Alli takes the scenic route to maintenance

[herewego]

Hi all,

I can't believe that I am here on the maintenance board . It feels like only weeks ago that I decided to enquire about CD despite not being sure whether it was healthy. Well, I now do believe that it is a safe way of losing weight and it is THE only way that I could lose it.

I've been on so many diets in my life and also spent several years trying (and failing) intuitive eating. I spent so much money on various coaching scheme and online courses in intuitive eating and I must have spent thousands in diet books and books about disordered eating. It all made sense at the time and I so desperately wanted it to work, but I couldn't apply the knowledge I gained and the weight just kept piling on.

CD is the only diet where I've managed to lose more than 1 stone before giving up. I've lost 3 stone now which isn't that much but for me it seemed like an impossibility until that first weigh in when I lost 8lbs in one week .

I know I'm lucky as I found SS quite easy. Moving up the plan has been a lot harder and 810 was a nightmare. I am now on 1200 and it's fine. I feel like I can eat loads but hope to still lose a few more pounds albeit very slowly.

My original goal was 10 stone. I'm 10.10 now but am struggling to find the motivation to keep chugging away at 1000 and so have decided to move up the plans now and maintain. My last target that I set myself in the beginning of this journey was to maintain for 3 months and so this is what I intend to do. Maybe once I've completed my maintenance target I'll think about losing a few more pounds, maybe not. I want to focus on eating well now and not worry about the scales. I feel that I'm in a good place and even though I overeat several times per week I've managed to brush myself off and keep going withough beating myself up. I'm pretty proud of that considering how I used to get caught up in a binge / starve cycle for months on end in the past.

I'm a size 12 now. It's where I wanted to be - occasionally I think about how cool it would be a size 10, but then I think about how I was buying size 18 just a few months ago and remember how much I have achieved and how I should enjoy that rather than always wanting more.

I know that maintaining will be really hard - it's already hard as I can feel old habits returning, but I am determined to never have to diet again and so my NEW, HEALTHY, LIFE STARTS HERE!!!arty0038:

 

[curlywurly1234]

Alli,
Welcome over to the maintenance board hon..
Well done you have done fab on your journey..
You say you have 'only' lost 3 stone but thats a fantastic amount of weight to lose some people have lost more but thats because they were obviously so much heavier than you to start off with.
So be proud of your 3 stone hon.
Sounds like your doing fab working your way up the steps.. and you sound like you will be at goal before you know it..
Good luck hon and we are all here to support each other on maintenance..
xxx Marissa xxx

 

[herewego]

Thanks Curly!

I know I've done a great job losing the weight and am really proud of myself. Now I just need to figure out how to maintain (and maybe lose a few more lbs) without it feeling like being on a diet if that makes sense.

So my menu for today is going to be something like this:

Bf: food doctor bagel, scraping of Lurpak lighter
Snack: a few dried apricots
Lunch: Cappuccino shake and mixed salad
Dinner: Skinny Keema (Turkey mince cooked with onion, sweet potatoes, peppers and spinach in a coconut milk (light) and curry flavoured sauce). I might have 1 or 2 of the ready to eat poppadums you can buy in the shops if I feel like it.

That would leave me around 200 calories for skimmed milk and a couple of oat biscuits with a cuppa before bed.

I'm not really sticking to the CD 1200 plan as you can see - but am concentrating on choosing wisely and also sticking to my calories using WLR.

Feeling good today

 

[Bess]

Hi Alli and welcome. All you have written strikes a chord with me. Congratulations - you've done so very well. We are the same height - I'm interested, what made you pick your goal weight? And what is WLR?

 

[herewego]

Hi Bess,

I chose my original goal weight of 10 stone as it was a stone heavier than I was in my 20s and at 35 and after 2 children I thought it would be about right.

I've changed now though as I'm 10.10 now and feel good. I could do with losing a few more pounds, but learning how to maintain is more important. I have had such a screwed up relationship with food for such a long time now that learning how to successfully maintain is going to be a huge challenge, but bring it on I say

Hopefully I will lose a few lbs more whilst working on maintenance, but if not I'll still be delighted with the way I look now. I can always lose a bit more later when I've got used to maintaining.

WLR is a online weight management / loss programme. It's basically a huge food database and a diary so that you can track what you eat (calories, carbs, protein etc) every day. It's not free, but I have been a member for 4-5 years and I love it.

There's a free 24 hour trial - check it out.

Weight Loss Resources

 

[herewego]

Day 2 of my diary LOL! I'm rubbish at keeping diaries, but would like to keep this going for a while to keep focus on the maintenance. I must have started 5 blogs in the last couple of years, but I always end up forgetting about them after a couple of weeks. Must try harder with this one

I've just had a small yoghurt and some crunchy bran for breakfast. I'm all bloated this morning as it's TOTM and I wish I could just go back to bed, but with 2 children under the age of 7 that's not going to happen . We're off to Dover later to deliver something we've sold on eBay. We thought we'd spend a day at the beach so hope the weather holds up. The kids can spend hours throwing pebbles into the sea and I'll bring a good book and a flask of coffee.

Am planning to have a CD bar and a piece of fruit for lunch as we will be out and about. Dinner will be leftover Keema from yesterday, so no cooking.

Right, I'm off to make some bread (well I'm going to throw some ingredients in the bread maker) for the children's packed lunches tomorrow.

Hope everyone's having a lovely Sunday morning!!

 

[alexmummy07]

Hey Alli,

Welcome over to maintenance and congratulations on your weight loss
I hope you are just as succesful in maintenance, it definitely sounds as though your head is in the right place, so I wish you all the success, and look forward to reading your progress xx

 

[herewego]

Good Morning diary

How easy it was to say that I was more interested in maintaining than losing now that I'm a healthy weight - how much harder it is to accept this in reality and not get disappointed when the scales are sticking.

I know that I'm fine as I am and maintaining is the new challenge, but I'm hooked on the buzz of losing weight. A little voice in my ear keeps telling me to do SS for a few days so that I have a loss when I next see my CDC. I haven't seen her for 3 weeks and I'm the same weight as I was then. Now I KNOW that going back to SS is not an option and that I just need to talk some sense into that voice inside, but oh how persuasive it can be.

Yesterday went slightly off plan as we decided to go to Harvester for dinner. I had simply chicken (grilled chicken breast) with mashed potatoes and peas. It was lovely and I didn't feel the need to eat anything else all evening.

Today I'm having dorset muesli for breakfast, a chocolate tetra as a mid morning snack, tuna salad for lunch and Chilli (with a little brown rice) for dinner. I'll probably have a couple of apples or some other fruit throughout the day - whatever takes my fancy when I get to the fruit stall near work.

My DH is out tonight and this used to mean binge time, so I'm going to have to be mindful of this tonight so that I don't fall back into old habits.

 

[curlywurly1234]

Hi Alli,
Your doing great hon, well done you and well done for keeping up your diary...... as I know you said your not great at keeping diaries.
It definately keeps you motivated and helps to keep you focussed if you write in your diary..
I totally agree with what you wrote.. about it being reality and not getting upset if the scales dont change..
I feel exactly the same my loss has been so slow getting to my goal but the hard bit is the maintaining...... Its all learning.......

Your meals for today sound fab so have a good day hon........
xxx

 

[Bess]

Hi Bess,


I've changed now though as I'm 10.10 now and feel good. I could do with losing a few more pounds, but learning how to maintain is more important. I have had such a screwed up relationship with food for such a long time now that learning how to successfully maintain is going to be a huge challenge, but bring it on I say

Hopefully I will lose a few lbs more whilst working on maintenance, but if not I'll still be delighted with the way I look now. I can always lose a bit more later when I've got used to maintaining.

I feel just like this, but I'm 11.12. (Goal was/is?11st.) Size 14 bottoms and 12 tops though and I do look slim.

Good Morning diary

How easy it was to say that I was more interested in maintaining than losing now that I'm a healthy weight - how much harder it is to accept this in reality and not get disappointed when the scales are sticking.

I know that I'm fine as I am and maintaining is the new challenge, but I'm hooked on the buzz of losing weight. A little voice in my ear keeps telling me to do SS for a few days so that I have a loss when I next see my CDC. I haven't seen her for 3 weeks and I'm the same weight as I was then. Now I KNOW that going back to SS is not an option and that I just need to talk some sense into that voice inside, but oh how persuasive it can be.

.

Ahh. Hmmmm. Isn't it just ? And sticking is the word.

 

[Katycakes]

Welcome over Alli... good to see you! I do know what you mean about wanting to maintain yet still longing to see the scales move down... this is so me! I am trying hard to re-train my head! And on the steps, it may be that you don't lose much more, but if you feel the motivation going then you are probably wise to start stepping up.

Have a great day and stay strong!

xxx

 

[herewego]

Well it was going to happen at some point and it happened yesterday! I had a binge - first one in a long time - but a binge nonetheless. :sigh: I was fully aware of what I was doing but I didn't want to pause or stop what I was doing. I wanted to eat all the sugary food in the house so that I didn't have any more (complete loss of common sense there ). I should have binned the food but my inner toddler was out in full force and no amount of logic was going to stop her eating everything in sight (including sweets that the children have been given at parties etc). Most of it I didn't even like - taste was not important, I don't know what was to be honest.

I unintentionally insulted someone at work yesterday and was beating myself up over it all evening. I think maybe that's why I was overeating. While I was stuffing my face with food I wasn't thinking about what I had said to my colleague and so it brought me temporary relief if that makes sense. Of course, afterwards I had 2 things to beat myself up over but at the time I felt better.

I don't feel the urge to binge today - and have not tried to overcompensate by not eating today so will just accept that my weight might go up a little at this week's weigh in.

Today I've had a CD shake and a banana for breakfast, pasta salad for lunch and am having griddled salmon and garlicky spinach for dinner. I have a frozen chocolate tetra at the ready if the cravings return but hope I won't need it

 

[herewego]

Welcome over Alli... good to see you! I do know what you mean about wanting to maintain yet still longing to see the scales move down... this is so me! I am trying hard to re-train my head! And on the steps, it may be that you don't lose much more, but if you feel the motivation going then you are probably wise to start stepping up.

Have a great day and stay strong!

xxx

Hi Katy,

The motivation to lose is definitely not there anymore. I would like to lose a few more lbs but not enough to worry about it. I have a holiday planned for February so am planning on maintaining now until Xmas and hope that the motivation will return in January to lose a bit more for my holidays (will no doubt have a bit of Crimbo flab to lose by then as well ).

It's all head stuff, isn't it! Eating when hungry and stopping when full sounds so easy and logical - but as we all know it's really bl**dy hard!

Take Care

 

[Katycakes]

Hugs back Alli, sorry about your slip, it is so upsetting I know, it just shakes your confidence. And funny how often feeling upset can be a factor. But put it behind you and move on hon... you can do this!

xxx

 

[*Shanny*]

Hello Alli i reached goal last nite just trying to sort my head out on how i plan to maintain now How much is it to have the WLR please.??

 

[herewego]

Hi Shanny - If you pay monthly it's just under £10 per month, but you get a discount for paying quarterly of half-yearly. I pay £7 per month or thereabouts and it's definitely worth it.

 

[Wales]

Hi Ali, just catching up on your diary. Hope you are back on track after your slip the other evening? Your plan to not compensate by undereating the next day is very sensible, I had to consciously think about this after I had a few days of bigger meals. That is not a pattern to get into, just need to accept the decisions we made and move on.

Am sure you have the strength and focus to get where you want to be. Just need to understand the reasons behind the binge and get some strategies to cope in the future...

You have done great with your weightloss and am sure you will be fab in maintenance.

 

[LizzMB]

alli, sorry about the binge hun but well done you for not over compensating the next day! i think it would be so simple to just say "back to SS for a bit to get over my blip" but in reality and in life, we cant keep doing that! The biggest challenge is to see life BEYOND cambridge.....where that safety net isnt there, and we just have to learn to accept our decisions and move on...!

You sound like you have your head so screwed on though, and the binge will come with a million lessons learned so it wont have been in vain.

Your doing brilliantly and i will mke sure i keep reading your diary for inspiration!
I too will be using WLR post CD for a bit, but its so vast it terrifies me slightly so i know who to come to for advice!

Keep smiling hun! Your FABULOUS!!!

xx

 

[Greeneyes11]

Well done Alli with getting back on track after your binge the other evening, dont worry about it though, just eat "normally" for a few days and the extra weight will drop off on its own, definately no reason to over compensate as this could lead to another binge.... I have this little book called Collins Gem Calorie Counter, bought it in WH Smiths for £3.99, it is like one of those mini dictionaries by the same people, it fits neatly in your handbag and you can carry it around with you, it contains the calorie, fat, carb and several other counts for tons of food including named food and was a Godsend to me when I first started maintaining, much cheaper than WLR and more handy as you can always have it in your pocket, or even use it alongside WLR and if there is a food that isn't in there but on WLR, write it in your book.... just a cheaper alternative.
Hope you have a good day, still have to make the sourdough starter this week, dying to make the bread, thanks for the recipe...

 

[herewego]

Ah girls you're all lovely!! My binge is well and truly in the past and I'm doing well. I bought loads of lovely spicy almonds today on my way home from work so will measure out a small helping to have tonight as it's so easy to overeat on these things.

I'm feeling good - not great, but good. My weight is going nowhere but then that's the point of maintenance I guess . I've noticed that I feel more wobbly now that I've introduced carbs and I don't feel as slim as I did a few weeks ago even though I'm actually slightly lighter. It's time to start exercising me thinks . I always used to exercise and was an avid runner some years ago, but when I was at my heaviest I felt so sluggish I stopped completely and I haven't yet managed to get back into it. I'm going swimming on Friday with a friend, but hate swimming so doubt it'll motivate me. Now that it's getting darker outside I'm not feeling like running either.

Maybe I should dust one of my countless exercise DVDs or get the Wii Fit out....

Right today I've mostly eaten:

B: Cambridge bar & Starbucks skinny Americano
S: clementines
L: Super duper health salad (Pret)
D: Soup, bread and spicy almonds

Right, time to put my monsters to bed and then chill out with a film and my nuts!!