I'm not a maintainer yet, but I want to get some advice from you sucessful maintainers.Right now, I'm contemplating a big job-related change-- I've been offered a job that would be a big promotion, but it would also involve some upheaval in my life....
I'm really set and established in my new healthy lifestyle routine, but I'm worried that I may upset the apple cart if I go into a big transition/upheaval time....
I'm just wondering about those of you who have faced big life transitions and whether it was hard to bring new habits along when trying to adjust to a new life.
Well, I quit my job in Seattle and moved to San Diego to start a new job (stress!) and move in with my new boyfriend (big change!). There were a lot of adjustments, but I just didn't let it derail my eating in any way.
I menu plan on Sunday, I make lunches, I cook healthy dinners. I don't eat fast food - ever. This is how I live. It is a non negotiable part of my regular life (disclaimers for a few isolated events - my stepfather's death, recovering from a miscarriage which were temporary blips).
Congrats on your weight loss! I haven't faced any major upheavals yet but I have a few coming - death of my father, buying my first home, DH needing surgery etc.
I'm hoping I have my new habits firmly enough ingrained in my lifestyle that, should I revert to the old under stress, it will only be for brief periods.
You already are aware that reverting to old habits might happen and that's a good start. You can build on that!
I haven't managed significant change while in maintenance as I've just started that part of this journey; however, I lost my weight with several major life changing events in play AND a wacked out work-life schedule. I travel 2x/month, am raising 2 small kids (both under 4), have major house projects going on, significant increases in job responsibilities, dealing with the death of multiple family members...you get my drift.
The deal is this: all of these things are challenges & major life events, however they are simply LIFE! What I mean is that if it isn't this significant change that you have to learn to deal with, it will be something else. The sooner we work on skills to handle change & upheaval, the better off we are in the longrun! Change & upheaval are guaranteed to keep happening in various forms (even lots of good things can be stressful & difficult to manage).
There will be adjustment for sure as you figure out how to plan differently and manage social situations, but you absolutely CAN do it. Congratulations on what sounds like a fabulous opportunity. I hope you grab the reigns and go for it, just like you are doing with your health!
I’m not a maintainer yet, but I have had some thoughts on change. I have been overweight or obese most of my life, and becoming thinner is a leap into the big, scary, unknown world of change. I realized recently that I am about to graduate from college and that is also a leap into the big, scary, unknown world of change. What I’m trying to say is that I realized that change is coming whether or not I lose the weight, so I decided that I might as well grab the bull by the horns and confront the change in my life head on.
Change is coming whether you have you’re living a healthy lifestyle or not, so you may as well confront that change as the healthiest person you can be.
I quit my part time job to focus solely on my own at home business. So yes, my routine that I was comfortable with went out the window. But my convictions and commitment to adhering to a healthy lifestyle didn't.
There was LOTS of stress involved, changing routines, saying goodbye to people I became very close with, giving up a sure thing pay check and the uncertainty of running my own business to name a few, but stress, change of routine, or what have you is inconsequential at this point.
This may sound overly dramatic, but keeping me at a healthy weight, MAINTAINING my loss is without a doubt one of the most important things in my life (although like Glory I've had a few minor, temporary blips which doesn't change the fact that it is still of the utmost of importance to me) and I am making darn certain that I will not let anything stand in the way of it. Other things I may compromise on - the laundry may pile up, the floors and toilets may miss a scrubbing or 2, heck I've even managed to let a couple of bills pile up - but this, my food - it's not up for grabs, it is non-negotiable.
I know it's easy for me to say this as I sit here, but uber, I'm not worried about you. You are one smart lady and though there will be a transition and adjustment period, I have know doubt you will do so all the while adhering to your healthy lifestyle.
Good luck with the new position. How exciting for you!!
My lifestyle change began with a big life change. I started getting healthy when I graduated from college, moved across the country to a city where I knew nobody, moved in with my boyfriend, and started graduate school. My two years in grad school were among the worst of my life (for various reasons I don't want to go into). I lost the weight in just over a year. During my second year of grad school, I got engaged, decided to drop out when I got a masters instead of staying for the PhD, and had repetitive stress injury that was so bad that I was afraid all that school would be for nothing since I wouldn't be able to type.
So since entering maintenance, I left grad school, moved halfway across the country again to another city (this time close to DH's family at least), started a new job, got married, had my RSI get worse, had two surgeries for it, finally got diagnosed with hypothyroidism, bought a house, and got a dog.
The only one of those that was really a major challenge to maintenance for me was the hypothyroidism, because in addition to the weight gain that comes from thyroid problems, it made my joints ache so much that I couldn't exercise.
I think with these kind of changes, if you really are committed to not regaining, you will be okay and bring your good habits along. My impression is that the things that really throw a wrench into maintenance are not so much the job changes and moves as they are the deaths in the family, serious illnesses, and injuries.
I've been fortunate to have had major lifestyle changes that benefited my weight loss. I left a stressful job, went into eating disorder treatment (with Cobra insurance), and got a better job that was more conducive to my health. I thank my lucky stars that I had the guts to quit that job and got a new job right before the economy crashed.
Another big lifestyle change was moving from the suburbs to the city. It's easier to exercise in the city and I don't need a gym membership anymore.
Recently, a recruiter tried to get me to apply for a job that pays much, much more than my current job. It would be a major promotion. I said no way because my current job is much less stressful and I love my supervisor and coworkers.
I suggest you look at this big promotion and ask yourself if it will promote your health and well being. Also, would you be happy to stay where you are, without new challenges. Only you know the answer to that. Good luck in discovering the truth in your heart.
I went from a job where I was constantly moving and packed all my lunches and snacks to a job with a restaurant company that specializes in bar food and big portions where the lunches are free.
Scared? You bet.
But I figured it out. Frankly, I learned that I would do just about anything to stay on plan, even if it means my coworkers make fun of me relentlessly. It's important enough to not regain and also be in a food coma every day. I also told myself, "hey, you can have a burger whenever you want. Do you really need it today?" The truth is, I really don't feel like I need the burger most days. Sometimes I go back to packing my own lunch, too. It was revealing to know that I was more "with it" than I thought I was in that regard.
When I moved into our house in the 'burbs, that was a more subtle change health-wise, but I became less active. I find that I have to put a little more work into getting exercise.
When my father was dying of cancer, and I moved in with him & my mother to be with him & help care for him for the last two months of his life, I found my new healthy lifestyle was actually a life raft for me to cling to. Getting out to the gym was one of the few times I left the house, which was a difficult place to be. But I think that "me time" & the hard physical exertion of cardio really helped keep my stress levels a bit lower & made me more able to assist when I was needed. Also, I was able to keep my mother fed healthily, since I took charge of our meals & cooking, so she was also better able to handle her duties, which were considerble, since she & my father had decided to keep him home, rather than in a hospice facility.
I've mentioned before that I have a history of an eating disorder. For me, personally, turning down a promotion or the prospect of one in order to maintain my eating & exercise habits would be a sign that my priorities had gotten out of whack & I was back in the old scary place. That's not your issue, but with my past history, I'd have to ask myself some hard questions, like aren't the healthy habits just a means to an end -- the end being a better, happier, more active & prosperous life? -- rather than an end in themselves, which I have to defend against all potential changes to the sacred routines.
I can't lock down my life against change. That wouldn't be realistic. I have to keep adapting or I become prisoner of my own routines.
On dealing with change...
