Jurnal KTaylor31, 04 Des 18

I say this all the time on here--the diet is the easy part. It is kind of fun and exciting to see the numbers go down, to get the compliments, buy new clothes. Maintenance is tough. Eventually, people get used to the weight loss and the compliments stop. The clothes happily fit year after year, but that is not quite as exciting as buying new clothes in new styles. And the pressure to eat like everyone else is on--try this, so and so made it special. One bite won't hurt. All that. I guess for some that is true. But for others, like myself, who were obese as children, teenagers, and then into adulthood, one bit does hurt and it adds up quick. That is why it is really important to find a way of eating that maintains the weight, maintains the health AND you can take with you everywhere you go. In other words, it really has to become a lifestyle. I don't have cheat days. Who am I cheating? Myself! If I want cake, I eat cake. I have a very small piece. And I skip the bread or the potato or whatever. If it is ice-cream night (Saturday), I do double duty at the gym, and, again, eat lighter that day. Calories in/calories out. And you can't out exercise a bad diet or too much food. You'll figure it out. Some rebound weight gain is normal while you figure out what will work for you in the long term. Hang in there!  

SAME!!! 

You will never succeed at weight loss maintenance until u understand and accept that during MAINTENANCE u eat A LITTLE MORE THAN WHEN LOSING WEIGHT (just a little more) 

How long did it take to put on that 10#? Mine took 7 months and came off in about 4-6 weeks. If yours has been just over the last couple of weeks then I doubt it’s a true fat gain for the total amount. Some could be muscle from working out. Some could be water or body waste that hasn’t come out yet. Journaling is helpful and I ‘vent’ on mine all the time. It releases stress and guilt and gets me on track so no worries there 😉. Maintenance, like dieting, is constantly making the right choices. You can mess up here and there a bit more in maintenance. That one bagel won’t hurt anything in the long run. Having one daily would. My advice would be to ask family and friends not to have treats around you that you don’t have the willpower to say no to. If that’s not an option then bring something acceptable like half of a bagel. Make a solid plan and you can stick to it better. I find planning less than I want helps me because it allows for a bit extra depending on what’s available. Also keep in mind that there are a couple weeks until Christmas. You can ‘diet’ carefully over that time and lose some of what you’ve gained. Give yourself a break for one meal over Christmas then back on a diet until just below your goal for a bit of wiggle room. That’s my plan and it’s worked well for me so far.  

that's exactly my problem! I get (close to) my goal and start to sabotage! all I can say is keep it up, don't get complacent and tomorrow is another day to make good choices!! good luck :) 

Another point to note is that your caloric needs in maintenance change as you grow older. Your metabolism slows down. If you are female, menopause occurs. The type of job you have is also a factor--sedentary desk job versus physical job. Underlying health issues can be a factor. What I ate to maintain a 90 pound weight loss at 35 did not work at 45 and that did not work at 50. My diet has changed as my body has changed. Make friends with your scale. Don't be afraid to use it; it's your best tool for letting you know if your current way of eating is working for maintaining a healthy weight. If you visit the National Weight Control Registry, you will find the results of a study done by the Registry. The results demonstrate that while people utilize different types of diets to lose weight, the behavior modifications they implement to maintain their weight loss are pretty much the same across the board. Here is a link to the results of the study and to the Registry. http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm 

KTaylor- good thing you are trying to catch this right away. Really examine what your thought process is just as you are reaching for the sugary something. What is going through your head? Are you channeling your inner baby - I want it because I want it? If you can get a hold of the mental game on this you will have greater success. Use many of the tools you developed as you were losing weight -- walk away, distract yourself with conversation etc. Mentally plan what you are going to do before you walk into the situation. All of that! I am sure you can do it! 

Hang in there! You CAN do this! 

Try giving yourself only one day each week to indulge. Fridays or Saturdays are good days to celebrate. And if needed, give yourself a 4 hour window in that one day per week to indulge your sweet tooth. No need to feel guilty. Just savor those 4 hours, and enjoy looking forward to it all week long. God bless. 

I hear ya I gained 6 lbs. too we'll do better next week. it's a new day. 

Maintenance is tougher than weight loss. 

On days that you have scheduled events just carefully follow your chosen WOE but keep it on the lighter side. Then at the event, survey what is being offered and pick the things that best meet your dietary needs and also have a small amount of a couple (not 6] of things that you really like or would like to try. Stay away from the liquid refreshment completely. You know what that tastes like and you can drink it at home some other time. THEN STOP. DONT GO TO AN EVENT HUNGRY. All plans go out the window when you do that. Then remember—- this is not a “cheat”- this is YOU choosing to enjoy the occassion while still maintaining control. When I work with people on their weight loss programs I encourage them to keep moving— continue your exercise routine and make their goal for this 4-5 week period of time to MAINTAIN their pre-holiday weight. No guilt, no recriminations, no failure required. Weight loss and weight maintenance is a journey— a lifelong journey and these few weeks are just part of that journey. But— that being said, 10 lb. and we aren’t close to Christmas?. The days that there is nothing special going on is the time for you to be in full control. There is sacrifice and compromise in every aspect of our lives forever. You have to decide how bad you want this.  

Make fat bombs! 

I'm so looking forward to being in your shoes (hopefully soon). At least you are catching yourself early on. You have done such an amazing job and you really seem to know what you are doing, so don't beat yourself up too much. You've got this... You'll be back to goal before you know it!  

I know that I have looked for a better replacement for the items I crave. the other thing is that I just make a plan for the foods - work a reasonable amount that works with my WOE. I think that when we completely deny a certain item then it triggers a binge. Even with my health restrictions I tell people that I can have anything I want - it just has to make sense in the day. I wish you all the best on your adventure.  

You got this completely Tahoe— DENIAL does not work. You and your body are a team.