18 months of maintenance - lessons learned

Hi. Beverly said on another thread that maintenance seems to be going well
for me. I'd like to share a little about what I've learned.

It has now been 18 months since I reached my goal weight and I finally feel
worthy to be able to share. As a recap I lost (at least) 93 pounds in nine
months, from January through September 2004. The reason I say "at least" is
because I didn't have a scale to weigh on until January 13th and I started
my diet on January 1. I kept at it and finally touched below my goal weight
on Sep 29 of 2004, six days before my birthday which was my target date.

Ever since that date I have stayed within my maintenance range of
plus-or-minus 5 pounds of target, with the exception of two weeks about a
year ago when I went over by about 3 pounds. I was worried about
maintenance, and rightly so. I wisely gave myself a maintenance range and
weigh myself every day just to know the trend and adjust accordingly.

The first four months of weight loss I set my own diet by controlling
calories and the balance of macronutrients I determined to be optimum for
weight loss and good health. Beginning in May 2004 I went back on Weight
Watchers and dropped the last 45 pounds. I have stayed with WW since. When
the core plan came along in late 2004 I switched to that and haven't looked
back.

Maintenance is hard. It really is. But it is so worth it. My
weight-related health issues have gone away and I feel normal again. My
doctor calls me skinny! I can buy clothes off the normal-people's rack.
Most importantly, though, is the knowledge that I have greatly improved my
longevity and quality of life.

Why is maintenance hard? Because I am on a diet for life. I had to face
the realization that there are just some things I can never enjoy again
either because they are unhealthy for me or that I can't control myself with
them, or both. I have a long list of things which can never come into the
house: bread, crackers, cookies, chips, candy, ice cream, pizza, whole milk
and cheeses, fried chicken, and lots more. I still have food cravings but
satisfy them with fresh fruit and vegetables. I will always be a binge
eater in certain circumstances (and I am learning what triggers the binges)
but now I binge on fruit. That is vastly different from those times when I
would stand by the toaster and go through an entire loaf of bread, toasted,
loaded with butter, peanut butter and jam. I'd eat so fast that I would get
ahead of the toaster. I'd do the same thing with grilled spam and cheese
sandwiches, properly buttered on both sides as my mother taught me.

Its amazing how we can change. I was sitting in my WW meeting last week and
daydreaming about eating fresh green peas from the pod. My mouth was
watering just thinking about the peas. THAT is a change for me!

So, the advice I can give for successful weight loss and maintaining a
healthy weight is:

1. Purpose - do it for yourself, not for anyone else. Find a compelling,
life-changing reason why YOU want to do it. Keep that reason in front of
you forever.

2. Consistency - if you chose to weigh in daily, do it. If weekly, do it.
Don't skip because you may be afraid of the numbers. It is always better to
know than to guess. Be honest with yourself if you've goofed and get back
on the program. Don't give yourself permission to cheat, or to have
vacation days, or whatever. Do forgive yourself if you accidentally slip.

3. Accountability - let someone you can confide in know that you are losing
weight, the reasons why, and keep them abreast of your progress. Use this
newsgroup, or a weight loss group which meets regularly, anyone who you can
be accountable to.

4. Reasonableness - follow a plan which doesn't make weird demands on you.
Choose a program which will be livable both while losing weight and also for
the rest of your life, and something that you can practice no matter where
you may be.

5. Surrender - face the fact that you cannot be thin and also retain your
old ways of living and eating. That is what got you where you were. Your
life has to change. Permanently. Embrace that fact. If you are not
willing to put down that jelly donut in trade for one hour more enjoying a
healthy life you may not have what it takes.

6. Enjoyment - have fun along the journey. Treat yourself to new clothes
as you shrink in size. See how long it takes for someone to notice. Chart
your progress, using both a tape measure and scale. Give yourself rewards
(non-food) for little goals you make along the way.

I am by no means an expert but I am experienced. I'm also selfish. One of
the reasons I posted this is because now I have to live up to it. I figure
if I've successfully maintained for 18 months then I can do it forever as
long as I don't take my eyes off the prize. All of you on this group, and
all the people in my WW meeting, and all my family and friends help me keep
focused. Thank you!

Dewolla
--------------
Highest weight 290
268/173/175
height 75"

Great post, Dewolla, and it's great to hear from you. You're right --
maintenance is challenging, but so worth it.

Chris Braun (taking a moment away from my audit)
262/130s/130s -- maintaining since 6/04

On Tue, 4 Apr 2006 07:26:53 -0700, "Dewolla Stepon"
wrote:

Hi. Beverly said on another thread that maintenance seems to be going well
for me. I'd like to share a little about what I've learned.

Hi Dewolla. Good to read your update, and congratulations on managing
maintenance so well. I think you've made some very good points and
have obviously learned some valuable lessons during your journey. I
hope we'll hear from you again.

janice

Excellent information, Dewolla.

We seem to have a few trigger foods in common. Cookies and ice cream
are never brought into my home either - especially cherry cordial ice
cream. The pizza and fried chicken wouldn't bother me as they've never
been a favorite.

I agree 100% that's it's a life time commitment. After 10 years I
still have to keep tabs on food and weigh at least once a week. Of
course the jeans tell me when I've gained a couple pounds without
stepping on the scales.

Beverly

Dewolla Stepon wrote:
Hi. Beverly said on another thread that maintenance seems to be going well
for me. I'd like to share a little about what I've learned.

It has now been 18 months since I reached my goal weight and I finally feel
worthy to be able to share. As a recap I lost (at least) 93 pounds in nine
months, from January through September 2004. The reason I say "at least" is
because I didn't have a scale to weigh on until January 13th and I started
my diet on January 1. I kept at it and finally touched below my goal weight
on Sep 29 of 2004, six days before my birthday which was my target date.

Ever since that date I have stayed within my maintenance range of
plus-or-minus 5 pounds of target, with the exception of two weeks about a
year ago when I went over by about 3 pounds. I was worried about
maintenance, and rightly so. I wisely gave myself a maintenance range and
weigh myself every day just to know the trend and adjust accordingly.

The first four months of weight loss I set my own diet by controlling
calories and the balance of macronutrients I determined to be optimum for
weight loss and good health. Beginning in May 2004 I went back on Weight
Watchers and dropped the last 45 pounds. I have stayed with WW since. When
the core plan came along in late 2004 I switched to that and haven't looked
back.

Maintenance is hard. It really is. But it is so worth it. My
weight-related health issues have gone away and I feel normal again. My
doctor calls me skinny! I can buy clothes off the normal-people's rack.
Most importantly, though, is the knowledge that I have greatly improved my
longevity and quality of life.

Why is maintenance hard? Because I am on a diet for life. I had to face
the realization that there are just some things I can never enjoy again
either because they are unhealthy for me or that I can't control myself with
them, or both. I have a long list of things which can never come into the
house: bread, crackers, cookies, chips, candy, ice cream, pizza, whole milk
and cheeses, fried chicken, and lots more. I still have food cravings but
satisfy them with fresh fruit and vegetables. I will always be a binge
eater in certain circumstances (and I am learning what triggers the binges)
but now I binge on fruit. That is vastly different from those times when I
would stand by the toaster and go through an entire loaf of bread, toasted,
loaded with butter, peanut butter and jam. I'd eat so fast that I would get
ahead of the toaster. I'd do the same thing with grilled spam and cheese
sandwiches, properly buttered on both sides as my mother taught me.

Its amazing how we can change. I was sitting in my WW meeting last week and
daydreaming about eating fresh green peas from the pod. My mouth was
watering just thinking about the peas. THAT is a change for me!

So, the advice I can give for successful weight loss and maintaining a
healthy weight is:

1. Purpose - do it for yourself, not for anyone else. Find a compelling,
life-changing reason why YOU want to do it. Keep that reason in front of
you forever.

2. Consistency - if you chose to weigh in daily, do it. If weekly, do it.
Don't skip because you may be afraid of the numbers. It is always better to
know than to guess. Be honest with yourself if you've goofed and get back
on the program. Don't give yourself permission to cheat, or to have
vacation days, or whatever. Do forgive yourself if you accidentally slip.

3. Accountability - let someone you can confide in know that you are losing
weight, the reasons why, and keep them abreast of your progress. Use this
newsgroup, or a weight loss group which meets regularly, anyone who you can
be accountable to.

4. Reasonableness - follow a plan which doesn't make weird demands on you.
Choose a program which will be livable both while losing weight and also for
the rest of your life, and something that you can practice no matter where
you may be.

5. Surrender - face the fact that you cannot be thin and also retain your
old ways of living and eating. That is what got you where you were. Your
life has to change. Permanently. Embrace that fact. If you are not
willing to put down that jelly donut in trade for one hour more enjoying a
healthy life you may not have what it takes.

6. Enjoyment - have fun along the journey. Treat yourself to new clothes
as you shrink in size. See how long it takes for someone to notice. Chart
your progress, using both a tape measure and scale. Give yourself rewards
(non-food) for little goals you make along the way.

I am by no means an expert but I am experienced. I'm also selfish. One of
the reasons I posted this is because now I have to live up to it. I figure
if I've successfully maintained for 18 months then I can do it forever as
long as I don't take my eyes off the prize. All of you on this group, and
all the people in my WW meeting, and all my family and friends help me keep
focused. Thank you!

Dewolla
--------------
Highest weight 290
268/173/175
height 75"



Excellent post!

It's good to see you've realized the difficulty of remaining at your
goal weight and accepted it as a new way of life. After all, it's easy
to lose weight but it is very difficult to keep it off.
--

Cheese

http://cheesensweets.com/contact/cheese

"Dewolla Stepon" wrote in message
. ..
Hi. Beverly said on another thread that maintenance seems to be going
well for me. I'd like to share a little about what I've learned.

It has now been 18 months since I reached my goal weight and I finally
feel worthy to be able to share. As a recap I lost (at least) 93 pounds
in nine months, from January through September 2004. The reason I say "at
least" is because I didn't have a scale to weigh on until January 13th and
I started my diet on January 1. I kept at it and finally touched below my
goal weight on Sep 29 of 2004, six days before my birthday which was my
target date.


Congrats,
I started my 1000 cal diet Oct 15 at 262 lbs and just today broke below
200, whew!
My goal is to get to within the normal weight range for my height, (another
20 lbs to go)..

My question(s) are :
1. did you count calories?
2. whats your maintenance calories now?
3. whats your current weight?

Hi David,

Thanks. To answer your questions...

I counted calories and also macronutrient balances for the first half of my
weight loss - afterwards I followed the Weight Watchers flex plan and that
sort of did it for me automatically.

I have no idea what my maintenance calories are now - I follow the WW core
plan and so do not weigh, measure or count anything except make sure I have
my 2tsp healthy oils, my 3 milk servings, 8 glasses of water, etc. etc.

My weight this morning was 173.2. I am 6'3" so that puts me a little less
than midpoint for my healthy range.

Dewolla
--------------
Highest weight 290
268/173/175
height 75"


"David Frank" wrote in message
k.net...

"Dewolla Stepon" wrote in message
. ..
Hi. Beverly said on another thread that maintenance seems to be going
well for me. I'd like to share a little about what I've learned.

It has now been 18 months since I reached my goal weight and I finally
feel worthy to be able to share. As a recap I lost (at least) 93 pounds
in nine months, from January through September 2004. The reason I say
"at least" is because I didn't have a scale to weigh on until January
13th and I started my diet on January 1. I kept at it and finally
touched below my goal weight on Sep 29 of 2004, six days before my
birthday which was my target date.


Congrats,
I started my 1000 cal diet Oct 15 at 262 lbs and just today broke below
200, whew!
My goal is to get to within the normal weight range for my height,
(another 20 lbs to go)..

My question(s) are :
1. did you count calories?
2. whats your maintenance calories now?
3. whats your current weight?

Dewolla,

Great post, one I am definitely going to save and print out. I started
losing weight just over a year ago (March 2005) and I now realize that I
will be reaching my goal soon. Not next week or next month, but sometime
this summer. Maintenance scares me. Losing the weight seems easy; it's
keeping it off that I know will really take some work.


--
Liz
HW/CW/GW
268/159/140