two years on maintanence

Just checking in on my reach goal anniversary.
i started over 200 pounds (but did not weigh till 197) and then reached my
goal of 160 december 9 2003

in the last year my weight has averaged 160.8, maxing at 166 for a day
during the summer, minimum at 157.5. I recently made it back to goal after a
month 2 pounds up.

some notes from the year

In August i went on a 6 day gourmet rafting trip down the middle fork of the
salmon river in idaho (celebrating my 50th). five days off diet (gourmet
food 3+ meals a day, with incredible deserts......) but all day whitewater
rafting, hiking in the evenings, etc. at the end of 6 days i had gained only
2 pounds. apparently the arm exercise of the oars undoes a lot

exercise has been more intensive and consistant this year than the first.
whereas i did 5 days a week the first year, i
averaged 6 days the second

I have gradually added back carbs in whole grain form, including triscuits,
and whole grain bakery breads. I have stayed away from sugar like the
plague, and any white potatoes. Sweet potatoes regularly

I have pretty much quit worrying about "crusts" (deep fried battered
excluded). Coconut encrusted fish
(baked) is a weekly dish.

I have the special K low carb cereal with skim milk 2-4 days a week for
breakfast. best breakfast alternative i have found.

I successfully enrolled in the long term weight loss clinical trial that
several on this group complained about. It was not completely friendly to
low carb, but appeared to have been written before low carb, and working
with clinical trial databases for a living, i can relate to how hard it is
to respond to changes in the scientific landscape

wine: i had a system of drinking a glass of wine with strawberries while i
prepared supper. this grew into two glasses of wine, and the eating of nuts
and snacks, which the wine was supposed to supplant came back anyway. had to
cut back there. lesson learned, no simple solutions

as i added back carbs, while my weight is still in the range, i found that
when it did go up (because of over eating, typically on the weekends) it was
much more difficult to lose. whereas simple cutbacks in the past would
immediately take off a pound a day, I now have to focus and be really strict
for a week to see the weight go down even a single pound. I have concluded
that at least for me
low carb allows me to see quick results when i cut back on my intake. carbs
create a buffer,
that make weight response to dieting slow, and i suspect that others for
whom this is true
simply give up before the diet has time to take effect.

work and weekends. the weight loss study i am enrolled on found that people
who dieted on the weekends succeeded more than those who were workday
dieters. this concerns me a lot. I have great difficulty dieting when i am
at home, and typically my weight goes up by monday 1-2 pounds, and down to
target by friday. how i would maintain once retired perplexes me a lot.

overall health
my resting pulse is down below 60, my bp (a rise in this is one of the
things that sparked me to diet) is back in normal range, and my cholesterol
is great (bad down, trig down, and good cholesterol, which has always been
low, is up into the normal range) my doctor is happy, though he believes it
is the exercise and the weight loss, not the diet (I tend to agree, but we
both agree that without the weight loss method, neither would have happened)

thanks for all the support this group gave me getting here. I intend to keep
this weight off for life.....

Bob
200+/160/160
maint. since dec 9 2003

"bob" wrote in message
m...
thanks for all the support this group gave me getting here. I intend to
keep this weight off for life.....

Bob
200+/160/160
maint. since dec 9 2003

Great to see such a success story, Bob - thanks!

Nicky.

--
A1c 10.5/5.6/6 T2 DX 05/2004
1g Metformin, 100ug Thyroxine
95/73/72Kg

"bob" wrote in message
m...
Just checking in on my reach goal anniversary.
i started over 200 pounds (but did not weigh till 197) and then reached my
goal of 160 december 9 2003

Great work, Bob. It sounds like you have learned some good lessons on
maintenance. I need to learn how to do the coconut crust, since I've found
another source of sf coconut (Trader Joe's has stopped carrying it).

It's also good to hear that your bp and bloodwork and all that has stayed
very good. I have seen some anti-lc'ers (the PCRM types) claim that the
improvement in these on lc are transitory, and that when you stop losing
weight, they will revert to high-risk values. You, and others on asdl-c
prove them wrong. Not that that will stop 'em.

Thanks for the great report!

HG