Some ponderings and a question to ya'll....

So here I am pondering life in pre/main and wondering about my body. I have lost about 35 pounds and feel great and think I look pretty good too. So the pondering comes in in that although I have lost the weight and reached goal I still have a bit of a pooch (gals you know right below the belly button) and still have a bit of fluf on my hips that I can pinch. Now I am no means ever going to be a skinny minnie (I've done that before and looked horrible). I'm 46 years old with a perimenopausal body. I'm feeling good and liking what I'm seeing. I'm healthy and love my food choices. So I guess what I'm pondering is...am I selling myself short and should go the extra oomph to get rid of the padding, or should I enjoy my perimenopausal body in all it's glory for what it is. Just so you know, I am one of those people who WILL wear a bikini padding or no!!! (Watch out Vegas Meat & Greet!! )

Guys--you can answer too!!

Lisa

Lisa- Glad your happy!! So what does the extra opmph mean? Surgery or LOTS of crunches? just sayin... I was pondering the same things on how to rid the extra fluff.

I waffle on that one all the time. It's like the difference between cruising through school and ending up with a B average, or working really hard for straight As. It's hard for me to figure out what "place' it's coming from: am I selling myself short and being lazy by not taking better care of myself, or is it negative perfectionism that motivates the extra umph?

FWIW, I did find that after I got to my goal weight, it did take time for my body/skin to catch up. I still go through phases where I feel poochy/squishy and others where I'm tight. I lift weights 3-4x/week and that helps. I don't know if you experienced this during the bulk of your loss, but there were times I called "shape shifting" where things had to find a new place or something. Give yourself time to evaluate what your body is going to do and figure out what, if anything, you need to do to urge it along. You'll be fine.

Hi Lisa and maintainers. Can I come to play? I read through this thread and feel it's a good one for me to join becuz right now I am on plan but I really want a piece of cake out of the office fridge. I am on CKD which allows me to "carb up" on the weekends coinciding with my exercise schedule. I'm not s'posed to start cabing up until after p.m. workout, but I wanna do it now! (and I'm not going to workout tonight because I'm too sore from my last workout!!!)

And, since I made goal, it would be easy to rationalize that choice. I didn't do the ladder because it was too confusing and tedious for me. Instead, I did Meat and Egg and then added things in as I got within a couple pounds of goal.

SO now, it's mostly M&E on weekdays and carb-up on weekends toward muscle building. (I know, blah blah blah)

But I like the mental/emotional aspect of this thread. I'm rambling.

I'll be checking in from time to time...

Lisa - I'll bet you look great. The truth is that some of that padding may never go away even if you lift weights like mad. Don't get me wrong - I am all for exercise and being strong but I sure don't recommend obsession about not being perfect. What is perfect, anyway? I'm sure each of us would have a different definition. Enjoy! Celebrate! Continue eating food that is good for you in quantities that may sense for your activity. You will be fine.

..... keeping to plan but kinda loose--I've been in a snit about food for the past 3 weeks.

I don't know if it's the stress of being on call for 4 weeks straight, or boredom or what but I've just been bored--bored with the food, bored with low carbing--just bored in general. So I trolled the recipe sections of this and the other forum. Pulled out my 1000 recipe chinese cookbook. I don't know if you like dim sum, but I made the shrimp filling for steamed shrimp dumplings--smelled like the real thing, tasted like the real thing--especially with a hot mustard dipping sauce and a Michelob ultra

Also made Kevin's carrot cake with a double batch of cream cheese butter icing. Quick, easy, and stomped down my craving for In & Out and an Oreo Blizzard. I don't think I've been the only one in a snit about food. Methinks there is something in the air.....

Trying to stay on plan, plus wind my way thru maintenance which believe it or not is extremely hard--because no food is really considered a "bad" food. Just testing the waters. Whenever I feel like I'm craving or getting "out of control" I just slip back into induction eating for 3 or 4 days and that always cures it.

I can't believe that I'm coming up soon on my one year annversary (Sept 8th). What an interesting time it has been. I'm thinking that from October thru the first of January I'm going to try and drop 10. There are places that still have some pudge--like on the back of the arms, the pooch, the side of the hips that I'd like to slim out some. Most people would never try and lose 10 during that time but for me, it's almost easy staying on plan then--all that crap that everybody wants to eat at Thanksgiving and during the holidays just makes me sick to the stomach to think about it

Lisa + Isomalt = one big ass farting puffer fish!!!

I ate some hard candies sweetened with isomalt--OMG, I thought I was going to die about 4 hours later. So, no more isomalt for me.

I have to rachet back on the food to clean "induction" type eating for a few days. It's not like I've been "cheating" since there is nothing off limits but I have just been overeating and craving--I wonder if it was the carrot cake?? Nahh, I was in a snit before the carrot cake. So for the next 2 weeks until my mother and sister come to visit, I need to grasp back some control. Feeling like a puffer fish is also extremely motivating.

Don't mind me....just the ramblings of a farting puffer fish

Have a wonderful, safe Labor Day!!

Hi Lisa,

This thread you started has been extremely helpful to me! I'm new to maintenance too and I can relate to what you are saying.

I'm finding maintenance challenging too. I've been on the weightloss journey a loooooong time (can you say yoyo!), but this is the first ever maintenance.

good luck losing 10! I'll be rooting for you. I've got 5 to go, but no rush.
cheers,
sandy

Thanks Goldfish!!

I guess this should be in my journal but I have yet to start one because I wouldn't know what to write, so I guess this has turned into my impromtu journal

Maintenance is a bit weird. But things that I have figured out. I can have an off plan meal without a blip in the radar (maybe a bit of water weight--but who cares about that). I cannot have "flourish" type foods but occasionally--except for the lo carb bread that I make myselfin my breadmaker and low carb tortillas maybe 2X a week. Even low carb desserts--cakes, cookies, made with low carb "flourish" ingredients set off cravings and uncontrollable hunger and eating. No good. So I've been limiting those to once a month. It only took me 2 months to figure that out--duh! Oh--no maltitol or isomalt--not a pretty site!!!

I guess it's true--you really can't go back!!

Hi Lisa-
I try and avoid the SA and AF too. I just don't feel good. I have been doing this for over 3 years, and I found that this summer I was gaining water when I ate out and then it would take 5 days of clean eating to take it back off. Only a couple of pounds, but that is how it starts. I have had to admit that alcohol just does not work for me. No cravings, just weight gain- and I guess for me it is a 'flourish' food! On the weekends I admit I'll have a drink with dinner 2-3 days. Now I am going to try one drink on the weekend. I'm having a margarita tonight (DH b-day), but that will be it for the week. I don't know why my body seems to be changing- but I'm still trying t figure it out.
have a great weekend-
E

Hi Lisa!!

I agree with the "flourish" types of foods as eventhough it is "low carb" flour...its still flour!! I had to read the word "flourish" several times as I kept reading flourish and not flour-ish!!

Thanks for keeping an update of where you are in your maintenance. I too am dealing with a few lbs up and have been suspecting that its a universal thing....am I weird? There is so much crap going on in our world...I know that I feel stress from it all. I cannot go into what is stirring me up as we do not talk world conditions or politics here, but suffice it to say that I am feeling fearful.

I find myself like Eno, having to spend 5 days getting the scale back down after I've eaten out. I think that my age(56) has alot to do with this though.

I'll be rooting for you when you go after those last 10 lbs!!

Earthgirl.....I'm waiting for you!!!!

Yes, ya busted me I've been lurking (DAM!!! THEY'RE ONTO ME!!!)

Well, I have decided to try CALP after reading the book this weekend. But for the next week (or two), it's going to be closer to Atkins Induction without reward meals.

Then, after that, I think I'll not do the RM everyday, but more like two or three times a week. That seems livable to me, and if I start adding weight, I'll reevaluate it...

Busted!!! For Lurking!!

Now at least you have a plan. Let me know how 2-3 CAD/CALP meals a week makes you feel. My limit is 2-3 a month otherwise the craving monster starts to rear it's ugly head. And that's an ugly site