I woke up today to discover that it is my six month maintenance anniversary.
Even though it has been six months, I still feel like a rookie who is figuring the game out. I don't quite trust that I'm doing it right. And somewhere lurking in the depths of my subconscious is the fear that I could become another statistic and gain it all back. I worked too hard to take this weight off, though, and I'm the stubborn type who won't give up without a fight.
With all of that said, so far so good! I'm no longer counting calories except for the rare occasion I need a small correction. I'm not even sure how many calories I'm eating, but I'm feeling satisfied. That's great because I was worried that I'd have to live with that slight edge of constant hunger I felt while losing. I've been following a pattern of eating lighter during weekdays and allowing a few cheat meals on weekends. I'm using moderation instead of deprivation.
I still skip the goodies in the staff room as a rule, but occasionally allow myself a small cheat. The old me would've taken the whole donut. Now if I must, I just cut off a bite and leave the rest behind. Surprisingly, this works. I recently found myself at an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. While everyone came back with loaded plates, I started out slowly with a bowl of soup. I then got a few plates of food like everybody else, but only had small bites of things that weren't truly exceptional--which was a lot of it. In the end, I still probably ate too much but way less than the old me would have.
I'm exercising, but not as consistently as I know I should be. I keep making up excuses that I'm tired, it's too late, I'll do it tomorrow, etc. I know I'm only kidding myself. This is an area I want to improve.
I'm feeling this maintenance lifestyle is doable. I hope to someday feel like a pro at it. I look up to all you long-time maintainers out there and hope to join your ranks.
Reflections of a rookie maintainer
