[Meg]

Kat - I was just thinking about you the other day and wondering where you were hiding. I'm sorry to hear about all the stress in your life, but huge congratulations on (mostly) sticking with your plan and exercising.

There's nothing wrong with maintaining where you are until life lets you take the next step. But pop in every now and then and let us know how you're doing.

[KnitALisa]

Here's a point that I'm jumping in here to emphasize. People who lose weight generally forget how they gained it in the first place. Somehow, they think it happened overnight. Like magic. The truth is, it happened while they were going about, living. Follow me here...It is our old lifestyle - our diet and our exercise (or lack thereof) that made us fat. What we chose to eat. How much we chose to eat. Where we chose to eat. And whether or not we exercised at all.
If you expect to make temporary changes to that lifestyle in order to shed weight, you will never be able to keep it off. Ever.
This is not about temporary changes in what we eat.
This is not about temporary changes in a work-out regimen.
If you want to shed the weight and KEEP IT OFF FOREVER then you will have to change your lifestyle (diet AND exercise) FOREVER.
So what if your best friend can eat an entire plate of cannoli and never gain a pound while just THINKING about pizza puts 5 pounds on your thighs. Babe, life ain't fair. Get over it.
Make a healthy diet "NORMAL" for you.
Make exercise "NORMAL" for you.
Make a permanent change in your lifestyle and you will keep off your weight. I promise. Worked for me.

I just had to quote all of this because it is so freakin' true. I've been thinking about how I'm going to keep this weight off, once I finish taking it off.

I'm 20 years old (yes, I know a mere babe in arms!), and thinking about doing something for the rest of my life(!) can be really overwhelming. It's taken a big, hard mental adjustment for me to realize that I will never go back to my old lifestyle. This will always be something I will need to spend time on. It's hard to retrain your brain!

I'm getting used to that thought. It's still really overwhelming and frustrating sometimes. Brings out the whiny 6 year old in me. Not fair!! Not fair! I want to eat crap food just like everyone else!! (NOT )

[friendlykat4u]

Thanks Meg! I'm hanging in there!

It's so hard around this time of the year too with all the food around. And I loooove to cook and bake, but the good thing about that is that I can control what I cook and how I cook it. Good for the entire family, but too much of anything isn't always good even if it's healthful food.

The way I've been looking at it, I've maintained almost 30 lbs loss for 6 mos now, not too shabby. AND my whole thinking about temporary change is gone for good. Which is something huge for me. I was never able to do that before.

So much great advice here and support, you guys are great!

[Golden Girl]

I really don't know where to begin. I'm drying my eye's here so I can type.

I have been a yo yo dieter for 40 years. The last time I hit maintance was a year and a half ago. I lost and manintained for 18 months on Low carb. My brain got the best of me and couldn't live the rest of my life like that. I knew sat. fat isn't good for me. No grains or fruits just wasn't healthy in my mind. So I started eating like I used to. I gained 10lbs back AGAIN. For maybe the 40th time. Now, is that healthy or what?

Granted 10 lbs isn't bad but I'm doing the same thing I've done all my life. I have a lot of stomach problems and would feel much better with a smaller gut! My waist is 36 inches, very bad.

I have started exercising again. I am now counting calories and have lost 3 lbs since the 1st. I can't live like that the rest of my life so am at a loss to what I should be doing. HELP

This thread is wonderful. I've learned more in the past 10 min. than in my whole life about maintaining.
Some of the posters are simply fantastic! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I would like to stay here and post with you.

[freelancemomma]

<<So what if your best friend can eat an entire plate of cannoli and never gain a pound while just THINKING about pizza puts 5 pounds on your thighs. Babe, life ain't fair. Get over it.>>

I know I keep coming back to this theme, but this hypothetical best friend CANNOT eat an entire plate of cannoli and not gain weight, unless it's an occasional indulgence and she compensates by eating lighter the next day. Nobody can overeat day after day and not gain weight. Nobody gets a free pass. People who "eat what they want" without gaining weight have modest wants.

F.

[jenericstewart]

Originally Posted by freelancemomma

I know I keep coming back to this theme, but this hypothetical best friend CANNOT eat an entire plate of cannoli and not gain weight, unless it's an occasional indulgence and she compensates by eating lighter the next day. Nobody can overeat day after day and not gain weight. Nobody gets a free pass. People who "eat what they want" without gaining weight have modest wants.

F.

You haven't met my husband! Eats like a horse! He's not the only one. I know a lot of people like this. Everyone IS different.

[chick_in_the_hat]

I needed this thread today. I've put about 20 pounds on in the last year, and it has been a struggle to get back to what I know I need to do. Time to wander around 3FC and see who's still here. Feels like coming home.

[Andee3112]

This thread is amazing. Thanks everybody for contributing. I had to just bookmark this now and am sure I will keep coming back.

[ChickieBoom]

I don't know about getting the motivation to get back on the case. What I do know is that as soon as you realize that you're falling off the wagon you have to re-committ yourself to healthy habits.

I didn't feel like going to work this morning but I knew that I didn't have a choice. So it's the same with my diet and exercise. It's a necessity so I'm back at it.

[ChrisMohr]

I like this old post. Two years ago I lost 35 pounds. Last year I gained 20 of it back. January of 2014: lost 6 pounds (yeah!) February 20-14: gained 5 back (boo hoo!) Time to focus and ask for support for March!

[bargoo]

You can do it !