What are your best tips for maintenance?
My best tip for maintenance is to MAINTAIN. Plain and simple.
Ok, so you haz arrived! Does that mean you stop exercising? (No) Does that mean you can trash all that moderation stuff? (No) Does that mean you no longer have to work on your head issues? (No) Does that mean you don't have to take vitamins and drink water? (Hell, NO!)
I see many folks get to maintenance and think that they don't need to do any of that. Maybe you don't have to exercise as hard as you once did, but you still should. And maybe now there is more room for treats in your daily plan, but they should be treats, not the norm. And the vitamins and water...c'mon...you know why those are important!
Think of obesity like cancer. This process can force remission but it can always come back.
Ok, so you haz arrived! Does that mean you stop exercising? (No) Does that mean you can trash all that moderation stuff? (No) Does that mean you no longer have to work on your head issues? (No) Does that mean you don't have to take vitamins and drink water? (Hell, NO!)
I see many folks get to maintenance and think that they don't need to do any of that. Maybe you don't have to exercise as hard as you once did, but you still should. And maybe now there is more room for treats in your daily plan, but they should be treats, not the norm. And the vitamins and water...c'mon...you know why those are important!
Think of obesity like cancer. This process can force remission but it can always come back.
I think this thread and all replies should have a sticky! Thank you Kelly for starting this thread and I very much appreciate the wisdom of all the posters!!! I'm gonna save this one in Word because, newly arriving at maintenance, it's helping me to know I just gotta keep on keepin' on....
First ultra: Stone Mill 50 miler 11/15/14 13:44:38, First Full Marathon: Marine Corps 10/27/13 4:57:11, Half Marathon PR 2:04:43 at Shamrock VA Beach Half-Marathon, 12/2/12 First Half-Marathon 2:32:47, 5K PR Run Under the Lights 5K 27:23 on 11/23/13, 10K PR 52:53 Pike's Peek 10K 4/21/13, (1st timed run) Accumen 8K 51:09 10/14/12.
Logging my food/exercise on My Fitness Pal (M-F)
Eating often all during the day (5-7 mini meals daily) keeps me full and blood sugar in check
Exercising regularly-weights and cardio (5-6 days a week)
Protein first always
Never drinking with meals
Weighing every Friday-and making adjustments when the number is up more than 3 for 2 or more weeks straight
Coming to OH every day keeps me grounded....reminds me where I've been and how many are in the same boat with me and they "get" what I'm dealing with
NEVER buying clothes that are too big and NEVER keeping clothes I've shrunk out of. I only have what fits, so if I gain, I'll be nekkid!
Making me a priority in my life-it isn't selfi**** is survival!
Great thread Kelly!!
Eating often all during the day (5-7 mini meals daily) keeps me full and blood sugar in check
Exercising regularly-weights and cardio (5-6 days a week)
Protein first always
Never drinking with meals
Weighing every Friday-and making adjustments when the number is up more than 3 for 2 or more weeks straight
Coming to OH every day keeps me grounded....reminds me where I've been and how many are in the same boat with me and they "get" what I'm dealing with
NEVER buying clothes that are too big and NEVER keeping clothes I've shrunk out of. I only have what fits, so if I gain, I'll be nekkid!
Making me a priority in my life-it isn't selfi**** is survival!
Great thread Kelly!!
The 4 days that I work (M-F) I weigh and prepare all meals that I take on Sunday (Breakfast, Lunch and snacks) so everything is packed and ready to go and I'm not tempted to eat off my plan.
Still protein first and try for 120-150g protein/day
Get all my water in, wait an hour after eating before drinking
Take all my vitamins. I have alarms set on my phone and my computer to tell me when to take them so I don't forget. I also have 12 vitamin containers that I make up all at once so I'm always ready in the morning with my vitamins to go.
Exercise 4-6 times/week.
Weigh every Monday. If it goes above a certain number immediately start tracking and bring it back down.
Remembering where I came from. I did not remove any of the old pictures hanging around the house. There are family shots from my kids Bar Mitzvahs and when they were little, and it was important times in our life. I may not like how I looked, but it reminds me of where I came from.
Really appreciating what I can do in my new body.
Still protein first and try for 120-150g protein/day
Get all my water in, wait an hour after eating before drinking
Take all my vitamins. I have alarms set on my phone and my computer to tell me when to take them so I don't forget. I also have 12 vitamin containers that I make up all at once so I'm always ready in the morning with my vitamins to go.
Exercise 4-6 times/week.
Weigh every Monday. If it goes above a certain number immediately start tracking and bring it back down.
Remembering where I came from. I did not remove any of the old pictures hanging around the house. There are family shots from my kids Bar Mitzvahs and when they were little, and it was important times in our life. I may not like how I looked, but it reminds me of where I came from.
Really appreciating what I can do in my new body.
Bay to Breakers 12K May 15, 2011 (1:54:40) First 5K 5/23/11 (41:22)
Half Marathons: Napa: 7/18/10 (4:11:21) 7/17/11 (3:30:58) 7/15/12 (3:13:11.5)
SJ Rock and Roll: 10/2/10 (3:58:22) Run Surf City: 2/6/11 (3:19:54)
Diva: 5/6/12 (3:35:00)
HW/SW/CW 349/326/176
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
Half Marathons: Napa: 7/18/10 (4:11:21) 7/17/11 (3:30:58) 7/15/12 (3:13:11.5)
SJ Rock and Roll: 10/2/10 (3:58:22) Run Surf City: 2/6/11 (3:19:54)
Diva: 5/6/12 (3:35:00)
HW/SW/CW 349/326/176
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
I am just a baby here at 8 months out but I really REALLY like being able to come here and ESPECIALLY see what people are doing to keep doing the things we are suppose to do. I have been a yo-yo dieter (pre-surgery) for 40 years! I am TERRIFIED of gaining my weight back... almost to the point of it being pathological. I am a food addict and realize that now that I can eat much more than I could my first month, that it is up to ME to make the right choices. I don't have such a good track record in this area... I am glad that people share their triumphs and troubles. Support is so important to me.
Thanks for the post, Kelly. I am have been looking for info on maintenance and have not been able to find anything helpful. The responses here give me a good place to start and help me to figure out what maintenance will be for me.
This is one area I think my bariatric progam does no really address well. What info I have gotten is very generic and honestly, not very helpful. I am going to try and change that!
This is one area I think my bariatric progam does no really address well. What info I have gotten is very generic and honestly, not very helpful. I am going to try and change that!
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