Moving from 100% TFR to Maintenance... what's the best advice you could give?

[uklady]

I'm hoping to get to my target weight at Christmas, but would love some advice on transferring from TFR to Maintenance. I would like to know what you had wished you had known when you did it What worked for you? What didn't?
I'm trying to plan ahead because I know that coming off being 100% for 5 months is a major thing.... and I want to keep this amazing feeling of success with me as I move back to eating food. Being 100% has become my safe place because I haven't needed to make any choices. I would love to know from those who have succeeded in maintaining, how have you done it, when so many people seem to fail?

 

[kered]

Just follow the refeed letter to the sheet and you wont go far wrong.

Keep an eye on portion sizes after refeed, and take the approach that if you have a bad day one day, just make up for it the day after and it all balances out.

I wish I had followed my own information about cutting back for a day or two after a bad day and I wouldnt be back on exante to lose some weight after over indulging on holidays, stopping smoking etc.

Enjoy your food once you get to it at Xmas, you will love the flavours and tastes. More importantly, congratulations on your losses so far, amazing

 

[summergurl]

Agree with Mary. Follow the refeed sheet religiously and watch your portion sizes when you go back to 3 meals a day.

Don't deprive yourself of something, if you can then have a bit of it but if you do have a bad day just remember to pull it back within the next few days.

Everybody is different and everybody finds their own way of keeping the weight off, me personally I think calorie counting and definatly running helps but it'll be trial and error at first but if you are determined to keep it off you will

and well done on your losses so far x

 

[uklady]

Thanks guys.... whilst I am still loving TFR... my Christmas dinner is starting to get me excited haha xx

 

[Mini]

To add to the excellent advice given above by Kered and Summergurl and speaking as someone who has gained back their weight I would avoid trigger foods for a good few months until maintenance is well established as it is amazing how quickly old habits can resurface.

Congratulations and well done on your weight loss, it is a wonderful achievement:happy096:

 

[JanD]

Well done on your loss so far!

I agree with everything that's been said and would just add that staying here on the forum is a big help when maintaining. Even .... perhaps especially! ... when it's really difficult and we're struggling to stick to our chosen programme. And even more so when we've gone completley off the rails!
The support and encouragement here is second to none. It's people who disappear who seem to put more on that those who hang around. Not all of them obviously but I honestly believe it helps x

 

[irish molly]

Well done on your losses to date. You are so right in putting in a lot of thought about maintenance.
I did TFR for about 26 weeks and was afraid of going back to " real food" . I did a lot of research on plans to follow. Not only did I want to maintain my TFR losses but I wanted to lose another couple of stone.
Prior to TFR I had, at various times, done WW , Atkins, calorie counting, etc , all with limited success. This, I believe, was down to not changing my attitude to food and drink. Any plan will work if you view it as a lifestyle change and open yoursel to new foods.
I have done this using GL principles and keeping an eye on total calorie intake. This helped me lose another 29 lbs as well as my TFR losses. I maintain between 170-180 which is ten pounds over my weight in my twenties.
My advice is;
Follow refeed to the LETTER!
After this, eat three small meals and two snacks.
Watch portion sizes very very carefully.
Keep up your water habit. Aim for two litres every day.
Try new foods. There is so much choice of flavoursome food if we just look!
Keep away from old trigger foods. For me, crisps and chocolate! Now just a rare treat!
Adopt an 80/20 rule. Have an occasional treat- not every day!!
Start a maintenance thread and record your progress . Support does help.
When you go off track, stop the slide! A bad afternoon does not have to lead to a bad day or bad week, bad month!
Good luck hon.

 

[Deezer]

When you go off track, stop the slide! A bad afternoon does not have to lead to a bad day or bad week, bad month!

Love this!!!

 

[uklady]

irishmolly.... thank you sooo much for this post. I have absorbed each part of your advice carefully because I have learned that when someone is where you want to be, they have gone through lots of potential hazards they can warn you about. Learning where the pitfalls are means the map is much clearer Thank you again for sharing this xx