[ncuneo]

So I realized this a while back, that once I hit maintenance not much is going to change. Sure maybe I'll get a few extra cals, but all the effort I put into eating right, eating enough to keep my metabolism at it's peak, not eating too much so that I don't gain, cooking for me and my family, making the right decisions at family functions and restaurants, exercising, exercising enough, taking enough rest days, etc. is just not going to change. So today it got me thinking are the really any differences between maintenance and weight loss. I'm terrified of maitenance because I'm afraid I won't know what to do, but really don't I already know EXACTLY what to do? Don't I do it every day? Then on the flip side to do what I'm supposed to do can be exhausting at times and it is terrifying to know that I'm going to have to put this much effort into it for the rest of my life. Sure it gets easier everyday, but sometimes I just don't want to think about it. I think it would be good to know now that life really isn't going to change once I hit maintenance so that I can begin to prepare and maybe just start enjoying life the way it is now and quit rushing to the finish line...I'm going to get there...but there's not going to be a big piece of cake at the end...nope just some more veggies and another 5-10k run! It would also be nice to know about any new challenges I might face or any new advertures I might get to experience. So bring maintaners - is it any different now?

[mandalinn82]

I can answer your question in one word. No.

OK, maybe one difference - I have to motivate myself with things OTHER than the scale. That's different...when losing, you have all kinds of changes, new clothes, etc to give you a boost. For maintenance, it was important for me to continue to set new goals, such as running goals, lifting goals, etc. This gave me something else to give me that "boost".

In other words, I do almost exactly the same things for maintenance as I did for loss. Exercise 6 days a week, track my calories every day, cook at home, healthy whole foods. But sometimes in maintenance it's harder to make myself do it.

[ncuneo]

For maintenance, it was important for me to continue to set new goals, such as running goals, lifting goals, etc. This gave me something else to give me that "boost".

I think this is an awesome tip! Right now I am so motivated, I'm losing clothing sizes more often so there is lots of shopping to do and I look better everytime I go, every weigh in is lighter, I get compliments weekly (although this is getting tiresome). But you are so right...I'M the one that is going to have to motivate me to maintain. I think it is unrealistic to think that not getting fat again is going to be motivation enough (it should be, but we all know how it goes). But I LOVE the idea of setting fitness goals.

[Meg]

I'm with Amanda -- nope.

A day in my life today -- almost eight years after reaching goal -- looks exactly like a day in my life when I was losing weight. I got up this morning, weighed myself and entered it on my spreadsheet. I went to the gym for 90 minutes, came home and ate my egg whites and oatmeal. I sat at the computer and planned my meals in Fitday. I counted calories and logged everything I ate. Without even thinking about it, I avoided temptation and said no myself if my thoughts strayed to off-plan foods. Nothing's changed.

Don't worry, you're right -- you're going to be a great maintainer because you already know exactly what to do. There aren't any new skills or strategies to learn because everything you did for weight loss is what you need to do for maintenance. Sure, we get bonus of a few more calories, but weight loss and maintenance look the same 99% of the time. So relax, enjoy your wonderful new body and exciting new life, and maintenance will come naturally.

[paris81]

I was thinking of something similar but related to rewards--a lot of people talk about the rewards they give themselves after losing certain milestones, percentages, etc. It seems to help with motivation on top of the scale. But as maintainers, do you reward yourself for sticking with it?

Like, 6 months of maintenance, 1 year, etc. Seems like a bigger deal, and should be rewarded!

[Lori Bell]

It's the same...maybe even a little harder. Everyone is different but for me it seems more difficult at times. Especially since the compliments have slowed WAY down, and most of the comments I do get are on the catty side. I'll never give up, but maintaince is kind of lonely sometimes. Most people I associate with just don't get it. They don't understand why I don't just splurge at the drop of a hat....waaa. Sorry I'm starting to feel sorry for myself...which is another one of my maintaince issues.

[mkendrick]

I am not maintaining yet, but I am not planning on changing much. There will be the initial adjusting period when I figure out how much exercise and how many calories I need to maintain my weight. But once that's determined (and that may take awhile, it seems like that's easier said than done), I'll do exactly what the name implies, maintain lol.

I am looking forward to maintaining though. I feel that I chose a lifestyle that IS very maintainable for me. I have a good balance of healthy eating/treats, exercise/rest, and I can see myself living like this forever. So it's not the lifestyle that I'm bored with, it's just getting tiresome waiting for the scale to come down. I want to get on with living this lifestyle at a weight I'm generally happy with and not be waiting on the number to come down. Eh, well, hopefully just a few more months.

[rockinrobin]

Same. Same. Same. Same planning, shopping, chopping, cooking, packing of foods to take with me, same healthy nutritious foods, same saying no to this and no to that, same food "laws" that I abide to (for the most part), BUT now that I am in maintenance, I have the occasional planned (& unplanned ) splurge. Oh and for me, I cut back on my exercise a bit. But towards the end of my weight loss portion of my journey I was doing close to 2 hours of exercise almost daily.

Originally Posted by paris81

But as maintainers, do you reward yourself for sticking with it?

Like, 6 months of maintenance, 1 year, etc. Seems like a bigger deal, and should be rewarded!

You see the reward IS that you ARE sticking to it.

But I am rewarded daily - I get to walk around in a slim, trim fit body. I get to "visit" my closet every morning and choose what to wear from a VAST wardrobe. One outfit cuter than the next! I am rewarded with great doctors visits. I am rewarded with never having to fear wedding invitations that come in the mail. I am rewarded with stamina, energy and vitality. I am rewarded with self confidence, self respect and a sense of accomplishment and the wonderful feeling that comes from knowing that you are doing the "right" thing.

It's funny, I always have to "check" to see what EXACT date I hit goal on. I know it's some time in July, but the date always escapes me.

The date I never, ever, ever forget - the day I STARTED this journey. That day is quite meaningful to me. That was the beginning of the end of my misery and the day I began to take back control of my life and discover who I was meant to be.

[Tai]

For me it's the same in a physical sense. I still love and eat the same foods I did while losing; just more of them. The only difference in my food is that I now incorporate a small treat twice a week into my plan.

I also continue to do the same amount and type of exercise.

Emotionally however maintenance does feel different to me. I don't really understand why, but I find maintenance both easier and more enjoyable than losing the weight.

Congratulations on your success; you'll be a maintainer before you know it! Don't let the thought scare you too much; you'll find your way.

[Karen925]

Originally Posted by rockinrobin

The date I never, ever, ever forget - the day I STARTED this journey. That day is quite meaningful to me. That was the beginning of the end of my misery and the day I began to take back control of my life and discover who I was meant to be.

That is so true. October 6, 2009 for me. I know that date and will always know it.

[Meg]

June 1, 2001 for me, and I celebrate that day more than the day I reached goal. It was the beginning of the journey that will last for the rest of my life.

[mkendrick]

Originally Posted by Tai

For me it's the same in a physical sense. I still love and eat the same foods I did while losing; just more of them. The only difference in my food is that I now incorporate a small treat twice a week into my plan.

I also continue to do the same amount and type of exercise.

Emotionally however maintenance does feel different to me. I don't really understand why, but I find maintenance both easier and more enjoyable than losing the weight.

Congratulations on your success; you'll be a maintainer before you know it! Don't let the thought scare you too much; you'll find your way.

I think this is exactly how I'll be. I'm an all or nothing, get 'er done kind of person, so being in the transformation stage is dragging on and on for me it seems like. And like I said, I do enjoy this lifestyle, and I have no intentions of "going back to normal" when I get to goal. I dunno, I just want to get there, I'm tired of waiting on the scale! Haha, rant over.

[saef]

What they all said. And for me, the difference between losing & maintenance is that, instead of losing very large amounts toward a specific goal, I am always engaged in losing the same three or four pounds to stay around a specific goal.

But I know very few "naturally normal weight" people who don't live the same way -- they always think they could lose maybe five pounds -- so that's how I know I'm finally average & unexceptional.

[Robsia]

The biggest challenge I have had since reaching goal is meeting and becoming engaged to a man who is naturally slim and thinks nothing of sitting and chomping chocolate and snacks in front of the TV every evening.

He actually eats very unhealthily - he has no breakfast, no lunch, a normal dinner (usually pizza, beans and a pile of chips) and drinks coffee or tea with piles of sugar and full fat milk all day, and then snacks in the evening.

But he is 6 ft tall and 147 lb.

Although we don't live together yet we have been staying at his house at weekends for well over a year and, thinking he is being nice, he will buy in treats for me, because he knows that I like them. His ex wife never had to lose weight, she was also "naturally" slim so he never lived with anyone with food issues before.

This is one of the reasons I am several pounds higher than I would like to be - I struggle to control myself with a man who eats that kind of food in front of me, and OFFERS it to me and is then disappointed when I don't want it as I have refused his kind gesture.

To his credit, he has tried very hard to understand, and I have explained it to him vehemently on more than one occasion and he no longer eats that kind of food in front of me. I think he's finally beginning to get it.

But we don't live together yet, and it remains to be seen how I will manage when those snacks are in my house. I've told him he will have to have a lockable snack cupboard.

But it's like we all knew at the start of the journey - it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change., You can't hit goal and then go back to eating piles of bad stuff - and expect to keep it off.

You can have the odd extra treat and meal out, but essentially it's the same.

[QuilterInVA]

Guess that's why they say we should think of losing weight as making permanent lifestyle changes and not a diet. Diets have beginnings and endings where we go back to our old habits and gain it back.