I thought I would share with everyone some of my rambling thoughts with respect to maintenance...not only for those who are on, or approaching it, but also for those out there who may still have a while to go, but are curious about the experience.

- maintenance isn't a sudden thing. You don't just wake up one morning, hop on the scale (or input your measurements into a calculator for bf%) and go "Hey, cool, I get to start maintenance today!" Just as losing the weight is a process (and as much a mental one as physical), so too is shifting into maintenance. For me, the process of thinking about maintenance began about 10 lbs before I hit goal. I knew I was going to get there, and my mind started to automatically begin the think through how it was going to be.

- Maintenance isn't a big change from now. Here's the truth - its still hard slogging sometimes. And in some ways its harder. When you are losing and put on a few pounds, you just think to yourself..."yup, but its part of a downward trend"...now you think "uh-oh...is this a problem...a trend...what am I doing...why am I gaining again"

- Maintenance diets still require tweaking - at least mine does. I still get addicted to certain food...legal but lethal I like to call them. Why? Because anything inexcess is going to pack on weight. Emotional overeating is still a struggle. I'm trying to replace it with yoga ... with varying rates of success.

- You continue to apply everything you've learned, everyday. I learned to plan meals, set goals, and cook in whole new ways. I learned how to develop strategies to deal with social situations and nay-sayers. It never ends...but I don't have to work as hard at it anymore.

So that's it for Part 1...I have no idea if there will be a part 2...have to go do more thinking now.

Take care!

Lisa

lisa, thanks for this post! As I slow my loss (and raise my pounds goal), I can see ahead...and realize that "there" really isn't much different than "here" anyway. Your post helps confirm that. One does not end a way of life, eh? It just goes on and on.

Exactly!

Glad you enjoyed it raz!

Lisa

Thanks Lisa, your post is very informative. I am very close to my original goal now and I am thinking a lot about maintenance. I have actually in my head shifted my goal a few kilos lower as I still can grab a handfulof fat on my belly

I exercise 6 times a week including weights on alternate days so I have built up muscle. I suspect that now I need to change my goal to Body Fat %. That will be a true indicator of how lean I am.

Hi Trisha - absolutely...I'm going to be doing the BF% thing in the fall myself!

Its interesting aswell that once U hit maintainence U need to focus on a new goal. I had been maintinaing my weight for 7 months and I decided to quit smoking, my new goal. That is going awesome however I have put on about 8 pounds. Now of course because I added resistance traing a couple weeks after I quit smoking some of that is muscle and I know the rest will come off in time. Maintainence is a journey as is life.

7 months is amazing! Congratulations! I agree about setting new goals...I make mine fitness related now...there's always another muscle to grow!

Lisa

I am doing extremely well and have been asked by a fitness club to get certified as an instructor for land and water. Both managers have seen my progress and because I have fibromyalgia, think I would be a great instructor! I will look into it in the fall.

Congratulations - you're going to be fabulous at it...I just know! Good luck!

Lisa

Hey great news on giving up smoking AND staying that way. Both your health and pocket will be so much better off!

Terrific news too on your new future career. I do hope it all goes well for you.

I have info here (which I haven't looked at yet because of study) that I recieved in the past week on training to be a personal trainer. I have wanted to do that for years. It may just happen yet

Well I reached my goal today but the mirror says I need to lose more (tummy area). I worked out the range for my ideal body weight from PP and I am in range but could go lower. That is what I will do. I worked out my body fat percentages too and would still like to be lower than I am.

Trisha

Thanks for the vote of confidence! LOL When I weighed myself a couple weeks ago I was 140 so still at my goal. I wanted to wait until my 3 month non-smoking anniversary to change my stats BUT Im not sure I will weigh myself then. A better judge is of course how your clothes fit and not what the scale says. Now, if I had been thinking I wouldve waited 3 months to change my exercise [adding weights] routine but then again maybe my clothes wouldnt fit now! LOL. Trish I see U R 5'3" tall? To me 118 pounds is about as low as U would want to go. Dont get caught in the trap of looking in the mirror and thinking "gee if I could just lose a bit more here or there" I have to be careful myself. I would dearly love to have my BF figured out cause I have tried many tests that put me at 29% [way too high] or 20% [way to low]

I agree it is more important to look at how clothes fit rather than the scale as an indicator of body fat lost.

Great news that you are doing weights. I too have been back doing weights for over 5 months now. I also do a bit of farmwork and that can build up muscle.

I did one of the internet tests (a friend thought it was one of the better ones) as all the other ones I had done were real low and I did not believe them. I think I still need to get it done manually but it is finding a personal trainer who is good at that as I have had widely differing percentages in the past from different people.

I also did the body fat % test in PP and I thought that too was way to low for me too. Like I can grab handfuls of fat around my tummy and I shouldn't be able to do that with a low BF level.

My waist is 29 inches and to me that is too big for someone my size (and most of the extra weight is on my tummy under my waist too) I am concerned about the health consequences of having an apple shape.

My mum died soon after her 58th birthday 15 years ago today and I do not want to follow her example. She had a heart attack and died at the entrance of a country hospital (she lived a few miles out of town).

Trisha

Trisha - I'm really sorry about your mom...must have been very difficult for you.

All the weight training and exercise are a great way to keep health complications at bay. Weight gain around the middle is such a typical insulin resistant thing so low-carbing is a good choice for you too. That being said, you may be surprised to find your bf is really as low as it says...fat around the middle isn't the only measurement as you know. Also, its the fat that sits around your organs and can't be seen that's really dangerous and you probably don't have a lot of that.

Take care,

Lisa

Thank you Lisa for your kind words. Yes it was hard when she died. I always thought she would live to her 80's or 90's at least. She died just two days before her first grandchild (my nephew) was born.

I too have been concerned that I could also be carrying fat around my major organs even though my supposed BF percentage is in a healthy range for my age.

Trisha

I am sorry also to hear about your mom Trish. U and I seem to have a lot in common. It is because my dad has adult diabetes and the fact that 1 1/2 yrs ago in a 2 week period my mom had 2 heart attacks and a stroke, that I knew I needed to make major lifestyle changes. [BTW both my parents are still alive and doing ok] Also I have that spare tire around my middle. Oh I can dress up and look great but I dearly wish my waist was about 2 inches smaller. Lisa is right tho. Just because U and I have a thicker waist doesnt mean we have a much higher over all BF. I dont see that we have a much great risk for health concerns either. We are all built different and I think if we eat well, exercise not smoke [ LOL I can say that now since I quit] then thats all we can do to stay in good health.