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Old 08-17-2004, 09:35 PM   #16  
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I just discovered this forum, after having re-read Passing for Thin for the third time (!!!) I found SDP and then here. I have been maintaining my goal weight for nearly 2 years now but lately I have been struggling, and am up 10 lbs from goal. Considering that I am down 140 from my all-time high, that's not a lot but I'm still trying to deal with the idea that my maintenance is really in my hands.....

Anyway, it's been great reading your stories the last few days. You all give me so much inspiration. I did a little web page chronicling just SOME of my many ups and downs: my life in weight
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Old 08-21-2004, 11:35 AM   #17  
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Originally Posted by mennie
Either way, reading the posts I have so far here, have started putting me back in the headspace I need. I was concentrating on what I couldn't have if I wanted to stay slim and thinking how unfair it was I couldn't eat as much of them as I wanted. I wasn't concentrating on why I couldn't - because they're bad for my health. When I think about what they do to my body, they really don't seem so appealing!
Hi Mennie! I've been looking at it as NOT depriving myself of what I want. I eat what I want. I just don't eat what I want ALL the time...like I used to. At first I stayed away from everything and felt guilty if I broke ranks just once. But a co-worker kept telling me that's the problem. She said not to feel guilty because you're not going to gain all the weight back that you've lost by just having a piece of chocolate cake when we went to dinner for our anniversary. I "taste" things, and I treat myself to stuff I like from time-to-time. Use to be I ate that way daily though. Having 3 Boston Creme donuts was a normal breakfast. Now I might get one once or twice a year as a special treat.

I don't feel I'm depriving myself that way. And when I look in the mirror, I really don't feel like I'm depriving myself. LOL

You know, when I was in high school, I weighed 132 and thought I was overweight. My butt was too big or something. Years later, when I was up to about 160, I ran into an old friend from HS. His comment was "Dang girl! You used to look GOOD in high school, what happened?" He realized what he said and started backpeddling at that point...LOL! But that's when I decided to diet. And I went on about half a dozen of them after that and just kept getting bigger each time I stopped dieting.

I see myself now and realize I was never fat in high school. I had so many self-esteem problems because of family issues. Now I live far from my family, and while I miss them, their influences are no longer keeping me down. My esteem is up, my weight has finally come down, and now I look in the mirror and know that I was never fat then...and I'll never ever allow myself to get fat again. I'll never let others have the power over my self esteem that they once did. It's all up to me.
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Old 08-23-2004, 01:15 PM   #18  
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Well compared to some of you who have achieved so much my weight loss is pretty pathetic.

I wanted to lose 2 stone its the first time I've ever seriously dieted. I felt my weight was starting to get out of hand. I was a UK size 10 then I went vegetarian and promptly put on tons of weight because I totally let my nutrition go to ****. I wasnt eating a balanced diet I was eating a ton of margarine and cheese to stop me feeling hungry rather than learning to cook proper veggie dishes. Since turning veggie my health had been rubbish, I've had tonsillitis, glandular fever and developed asthma in a year when i've never had a day off before in my life. So I decided it was time to nip it in the bud, I went up 2 clothes sizes and then started going up to 3 sizes in some things and it made me really depressed so I decided it was time to come up with a decent exercise and eating plan.

Anyway I've lost the weight quite quickly, my health is better now I dont have as many asthma problems which I think is to do with the gentle exercise I'm doing. I have a gym programme. I really have 2 concerns and they are pretty contradictory.
1. I want to keep the weight off, I like the way I look, I dont feel as depressed, I feel tons more confident and outgoing and I'm definitely happier.
2. i am worried about losing too much weight, since I started maintaining I've lost another half stone in 6 weeks and I got on the scales this week and I've lost another 3lbs and I dont know how. I'm trying to eat more without getting back into bad old habits but I still seem to be losing weight. When I was a lot younger in my mid teens I had the problem of being too thin and I'm stuck between the worry of being like that again and my weight becoming an obsession and between the worry of putting it back on again and undoing all the good that I've achieved.

My mum isnt helping shes been really moaning about me being overweight but now i've lost the weight (and although I've lost more since I stopped dieting I'm still in my healthy BMI) she is saying I look too skinny and that my boobs look too small etc. and I feel like she undermines any confidence I have in myself.

I'm going to have a look around this section and hopefully I'll find tons of positive stories and tips to keep me going in the right direction.
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Old 08-25-2004, 09:10 PM   #19  
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Hi Almostheaven!
I know what you mean. I eat what I want, just in moderation. Well, that's what I used to do until a few months ago I've been feeling a bit down lately and the emotional eating is creeping back in. I feel like a choc chip cookie, so I have a couple to satisfy the craving. But that small taste makes me want more, and lately I've been giving in! I'm fighting that old battle again, using food to numb emotions - I was in control of it for a couple of years, and thought I had it licked. I'm now realising it's going to be a day to day battle, and I really need to get to the bottom of the emotional stuff. Which is what I'm trying to work on now

What you say about tasting stuff is so true though. Someone told me once that if you have a craving for say cheesecake, you should have some because nothing else is really going to satisfy you. But, when you do have some, if you really think about it, it's only the first three bites that you really enjoy. The rest is nice, but nowhere near as good as those first few bites. So have the first few bites and leave the rest of the cake for someone else - you really don't need it. But you've gotten what you want.
Thanks for reminding of that :

Oh, and Viviki - your weight loss is not pathetic at all - it’s bloody fabulous!!!
Figuring out the right balance in order to maintain, rather than lose, weight can take a bit of experimentation and time - but you’ll get there. It really comes down to trying different things and seeing how your body reacts. I'm not exactly a role model for maintaining at the moment but I wish you all the best.

Last edited by mennie; 08-25-2004 at 09:21 PM.
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Old 08-25-2004, 11:44 PM   #20  
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I just realised i never properly introduced myself! I've been posting around the board here and there for the last couple of weeks, so i guess i better say a little about me

I'm 21 yr old Aussie, currently in my second year of Uni. I was never an overweight child, I may not have been the slimmest, but i was healthy and fit and always involved in sports. I especially took to athletics and sprinting and was being groomed for bigger things from about the age of 10. However my feet just were not up to it. I have flat feet you see and by the time i was 13 the tendon along the bottom of my foot, the arch, just gave out. I couldnt walk properly for about 6 months and for another 6 months after that I was terrified that if i did anything slightly strenuous it would set my foot off again, so i basically stopped moving for an entire year. Of course, at that age i didnt care what i was eating, and having the metabolism of a growing teen i didnt put on a lot of weight, but i definitly started to edge toward to higher end of "healthy" scale. Around 14/15 I started playing softball and soccer and generally became more active again and my weight gain stabilised itself at 68kgs or 150 pounds. I was an Australian size 14 since i was 14, and i stopped growing at 5'6. I was fine with my weight until I got to Uni, when things went off the rails!

My boyfriend basically became my world as he was the only person i knew in a new city, and being a naturally quiet and shy person i found it hard to make new friends. Then he up and dumped me and ran off to his ex and I fell apart. Became a hermit, locked myself in my room, ate myself into oblivion and became quite overall depressed and miserable. I went up to 78kgs or about 172 pounds.

One morning, a year ago now, i literally woke up to myself and realised how pathetic my treatment of myself was and I decided then and there to pull myself out of this self-imposed exile and mental funk and do something postive to get my life back on track. I started walking, then running, then gyming as well, i got out and met people, i put a positive spin on everything in my life, i ate better, healthier...just overall did a complete 180 reversal.

It took 9 months, but i got down to 57kgs or 125pounds (and would you believe, an Australian size 8?) in may this year and thats where i am attempting to maintain. I dont mind if my weight goes to about 60kgs, but so far it's been bobbing between 56 and 57kgs. So yes, thats me and my tale! It'll be nice to get to know you all

Livi
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Old 09-01-2004, 03:28 PM   #21  
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Hi everybody! I just discovered this forum. I'm glad to find a strong maintainer's site.

My name's Lydia and I'm a 39 year old mom of 3 who is also the president & CEO of a healthcare association (in my spare time...ha!) Talk about stress!

Anyway, I'd pretty much been overweight my whole life. Lost 86 lbs on NutriSystem back in '89, but then crept up over the years back to a high of 210 in 2001 (4 months after delivering twins).

So I went to Jenny Craig and started my weightloss journey on 9/11/01. Talk about a day NOT to start a diet! But I did and in a way it helped to have something to focus on.

Anyway, it took me 10 months to lose 80 lbs. For the first year after I reached my goal I kept my weight below goal through exercise and, let's face it, never really stopping the diet. I'd splurge a little then diet the rest of the week. In the second year I've slowly crept up about 15 lbs, so I'm now a solid 10 lbs above my goal weight. I'm back at Jenny Craig 100% until I get it off. Frustratingly, I'd been trying low carb which was working to maintain but not to lose. When I switched to Jenny Craig, my body got MAD and it's now holding onto the weight. Granted, I'm only 5 days into my return to grace, but geez, I'd like to see something for my efforts! (I'm up a lb, bloated, and my clothes fit worse than they did a week ago!) And I'm eating 1200 cals a day!

Oh well, I know this shall pass...

I'm now 2 years and almost 2 months into maintenance. And I have to say I have yet to figure out how to do it. It's really so much harder than losing the weight. I'm good at black and white, but I have a tough time with shades of grey.

So I look forward to your sage advice and wisdom!
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Old 09-02-2004, 04:45 AM   #22  
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Welcome Lydia and Lyria! We're glad you found us here.
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Old 10-03-2004, 01:57 PM   #23  
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New to this forum--

I am maintaining a 16-18 lb. loss (hard work via Weight Watchers; I found a very helpful leader/supportive meeting and thought it was a great program for me).

What I need now: a good, enjoyable exercise routine, ways to not obsess about regaining, ways to continue positive self-talk and (especially) ways to avoid high-carb snacks at night. I live in New England, and it's pitch dark now by 7 p.m. Boy, do I hate northern winters!

Would welcome any/all suggestions and support--
Elana
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Old 10-03-2004, 02:34 PM   #24  
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Hi Elanajel and welcome to Maintainers! Congratulations on your weight loss! You're absolutely right, it's hard work -- regardless of whether someone loses 5 or 50 or 150 pounds. And once we hit goal, it doesn't make any difference where we started because we're all in the same place NOW and in this together for the rest of our lives. We're never going to gain back those pounds we fought so hard to lose -- right, gang??!!

I'm going to copy some of your post into the "New To Maintaining" thread because I'm afraid your questions might get lost up here ... and I see you posted a bit there already. They're great questions and ones that we all deal with every day, so I'm glad you raised them. See ya on that thread!
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Old 10-03-2004, 04:17 PM   #25  
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Hi Elanajel. I'm also in New England...until November. LOL Maybe I'll get out before the snow flies, eh? I'm in Concord, NH. I usually get out for a run right after work, so I get it in before it's dark. During the winter, I'm fortunate to live in apartments which provide a clubhouse, so I could work out there. But on bad weather days, I bought aerobics and pilates videos. I stick to my same, right after work, routine, but I don't have to leave the house in the nasty stuff.
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Old 10-11-2004, 04:42 PM   #26  
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Geez, I cried through some of your stories. Yes, I happen to be hormonal today, but I SO identify with much of what you’ve written. Thanks for sharing…

My name is Karyn Lee and I'm a married, 37 year-old mom of two boys who are 5 and 4.

"Diets" have been a part of my life since I was a teen. I wasn't really overweight back then, just obsessed with being thin. My weight problem began soon after I married and I was overweight throughout my 20s and midway into my 30s. I was (am) an emotional eater and food was definitely my drug. I was very unhappy and I was really good at hiding from the world. My highest non-pregnant weight was 215 lbs and I'm 5'6".

In March of 2002, we went on a family weekend outing and I ate myself sick. None of my own size 16 pants fit, so I began to wear my husband's (they were snug, too, but at least they didn't cause me pain!). That next Monday morning weighing in at 189 lbs, I decided I was all done feeling so out of control of my life. I had started many "Monday diets," but I just knew that it was going to be different. This time, I didn't look to an outside source to make it happen - I knew it had to come from ME. It took me about 7 months to lose down to 135 lbs and I've maintained within a 5 lb range for 2 years.

When I decided to lose weight, I knew that exercise would be a huge strategy for me. I started walking regularly on my treadmill and I remember how I thought I was going to die after just 30 min. I gradually increased the duration and intensity of my walking and added strength training (The Firm) after about 3 months. In the Fall of 2002, I began to run and I trained throughout that year. I worked up to running (no walking!) a 10k during the summer of 2003. I was so excited because I have asthma and I'd never been able to run before. Unfortunately, I developed tendonitis in my heel and have since decided that running is not for me. I joined a gym last April and just love it. My current exercise schedule is: step aerobics 1x per week, walking 2x per week, elliptical 3x per week, weight training 3x per week and Pilates 3x per week. I'm not perfect by any means, but I'm pretty consistent with my workouts. I believe that it's been the key to keeping the weight off.

My food "plan" evolved constantly just like my exercise plan. At the very beginning, I used frozen, lowfat dinners because I had no portion control. Once I got a handle on that, I cooked my own healthy meals. I used Fitday.com to count calories, keeping them between 1300-1500. I tried to keep my fat percentage under 20%, my protein around 30% and my carbs under 55%. I also watched my sodium, water and fiber. I ate 3 meals and 2 snacks every day and chewed gum in between if I got the munchies. I became a student of nutrition and I planned out all my meals and snacks ahead of time. I logged my weight, calories, exercise and water intake on a daily basis.

I still do the above, but I don't count calories or log my info as often. I still weigh myself every day, plan out all my meals each morning and make a non-negotiable appointment to work out each day.

One of the biggest things I continue to struggle with is binge eating. I re-read my Dr. Phil book last July and feel like I've been in a much better place since then. But, I have a vacation coming up next week and then the holidays after that (my two worst binge triggers) and I'm a little worried. I will definitely be needing some support!

Anyway, I've realized there's no end to this journey. I hit my goal and I've maintained for 2 years, but I am NOT done. I'm still plugging away, making mistakes and looking for answers. I'm positive that if I felt like my work was all behind me, I would gain back the weight in a hurry.

I've lost weight before, but I wasn't successful at maintaining it because I just went right back to my old ways. I treated reaching my goal as the end of the weight loss process. I can now embrace the fact that this battle will never be over for me. It really is just beginning! Maintenance is so much harder than I expected it to be! It takes a lot of thought and effort, but the rewards are phenomenal. I am much more pleased with my appearance, but the best part is that I'm happy. Being happy has a profoundly wonderful effect on my life and I want to do anything in my power to hold on to that.

And just for the record...I'm currently having one of those moments that make me so happy and proud of the fact that I've worked successfully to keep this weight off. (Hope this doesn't sound too shallow, but I'm thinking you will relate to this...) I'm going to Hawaii next week for the first time and I've had so much fun putting together my little summer outfits for the trip. I have so many things that I feel good in that it's hard to keep my packing to a minimum. Excitement about clothes is definitely something I didn't have 3 years ago. Back then, my main goal was to hide my body as much as possible.

Thanks for listening! I look forward to giving and getting support here!
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Old 10-11-2004, 09:02 PM   #27  
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Thanks for sharing, Karyn! Wow, your story is my story! I could have written a lot of what you said, especially about binging still being a problem, exercise being key, and maintenance being harder than we thought but oh so worth it.

And about the clothes -- I don't think you're being shallow at all. Clothes are a huge incentive for me and yes, I seriously overshopped once I got rid of my big clothes forever. Unfortunately, I live in a older house with tiny closets, so I have plastic storage boxes of sweaters under the bed and those drop down pants hangers and ... it's embarrassing ... BUT if I'm ever having a bad day and want to say to **** with diets and exercise, going clothes shopping is the BEST way to snap myself out of the funk (and it gets me away from the kitchen).

Have a wonderful time in Hawaii and we look forward to hearing lots more from you.
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Old 10-11-2004, 09:37 PM   #28  
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Thanks, Meg. I'm so happy to meet someone who has gone through and who is going through much of what I'm experiencing. There are so many little things about this whole deal that I really can't share with anyone. Whether it's good or bad, I just haven't been able to find anyone who can totally relate.

Like...

Like I said before, I may be smaller now, but I really have nearly the same issues about my body that I did before. It's not like I suddenly look in the mirror sans clothing and think, "Wow, I'm hot!" I'm still as insecure about my stomach, hips and thighs and still feel completely uncomfortable in a swimsuit. I want to get a tummy tuck when I turn 40 (in a couple years) to rid myself of loose skin from my c-section and from being overweight. Here's why I don't feel like I can talk about this stuff: Have you ever been around someone you regard as "skinny" who complains about how fat they are? When I was heavy, I just wanted to slap those skinny girls when they *****ed and moaned about their weight. I didn't feel like they had the right to complain. Am I making any sense at all??? Anyway, that's why I keep my mouth shut!

I don't talk about all those wonderful little things either. About how awesome (and easy) it is to squeeze past people in a movie theatre aisle, how strong it feels to be muscular or how fun it is to go straight to the 4s and 6s when I'm shopping for clothes. To this day, though, I still take 8s in with me because my brain won't wrap around the fact that I'm a 4 or a 6. These little things bring me so much joy and satisfaction (and makes all my hard work feel worthwhile) but to talk about them seems too much like bragging.

As you can now see, I'm a babbler. I think it's obvious that I'm pretty excited about meeting you all.

Karyn Lee

PS Meg, I would love to talk to you sometime about your surgeries. You sound like you're very satisfied with your results!
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Old 10-12-2004, 06:10 AM   #29  
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Ok, so I've figured out how to lose the weight, but...how do you break the overshopping habit? As I was taking more clothes to Goodwill, hubby says "But I remember when you said 'but this was on clearance, but this was only $10, but this was a good deal...'" LOL

At 7 months til I turn 40, I'd love to have a tummy tuck myself. I have promised myself one the minute my rich uncle gets out the poorhouse.

Karyn, I do tend to brag. I still see that last bit around the mid-section that I'm working on, but I've always wanted to get down to the smaller sizes and am loving being there. I don't look in the mirror and see myself as fat anymore. I've slowly gravitated to two pieces, miniskirts, and lowrise pants. My motto has become "If I can do it, anyone can".

I've gone through some life changes though that have built my self-esteem, which is mostly what enabled me to get a handle on weight loss finally. And it perhaps has a lot to do with not having a lot of issues with insecurities.

Quote:
When I was heavy, I just wanted to slap those skinny girls when they *****ed and moaned about their weight.
Try growing up with a 95 lb dripping wet cousin who would say this. You don't know how hard it was to resist smacking her upside the head. LOL
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Old 10-12-2004, 04:16 PM   #30  
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Overshopping was also a problem for me when I first hit my goal weight. I've had to get rid of many impulse buy items. Also, in the beginning, I gravitated toward tight clothes because I wanted to show off my hard work. That feeling has subsided a bit - slowly realized I could wear flattering things without them being skin tight.

It's great and kindof weird to have a "stable" wardrobe. Everything I bought in 2002 still fits! On my weight roller coaster, I usually bought clothes because the pieces from the previous year were suddenly too small. My wardrobe changed constantly because I was a different size every year!

Congrats on your weight loss and building your self-esteem!
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