Weight Maintenance

[MILF]

I was not sure where to put this but I’m looking for tips of how to keep my weight loss. I am so close to my goal weight and I am excited but nervous. For the last 10 years I have only weight gain / weight loss / weight gain etc, and I am so over that. I want to be able to keep my weight between 48 and 49.9kgs (currently 52.7!!)

My problem is, before when I have lost the weight I have treated it like mission complete, and that’s when the weight starts creeping on. So, before you know it you’ve put on 5kgs.

I know now that food and exercise is something I will have to be aware of always but what tips or tricks do you use to keep yourself in check?

[teamfatboy]

Ah.. the holy grail of weight loss...

my 2c worth, there are two parts to it, the mindset and the maintenance calorie question.

If you tackle weight loss in 10-week chunks, you'll yo-yo... you have to get your head around the fact that the amount you eat when your weight stays the same, is the amount you eat, no less and definitely no more. You've been putting weight back on 'cos something has changed, either you've eaten the same and stopped expending so many calories (by not going to the gym), or you've thought "Diet over" and eaten more calories.

You pretty much admit that, by saying 'mission complete' and throwing what you just learned about your metabolism out the window.

On an exercise and calorie deficit plan, you learn how your specific metabolism managed to loose weight - but forgot the 'what happens next?' step.

You need to establish for yourself what your maintenance calories are. That's the number of calories, and the protein-carb-fat mix, that keeps you at the same weight when you're not going nutso in the gym with the cardio.

Then, you combine the two, and see what happens. Accepting that a marginal variation is inevitable, but not a large one... you could define a period where you stick closely to the maintenance load, and monitor what happens. Fine tune, and repeat. Slowly introduce variations, and monitor what happens, all the time bearing in mind the overall daily calorie and pro-CHO-fat ratio.

Hints and tips:

a. stick to the meal timings you learned;

b. keep up the water intake - are you really hungry, or just thirsty;

c. food ain't a reward - looking hot IS a reward;

d. don't lose sight, in all the chaos of everyday life, of how hard you fought to get to where you are now. It IS ok to turn down an extra biscuit, despite what others may say or think;

e. Visualise - place pictures of the new you on your mirror or whatever, places where you can remind yourself of how far you've come; and

f. the magic test pants. Once at your goal, get a pair of jeans that fit the way you want. Then KEEP THEM.... don't junk them when they get too tight, junk the junk and make 'em fit!

[Chillicat]

If by treating it as 'mission complete' you mean that you go back to eating the way you ate before you started to lose weight, you have your answer right there. But I'm pretty sure you're not that dumb and that you already know that.

I've watched my mother struggle with her weight for 30 years, with yo-yo dieting, and so it's very clear by observing her over the years what not to do, and by extension, what should be done. She has always 'gone on a diet', lost weight, then pretty much returned to her old habits. It's really not rocket science what's happening with her. She appears to have no concept whatsoever of making a lifestyle change and embracing the healthier choices as a way of life, not just something to do when trying to lose a bit of weight.

You've now made changes to your eating that have led to success for you with weight loss. You can only go so far with the changes you've made (well, the number of calories going in vs energy going out), and you seem to have got to a point where you're pretty happy with things. So why not just keep doing what you're doing? You can probably start to introduce more so-called 'cheat meals' now that you've reached your goals, but just don't turn your eating back into one big cheat meal.

Is there anything unsustainable about the way you've been eating to lose weight, any reason why you can't continue with it as your normal way of eating? Maybe with a few modifications?

The reason why I ask is that from what I understand you were not dieting for competition, but for your own personal goals (much like me I think), so for that kind of permanent weight loss you will have gone for an eating plan that is less extreme than a competition diet. It should therefore be something that is maintainable over time.

Just my 2c

[Grover]

Assuming here that you are female?

What is your height?

maybe you are aiming too low? perhaps you would be better with a bit more meat on the bones??

my 2c worth

[MILF]

Thanks so much TFB and Chillicat. That was beautifully put and exactly what I needed to hear. I too have watch my mother my whole life struggle with weight and going on 'diets' which inturn has given me a distorted body image and I don't want to put that onto my children. It's imperitive that I get a grasp of this so that a, I look and feel good and b, don't let my kids grow up and take on that idiosyncrasy.

I have already learned so much from this site about nutrition and health, so thanks to everyone here too. I will no longer blame my genes for being a chubber and I will forfeit that cake to look good. lol

Grover, I hear ya but I'm only 153cm (5ft) so I don't feel that 48 - 49.9kg is too unrealistic.

[teamfatboy]

In forfeiting the cake, go read the feedback on your pics one more time - girl, you have already come so far, and achieved a lot that you can be proud of.

The trick now will be to learn the few simple good habits that'll give you the permanent lifestyle you've worked so hard for.

What's more, the skills you learn for yourself will set your kids up right for life - and what more can you do than that !