Maintenance

I can see how maintenance is going to be very difficult.  I'm not quite there yet... I'd like to lose 8 more pounds, but if I don't, I'll still be happy.  But, I just opened our little frig in our room at work and saw a 7-Up.  I haven't had a pop in over 9 months and now I'm starting to miss it.  While looking at recipes on Pinterest today I saved one for bacon jalapeno mac and cheese.  I don't eat mac and cheese and I'm not planning on ever eating mac and cheese (well, other than maybe a bite of my kids').  But I miss it.  

Just my random thoughts...

I suspect that most of us, at any time during weight loss and maintenance, will always miss our favorite, high-carb and low-nutrient foods. 

From everything I've read here, maintenance is difficult. The weight-loss transformation and its attending drama is over. It's an unfortunate fact that after we lose weight, we can't then introduce the foods we've missed.

Rest in peace, mac and cheese. We're all going to miss you. 

psychoticparrot

I don't really agree with that philosophy.... I did not do this to deprive myself for the rest of my life.  Now that I am in maintenance, if I want mac-n-cheese I have a bite or two - that's all I can fit in anyway.   The key (in my opinion) is control.  You have to know what are trigger foods.  Can I eat 1/4 of a bagel or is it going to make me crave bagels for a week?   If the answer is yes, don't have the bagel this week.  Also a whole pan of mac-n-cheese might be hard to keep at bay.  Many small tastes will add up.   Maintenance is hard... mentally and physically.  It's hard to get on the scale and not have it go down - we have lived for that for so long.  It's hard to deal with fluctuations... again, usually a downward trend...in maintenance it goes up and down.  On the occassional day that I feel like I've eaten off the rails, i expect to get on the scale the next day 5 lbs heavier - and  then I don't.  When I log in my calories, off the rails usually adds up to about 1600 calories, lol!  

mmsmom wrote: "I don't really agree with that philosophy.... I did not do this to deprive myself for the rest of my life."

I think we do have a different philosophies. I'm a firm believer in food addiction. If I eat anything that has refined carbs and/or sugar in it, the craving floodgates open -- I want more and I want it NOW.

In a post today, kairk mentioned a website called AuthorityNutrition.com, which has an description of food addiction that fits me to a T. That's why I live by the statements in the website:

"Although the “everything in moderation” message may work for some people, this advice is a complete disaster for food addicts.

When it comes to addiction, moderation fails. Every time.

This is the simple (but not easy) solution to addiction. Avoiding the addictive substance at all times." 

If you are able to eat trigger foods in moderation and maintain your weight loss, then more power to you! 

psychoticparrot

There are various levels of food "addiction" or disordered eating. I think for some people there is a confusion between the emotional deprivation that long term food restriction brings and actual food addiction. The symptoms can be very similar, but the root causes can be different.

I know that I for one felt that I must be addicted to fat/sugar/flour combinations. As it turns out I'm more in the disordered eating category when it comes to those things. That doesn't mean I don't have a dopamine reaction, because I'm sure I do, but not to the extent that I actually lose control. Yes, they are trigger foods, but the more I have dealt with the emotional deprivation issues I've had with certain foods the less and less they call to me. Very fine line.

I'm still very much in transition. I am in the process of discovering for myself where I fall on the disordered eating spectrum!

We all really do need to figure out for ourselves what works for us each as individuals.

I read the same article and his description of food addiction fit me to a T as well. I wish I could eat trigger foods in moderation. I really, really do. But I honestly think that if I open that door, I won't be able to close it. I am happy for (and I also envy) mmsmom.  She is so lucky that she has the ability to control trigger foods. 

Thanks for that. That is really how I feel.  Today I ate 3 Girl Scout cookies. But I didn't eat 10 so I call that a victory. 

so far so good :D and I think it's alright for us to have different philosophies - so long as what we do for ourselves works for ourselves.   One thing is for sure, the love of food never goes away.  

Amen to that, sister!

I totally agree and we do all have the same thing in common as you mentioned, the love of food never goes away. Take care!