Andy's maintenance thread

[SerenityValley]

Won't get much exposure in here, but since I'll talk a lot of food, this is the only place for it.

I never finished rtm, so I'm working hard to not be one of those people who don't keep the weight off.

I put on a stone, but have removed close to half of that and am in a controlled position (in terms of both diet and exercise).

I will use this thread to talk about my day/week. I'm an emotional old sod, so I expect to do a lot of whinging.

Just a short one today - just to highlight a few things. My "diet" is not healthy yet and I know this. I will appreciate advice, but at the same time, there is nothing in there that IO don't know is less than ideal so please don't tell me off for eating too much toast - I'll deal with that situation over time - as I experiment with what works for me (I'm limited by both budget and the fact I have to take food to work for breakfast after I go swimming).

Today, I've had 1257 calories so far and am slightly hungry. I haven't decided yet but I will probably have a yoghurt (150 cals) and maybe some toast (lol) or ricecakes with marmite. Either way, my cals will be less than 1600.

I burnt off 533 cals with exercise, so my net cals are lower than I'll be aiming for.

(My overall aim will be between 1800 and 2000 a day, before exercise cals come off).

Today's schedule was:

30 minutes swimming and 40 minutes brisk walking.
4 slicves of toast and marmite.
2ryvita and marmite.
bowl of homemade veg soup.
180g of chicken breast.
brocolli and cauliflower (was 100g of each, but I overcooked it, killed all the flavour)
Cherry fruit corner
60 cals worth of fizzy pop
French fries crisps (94 cals).

Tomorrow will be similar - swimming, walking, toast, soup, then I'll work out the rest of the day.

I felt okish today - no hunger but had a rubbish evening (man utd fan). Felt good after exercise. Feel ok now.

Didn't feel any guilt over the crisps - and am aware that I'll have to make sure they don't become something I eat a lot of.

I weighed a couple of pounds heavier today but am not worried - hopefully just a small fluctuation,.

 

[caz789]

Hey Andy!

Good to see you in here - i'll keep an eye on you.

Sorry about the footie result (not really I'm a Liverpool fan lol).

Looking forward to reading tomorrow's entry!

Take care!

 

[Foxtrot]

Andy, I can't think of a better place for you to 'vent' than in here!

Welcome!!!

 

[Sean(JSF)]

Great idea to blog Andy - good to have you back

 

[SerenityValley]

Thanks folks. Just taking a quick break at work. Managed my exercise again today, and have done well with the eating (toast, soup and ryvita).

I'm quite obsessed with food at the moment - so am looking forward to that being over in time. Obsessing in a good way, if that is possible. I'm not sat thinking "I want that", more "What imaginative ways can I come up with to 'spend' my calories"!

I'm stillnot overly happy with mybalance of calories - they're heavier in the second half of the day. At the moment, I don't trust myself to eat more earlier, knowing I could overdo it later in the evening. Better to eat less now, and leave myself the scope for treats later.

Only have two yoghurts left - when they're gone, I'll need a new snack - I'm not able to justify the calories/cost per yoghurt. They're nice, but they're just snacks and 'd rather work out a way to get a variety of snacks, some good, some not so good.

Oh, I weighed 13st 1lb this morning (2 down from yesterday, and the same as Tuesday), s from now on will log my weight daily, to keep track of the fluctuations.

Thursday 21st = 13st 7lbs
Tuesday 26th = 13st 1lb
Wed 27th = 13st 3lbs
Thurs 28th = 13st 1lb.

(I'll keep 7 days at a time).

 

[SerenityValley]

Weighed 13st 1lb again today, which is good - i'm now solidly in that zone (3 days out of the last 4). It may still fluctuate but it's fairly safe to consider it my real weight.

Today was a "treat" day in that I had a chicken tikka sandwich (estimated 500 cals) and crisps (108 cals). I've had a little over 1000 for the day which still leaves scope for dinner and snack. (Actually wrote this at work, have since had a 530 cal dinner).

I'm lighter than i was on 15th March, so in the 11 weeks that have followed then, I can be said to have "maintained" (in truth I haven't because I went down, then up, then down, then up, then down but I'm happy). I still wish to maintain this weight (or lower) over the next 4 to 8 weeks, to be really getting into it.

Interestingly, when i think about my weight, I usually think "15st 3lbs" (I'm just over 13st). Interesting, because it's only a few weeks since I was still automatically thinking "19st something". I think I was really used to it at the time, and it suggests that my mind is starting to come to terms with the change in weight.

Exercise progresses well. Swimming has gone from 22 lengths in 30 minutes, to 48 lengths in 30 minutes. I decided to work on intensity over time, because it will be easier to increase time later, than to increase intensity. (As I'll be able to continue swimming as long as I want, whereas increasing itensity later may mean a reduction in time.

Walking is increasing - I still find it boring but it's not so bad if I have somewhere to walk to!

Running is still something I look forward to, so will do it again tomorrow. I want to run sunday too but I don't expect to be able to (and I won't if there is any doubt).

I've seen some areas of my body that appear to be changing, which is good. Thighs are starting to tone up (calves have been for a while). Stomach seems slightly smaller, and upper arms are starting to tone.

I've done a week of calorie counting and recording. Now I'm going to try to put a little faith in myself and eat when I'm hungry, amounts that nourish and sustain me, and be honest with myself. I will monitor my weight but I'll only take corrective action if I feel there is some to take. (Correctve action would be just returning to formal recording again).

I feel I need to learn how to estimate food again, and how to be honest with myself. I can't and won't spend my life recording every little thing, so it feels more natural to me, to try not to do it for too long. Maybe I'll do one weke on, one week off - or record without the clories, then after a week enter them all to see how my estimates worked.

 

[Blonde Logic]

Going good Andy!

Going up and down in weight IS maintaining. All my skinny friends do. My naturally skinny that is. Its keeping within a range I feel is important. Not too much of one direction or the other.

As for walking, I found it boring at first, but essential for my arthritis. When I really started to love it was when I plugged into music. Do you have an mp3 player? Makes ALL the difference in the world for me.

Keep it up!

 

[SerenityValley]

Thanks BL. I guess the fact I put on a stone before losing half of it makes me feel it's not so much maintaining. But I'll get there.

Walking is still boring (I use an ipod) but less boring when I have somewhere to go or something to do. It was so hot and sunny the last few days I probably did an extra 8 hours walking across sat/sun/mon!

Tuesday 2nd June

Am seeing that I can bring my weight down through diet and exercise, and more importantly I will be able to keep it down. I can also see that my calorie intake does not need to be extreme - I hover around the 2k mark most days, and this is pretty normal, especially for someone aiming to lose a small amount of weight and then maintain.

It got me thinking about rtm, and the number of people who gain all their weight back when they don't do rtm. I've obviously held a fair amount of fear and concern that I may just do that. Especially during the two periods where I didn't take care of my eating.

But I don't think it's as simple as "don't do rtm, put weight on". I think (but concede I could be wrong), that many/most of those who fail this way, do so because they were only interested in the quick fix. That wasn't my motivation for doing LL - I was desperate for this part of my life to change. I had dreamt of being thin, and always believed that it was unattainable. It wwasn't, and isn't. I do not consider myself thin, by my definition of the word, nor do I consider myself slim. I do not consider myself fat either though. Just slightly overweight (around the middle, and the thighs). I want to reach slim and I think I will - but mostly I just want to continue regaining my life, and being happier.

So my failure to complete RTM (which was partly my fault, partly not) does not doom me to failure - especially as I have been doing my own version of it - and taking absolute responsability for my choices.

I still want to eat certain things but I look at the calorie content and I decide not to, almost every time. I'm almost offended by the calorie content of many items. I will in time find a way to incoporate some of the things I want to eat, sensibly and healthily but there is no rush. Indeed it is better to be slow and deliberate, so that I can challenge my motivations and need.

I may want to work out how many calories I want from various foods. e.g. do I want 95% from healthy foods? Do I want 80% from "non-treats"? I don't know what percentages. Part of me wants to leave lots of scope for treats but the rest of me says there is too much danger of extending things and it's better to not think in those terms. Better to learn to listen to my body (not necessarily my mind!).

Exercise continues to go well. Swimming on weekdays, walking on weekends (and extra walking on warm evenings). This is helping a fair amount in getting/keeping the weight off. I need to be careful really not to forget to eat less if I end up exercising less. I think this is a trap many fall into. Obviously I want and intend keeping exercise levels up high (I intend building them as my fitness improves) but I know from experience that it's easy for exercise to drop.

I think calorie intake at the moment is ok to maintain without exercise, and unless my exercise really ramps up I don't particularly want to increase my intake, so that should be helpful.

Am down to 13st this morning. If that doesn't fluctuate, then I only have 6.5lbs to go to get back to my lowest weight. I got close a few weeks ago, before I took my eye off the prize. So this time, I need to continue as I am. I'm definitely feeling fitter.

 

[slendablenda]

Well done Andy.

Good to see you in a positive frame of mind again and in control. I think that's what it's all about. It definitely helps with the self belief and confidence.

 

[Sean(JSF)]

Great going Andy, you really come across as back in control.

Like BL says, surely maintaining is all about living within a "range" and recognising when to be strict and when you can relax choices. Once that's become 'normal' I think is when you've genuinely cracked it.

 

[thin_inside]

Andy you are doing brilliantly. Your blog shows you have a very healthy mind set and are sure to succeed. Love reading about your thoughts and logic. xx

 

[SerenityValley]

I had a doner kebab and chips tonight - can you please remind me next time I say I want one, that I really don't and I regret it already?

 

[daisydoll]

ooo
not a good choice - remember how you are feeling and let this be a be a lesson to you!!!

back on your plan tomorrow
daisy x

 

[SerenityValley]

Not going into detail but last night, I tried to undo my eating mistake.... I have never done this in my life and thankfully I failed. I feel very ashamed and confused.

I'm going to ask to be referred to a dietician and will also try to make some progress on my eating issues.

I was warned recently that people were worried I had, or was heading towards an ED, and sopmeone else described me as having the unhealthiest relationship with food they've ever known.

So I'm going to go try to find a little help, and sort my head out.

 

[slendablenda]

Self sabotage going on with you Andy by the sound of it. One lady I know had some similar issues. She's been seeng a psychotherapist recommended by our LLC. it has worked for her.Good luck Andy - stick with it. You can get back :wave_cryn track xxx

 

[Sean(JSF)]

Good luck Andy, anything that helps you has GOT to be good

 

[SerenityValley]

Bad start to the week, where poor preparation meant I've gone over 1500 cals already and don't feel like I've had good value in terms of what I've eaten. But that's ok - can live with that. Will keep under 1700 cals, and will feel better once the week's exercise begins.

Ate way too much between Thursday and Sunday but as long as I have a good 5 days, I'll be happy. (Just checked and Sunday I had over 3500 cals - jesus).

It is likely that pre-exercise I need around 15,000 calories a week to break roughly even (though I have had more and lost/broken even). I'm aiming to keep my weekly intake to around 12,500.

I'm aiming to burn off around 3000 calories a week with exercise, which means I could be looking at close to a 5,500 calorie deficit (around 1.5lbs loss). This is more than sustainable. It is likely though, that cals will go over a little, and exercise go under a little, quite often.

Day Intake target Exercise target
Monday 1,500 100
Tuesday 1,500 500
Wednesday 1,500 500
Thursday 1,500 500
Friday 1,500 500
Saturday 2,500 750
Sunday 2,500 100

 

[thin_inside]

Andy, if you can get a few good days behind you I'm sure you will begin to feel more positive going forward. Remember what the early days of the packs were like - tough sticking with it. But you did so you definitely have the determination to see this through and stick to your plan.

Good Luck hon. xx