Maintaince is hard mental/emotional work

Hi all- I just wanted to start a thought or thoughts line to garner all our wisdoms together I know this about maintaining-that it is more work mentally and more work emotionally than the weight loss phase was. As the pounds no longer offer us immediate gratification of a positive kind and the scale becomes not friend but a foe to be defeated and the pounds kept at bay I needed to mentally reinforces myself in other ways. How do you keep yourself motivated? Positive (using betterment of life to reinforce your goals)? or negative thinking(fear of regain, disdain for your former fat self)? for me it is about the positives-------I am constantly trying to stay grateful, when I do something physically that would of seemed impossible at my highest weight I mentally give myself a high five. so what about you guys???

My motivation comes from working with my three support groups. Working with the old timers there and the brand new ones or just considering ones. It keeps me in check. But even when you are 98% compliant to the rules and guidelines, you still can have problems creep up.... Darlene

Good Morning Amanda, I try to stay focused on the postives as well, and mine is I thrive on self accomplikshments.... I like thinking look what I did, and I did it myself... that makes me want to do more...I know at 300 lbs, it was hard to reach some of the accomplishments that I can do to today..... and I have to say this too, mine is not about the size clothes I am in, it is about how much better I feel, and how much more I can do... I know this lupus will go back into remission, and I have a list of things to accomplish when it does.... lol..... but knitting a sweater is a good accomplishment too.. I keep thinking to myself, If I could have just gotten this last 25 lbs off, I know my back would be better, but you know, it wouldn't be, so I am off that kick, and just appreciating what I have accomplished in the weight lose, and am still proud.... Remember the glass is always half full....

Hi Amanda, Much of the time I try positive thinking, I live in an area now that gets really hot, around 100 degrees everyday. 18 months ago I could never have tolerated the heat, now I find that I love it. You know, my kids help keep me in check too. When my littlest one who is six can wrap her arms all the way around me, I never want to give that up. My husband can actually pick me up and toss me into our pool now. It is those kinds of things that help me want to stay motivated. I find that I don't even get on the scale very often anymore, I go by how my clothes fit and how I feel from day to day (fat days versus skinny days). So with all this rambling, that is a small (but scary) look into how I try to stay motivated. Hugs. Susan -170

Good question/subject for everyone, whether they have hit the maintenance point or not,because it will eventually come! For me, the motivation comes from how I feel about myself physically and emotionally now which is miles ahead of where I started 2.5 years ago. It also comes from now, finally, understanding what kind of fuel is best for me, where to get it, and how to use it--in other words, really understanding my nutritional needs and my physiology--that' doesn't come naturally. I had to study it and pay for expert guidance. When I look at my before pictures, I'm very saddened at what I see. I almost don't know that woman anymore; she seems so distant. Yet I can see in every one of the relatively rare photos that she was trying to put on a brave face but was dying inside--in multiple ways. ALthough I certainly don't dwell on her, she provides a good reminder that indeed I've come a very long ways and the view here is worth working for Ann

I do the high five thing too - I have done some things that were unimmaginable 5 years ago. Now I don't even think when asked to do something - I just do it. As for maintaining - I do it because it's my lifestyle now- a cheese stick is lunch, not a pizza. As long as I keep to the rules and do what I'm supposed to it's pretty easy. I only weigh every year before my yearly check up so don't know what the scale says but am wearing the same jeans and tops I bought when I reached goal over 3 years ago. (I need to go shopping for new stuff!). I never had that disdain for myself when I was fat so that's not a motivator - I always was ok with myself, even pre op. Not happy but didn't hate myself and realized even then that I was still a great person. So I don't have those negative thoughts to recall to keep me from going back there. I do know I will never go back there - exercise has become something I can do and maintain, if I eat too much I can exercise more and it doesn't count. It does but I don't re-gain. I've found that balance between not being deprived, eating to satisfaction, keeping my weight in check without getting nuts over numbers and being healthy.

You know.. I haven't found it to be very hard to maintain where I am. I have gotten into a habit of eating a certain way.. Sure, I eat foods that aren't so good for me once in awhile - but it's the exception now, not the norm. I have found a form of exercise that I would do everyday if I thought I could get away with it. But I have to balance it with my family time, therefore I have settled on 4 days a week. Everytime I engage in it (swing dancing) I lose weight - a few lbs. I think that finding this is the secret to how I am able to maintain. I hate exercise but finding something that I don't view as exercise but actually is - in my mind - is the key. Plus I love all my clothes.. I love that I can stay cool despite the heat.. and I love that I am no longer limited by either my size or my inhibitions re: my size. Happy Monday all!

Good thread, Amanda. I have to admit that I'm motivated by a fear of regain. I weigh every single morning on my doctor's-type scale. Before I had the RNY, I had lost large amounts of weight before, but like so many, I always gained it back plus more. So it's just now dawning on me that this is really working---that I have been able to maintain my weight, within 8-10#, for almost a year. I thank God for this tool.....And I'm going to focus on gratitude, too, instead of fear. Thanks for sharing. Hugs, Connie -147# @ goal

I'm another one who cannot allow fear to rule me over. I don't fear weight gain, I just weigh myself often to be sure I'm not. Then again, I seldom worry about what might happen - I'm more of a take it like it comes kind of person. IF I find I'm gaining weight, I deal with it. The part that makes maintenance relatively easy for me is also the exercise. I've turned into a runner and I absolutely love how I feel when I get in a good run. I don't always feel good doing it, but those times my body is tuned up.... all I can say is WOW, what a feeling. I'm still pretty new at this at not quite a year and a half out, but I think I've found a way to live my life without worrying constantly about what and when to eat. It's very routine now. I'm very happy I developed one much earlier on so that I don't have anything to worry about at this point. Linn