Maintenance is....
 

Hi guys,

As some of you may know I ponder the philosophical side of this whole journey and sometimes I have deep thoughts and sometimes I have shallow thoughts. I thought it would be fun and enlightening to write about our feelings and interpretations of maintenance.

So....jump right in if you would like!

Maintenance is like running as fast as you can just to stay in the same place.

Maintenance is sometimes easy, sometimes hard, sometimes convenient, sometimes not, but it is always worth it. Just like lots of other things in life.

Really, I think maintenance could be a metaphor for life. Sometimes it's a pleasure and sometimes it's work, but who really wants the alternative at this moment in our lives?

What do you guys think?

Maintenance is.......

Maintenance is a full time job with great rewards.

maintenance is that magical place i dream of... *sigh* :)

Maintenance is...........

Cardio + Weights + Good Nutrition = my maintenance!

In other words plenty of this :ebike:

and a lot of this :strong:

and I've consumed plenty of protein like these guys! :thanks2:

:D

Maintenance is the healthy lifestyle I should have been following all along... :D

Jay

Maintenance is not about a number on a scale. Maintenance is the healthy, moderate eating, exercise, and mental habits that I need to do, almost every day, to live the life I want to live.

Anne

Maintenance is balance, physical well being and body awareness.

Maintenance is non compacency and being "tuned in".

Maintenance is finding the rewards beyond the scale and being grateful for them every step of the way.

Maintenance is something I need to do better homework for.

Maintenance is honoring what really matters.

Maintenance is 24/7/365, for the rest of our lives.

Maintenance is just as challenging as weight loss. It requires the same careful planning, attention, and conscious choices. The difference is that we are enjoying all of the wonderful benefits of our new bodies while we continue to work at it.

Maintenance is the literal embodiment of the phrase "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Wendalyn, I think at my cellular level, I am half turkey by now! :D

Maintenance is consistency.

Maintenance is long-term focus.

Maintenance is being able to throw on last summer's bikini this spring break. priceless. :p

Maintenance is the hardest and most rewarding thing I've done in my life (besides being a mom!)

Maintenace
 

Originally Posted by Meg:
Maintenance is 24/7/365, for the rest of our lives.

Meg, you said it best! That's it in a nutshell....took me a long time to learn this,

Maintenance is a pain in the butt. :lol:

Maintenance is a roller coaster.

Maintenance is like walking on an icy hill. Sometimes you slip down a little, and you have to claw your way back to where you were, or else you end up sliding all the way down.

Maintenance is like marriage. You make a committment for life, and sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not so great, but you always have to put in your best effort and you don't get the great times for free.

All of these comments need to be compiled and put onto posters that we can attach to our fridges! Priceless, really.

Maintenance is life with self-control.

Maintenance is what keeps us out of extra large clothing.

From the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

1: to keep in an existing state (as of repair, efficiency, or validity) : preserve from failure or decline <maintain machinery>

I like to think of this body as a complex machine. The higher the quality of the maintenance, the longer it's gonna last me. That includes all aspects of health, not just weight loss. Proper sleep, good nutrition, exercise, stress reduction....they're all important parts of the equation for a quality lifestyle.

I love all these!

Anne, thanks for sharing the dictionary definition. The more I get into this whole journey, the more I realize it is about looking for health and balance---mental health, physical health, good nutrition. Keeping my body working well means more than a number on the scale. It means moving, getting my heart pumping, protecting my muscles and my bones. We only get one body....we should treat it well, very well.

Maintenance is caring enough about my body to treat it with respect and remain mindful of what it needs to work at an optimal level.

Originally Posted by :
Maintenance is the healthy lifestyle I should have been following all along.

This is almost word for word what popped into my head when I first so the thread. I mean immediately, without giving it a second thought.

Then I gave it a second, and third and fourth ..... thought and many of my answers are here as well.

I will add....

Maintenance is extremely important to me. It's very much on my mind. I take it very seriously. And I believe the only way it can work for me, is if I continue to make it a top priority.

So yes, like Meg said, "It's 24/7/365". *Sighs heavily*

I will also say that I am just so thrilled beyond belief that I'm in maintenance. 19 months later and sometimes I still have to pinch myself. :dancer: Did *I* just run up those stairs without getting winded? Can that possibly be *my* closet full of awesomely, incredible, fabulous, clothing????? Can that be *my* husband who has lovingly nicknamed *me*,yes *ME, "slim"? I'm digressing, I'm digressing. :D

Yeah, it's HARD at times. But others - not so much. R O L L E R C O A S T E R.

But damn, it's rewarding!

I love all the responses so far! Every single one hits home for me.

Maintenance is awareness and mindfulness.

Maintenance is 1000 choices every day.

Maintenance is acceptance that perfection is not the ultimate goal. Good enough really is an OK place to be.

Maintenance is keeping myself on the list of things I value and give time to.

So much truth and wisdom here!!

Maintenance is a dynamic process, not a static one. We have consistent behaviors that work for us, but within those behaviors, we continue to explore, experiment, and try new things---new recipes, new foods, new types of exercise, new running routes, new races, new weight-lifting techniques, new shoes, new exercise clothes, new jeans :devil:....mixing things up a bit to keep it interesting. I love to learn more about all the aspects of this journey---nutrition and exercise. It has its own continuing education!

Maintenance is a life-long learning process about my body and mind (although sometimes I don't think the two occupy the same space at the same time :p).

Maintenance is having chocolate cake :devil: with your tea on Saturday, knowing you will eat a can of turkey chunks as an afternoon snack for the next four days to compensate.

Maintenance is putting on the size 6 :D jeans you find in the back of the closet and knowing they'll zip no problem.

And finally, maintenance is the rollercoaster I'll ride for the rest of my life :yay: (hopefully without too many :barf: bumps)

Dagmar :p

Maintenance is being responsible about your health.

Maintenance is knowing you can have xyz, but deciding you won't.

Maintenance is eating intelligently.

Maintenance is finding a balance - continuously.

I've thought a lot about this and have had difficulty putting my thoughts into words. Here is what I have so far.

Maintenance is loving myself as much as I love the people around me.

Maintenance is not taking me for granted anymore.

Maintenance is creating a healthier me that has only had one head cold this entire season when I used to be sick from September to March.

Maintenance isn't one moment, it is a long line of choices. Cake today isn't just cake today - it is 'how does this cake today fit into the rest of my week so far', and 'can I live with the things I might not have tomorrow for this cake today'.

Maintenance is a balancing act.

Maintenance is planning ahead and having strategies for when you can't.

Maintenance is self care instead of self sabotage.

for the rest of my life.

Maintenance is the ongoing process, where I continue to implement the habits and strategies acquired while in the losing portion of my journey.

Maintenance is actually looking forward to doctors visits.

Maintenance is never fearing those cream colored envelopes (invitations) that come in the mail.

Maintenance is ... having a closet full of beautiful, stylish clothes that fit me season after season. :)

Maintenance is....
for better and for worse
for richer and for poorer
in sickness and in health

And on the clothes topic:
Maintenance is pulling on your jeans straight out of the dryer and having them fit!

Originally Posted by midwife:
And on the clothes topic:
Maintenance is pulling on your jeans straight out of the dryer and having them fit!

:lol: who cannot relate to this one??!!! :o

I used to think the :censored: dryer was shrinking my clothes. Couldn't possibly be that my rear and thighs were growing! :lol:

im learning that maintance isnt an evil word just by viewing this thread. very inspiring

What? You mean the dryer doesn't shrink my pants on purpose just to make me crazy because I didn't clean the catbox that is in there with it? Argh!

Maintenance is nowhere near the terrifying experience I thought it would be. It feel natural to me.