Thread: What helps you to maintain?

Hope you won't mind me posting here, but I'm planning ahead. I'm really pleased with my progress in abstinence, but I do know this is the easy part. I will be doing RTM soon I hope, and then comes maintenance. For those of you maintaining, what has helped you to keep the weight off and what have you found challenging? It would really help me to start thinking of some of the hurdles I may face and plan some strategies around them.

Thanks!

Hi Spangly,
I've got in to the habit of weighing myself everyday. I used to always think it was a bad idea, but found that if I weigh myself once a week I can do a lot of damage in between! So weighing myself everyday helps me keep on top of things, if my weight goes up a bit one day I know to cut back that day and it means my weight tends to balance out.

It works for me so far!
xxxx

Good tip, Hannah. Thanks! I'm quite worried it's all going to go to pot once I finish abstinence. I'm so happy at this size. It's better than I dreamed it would be and I don't want to go back to where I was before.

Hi Spangly, not sure if any of my tips will help but here goes. I've been maintaining for over a year now so I've finally accepted that I AM a maintainer and not just still in the trial stage....and god that feels good!

1. I weigh myself every day, as has been said, a lot of damage can be done in a week and trying to sort it before it's a huge problem is the best way for me to tackle it.

2. I have a happy box weight wise and won't let myself go above it. It actually has quite a bit of leeway as there is 7lb difference between the lowest and the highest. 7lb sounds a lot but for me it's giving myself permission to have a decent Christmas/Holiday etc without being too fanatical about it all. I find also that with that 7lb I can still fit into my size 10 jeans, I still have a BMI of under 25 and still look and feel slim. So it's a boundary for me, but not too strict that I can't keep to it.

3. I try to limit my carbs. They are my trigger foods and just make me want to eat more of everything else. As soon as I put on weight, I know it's due to carbs and immediately cut them out and can see the weight come back off again almost immediately.

4. I keep reminding myself of how much I enjoy being slim. I revel in it. I look at pictures of me, like at my Christmas night out etc and just keep marveling at the fact that I look so good. It keeps me motivated to stay this way. We've all said we don't want to go back to being fat, but just need to constantly remind ourselves of what it is we do want....to stay slim!

5. Exercise, I try to do something most days. The weeks running up to Christmas meant there was very little done but it's important to keep it going. Find something you like and enjoy. If you like it you will more likely continue. I've found a passion for running, and it's easy to do. No need for gym membership so it's free.

Great tips Morticia.
The only 1 I don't do is weigh myself daily xx

I would have to agree with the weigh yourself daily, or at least every other day. I was a fanatical scale jumper and was advised not to jump on there so regularly which is when a few pounds seem to slide on, so back to the daily weigh for me, its easier to loose 1lb than 10lb

J
xx

I found body combat classes good to burn a few calories and tried to stay off bread. Pasta and rice are ok for me but I tend to pile on the lb if I have lots of bread.

These tips are all brilliant. Many thanks. I really don't want to have to do this twice! (can't afford to anyway - see my diary thread re sale shopping lol). So... Weighing every day seems to be the one you all think is important. I was wondering about getting smaller plates after reading one of Minerva's posts which made a lot of sense. Have any of you done that? I don't have a problem with eating healthily - I just have a tendency to eat far too much!!

You will find that you cannot manage bigger portions, and if eating of smaller plates helps, then go for it!! Anything that works for you is amazing, we all seem to have our own little tricks and tips! When are you starting RTM?

J
xx

I'm not sure. I'm going to be discussing the options with my LLC on Friday. How close do you need to be to goal before you start? Can you reach goal first?

I got to my goal first then started, but each to their own, I did continue loosing in the first few weeks of RTM, but then you load your glycogen back so that will put a few on... it really is such a personal thing. I ended up going lower than my initial goal in the first place though, as I decided when I got there that I wanted to loose a bit more.

Sorry, not much help, but I think you know when you are ready to start RTM

J
xx