Hi all,

I'm curious about the following, if anyone's game to answer:

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?

I'll give my own answers in the next post.

F.

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

I'm very consistent about the "red line" approach. When I hit a certain weight, I immediately cut back until I've dropped a couple of pounds.

I eat smallish suppers and don't snack much in the evenings.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?

I'd like to have better control in business or social situations where good food is being served. I still sometimes feel like I have to "try everything."

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?

I'd like to do less nibbling.

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?

I'm not willing to give up having a glass of wine with dinner almost every night.

I'm not willing to give up having epic pigouts on occasion -- like 4,000 calories at an upscale buffet -- as long as they're planned. (I think that makes me an outlier among maintainers, but so far it's working well for me.)

F.

1. I weigh daily. I plan all meals ahead of time and keep a food log.I still count calories, these things take care of numbers 2,3 and 4.

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?
I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, at least 5 servings a day, and I work out often (various forms, be it walking the dog, cardio & strength training at the gym, yoga). Most weeks over 5 days a week.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?
Being strict about a "Red line" when there are social events involving food and alcohol. I guess that got me to the trouble I'm in right now. I'd like to be better about listening to my body when I'm full. If there is yummy food in front of me I want to eat, I don't like to stop.

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?
Emotional eating, especially boredom eating.

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?
A few glasses of wine on the weekend, and the occasional dessert.

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

-Exercising every day.
-Buying, preparing and eating lots & lots of vegetables and fruits.
-Weighing regularly. It used to be once a week, but I'm in the danger zone, so now it's several times a week.
-Avoiding eating that would be described as fast, impulsive, or mindless. I know it when it happens. My mind sort of shuts off.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?

- When something is on my mind, and I'm feeling anxious, I'd like NOT to wander into the kitchen.
- I'd like to feel less anxiety about food in social situations.

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?

I have curtailed an awful lot. The list of stuff that I just don't eat any more is really, really long.

- Less sugarfree chewing gum
- Less use of Splenda and Truvia
- Fewer artificially sweetened beverages, like diet soda and Crystal Light

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?

- When people talk about reducing their intake of fruit, or never eating any grains at all, I start freaking out and feeling panicky, thinking I am not doing enough but knowing that, since I don't really drink any alcohol, eat any kind of cake, pie or ice cream, or any candy at all, there has to be **something** occasionally and that is going to be fresh figs or pomegranates or Ezekiel bread spread with sugarfree unsalted peanut butter. I have my limits.

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

Don't go out to eat more than 1-2x/week, cook healthy food at home, exercise 3+ days/week.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?

Not eating dessert more than once a week.

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?

See #2.

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?

I won't give up eating junk food altogether. I just need to limit the quantity and frequency.

I tend to eat roughly the same amount of cals for breakfast and lunch and late afternoon snack every weekday. On weekends if I splurge a bit on a brunch I will skip lunch. I weigh 3X per week and record on a chart.

I'd like to eat more veggies and fresh fruit but I'm not up to the recommended # of servings per day. I tend to substitute dried fruit in the evening as snacks - not good!

I did give up alcohol - didn't work for me to have 2 beers or glasses of wine. And I finally kicked diet cola - that was hard!

But I will not give up the large popcorn and diet cola at a movie. Or a slice of really good cake or cone of premium ice cream about once a month.

Dagmar

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

Weighting meal choices towards low caloric density, low glycemic. Mostly for the sake of satiety.

Not shirking exercise regimen.

Lately, logging all intake.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?

Should push myself more with exercise. Easy to get in a routine.

Should vary meals more. Again, routine.

Should eat earlier. Often busy and don't get dinner prepared until 9 or 10pm.

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?

Would likely be optimal to cut out the occasional rice noodles or quinoa with stir-fry type meals.

Sometimes eat oat groats for breakfast. Feel I burn through them too fast and am left hungry and more likely to snack. Too high g.i.? Eat them anyway.

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?

A couple squares of super-dark chocolate as a treat or snack. It's usually what we take in the movies with us.

Homemade, reduced calorie nutella on an apple now and again.

Some good sushi on birthdays or New Year's (rice is not normally on-plan).

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?
Counting calories, weighing myself regularly.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?
Exercising regularly.

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?
Too much nibbling. As in having 3 snacks in one afternoon. Even if I'm in my calorie range, is that really necessary?

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?
Eating chocolate every day and pizza once a week.

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

I take breakfast and lunch to work daily- and eat the same few rotation of things for both meals. That way I know I'm on track, and 2/3 of my meals are preplanned and safe. I only have to really think about what to eat 1/3 of the time. Also makes grocery shopping easier. To me, it makes it less chore-like to not have to constantly be thinking of what I can have. I know some people thing this sounds boring and tortuous to eat mostly the same things, but it works for me. I like to have different/fun things too, but do it at home or a restaurant where I can really savor the food and the experience.

Also regular workouts. And daily weighing.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?

I'm pretty happy with my habits actually, and never thought I would say that! I do have the occasional drive to do mindless (chips) eating in front of the tv- but I've curbed that way down from, daily, to maybe once a month or so.

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?

See mindless eating of (giant bags of) chips. At this point I can get away with it calorie wise, if I do it rarely, but I feel better when I haven't eaten a giant bag of processed sodium foodlike particles. And I worry about getting too comfortable with an old bad habit.

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?

Beer. Though I did switch to a 55 calorie beer. And I have a pizza and wing fest every couple months. I refuse to consider calories/fat, and just enjoy enjoy enjoy! Though I do sternly remind myself how much more I enjoy the pigfest when it's a RARE TREAT and not a weekly thing. Also it's 2 slices of pizza instead of half of one. And 5-6 wings instead of 10.

Makingthechanges, I really like your approach to maintenance: structured without being rigid. That's what I'm aiming for as well.

F.

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

Weigh almost daily, calorie count, log all food intake and exercise, eat lots of fruits and veggies, no meat, eat out only very rarely (this is due in large part to keeping kosher and not having easy access to kosher restaurants). Always having a physical challenge lined up that keeps me motivated (half marathon in 10 days!). I also eat virtually the same breakfast every day (oatmeal with cherries, cocoa powder, stevia, sliced almonds- 305 calories); it helps to keep things simple in my food choices.

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?
I tend to shy away from some social situations because of the availability of tempting foods and the fact that people still comment on what I do or don't eat. I'd like to be able to think less about food while around other people.


3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?
I can get into periods when I drink lots of 0 calorie fruit-flavored sodas. I want to break out of that. I also still use a prepared meal or soup each day for either lunch or dinner (Amy's Kitchen vegetarian meals or Tabatchnick soups). I'd like be less reliant on them and eat more often the same foods that my family eats.

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?
I've got to have my coffee and tea; not so very indulgent, but it feels so to me. I love sipping my coffee on the way to drop off the kids at school (an hour to school, then an hour back home) and during the cooler months I drink lots of herbal teas. It keeps me from wanting to nosh on foods that I shouldn't.

1. What are some maintenance habits you follow consistently?

* Writing up my menu plan and shopping lists a week in advance - this also helps with feeling on top on things
* Exercising twice a day and setting myself little challenges to keep myself motivated; logging my workouts so I can see progress
* Planning my food around my exercise
* Not eating out regularly. When I do eat out, I make sensible choices, and stop when I'm full.
* Having a routine helps too

2. What are some maintenance habits you'd like to follow consistently, but aren't quite there yet?

* I'm pretty happy with my maintenance but, like some others here, I do tend to get snacky when I'm bored or stressed.

3. What are some indulgences you'd like to give up or curtail?

* None. I've cut out all my indulgences.

4. What are some indulgences you're not willing to give up (preferring to incorporate them into your maintenance plan)?

* Two glasses of wine a week - with dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.

I know what you mean. I have researched that kind of thing and I think those people are crazy!