Good morning! Since it's been a little quiet around here lately, I thought we'd try a monthly thread instead of a weekly. I sure miss some of the old names and would love to hear from everyone again. But summers are busy times and a lot of people are going on vacation right about now.

Like my clients! This is going to be a much-needed quiet week for me, with about half of my usual number of appointments. Time to catch up on everything else! I sat DH down last night and asked him what he'd like for dinners this week - he had quite a list! - so I'll see about making something nice for a change. Of course, I always eat the same old stuff, so no surprises there. We are SO much on the opposite ends of the food spectrum that there's rarely any common ground.

Woke up to some VERY sore muscles today. My lifting buddy and I are trying a whole new workout routine. For the longest time, we've been doing one body part per day (five day split). The new one is two days of big, compound movements - your squats, deadlifts, pullups, pushups etc - and two days of intense supersets with virtually no rest. It's all in the 8 rep range, so I'm using heavier weights than usual. I think I pushed chest about as far as I could without destroying my shoulders yesterday! By the time I was doing the last set of the last superset (lat pulldowns and flat DB press), I seriously didn't think I could walk across the gym to the pulldown machine one more time. My oh my!

How are our mamas-to-be surviving in this heat?

Off to do much-needed cardio and start the day.

Hi all:

Hope everyone is well.
All is good here. Recovering from Lasiks was a bit more than I expected but finally starting to see the light!!! Back to driving and work today. Eating is going well and exercise is still on hold, probably till Thursday.

COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!!!
We miss our friends!!!

Take care,
Gina

Hi maintainers,

Happy August to you all! Gina, I'm glad to hear you're recovering. I know you'll be back on exercise in no time.

Meg, my muscles are cowering in the corner hearing about your new lifting routine. Come to think of it, whenever you describe a workout they cower, whimper, cry, etc. I can't tell you how much I admire your workout ethic! Enjoy your quiet time.

The weekend was stormy down here and there was no way I could run in the downpour Saturday or Sunday. However this morning I actually got up before work and went for a run (well, I had insomnia, but still). I think if I can make myself do it a few more times and it becomes habit I can keep it up. That's great b/c it's been too hot for me in the afternoons, hence I've been slacking on the cardio. Food over the weekend was ok in quantity but lacking in quality, due to eating out with the new BF. It was much better than last weekend with him, though, so I think I'm moving my BF-adjusted-routine in the right direction. The adjustments are definitely worth it for him. I'm also starting my SCUBA certification class tonight and am very excited!

I agree with Meg, it's been quiet around here (ya'll remember I lurked for about six months before I posted so I know!). I hope you're enjoying your summers everyone.

~Megan

Hi Meg and everyone! Seems like I've been mostly a gainer since around mid-May and haven't felt at all like a maintainer! I made three trips to CA during the last 3 months and each visit involved lots of restaurant outings and bbq feastings (and very little exercise). I'm finally back in my home state (hopefully for the year) and I'm SO ready to start feelin' good again. I have no idea what news the scale holds for me - thought I'd stay away from it for another week or so. My clothes are all uncomfortable and I'm definitely not reaching for my cute stuff lately. Know what I mean? I'm back to hiding in my looser/bigger clothes. Anyway, thought today would be a good day to get serious again since it's a Monday AND the first of the month!

I'm a little down because, even after about 4 years of weight loss and maintenance, I haven't been successful at controlling my bingeing during vacations and holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas, mostly). Sometimes I wonder if I can be considered a maintainer because I'm always trying to lose my vacation/holiday weight. As soon as I'm down to goal weight again, it's time to go somewhere or it's time to cook a turkey! Don't want to be a downer - just a tad frustrated - and I'm pretty sure some of you may know how I'm feeling. As far as my eating habits and exercise goes, I'm either really "good" or very, very "bad."

Thanks for being so inspiring! The information and support here really can't be beat. I plan to be around much more often now that I'm returning to loser/maintainer status.

Karyn -- Don't be so hard on yourself, those ups and downs are all part of maintenance .... Do you think that the rest of the gang here stays within 1-2# of their goal constantly...NOT!! Well certainly not me anyways. I fluctuate believe you me. The important thing is to realise it and move on to better eating behaviour... Hang in there and come back often it's nice to see you back, I always like your posts...

Morning:

Nice to see you Karynlee. I remember you did very well with that last challenge to get the numbers down. I am sure you will get there again. Maintenance is always a challenge. My weight goes up 10 pounds when I book tickets, or just get the decorations out!!!

ILene, how is it going on your end. Still having those long drive?? Hope you are taking good care of you.

Off to work.

Gina -- Thank you so much for enquiring... We are all doing just fine. Do you know that my dad has only 5 treatments left?? I can't believe how fast the time has gone...

DH is off for the next 2 weeks, we have no specific plans.

Ilene - I am glad that you are seeing the end of your DF treatments. Hopefully they are doing what they are meant to do. You will have to think of something fun to do while your DH is off. On the other hand sometimes just relaxing at home is nice!

Karynlee - I think we all have our ups and downs. I am currently trying to get back on the straight and narrow after falling off the wagon due to a knee injury. When I get upset about the weight I put back on I just remind myself how far I still am from where I started. I know I am not going back there.

Meg - I wish I had your energy and determination. Exercise remains my biggest challenge. I would rather not eat than have to exercise more! I really need to find something I love that I can do without dread! I wish I liked to lift weights like you because I sure like the way my body looks when I do!

Gina - HI!

I am off to weed the garden before it gets too hot!

Sue

Hi, fellow maintainers,

Nice to read about all of your progresses!
Karyn - I am sure you will geet back on track like most of us!
Ilene - nice to hear it is only 5 more treatments left! Keep your hopes high!

My scale went up a bit last week but I hope it is down this week! We had a great long weekend here in British Columbia - one day we went to the lake and spent quiet time there - I guess all other people went to the camps or on vacation as beach was basically deserted.
Next day we went for a hike and my little daughter did it all by herself repeating all the time : "I am doing awesome job!" - it was so funny! She felt asleep in the car on the way back but woke up on the gas station with words - after awesome job I deserved ice cream! Yesterday we spent a day gardening and brought down one of our pine trees - we still have 4 left! it was very hard to bring the tree down, but I saw my weight training in action - after that I went to the gym and did some more biceps curls and felt like I am on the top of the mountain

My bike trip is this weekend so I did not bike to work today and asked hubby to adjust my bike and change tires for mountain biking tires. Will bike in tomorrow to check his work (he claims he can do bike tune ups but I decided to still have one more day for fixes if tune up by him does not work). I am very excited! I also will go to the gym today with my gym buddy who is also going with us on the bike trip and than we do triathlon weekend after!

Have a nice month and I will report about my trip and even probably post some pictures!

Sandy.

Boy, did I sure need to log on this morning and hear that maintenance is not always linear (just like weight loss? LOL). I've had a hard time lately feeling that 100% perfect is all I can strive for, even though I read over and over that it's what you do 90% of the time. Since hitting goal last fall, I've fallen more and more into this strict routine and it kind of sucks the joy out of life eventually. I've spent this week without kids and dh & I have really been reconnecting. I've also had time to de-stress and think about things and I'm really working to go easy on myself.

I guess, we all started this weight loss, working out, being healthier journey so we could enjoy life, not so we could have one more thing to beat ourselves up about.

Have a great day!
Brenda

I love the posts made in this forum. You all really humanize the whole process of losing weight and maintenance. I find that much more helpful than the more glamorous success stories that I read about elsewhere. It is great being given a realistic idea of what is in store for me from here on out.

I am at a crossroad this week. I would guess that I have somewhere between 10 and 15 more pounds of fat to lose. I know exactly what has to be done but I am not so sure that I am ready to do it. I hate to whine, but I don’t want to knock off another 200-300 calories or do an extra half hour of cardio every day. I am content here. I could stay right here for good and I wouldn’t be miserable or unhealthy. Still, there is that nagging voice in my head that reminds me that I can do better. I know I need to listen to it. I know for sure that I will maintain what I’ve lost so far for the rest of my life give or take a pound here and there. I really, really KNOW it. And I honestly think that if I just relax a bit, not with food or exercise but with the weekly expectation of losing weight, that I’ll eventually get the same attitude with 145 that I did with 214. At some point, enough will be enough and I’ll buckle down and shed the weight. Still, it bugs me that I am having so much trouble talking myself into doing the right thing NOW. There is no reason in the world to wait except to avoid pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Interestingly enough, I’m not at all tired of the lifestyle. I don’t find counting calories or measuring portions tedious at all. Exercising is fun and feels good. But there is so much emotion involved with taking my body measurements, checking the scale and trying to tell if my pants are any loser. After 7 months, I’m drained. Please tell me this is normal. Oh, and if anybody has any tips for pulling myself out of this rut I would appreciate hearing them.

Have a great week. I hope it is a successful one for each of you!

Did I ever need this perspective! The things we forget. Thank you Brenda. I just might have to print this one out and hang it on the frig.

Anne

Jawsmom- Maybe you really do need to just try out maintaining for a while It sounds like you've got diet-burnout. Since you say you really do enjoy the lifestyle, and that exercise is fun and feels good...why not just keep doing what you are doing right now, but quit measuring yourself and expecting losses on the scale? I think if you start to live like a maintainer, you'll probably end up shedding a few more pounds without all the stress involved. Seven months is a long time without a break. I'm not advocating a nutritional or exercise vacation...just try and maintain where you are for a month and see how it feels. Then if you want to go for it and really push the last 10-15 off, you'll know that you are doing it because you aren't happy at this weight. I maintained about 15 pounds higher than I am now for 3 years before I decided I really wanted to get much leaner. At this point, you know the effort that it took you to get to this point, you've been reading this forum, and you know the pitfalls of old habits. I think you are well-armed to avoid a regain

OK, that probably wasn't the motivational kick in the pants you were looking for but I think "resting" would be better than getting frustrated and going in the opposite direction.

Karynlee- Welcome back Hmmm....vacations seems to be a frequent trouble spot for you. Can you make sure you only stay in hotels with gyms? That's one of my criteria, and I make sure that I use it. I usually come home with a few extra pounds from eating out too much, but it helps.

I've been fighting the urge all day to eat anything that crosses my path, so I've spent most of the day either at the gym, or outside. I've been doing so well lately, I don't want a run-in with the peanut butter jar!

Mel

Jawsmom - Get out of my head! I really would like to be at least 5#'s less but at the same time I'm having a hard time motivating myself enough to actually do it. I have "let up" a little the last couple of weeks on purpose just to see how far I can go without gaining and to experiment with maintaining - not coincidentally the same time that I start lurking in this forum. Also about the same time that I realized I was becoming a skinny hermit just to keep from being tempted. And hey, I'm a single woman in my 30's - there's only so many Saturday nights I can spend at home alone without passing my last window of opportunity

I had a fairly radical lifestyle change a few months ago that freed up a lot of time (and mental energy) so that I could focus on losing but I know that realistically I won't always have 2 hrs/day, 6 days/wk to spend in the gym. Not only do I not want to go back to my old weight but I also don't want to go back to my old habits, so no fears there.
That's exactly what I had in mind and you articulated it very well, Mel. If (when?) I decide to lose the last bit, I know exactly what I need to do but for now I think I'm going to try maintenance mode for at least a couple of months before actively trying to lose any more (although it wouldn't bother me a bit if some accidentally fell off ).

Julia, I am so glad I'm not alone!

Mel, thank you for your reply. It wasn't until I read it that I realized I wasn't actually looking for a motivational kick in the pants. Rather, I was fishing for "permission" to give up actively trying to lose weight for a while. I felt so guilty even considering taking a break just shy of my goal. I think you are right though. Relaxing my expectations for a month or so will give me a chance to refresh my outlook and give me the mental energy to tackle the last few pounds.

I can't help but remember our vacation in April. I spent 10 days without access to fitday, a gym, or a scale. I was forced to find a balance between enjoying our time off by splurging a bit but still making the best food choices possible. I also had to incorporate plenty of activity without the benefit of a structured routine. I wasn't really worried about losing weight as I had been on a plateau for a while. I came home 3.5 lbs lighter and had a new affinity for my usual eating and exercising routines. So, there is something to be said for listening to your body and taking a break from the emotional rollercoaster that trying to lose weight puts you on I suppose.

Like you, Julia, I won't expect to see any weight loss for a while - but I won't be upset if I happen to shed a pound or two either.