Maintenance - How can it be done!

[Wegle]

So unbelieveably I find myself just one week away from being at target. (Last week of a countdown I bought so whatever I am next week will be target). Last night at class I raised my concerns about how I will maintain the weight loss. Advice given was that many people do it different ways. Some people stick to plan in the week then relax at weekends, some stop measuring their HEs.

What I wanted to ask was, to all the maintainers out there, how do you do it? What would be your top tips? I will be continuing going to class to get weighed so I can keep an eye on any gains and nip them in the bud straight away.

I'm just panicky now because whilst losing weight is hard, in a way it is simple because if you stick to the rules you will lose, there don't seem to be any rules for maintaining and I know what I'm like if I don't have rules I'm liable to go bananas. I thought about increasing the weights of the HEs so that I still had to have a limited amount but it would be a slightly increased amount.

Any tips, tricks etc would be gratefully received.

If I've posted this in the wrong place sorry!

 

[mandy296]

There is a thread that may help - its in the sub-forums (so scroll up to top of page) and its in the "through the stones to your zone" sub forum - the thread is called something like "anyone maintaining who wants help and advice to stay put"

There are a few of us that post there but I have to admit, its not very busy.

My approach (maintainer for about 4 months) has been a bit haphazard to be honest.

1st week after target I had a weekend away and put 3lbs on so the next week had to go back to optimising 100% to lose it again. After that I just pretty much carried on as normal, same amount of syns and HEs, but was maybe a bit more relaxed at weekends (eg, went back to drinking pints rather than rum and diet cokes if I went out)

For a little while I continued to lose, and I reset my target one week when I got 3.5lbs under my original target - I set it to that mark (this isnt how it should be done officially - my consultant let me do it as she was probably happier to have me keep coming rather than put me off by forcing me to pay if I wanted to set a lower target as I volunteer at pay and weigh etc).

I just make the most of the +/- 3lbs thing - it means i relax a bit when I have things on, nights out, weekends away etc and dont worry about gains, then use quieter weeks to optimise 100% to bring it back, and even try to go under a bit to give me a bit in reserve for the next big weekend away etc.

And if you do find you are possibly a bit under - weigh at home first to see roughly where you are, then turn up to group with some weights in your pockets!

 

[Shrimpy]

I have tended to up my HExBs. But that leads to weirdness, gains of 3lbs then losing despite doing virtually the same thing, BUT I am just about managing it. Though I am in a losing week at the mo, trying to reduce my weight from to end of target. I think truthfully, it's trial and error. I up my Bs and do EE with 2 B choices & 1a, Though, as I have gotten used to the 2 Bs, in losing weeks I have found myself doing red and green for that extra cereal bar, whereas before I did almost exclusively Extra Easy.