What are your biggest struggles in maintenance?

I've struggled a little bit recently.  A normal 3lb. fluctuation became permanent and invited 6 of its friends to come and stay.  Now i'm about 9lbs. heavier than the weight I've easily maintained for 2 years.  Instead of freaking out (admittedly, I've already done this), I wanted to reflect on what you think are the most difficult struggles farther out.

1.  "Hunger is bad and life-threatening and to be avoided at all costs" mentality is no good.  I was hungry so often before.  And then I wasn't.  And now when I am, I feel like it's a high-alert must have food.  But maybe hunger isn't so bad.  Maybe it's good to be a little hungry every once in awhile.

2.  That's not hunger!  This last week I've really tried to eliminate snacking and I came to find that I was wanting food just because.  Because it was there or because I felt like I needed a snack break.  Sure, sometimes I was hungry (please see #2), but often it was just programmed into me to want.

3.  Give 'em an inch and they take a mile.  I have always been a pretty healthy eater (no kidding).  But being at my low weight made it easy to think I could have a glass of wine with a meal, or share my fiance's coke (I'm going to throw him under the bus because he refuses to drink anything diet which I always have.)  And that might be okay if it stopped there.  But someone who gets a coke at a movie surely could get candy or popcorn.  It's a very fine line that we have to walk.  Some people may not be able to stop themselves with any kind of candy.  I am comfortable with keeping some dark chocolate pieces around for enjoying with a cup of coffee--but must reel the law school vending machine stuff in!!

4.  1/2 + 1/2 =1.  This goes along with the snacking.  I have found that my restriction is still pretty good at one sit-down.  I can eat a lot more than I did early out, but it's still about 1/2 of a normal person's portion, and about 1/3 of what restaurants woudl like us to eat.  Therefore, I find myself taking home leftovers.  However, if I eat the other half 2 hours later, I've defeated the whole benefit of the surgery.  See #2 above.  Other potential causes:  during the school year I took the leftovers for lunch, problem solved, and I used to split with my sister, problem solved, but my fiance usually does not order the same as I do.

5.  I also wish I'd picked up exercising along the way.  And other good habits like water drinking.  But it's not too late.  I will not freak out, and I will go back to basics.  I still believe dieting is the reason I always gained weight.  Too much "I'll begin tomorrow, let's have takeout tonight."  That won't be my story this time around.  

I hope you start posting more again. I love your approach to this.

Great post.

LOVE this post! Love it!

Me? Well, I'm new to real maintenance and getting past seeing 1200+ calories on my daily log is a little bit of a mind screw. I've spent 2 years trying to keep it around 800. LOL!

I just started maintenance about a month ago. My weight has been stable so far, fluctuating up or down 2 lbs or less in any given week. The thing I have difficulty with is this-I have a couple of very hungry days followed by a couple not so hungry days so my calories are all over the map. I was hoping I would settle into a tighter daily calorie range that would keep me at maintenance weight range. I am working on it.

My biggest struggle with maintenance is that although I've been "doing it" for over 2 years, I have yet to really have to face it.  I got almost down to goal at 6 months post op... then I got pregnant and magical pregnancy metabolism kicked in.  I could (and often did) eat whatever I wanted without consequence.  While I was nursing for 11 months, the magic continued and I lost the last 10 lbs to reach my initial goal while still eating pretty much whatever I wanted.  My restriction has always been good, my meals have always been really sound choices, so the indulgences just fell into the "extra" category.  I recently decided to be done having kids and to make the last push to get to my "dream goal" before calling some plastic surgeons.  During this, I've really cleaned up my habits and gotten my lifestyle much more manageable long term. Annnnnd I just found out I'm pregnant again.  So, in the three years since my surgery, I've been pregnant or nursing for almost two of those.  I guess I just don't know how to maintain without the magical metabolism I get from babies, so I've slipped into a very dangerous place.  I feel like one of those skinny people who can just eat anything and stay skinny.... but I know this won't last.  I'm definitely going to have a long mental road to get down after this next baby is done nursing!!

Hey there!

I think my biggest challenges are 1. nibbling when not really needed.. I don't get truly "hungry" often anymore, so I eat by the clock.. and I often will use eating as a break from work, and who doesn't want more distractions like that? So, if I don't eat till hungry (5hrs or so since my last meal usually is when I really notice it) I rarely can get in enough, but eating too often leads me to get into the habit of wanting that belly-full feeling. I've started defeating this by loading up on a big rich high cal protein & fat bfast shake then waiting till lunch to have anything else. Skip that and I get a nibble day at the end. I too can eat a "meal" every couple hours, but in reality- I'm NOT hungry every two hours, so I shouldn't do that.. it's a bad habit and I know it.

The other challenge- since about a year out, our social life has changed for the better- more & younger social circles, more nights out, more live music, trips.. all leading to being around great food/wine/beer/****tail fun. My body and alcohol don't get along well. I swell fast (always have) and alcohol really ups the water retention badly on me, plus the metabolic effect of alcohol (instant fat storage, your body will burn alcohol first- anything you eat will get stored) leads me to gain. I can pin the extra 5-8lbs I picked up these last few months directly on the boozy party-fest that was early Spring/birthday/anniversary/vacations back to back to back. If these were one day events it wouldn't have effected me, but the entire month of May alone was one trip and party after another. Not complaining, it was my 40th/husbands bday/friends bdays and I rocked it out the entire time, but I am actually looking forward (sort of) to the calm down I see these next few months..

As of my last weigh-in, I was 3lbs over what should be my highest line, and about 8 or so over the lowest end.. so, I have some work to do to tighten it up in the coming months and get into my comfy spot again. I've been spot on since we got home from the last vacation, and only have one event this weekend where I will have a bit of treats, but nothing substantial since it's a work night and I need to be home early.

Catching it within that range is a hell of a lot better than what I used to do, but the old fears of OMG I'M GETTING FAT!! bounce in my brain, even though in reality it's not an emergency worthy of true panic. I did not wake up suddenly 30lbs fatter overnight. Something that should definitely get attention paid to it, yes. Behaviors need to get tweaked a bit to send it going back the other direction. Working on the mental side to not PANIC (and self-sabotage from the negative mental spirals) at the body shifts also has been a challenge, and a bit harder one for me. My brain messes with me over belly skin issues on top of it, making me want to always get far leaner than what really looks good. Though I really think if I got that fixed I'd find something else to obsess over.. 

 

THANK YOU for posting about the alcohol! I think I have the same issue and then I wonder why I put on a few random pounds. It's definitely something I need to watch. It didn't even dawn on me that might be doing it. I only have a few drinks per month, but yeah. Duh, Candy! ;)

Ah, the mental stuff... that's SO freaking hard. I struggle with my brain telling me things often. Not AS often, but definitely often.

I had my oops last December. Three things collided, new desk job after hiking 30-40 miles a week all spring, summer and fall; recovering from plastic surgery, two business trips followed by two weeks back east with family. It was my first time post op pretending I could eat sugar/flour and not gain weight. Oops oops oops. Seven pounds of Opps. January 1st I didn't participate in breakfast and got on the plane committed to making those pounds disappear. I needed to take drastic measures. Today I am down those 7 along with 2 more.

I let my 2-3 pound comfort zone slip and I learned a big lesson. I am not normal. Sugar leads to wanting more. Every time. So my bigger lesson is that business travel, vacation, parties etc are a continuation of my daily life. A treat is in fact a treat. Not something that I rationalize that I deserve. What I deserve is to feel radiant and healthy and have my 6/8 jeans fit with wiggle room.

Hand to mouth party doesn't work for me. I went strict Paleo May 1st and eliminated snacking. I gain every time I eat hand to mouth. In the old days people ate three meals and survived quite easily.

I have my plan firmly in place. If I want something out of the ordinary (protein, veggies, fruit), I have to really think about if it will give me the results I really want. This actually makes it feel quite manageable.

Ask me again in September after two weeks in Eastern Europe.

Maintenance is hard. It's so easy to get extra calories. Low carb does not necessarily mean low calorie.

I recently had a resting metobolic test taken so I know exactly how many calories I need to be eating. I know a lot of people who are putting weight back on after a few years. It takes monitoring because it's so easy to put on 3 lbs and if you don't take it right off, it's going to keep going up.

 

 

Honestly...

I have hated every last minute of maintenance.  I got to my goal so fast (13 months post-op) and my SW was 390.....once I got to my goal and started increasing my calories I felt overwhelming anxiety unlike nothing I had ever experienced in my life before.  In the past mild anxiety would make me eat and eat and eat...now it makes me what to stick with what's comfortable.  I have such a hard time moving myself from the 600-800 calorie range that I followed in weight loss out of FEAR of regain but every week I watch the scale go lower.  The thought of one day being 390 pounds again is just too much for me to cope with most days BUT and it's a big BUT...I am working with the right people to resolve this problem and get the scale back to where it should be and put on some weight right now.  EVERY. SINGLE. DAY is a challenge....but every single day I remind myself how fantastic I felt at 140-150 and how FAR FAR AWAY that is from 390. 

I guess my struggles in maintenance are not the "typical" things that people struggle with but it's been a very real problem for me since February.