and not binging.  I hate the way I feel after a binge and I know that most of the time I binge when I'm really tired and/or stressed, but what mother of a 2 1/2 year old boy isn't tired and stressed.  I feel like I lose control and I don't want to lose site of the importance of just being healthy and happy with myself.

its super tough. it goes beyond nutrition and into counceling. it's something i need help with too. that its okay to just live life and eat, but not feel bad when eating to maintain in moderation.

does your insurance provide therapy? it's something to look into. wish i could help out more with just advice, but in all honesty i need therapy for my changes too.

hang in there. i really hope someone else can provide you with more suggestions. 

Thanks, I appriciate the support

Hi ....pace yourself and dont gout out hard and strong- think of running of it like running a race--- i have been there and failed over  and over.

Do not deprive yourself- enjoy your treats in moderation ( once a week or every 3rd day-- i dont know moderation is different for different ppl) and eat alot of fresh fruits to accomodate your sweet tooth.

Savour the sweetness of each bite--you dont get that with candy...trust me!!!! I am trying tovercome being a candy popper!

My treat is gelato and it takes me a much longet time to lick the cone and enjoy the tastes rather than mindless chucking lollies, chocolate and chips in in my gob and then feeling sick

I'm about 25 years older that you.  I was 164 when I was 23, joined WW, got down to 133.  I've had six kids, lots of ups and downs over the years, twice got as high as the upper 140s.  I've been maintaiing 128 for about 18 months. Lowest body weight in my adult life, by far the easiest time maintaining (actually, now am more likely to drop weight if I'm not careful).  So learn from me. Do you still want to be playing this game 25 years from now?

This time, when I hit my target weight, once and for all I wanted to know how many calories I needed to maintain... I added back 100 per day each week, until I leveled off.  Worked out that I lose ever so slightly on 1500. So every day I eat 1500,  I do not go over that number EVER, unless I start having weigh-ins under goal. Then I add back a couple hundred on those low days. It is incentive to do more exercise.  It's how I regulate my weight.

Three things made the difference for me.

1) I found regular exercise I like to do.  I live where winters are long, so indoor exercise has to be an option.

2) About a year ago I decided I had to get more "radical ' about my diet because my cholesterol numbers aren't as good as they should be. A year later, my numbers got worse... but on the upside I found adding more fiber really does make a difference.  I switched over to eating hot cereal every day for breakfast. Hunger is not longer a problem, no desire to eat junk. Also by deciding to minimize all bad fats, my options are more limited, so I eat less.

3) I decided forever, I will step on the scale, keep a food diary and roughly count my calories. In another post, you likely have read a debate on whether this is a good idea or not.  Up to you. One way or another you still have to be accountable to the scale.

For me, turning 50 was the trick. I just decided I was tired of this nonsense. I wanted to lick the problem once and for all... and never again have to have all those feelings about not being happy with my weight.

Shiptona,

What is your exercise routine to maintain?

Rachel

I've started working out 4-5 x a week, and I really want to be able to live my live without obsessing about food, please help!

I do, too.  I'm very much on the opposite side of shiptona on this, but I do think it's a matter of personality.  You have to think about what works for you.  Personally, if I count calories, I end up doing things that simply cannot be good for my metabolism and also make me miserable.  I can't weigh myself every day, but I can take measurements - there's not the same stigma attached to whether my waist is 26 or 27 this morning as there is to being 125 vs 129.  I end up feeling guilty if I eat big portions and eating portions so small that I never stop being hungry.

But for shiptona, if I may speak for her from what I've gleaned, it's easier to relax when she knows that she's eating an amount that will lead to the same number on the scale as last month and the month before that, when she knows she's in control and knows what she's eating.  Me?  I'm kind of OCD and rather musclar and need way more calories than the average woman my height on here so I end up feeling bad every time I count).

One thing that helped me a TON was slowing down my eating.  I noticed recently that I've gone from being the faster eater among my group of friends to being one of the slowest.  I still end up eating as much food, if not more, but only because I'm hungrier and eating less calorie-dense food.  I think about what is going in more, and do try to really concentrate on and enjoy each bite.

As for cutting down on eating ten sweets when you have one, do you have control over what goes in your kitchen or is it a compromise?  If you can, only buy one sweet in the first place.  Instead of buying ten hershey kisses, buy one or two nice, fancy chocolates.  Yeah, you might want ten all the more, but if you only have two, you're never going to eat ten.  And if you end up accustomed to the nicer stuff, the generic quality won't taste as good.

It's kind of an overly given tip, but I think it's a good one.  Whenever presented with something that looks good, I ask myself if it's really worth it.  If it's one of my favorite kinds of desserts freshly made from a really nice bakery, it's worth it.  If it's store brand chocolate chip cookies, it's not.

Also, remember that if it's just one binge on, say, thanksgiving or your birthday, it won't make a big difference.  It's all about the PATTERN.  Now if it's a binge every week or two, it will and maybe, hopefully, some of the advice here can help.

As for the not obsessing, my god I wish I knew how.  My idea of a decadent treat I can't ever let myself buy is soy ice cream, for god's sake and I'm still constantly feeling guilty.