Maintainers update check in thread

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  • Quote: Hiya maintainers, twas nice hearing from a handful of us anyways that are still around and resurface occasionally, woo hoo way/weigh to MAINTAIN young ladies!
    I do believe all those that have posted on this thread are all in our 40's and above except probably Shannon of course!
    That is kinda interesting, no?
    I turned 40 this May, not quite 'in my 40's' yet I guess, but I feel like it.
  • 43 here. In maintenance since 31. Drift +/- 7lbs to either side of 170 occasionally, but always settle back. As I age, no doubt my body composition is shifting. Used to subjectively look more fit at 170 than i do now. Thinking of revising "goal" down to 165 or so.
  • Hi all! This thread is great, I still poke around this forum sometimes but haven't needed the constant connection anymore.

    I started at over 160 pounds a few years ago (I stopped weighing myself at that point but I know it was more). I got down to 154 around the time I found this site in early 2010. And this forum really helped me see that there was nothing shameful in being overweight or struggling with overeating. The only shame was ignoring it.

    Conclusion: my body deserved better. And so I managed to get into my goal range about 3 months ago and have been bouncing 135-140 ever since. No real plan, calorie counting turned me into a crazy math-wielding maniac so I stopped it. I aimed for feeling mildly to moderately hungry 50% of the time and not at all hungry (but not stuffed) the other 50%. I eat a mostly vegan diet with rare exceptions. Sweets were my real weakness, and still are. Also wine.

    Life is busier than before - I have a new job as of last year, and moved twice in the last 12 months (the second time was yesterday - sigh. Hence I'm spending the afternoon on 3FC surrounded by towers of boxes that stubbornly refuse to unpack themselves. Oh yeah, I can procrastinate). I also have a new boyfriend who is fantastic, and finally at the advanced age of 37 (closing in on 40, so I'm almost part of the club!) I have met someone I could picture spending the rest of my life with. Pets are good, life is good. Except for the boxes.
  • Happy to see a few other maintainers post who continue to keep the lbs at bay, BRAVO to all! Catherine, over 200 lbs maintained that is FAB-U-LESS!!!!! Wow what an AMAZING feat my friend.

    Thought I'd pop in today & update my ticker & answer my pm's sorry for not being here for a long while, but I replied tonite to them! Better late than never, right? Thanks chicks, you know who you are!!!!!!

    My soft tissue injuries have NOT flared up while pumping iron, so I believe my sucky injuries may have completely healed, yahoo! In just a few months of back to lifting my body has changed, weightlifting is such a good good thing. They claim milk does a body good, but I say lifting weights trumps milk! If you are not lifting weights, I suggest you give it a whirlski, losing muscle as we age is a given, so the more muscle mass you have the better off you will be later in life me thinks.

    On the food front, I am loving Trader Joe's tomatoe less salsa (corn & chili) it rocks, I like to nosh on it with Trader Joe rice & bean chips with adzuki beans, AWESOME stuff peeps lemme tell ya! The tomatoe less salsa is in a clear bottle & you mainly see corn incase you want to go buy some to try, just do it, you won't be disappointed I promise! The nearest TJ's is 4.5 hrs from me, so I stock piled the stuff this summer for the winter months ahead.

    My weight remains stable, it's nice to be comfy in my skin, plus my jeans. Infact I just packed 3 bikini's for vaca, (same suit, 3 different colors), one color for each week, as I prefer NOT to have all different kinds of tan lines on my @ss! One tan line is so much better than having 3 different ones. Hubs & I are heading to the caribbean for some R & R to an all-inclusive (already paid for the food & cocktails, so of course we will get our $ worth while there!) They have decent choices at buffets nowadays & a lot of not so healthy stuff too (desert bar & vats of nutella on the breakfast bar for toast topping to name but a few) Yet I continue to aim for an 80/20 route even on vaca's, but I admit it is easy to overdo it sometimes, 'specially the fruity drinks with umbrella's, but hydration is so important, right???? Plus we are always active with sand volleyball, water volleyball, ziplines, rock climbing, walking, mini golf, archery, the gym, tennis courts, & of course mattress mambo! LOL If any souvenir lbs come home with me, I don't freak out I just get back to eating what I normally eat & any gains come off. It's a happier head space this way for ME & being too strict has lead to binges in my first years of maintenance so this route works best for ME. When menopause strikes, maybe I will have to tighten up the 20% reigns, but for now the 80/20 still works for me, so I continue rolling with it, vacations included.
    I think more importantly is what one eats the majority of the time, and vacations & certain special occasions are ok to indulge in, it keeps ME sane atleast! So yeah, I enjoy it when I think it's worth it and I can adjust food consumption intake accordingly if needed later.

    Shopping is still something I do way too much of, but it's a guilty pleasure of mine being a fashionista! My latest finds.. how fun are my new workout shoes? http://www.zappos.com/brooks-adrenal...ack-ombre-blue
    & a few tops for fall/winter
    http://www.bostonproper.com/product/...c/56/pc/42.uts

    http://www.bostonproper.com/product/...c/56/pc/42.uts

    Well that's about it. Over & out until next time. Hopefully everybody on the East coast is hunkering down & staying safe! Evilwomaniamshe ~ Wendalyn
  • Happy 2013 chicks & roosters!

    My how time flies when you're having fun, wowsers next month is 6 years of maintenance for me! Weeeeeeeeeeee, only 34 more years of maintenance left to go. Yup, once I'm 80, I've decided that will be looooooooooong enough. I'm gonna let-er-buck in my senior years & eat whatever I feel like eating, period! Let's hope I still have all my teeth to enjoy myself! It's kinda funny, I envision myself as a spunky senior & totally see myself skydiving or doing something similar to get my rush on!

    My vaca was awesome even though I picked up another injury from playing beach volleyball barefoot for 3 weeks daily! Grrrr... can you say injury prone???? Yup, I saw a podiatrist & was diagnosed with metatarsalia. I'm sporting custom orthodics, but all is well now that I've adjusted to them. Whew!

    These days weightlifting is my primary & cardio is somewhat fading into the background, but I still have a good balance of both being so active with work & play dates. Balance is important, especially on the food front since deprivation works diddly squat for me! For sanity sakes, I satisfy my sweet tooth each & everyday and that makes me happy & content and keeps me on an even keel.

    My plan for 2013 is to continue on with my heathy eating 80% of the time & 20% of the time, choosing less healthy options which keeps me living a happy, healthy, balanced life! I love NOT over analyzing my food choices or exercise routines. Like Nike, I- Just Do It! I eat when I'm hungry & I workout, when I do these 2 things I'm content. Having the freedom to eat anything is huge for me and to have zero guilt afterwards is a total 180 from the binge guilt I used to have in my first years of maintenance. The scale and I are still distant friends, (I'm so over that metal mind fck if I lose or gain lbs days/daze!), unlike Nike, I- Don't Do It! - it's not "head healthy" for myself I chose a maintenance range 3lbs above goal & 3 lbs below goal, which gives me elasticity for when I eat off plan and sodium surges. I weigh in once a month if I remember and that's good enough for me & I'm still maintaining my 25# loss despite bucking the trend, being Renegadial! :
    I still gauge my maintenance by using my jeans-o-meter instead & I gotta tell ya chicks, I'm still rockin' all my jeans with my new orthodic friendly boots! I got these in brown & they are cute & comfy. http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-ma...ric-p_id279898 Yeah Baby!

    I thought this was pretty cool and interesting to read somebody else incorporating the 80/20 and having that balanced lifestyle like myself. I like her neat & treat analogy too! I see she too was a binge eater and a fitness competitor.
    http://www.tinareale.com/2304/what-d...lly-look-like/

    I'm unsure if it's because I'm older or just wiser now but I can honestly say I'm pretty much wowed by what my body can do in regards to my fitness & strength levels and how healthy I have become inside and out. (not factoring in injuries of course) I'm in the best shape of my life and I will be 46 this year! Booyah!!!!!! It sure feels good- looking all @sskicky-esque! Looking healthy, being healthy & feeling comfy in my skin is a pretty great place to be.

    These days I focus on enjoying my life I have made with hubby, working & making sure my businesses run smoothly. My days are full & beyond busy with work, loved ones & the social scene. I love spending quality time with friends- going shopping with them, watching movies together, evening walks with hubby, rollerblading, hiking, cocktail hrs with biker friends, family time, sports leagues with athletic friends, entertaining often, wine & whine night, motorcycling, 4 wheeling, car club cruises, cabin retreats, pool parties, impromptu invitations, rock concerts, camping, visiting shut in friends & making their life brighter, fishing, motorcycle rallys, tea time with tea friends, date night, dinners out as a couple or with friends, happy hours with my homies, dairy queen stops, karaoke night with the girls, spur of the moment wknd getaways, picnics, vacations in the tropics, traveling the world etc. All of these things are so much more important than honing in on ME & my BODY IMAGE or a NUMBER on an F-ing scale anymore! Life is precious and far too short for that, for this chick anyways! Yup, I've been there, done that & what a time SUCK that part of my life was! I'd rather focus on continuing being successful at work and enjoying life & creating more memories with friends & loved ones. One day I will be able to look back and remember all the FUN & FULFILLING things I have done with my life, and I'm sure that will bring me happiness anew when I'm old and gray!

    Granted my 25 lb loss is NOTHING compared to most here in maintenance. I realize that I'm not trying to maintain a 50lb, 80lb, 100lb or 200 lb loss as others here are. OMG, THESE people who are MAINTAINING huge AMOUNTS are in an entirely different league than MYSELF & I applaud them all! I have never been really overweight nor obese & I haven't a clue about dealing with any loose skin issues either, so I'm pretty much a minority here. But I do know, weightloss & maintenance are NOT a one size fits all, what works for me certainly won't work for everybody. However, perhaps some feathers who are trying to get a handle on binges, maybe they too will be successful with an 80/20 plan.

    Maintaining means I gotta be mindful. I CAN'T eat EVERYTHING I want all of the time, but I CAN eat everything I want MODERATELY! Balancing the two is sometimes tricky, but it's the KEY to my SUCCESS here in maintenance-land and that chicks & roosters is NO BULL$HIT!

    Oh yeah, I've also been successful on the marriage front (25 years is approaching- woo hoo!) of course another vaca is in the works to celebrate "us"! L-O-V-E

    I'm hoping for no more injuries in 2013, time will tell on that one! Over and out until next time....
    Happy maintenance all! ~Wendalyn
  • Wendalyn, I just love reading your posts. You always make me smile.

    Congrats on your upcoming anniversaries! 6 years of maintenance and 25 years of marriage, both hard tasks! You are awesome. My goal for this year is to look more at my fun and try to live more like you.
  • THANKS Shannon!
    Great goal my friend! 2013 will be YOUR year for balancing it all!

    Remember I'm rootin' for ya, today, tomorrow & always!

    YOU got this girl!
  • Thanks again to the pm peeps.

    Looks like skorts are back, but this one is actually really cute!!!! I decided on this lil number for our 25th anniversary outfit! Here's my shopping cart- if you click on either photo, it makes the picture bigger & if you click alternate view you get to see the back of the top, plus the front of the skort all in one looksie. Whatcha think?

    http://www.venus.com/viewcart.aspx
  • I don't see the outfit, just an empty shopping cart?
  • boo- well that sucks the kahuna! Hey Shan, can you type in the search button 6 button denim skort & the whole outfit should pop up. Sorry about that. WTH, it worked for me when I posted it... dbl darn, cuz it's still visible to me...
  • What the hey hey, I'm the last updater to this thread, again??!!! Geesh, I haven't been around for several months & I see NOBODY else has posted in a long while..... C'mon, I know there has to be some other MAINTAINERS around the boards somewhere's.... Come out, come out wherever you are???? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Maybe my "fresh fruit bait" will reel somebody in!!!! Lol .... Anybody??
    Jump on in, the water's fine! http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com...fb4a49b9f0.jpg
    Whether you've been a MAINTAINER for a day, a week, a month, year/years, feel free to join in this thread with any weight related stuff & how things are going for you in maintenance-land. If you're MAINTAINING a 10 lb loss or a 200 lb loss, we have "a loss" in common, regardless of the number.

    Ok, I've done my part, some peeps here have wished I'd stick around the boards to continue sharing, so I'm bumping the update thread to see if we can I get it moving one last time. If not, I gave it my all peeps, the rest is up to others, if they care to talk about the maintenance mundane grind in the update thread. And NO I'm not trying to take away from the infamous maintainers daily chat thread. Just trying to have an additional thread for maintainers is all......

    Maybe you're a newbie to maintenance & still trying to figure things out? Or a maintainer who is now running marathons? Or a maintainer that feels like you are running 'round and 'round on a wheel and getting nowhere? Or an elevator maintainer (up & down)? Or a seasoned maintainer?
    Maintenance is a loooooooooooooooooooooong fricken time, why go it alone? Come chat about it and update here whether it's good, bad, ugly or even just dealing with the mundane daily maintenance grind.
    Perhaps by posting here, it can give some new LIFE to this maintainers update thread. Maybe with a little bit of activity here, who knows maybe it can become an alive & kickin thread if other maintainers participate. C'mon maintainers, join me here and update something, otherwise I may have to resort to giving it some CPR to revive it!!!! lol
    .........Anybody???


    ______________
    In the meantime....
    Pardon my netiquette of shouting - It's official, "6 YEARS + 2 MONTH OF MAINTENANCE UNDER MY BELT!" ...Just a lil holla!!!
    I'm back 100% on top of my workout game once again which is AWESOME! My injuries have all completely healed, Hallelluiah!!!!! I've been been beyond busy working hard, so I can continue to play equally hard (two big vacations on the horizon for this year!)

    Still living & loving life and enjoying every opportunity that comes my way.
    My maintenance requires flexibility and adapting myself to the moments, instead of trying to bend every moment to conform to myself.
    Yup, I just roll with it all! Some days I'll have a 50/50 day or he[[ even a 20/80 day but it's nothing to get my undies in a bunch over, because it's what I EAT the MAJORITY of the time that really matters. (It also helps that I'm a commando gal, yanno nothing to bunch!

    Just like certain foods have an expiration date, LIFE also has an expiration date!!!! True story.
    Being tomorrow is so NOT guaranteed, I shall continue to LIVE-a-lil & eat things I truly enjoy, guilt free!
    80/20 is still my ideal and I aim for that most days, plus I still water myself often and pump iron & this is how I continue to roll - 6 years + 2 month of maintenance & counting..... ~ Wendalyn

    How bout you, next????
  • Well, I post in chat so I haven't disappeared, but I've been pretty quiet this week, so I'll update and bore everyone!

    I have been in maintenance 9 months this month, so I'm still fairly new to this. But I'm feeling really good and confident. I hit my goal of 119 in July and weighed in at 119.0 this morning.

    I am one of those people that is able to overindulge on occasion (like I did this past Saturday) and then get back on track immediately. In fact, I'm finding that doing something like gorging on sweets "cures" my itch for a while and I don't have the urge to eat anything sweet for several weeks afterwards.

    I don't know that this is the healthiest thing to do, but so far it seems to be working for me.

    My goal is to become a "normal" eater. I refuse to be imprisoned by calorie counting/obsessing for the rest of my life.

    I can clearly remember running my first mile EVER in May, 2011. I was SOOOOOO excited. Fast forward and I ran 15 miles - my longest distance ever - this past Sunday and will be running my first 1/2 marathon next month.

    This week marks the 1 year anniversary of having the excess skin removed from my abdomen and all the way around. I can't believe that it's been a year! I still carry a nasty scar, but the surgery changed my life as the skin hung halfway down my thighs before.

    I'm really looking forward to this summer - my first full summer at goal.

    So that's it for me!

    Wendalyn - CONGRATS - you sound like you are doing WONDERFUL in maintenance!

    Jen
  • I guess I'm a maintainer? I am still in the "improving various athletic pursuits" game at the gym and on the road. Is it still maintaining if you go down a pants size or hope to go down a pants size without losing weight? Is it maintaining if you secretly hope you'll lose 5 pounds or look like you did? Regardless, I am loving the whole "eat 2000+ calories a day" thing, that's for sure.

    I will be at one year of maintaining my range come July or thereabouts!
  • Woo hoo, of course Cherrypie took my bait on the cherry I tossed out there, go figure!!!! lol Dang girl, you look like GREAT, maintaining for 9 months is Fabulous! You sure have come a long way from your first run, go you to a 1/2 marathoner coming up, wowsers! It seems that running & marathons is the norm for many people who have lost a lot of weight, which I think is so cool. Best of luck to you on marathon day! I'm sure getting rid of all of that skin was so freeing? "Happy Skiniversary!" Scars show what we have been thru & nodoubt a subtle reminder daily of where you have been? Love the belly button piercing too! I lost piddle compared to you, but I don't compare myself to others being we are all unique individuals.
    Good for you in finding the balance to enjoy the "so called forbidden foods". You say it may not be the healthiest thing to do, but the obsessing/imprisonment you speak of, certainly is NOT "head healthy" either. I think it's a good route to go! I hope you enjoy your summer, you schnexy thing! Cherrypie, sounds to me like you got a good handle on maintenance, you go girl, you got this!

    Krampus, yup you are a maintainer, CONGRATS! 9 months is a looooooong time, geesh you could have had a bambino in that time frame yanno!?! Yes you need to EAT to power thru weightlifting sessions, isn't it great? As you continue with maintenance you will see your body composition changing over the months, if you continue to lift heavy things. Even if you gain a few lbs of muscle oneday, you will look even SMALLER being fat takes up more room than muscle and since muscle is denser- you can gain weight while still losing inches, kinda like replacing a pillow with a brick! It's a good thing & I think you look great, you look pocket size already in my eyes!

    ~ Wendalyn
  • Hi Catherinef,

    Congratulations on your more-than-impressive accomplishment! I'm curious about how easy or difficult you're finding maintenance after such an amazing weight loss.

    F.