Mitra
03-08-2006, 04:18 AM
You might wonder why we even need a maintenance forum. After all, once you've reached your goals, isn't all the work over?
Well, sorry, but it's not. Sadly, as many as 95% of the people who succesfully lose weight regain it. That's not 95% of the people who try to lose weight, it's 95% of those who succeed! I really hate to think of all that hard work being wasted.
In many ways maintenance does give you more freedom and flexibility than the rigours of weight loss, but it does have its own set of challenges. Still, at least you can be slim and healthy while you face them Smile .
The transition from Intervention to Maintenance is the time when you really have to make sure that your eating habits are well established. If some part of you still thinks of eating this way as a short term fix, now is when you have to let go of that idea. You can sustain anything for a short time, but this has to last for the rest of your life. There are going to be emotional, financial, health crises. This is the place to come for support in making those adjustments.
When you're losing weight you put a lot of effort into putting together menus with the right amount of protein and carb, avoiding temptations when you go out, getting in your water and supplements. If you don't want counting carbs to be a major preoccupation for the rest of your life, but you want to stay healthy and not regain the weight you've lost, then you need to invest some effort into making a good transition to maintenance.
Some people are so afraid of maintenance that even after they've reached their goal weight, they keep their carb levels right down at Intervention levels. That's keeping your food choices much more restricted than they need to be. The various PP books make suggestions for gradually increasing your carb levels so that you find out what you can tolerate without things getting out of control. But this is the place to come for support and encouragement while you're doing it - with other people who've faced that same fear of stepping out of your familiar comfort zone.
Some people can control their weight without too much trouble, but get other health problems with higher carb levels: raised blood pressure, higher triglycerides, fluid retention ... It's important to remember that your health is about more than just looking good in your jeans (though that feels great, too).
In this section of the board we're looking at how to deal with all of those issues, and also broadening our interests with the "other 20%" so we're not forever caught up in weights and measures - we're looking for mental and emotional balance as well as physical health.
Well, sorry, but it's not. Sadly, as many as 95% of the people who succesfully lose weight regain it. That's not 95% of the people who try to lose weight, it's 95% of those who succeed! I really hate to think of all that hard work being wasted.
In many ways maintenance does give you more freedom and flexibility than the rigours of weight loss, but it does have its own set of challenges. Still, at least you can be slim and healthy while you face them Smile .
The transition from Intervention to Maintenance is the time when you really have to make sure that your eating habits are well established. If some part of you still thinks of eating this way as a short term fix, now is when you have to let go of that idea. You can sustain anything for a short time, but this has to last for the rest of your life. There are going to be emotional, financial, health crises. This is the place to come for support in making those adjustments.
When you're losing weight you put a lot of effort into putting together menus with the right amount of protein and carb, avoiding temptations when you go out, getting in your water and supplements. If you don't want counting carbs to be a major preoccupation for the rest of your life, but you want to stay healthy and not regain the weight you've lost, then you need to invest some effort into making a good transition to maintenance.
Some people are so afraid of maintenance that even after they've reached their goal weight, they keep their carb levels right down at Intervention levels. That's keeping your food choices much more restricted than they need to be. The various PP books make suggestions for gradually increasing your carb levels so that you find out what you can tolerate without things getting out of control. But this is the place to come for support and encouragement while you're doing it - with other people who've faced that same fear of stepping out of your familiar comfort zone.
Some people can control their weight without too much trouble, but get other health problems with higher carb levels: raised blood pressure, higher triglycerides, fluid retention ... It's important to remember that your health is about more than just looking good in your jeans (though that feels great, too).
In this section of the board we're looking at how to deal with all of those issues, and also broadening our interests with the "other 20%" so we're not forever caught up in weights and measures - we're looking for mental and emotional balance as well as physical health.