A New Year in Maintenance - 2007

[Mitra]

Happy New Year, maintainers :).

Sorry I haven't been running any regular threads recently - I've been short of ideas and time. But New Year is always a good time for a bit of reassessment.

Do you have a particular maintenance strategy? Is it working for you, or are there some tweaks you'd like to make? Or how about just dropping by to say hello?

Over the last month when I've been away from home (and living in my parents' house), with the stress of my mother in law's illness and the end of her being able to live alone, I've had to work on what I eat. I don't have the same control over the shopping and cooking here that I do at home, but the extra flexibility that's been OK in the past for weekend visits won't work when we're here for a month. Luckily, if I overdo the carbs I don't feel great, so it only took me a couple of days to work out that if I was to stand any chance of surviving the extra driving (a couple of hours each day fof hospital visiting) and stress, then I had to both eat well and exercise. Of course, I always feel I could do a bit better, but it's been broadly OK. I've kept up with doing yoga almost every day, and kept the carbs under control. I don't have scales here, but my clothes don't seem to be fitting any differently, and my waist measurement isn't any different.

It's taught me that I can do this, that I really miss my greens (we did a supermarket shop the other day and have filled my mother's fridge with cabbage, chard, spring greens, spinach... :lol:), and that I can't eat much more than 60-80g carb per day without feeling worse.

[banshee]

I've being doing really well keeping up my maintenance levels of carbs throughout the holidays... until yesterday! I think all the stress and aggravation from traveling caught up with me when I was sitting around the house yesterday relaxing after our New Year's Eve party. It's like once I relaxed, my self control went out the window. I was just so tired that I ended up binging a little on the food people brought to the party and left behind. Normally this isn't a problem for me, and I'm easily able to ignore food that I shouldn't eat, but yesterday I caved in. Even then, though, I made sure to get in my protein, and I only ate about twice my usual 60-80 grams. And since it was only the one day, I'm not too worried about it. A couple days of clean eating, a couple good nights of sleep and I'll be fine.

Exercise became almost a habit in 2006, and I hope to get it even more firmly entrenched in 2007. I was doing great until I messed up my ankle again and the doctor banned me from doing lower body exercises. For some reason, that plus all the time crunches from the holidays made it really easy to abandon any exercise. :( My trainer won't be too pleased with my report this week, since I've only had one "real" lifting session since my last appointment with him. I did do some pushups while traveling, but nothing that could be considered a real, full upper body workout. But my first physical therapy appointment for my ankle is this Wednesday, and I'm hoping the therapist will clear me for a full workout again so I can get back in the groove.

I've been pleased with my progress on toning/firming up so far. I'm back down into a size 8 pant (albeit a bit snugly,) even though my weight hasn't changed, and my energy levels are better. I love seeing the increases in strength which allow me to do things I couldn't imagine doing before. I'm hoping that in 2007 I can get my ankle back under control, perhaps gain some more range of motion with it, and be able to really push my lower body exercises the way I've been able to push my upper body. Getting those glutes and thigh muscles working should really increase the speed of losing those last stubborn pounds of fat! :D

I don't know if getting down to a size 6 pant in the next year is realistic.
In fact, I have no idea what size I will be when I get down to my ultimate goal of 20-24% body fat! My plan is to just be consistent with my weight lifting and see where that leads. Considering the positive changes the last 3 months of lifting have done, I can't even imagine where a full year of lifting will take me! :lol: But I have to admit I'm excited to find out! :D

[Shadow]

Mary - We're excited to see where it leads you, too :D!

Mitra - I think it's fantastic that you're managing it all so well! Things definitely sound better now that you've stocked the 'fridge!

Mmm... I don't know what to say about me or my strategy :rolleyes:. I am maintaining but I know I could be eating more optimally ;). I think I still have a hard time with not having weight loss as a goal. Sometimes I think I should try to lose more - just because it is such a measureable accomplishment :o. Maybe if I could get this body to cooperate and reshape in the manner I want it to, I would be perfectly content :tongue:. Unfortunately, mother nature is having her say ... so I just keep plugging along and hope that one day I don't wake up and the sky has fallen and I need to start all over again :paranoid: :lol:.

[Mitra]

Mary, it's invigorating to hear your enthusiasm about your progress and your motivation to keep going.

I'm with Shadow in missing the tangible reward of seeing the scale going down, feeling that my eating could be better, and trying to fight of the feeling that I'd like to lose just a few more pounds :rolleyes:. Mostly I manage to just ignore it ;).

[Shadow]

Mitra - So glad I'm not alone :lol:! I can usually ignore it too but... sometimes it does rear it's ugly head :rolleyes:. Believe it or not, I think it's all the ads going on now for all the weight-loss programs. Makes me feel like I'm not grabbing an opportunity that's just waiting for me - now how silly is that :eek:? Especially when those programs don't work anyway... :o

[cmcole]

I am still trying to figure out where the additional few pounds came from over the Christmas holidays, since I didn't over-indulge in treats, etc.

I can't think it's muscle, but am not sure what it might be. My clothes still fit, etc., so I have no real explanation.

Yes, you're right - it is so tempting to thing that one has to jump on the bandwagon of weight loss schemes just because it's January. Back to the gym regularly is my goal (hubby's too)

[soopy]

Hi All,
Well, I definitely did over indulge in treats, but am still losing weight. DH and I are still doing the Intermittent Fast, and his weight has held more or less steady through the Holidays, which is at least better than a gain. I believe I said previously that 110# would be too light for me—well I've been hitting that lately, and I don't really like it. (BTW, some part of me does like seeing the scales go down, no matter how much I know I don't want it to. We are so programmed!) Now I still have good muscle development and am definitely not skin and bones, but I'm beginning to wonder where it will stop, and whether or not I need to make changes. I had been following Dr. Eades recommendation to just eat until full, but lately have been trying harder to up the protein. And it's all too easy to help myself to the desserts when I know I won't suffer any fairly immediate consequences. I know it isn't good for me in the long run whether or not I feel it right away. Dr. Eades also posted recently about the hazards of Dairy. I'd really have a tough time cutting back on my cheese and cream consumption, but I'm giving it some thought.
So, for me, maintaining means keeping my weight UP! For those of you trying to shed just a few more pounds, maybe IF is worth a try. I know it was a no go for Mitra, but it's been relatively easy for us to follow. DH and I are really wishing there was a way we could do a pounds exchange—I'd love to take 5 of his, and he'd be so happy to give them to me!

[Mitra]

Hello, Soopy. I was hoping you'd drop in. I'm glad to hear IF is working well for you - I really liked the sound of it, but just found myself desperately hungry, and with low blood sugar.

My weight is sort of hovering in the 110 to 115 range, which is OK for me - as long as I ignore that little voice that whispers that 110 is better than 115 :rolleyes: - that programming is powerful stuff, isn't it? And I suspect that it wouldn't be satisfied whatever the final number :(.

[Shadow]

Hey, Soopy, great to see you! I am so happy you're doing well with the IFing!

I did find the IF concept fascinating but coming into this WOE after years of eating disorders, I can also tell you it wouldn't work for me :). Just thinking about gave me nightmares and brought about some of my old destructive eating patterns. So while I may not be at my lowest weight ever - at least I'm comfortable and not raising my sleeping demons again ;).

[soopy]

Hi Shadow and Mitra,
I'm not so sure what is going on with me. I just spent a week away from home, generally eating low carb, but not sticking with IF and also not being as active as usual. Also indulged in a couple of delicious desserts. When I got home, I was more than a little shocked that my scale actually hovered at 107 before settling at 109! That is definitely too light!!!! I really want to support DH in what is working for him, but I'm going to go back to having a good breakfast on a daily basis. At least he won't be here to see me eat it!

[Shadow]

Soopy - I hope your trip was fun, but it's good to see you back. Wow - I'll bet the scale was some surprise, huh :)? I will admit I'm very happy to know you realize there is such a thing as losing too much and am glad that you're going to keep an eye on yourself while still supporting DH :nod:! What a great example you are :thumbsup:!

[soopy]

Shadow,
I'm afraid the trip was not for pleasure, and fun was most definitely not on the agenda. I've considered that the weight loss may be stress related, although that's never been an issue for me before. Mind you I've probably never been quite this stressed before. Anyway, I'm glad to be back home and able to exercise and hike as well as have better control of diet. I'm pretty sure all that helps me cope, and I was starting to feel the lack. Unfortunately the source for stress (close family member with long term illness) will not be going away anytime soon.

[Shadow]

Soopy - I am sorry the trip was not for pleasure and that it is going to go on for some time :(. As for the stress... from the time my mom was in ICU until she died, I was at my lowest weight ever (up until the time I went LC). But it was the one and only time in my life where stress caused me to lose weight, not gain. So maybe there's some kind of special reverse effect caused by certain types of stress and not others :confused:? Regarding the exercise, I totally understand what you're saying! That was the worst part of going back to see my mom when she was in ICU and returning for her funeral - the lack of my daily exercise to work out all of the stress & pent-up emotions.