Maintenance..........advice please.

[fillymum]

I have decided that at my current weight of 160lbs I feel just right. It is still clinically overweight for my height but as a fairly young 67 years old I feel to go any further I would look even more ancient than I do.

I feel fit and happy and delighted with my new appearance and at our Christmas Antiques Fair yesterday the dealers from around the country were all very complimentary. I felt good.

So please friends who are on maintenance what do you do to maintain your weight.

All advice welcome.

 

[fillymum]

I can not believe that 53 people have read this post, a post that this site is supposed to be all about and not one person has any advice or help with.

How very upsetting. I try my best to support and help everyone on here.

 

[Shrimpy]

I have no idea how to maintain, not quite there yet! 7lbs to go!!!!

From what I see in my book you should up your HEx Bs and monitor to try and figure out the optimal amount, so like if you're on EE you would have 2 for the first week and see how that works, then up it again if you're still losing...

 

[Tiphareth]

Congratulations on getting to a the point of maintenance, good luck with it.

Wish I was in a position to give you some advice. I still have 2-3 stone left to loose, so I'm many months away from having to think about it.

 

[Christiana]

Well done Fillymum! I'm a long, loooooooooong way from maintenance, so I don't know how much help I can be, but I have heard my consultant discussing it with target members. I've heard the same about upping the healthy extras until you no longer lose. I can see that being huge benefit, particularly on EE days and possibly helping to keep syns in check.

HTH!

 

[gl12282]

Hi Sue,

Congratulations. That is a fantastic achievement. I'm not a great believer in fitting all statistics to all people therefore I agree that if you feel good and are fit and healthy it doesn't matter where you fit into those statistics. Well done.

Please don't be offended that no-one had responded to your post. I wasn't one of the 53 that read your post and didn't respond (but I could have been on a different day) but sometimes I check posts on my phone and genuinely don't have time to respond. There are many of us here who would love to be able to advise but just aren't anywhere close to that. We can only read your post in awe of your successes.

I hope that you find people who can advise and guide you in your journey from now on. For the rest of us who can't do that (but hope to be able to in the future !) we will try and support you in whatever way we can and wish you all the very best.

Gail x

 

[anoushka]

Hiya, congratulations on hitting target! I'm not there yet so can't advise but there are def people in the main SW forum who have hit so maybe ask in there instead.

From what I understand people continue on plan and then start to increase by one HE (but can't remember if it's A or B) and see how they go - some people can manage a couple more a day to maintain, some people just have to stick to it without anything extra. I guess it's also possible to allow yourself the odd 'relaxed meal' each week instead but for me I think that would be a step too far and I'd just see it as a license to keep eating off plan!

Good luck!

 

[eternity]

Well done Fillymum
I've been maintaining since January. I was on 70 syns per week (10 a day but I always use them weekly) when I got to target so the first thing I did was to up my syns to 105 a week, then I added an extra Heb on 2 or 3 days a week too. I also have slightly bigger portions sometimes.
I've found maintaining fine as long as I still follow the plan and I'm fine about that. The only time I don't still follow the plan is on holiday when I'm not cooking myself, but I still do what I can to eat good stuff.
It still needs a lot of concentration, but SW has really been, and it had to be, a real change in the way I eat forever. I know that if I ever go back to the way I used to eat then all the weight and more will go back on. I'm 53 so like you I know that I will be healthier if I stay slimmer.
I think people tackle maintenance differently, so hopefully you'll get some more replies. Officially you are supposed to have an extra HEB each day and see how your weight goes. Psychologically for me it was better to put my syns up to the plan maximum even though I spend quite a lot of them on HEB foods.
Good luck with finding your way of maintaining, let us know how it goes xx

 

[big bear]

Hey Granny Sue, I wondered where you were. I've got no idea how to maintain as I'm a long way away but I think the others on here have given wonderful advice.

Well done for reaching target that's fantastic & as long as you are happy & healthy that's the main thing.

Speak soon XXXX

 

[MadameLaMinx]

Hey Sue!

Dont be upset chick, its probably people reading that arent yet that are in a position to maintain, so cant advise.

HOWEVER! MLM has arrived! CONGRATULATIONS ON CALLING TARGET!!!!

And to be fair, I have no clue either, I am still trying to work it out myself.

Official advice is to stick to the plan and add in some extra healthy extras. Take a few weeks to try this out and see how you get on.

I am SO happy for you, you have done SO well, I dont like to use the word inspiration too often, but I think YOU definitely qualify as someone who deserves that word attributing to you. You are someone who really goes for what they want, who lets nothing get in their way and who can achieve what they set out to achieve, even with difficult circumstances.

Get a target sticker on your profile, and be proud of what you have achieved. You are amazing.

 

[jaylou]

I can not believe that 53 people have read this post, a post that this site is supposed to be all about and not one person has any advice or help with.

How very upsetting. I try my best to support and help everyone on here.

Me too Sue! Even if people are not at target they can still offer their congratulations.

So here are my congratulations to you and my words of advice....

The official line is to increase your B choices by one per day and check your weight after a week. If you still lose then increase to two B choices and so on. Some people find they can only have one extra and some can have up to 4. I've heard some can't even up by one though!

The other (non-official) way to do it is to relax a bit. When I was at target (for over 2.5 years before i slipped...) I used to have all my meals on plan, weigh and measure my A's and B's and have my syns as normal BUT I'd have a day or so off plan. I'd have whateve I wanted on a Saturday night or if we went out and if we had pasta I'd maybe have a couple of slices of garlic bread.

This worked for me and I know it's currently working for CP too.

It is a tough thing and I still say that being at target is harder than losing the weight.

Enjoy the wonderful feeling and go with what is best for you.

 

[Happy Holidays]

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeee and well done on achieving target, it hasn't taken you that long to get there.

I've been at target since May & it hasn't been easy. Some days are easier than others, it's not the weight issue thats the problem it's my mind which is. OH would say I've always had a problem that way

I haven't increased my HEX's as I have enough as it is. But what I do is, if I've weighed a hex which is slightly over I'll leave it. I sometimes, but not every week, go over my syns. I also relax more if we go out for drinks or a meal. We went out last weekend & I had 6 large glasses of wine to drink whereas before target I'd have stopped well before then. And you know the nice thing about it, I just didn't feel guilty. I gained 1lb at WI, but I just didn't care as I know it won't stay there & will come off again maybe this week, maybe next.

I still write down all my syns, even a piece of chocolate which is only 2 syns it's all written down, but I no longer keep a food diary. And I still go to class & come on here for support. I'd be quiet fed up if I'd posted something as important & nobody had replied. I'd agree you do support people a lot.

At the end of the day the nice thing about it all is you've made it, and you know in your hearts of hearts you're going to stay there. Just keep doing what you have been & increase hex's or syns but not too many

 

[judimac]

:bliss:Congratulations!

 

[Shabba]

Well done!!!!!

 

[claracluck1981]

Congratualtions! I bet its a great feeling to be at Target. All the advice I could think of has already been said. Well done on yor achievment x

 

[funcurls]

Hi Sue, congratulations for getting to a weight that you're happy with! That's basically what we all strive for!! I have 13 lb to go (12 lb until this week- oops!!) and would probably be putting the same question out there when my moment finally arrives!! I know the official advice by SW is to increase HEXs by one of each per day, then more if necessary, but I think it's really a matter of trial and error. Going by my last 4 weeks, I've basically maintained my current weight and this has consisted of a mixture of very bad/indulgent, reasonably bad, pretty good and amazingly good days, so some have probably balanced out others! I really think that it's going to be about experimenting a little, keeping a close eye on things (continuing to WI each week) then tweaking where necessary! I guess that a whole new set of strategies apply to maintaining rather than losing! All I know is I am so excited to arrive there!!X

 

[helzzz]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

You're a big inspiration! I need to lose the same amount of weight that you've lost - it's good to see other people have done it. I'm looking forward to being at target next Christmas!

Well done!

 

[fillymum]

Thank you everyone. I now feel daft about being a bit peeved yesterday.

So far I have had an indulgent glass of wine and some sausages !!!!!! I love sausages.

I agree it is going to be trial and error. I am so grateful for all your advice and have promised MYSELF that I will not allow the pounds to creep back on.

A bonus for me has been the special cyber friendships that have been formed here. Goodness I have even become a cyber granny in my quest for a healthier life style. Who could ask for more. I love the community feel to the site.

I will follow plan most of the time and relax if we go out or have friends to dinner.

We are celebrating on Boxing Day with friends so that will be my special day.

For me MiniMins has become part of my life. Thanks to you all for your help and encouragement.

 

[Leapfrog]

I agree it is going to be trial and error.

I will follow plan most of the time and relax if we go out or have friends to dinner.

I think you've answered yourself, Sue! I have unintentionally been maintaining for well over a year. If I'm honest, most weekdays I'm pretty much on plan but not strict enough to lose any more weight. I have never been one to "binge" but I may have a bit more than a HEX worth of cheese and more than 15 syns, but not that much more. Some days I'm positively angelic and most weekends I'm a bit more lax

But I always keep an eye on the scales and reign it in if it creeps up.

What I should do is pull my finger well and truly out and push myself to lose the last 3kgs. But I find it soooo difficult in winter.

Good luck - the secret is control. if you're mostly in control, you'll be fine. Get out of control and you need to give yourself a good talking to

 

[joedenise]

Congratulations Sue. Can't really add anything to what others have said because I'm still in the process of trying to maintain myself having reached target 2 weeks ago. At the moment I do EE usually and have just upped my HEA and HEB to 2 but I still lost when I went to WI yesterday. So this week I'm going to try to fit in another HEB a few times during the week and see if that works for me.

I think it's just trial and error until you find what works for you. It doesn't matter what works for others you have to find your own level to maintain.

Denise