Welcome!
 

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Hey there! MrsJim (my husband calls me "Karen" :lol: ) here...

What a cool idea this is Meg! :)

I think most of you pretty much know my story - I'm one of four girls (the middle one!) and the only one with a 'weight problem' - definitely the black sheep of the family...Dad (who went to medical school at UNC - Chapel Hill but decided to pursue chemistry as his life avocation) and Mom were concerned about me to put me on a diet at the tender age of 7 - something I would never advocate nowadays. I tried a ton of diet programs and at the age of 11 had read just about every diet book in our town library...but also became a sneak-eater, a binge eater, etc. Anyway, I reached my high weight in 1990 of 265 pounds before I decided that was IT for me - it was time for me to make some lifestyle changes. At one point around 1988 or so, I tried to go the Fat Acceptance/Big is Beautiful route...

At that time, I was at a point where I just said "screw it. This is too HARD to try and lose weight. I'm just going to accept myself as a fat person". I read all the literature, the BBW and Radiance magazines, shoot, I even joined NAAFA for a year or two. In fact...my first real exposure to exercise as enjoyment came from a book titled "Great Shape" written by a nurse at Kaiser-Permanente who was (and I presume is) a large woman herself, who lives in the Bay Area. She had a one-day "large woman's movement seminar" that I attended. It wasn't sweaty aerobics as I recall (this was almost 15 years ago remember) - it was just movement, dance-style steps, getting into the music and all that. From there, I started walking - and at first I could barely walk around the BLOCK without going out of breath - let alone climb a flight of stairs without resting.

In doing a lot of journaling to "find myself" I came to the conclusion that I did NOT want to spend the rest of my life being fat, and that this Fat Acceptance/Big is Beautiful idea that I was taking comfort in (and using as an excuse to eat whatever and however much I wanted...a lot of fat people will say they don't eat that much or didn't eat much...but trust me, I ate a LOT...I could go through 1/2 gallon of Mocha Almond Fudge icecream without even realizing it...followed up with half a large pizza...) was actually holding me back. Bottom line was I realized that however much I was trying to buy in to that Big is Beautiful line, I desperately DID NOT WANT TO BE FAT. But when you weigh over 250 pounds...it felt to me as though someone gave me a plastic spoon and instructed me to remove a mountain with it. Fortunately I heard about the Stanford research study on weight maintenance. Thank GOD I got accepted...I lost 90 pounds during the course of the study which started in May 1990 and lasted 18 months and have been on a downward trend (with some tiny ups) ever since...at this point I fit comfortably into a size 6 (last year I was on a pre-comp diet and got into a size 4 which is the lowest I've ever been - I think at this point a six is more 'natural' for me and I'm cool w/it).

One thing I have always tried to impart in my time at 3FC is this:

Losing fat permanently IS difficult but YES IT CAN BE DONE

and

Maintenance isn't as glamourous as the losing stage - it's tough in the beginning but it gets easier as time goes on (trust me!)

And speaking of that, it's time for me to do my Sunday AM cardio... :)

I'd like to join this party if I may. Briefly, in the year 2000 I lost over 45 lbs. using the Richard Simmons program of healthy eating and exercise. This was at the age of 74.

Now I am 77, I dropped an additional 10 lbs. earlier this year by controlling my carb intake a little more carefully. That is I am concentrating on the 'good carbs' such as whole wheat bread, lots of veggies, etc.

I was overweight simply because I got too busy doing other things and failed to pay attention to what I ate.

I am finding maintenance difficult since old habits die hard. But it is nice to be a smaller size, to be able to do more things, to be able to shop in the ladies department rather than the XXX size stuff. And above all things I do not want to regain any of the weight I have lost.

I have just recently joined Curves for Women, and am enjoying it.

I am glad a forum for maintenance has been started. And I hope that many will be able to participate in it.

Three Years, three months...
 

In October 2000 a friend and I decided to join weight watchers at work together. The leader set my goal at 131. I didn't think I'd EVER get that low. By September 2001 my dearest DH and I had modified our diet to more closely match Dr. Willett's recommendation (but we didn't know it at the time), and it is working for us. In December 2001 I weighed 145 pounds - down 31 pounds total. In December 2002 I weighed 134. I'm not the Fastest Loser.

I'm 58 years old with neuropathy...manifested by pain in my legs and a bit of a balance problem. The neurologist said that I have muscle atrophy and I should Exercise. Okay, Doc - Will Do! We were walking 30 or so minutes every day and in December 2003 decided we'd start training for a 5K race. With the information from Ian MacNeill's book we developed a plan. Today we ran our first 5K race.

Next on the agenda is to join the health club near our house. I miss the Elliptical Torture Machine (My Bestest Friend) and I'd like to work on upper body strength. And maybe swim lessons this year.

Dearest DH developed a web site for us... http://www.tig-goph.com/ Weight Loss shows our before and now pictures. Fitness and Exercise describes our running plan and has a picture following the 5K.

I'm not quite at Maintenance - as slow as I am at losing, I may be a Maintenance wannabe for a while. I'll just hang around and practice, if that's okay.

oh my goodness!!! you are FABULOUS!!!! by doing the 5 K race while suffering from neuropathy, you've officialoly moved into IDOL category for me!!!!

Jif, you really made my day! Thanks for the encouragement! :cloud9:

All my life.....
 

Wow, what great success stories!

I started my weightloss journey much the same. My mother had me on the early form of Atkins when I was 9! I can't remember a time in my life that I wasn't starting a diet. By the time I graduated high school in 1987 I weighed 200-210 and wore an 18-20. I quickly lost about 30 pounds after high school since I was trying to go in the Air Force. Of course I did it by almost near starvation and running 3 miles a day. I got down to 170 and found out I had to be at least 160 to go in the Air Force and still would have to wait 6 months to get the job I wanted. I gave up. I moved back home with mom and started eating once again.
Over the years I went to college and got more and more depressed so naturally, I ate more and more. I got married in October 1996 to a Marine who didn't really care that I weighed 285 pounds. I did okay for a while then he retired and we moved to Florida. I knew no one and was 3000 miles from family. I conitinued to yo-yo diet and gain weight. In August of 2000 I went to the doctor and the scale couldn't weigh me. I was well over 350! I said, "THAT'S IT!!!" I saw my doctor and asked for a referral for gastric bypass surgery.
In December 2000, I weighed in at 394. I had surgery in January 2001 and I know I was at least 400 having gone through the holidays and knowing I was never going to be able to eat a whole tub of ice cream again!! I ate like never before.
I had lost about 70 pounds by July 2001. On July 7, 2001, I lost my husband (who was only 42) to a massive, unexpected heart attack. We had been married almost 5 years.
Needless to say my weight loss stalled for a few months because I took up drinking. I finally snapped out of it after a couple of months and started losing again. By the time I moved to Missouri in July 2002, to be closer to one of my sisters, I was down to 200 and was wearing a 16-18.
In September of that year I started dating my new husband. We married in May of 2003. After about 5 months, I quit working. His schedule kept changing and I was tired of finding new jobs to accomodate.
Well, I am home alone and eating. I have gained over the past months about 20 pounds. I am not a happy camper I will say. I want to weigh around 170.

I have decided to join WW to get some structure back into my eating and to get some fellowship with other dieters. I am too isolated here at home and need to find ways to get out. I have also started selling Avon and my husband and I will also be starting a new home business based around cats. We have four!! I am also trying to keep myself motivated to exercise at least three to four days a week. I know I can reach my goal. It is not unreasonable.

One problem though, is I am also trying to get pregnant!! Hope that happens soon. I can still watch what I eat so I don't gain too much.

Thanks for listening,

Oh and Meg, thanks for inviting me!

my name
 

Oh, and Meg, yes my name really is Candy :chockiss:

Hi Candy! :chockiss: :D

I'm so glad you've joined us here at Maintainers and congratulations on your awesome weight loss. :cp: You're doing the right thing by facing your little bit of weight gain now before it gets out of hand. It's a heck of a lot easier to deal with twenty pounds than 50 or 100! Post a lot and let us know what issues you need help with -- there's always someone here with a good answer or idea. And be sure to share all the things that you've learned as you lost almost 200 pounds -- wow!!!

haha, I'm another wanna be :D
 

Hello ladies! Such great inspirational stories, and those who have posted pics, wow!

I've been chubby since I was 8 or so; at least that's when I can remember being teased at school :( I was never inclined to be athletic, and when no one picks you for their team, it's worse! I grew up with a very bad self-image, though I was not extremely overweight. About size 14 in high school, but all my friends were the Skinny Minnies :lol: Got married very young (18!) and am still married to the same guy :p

I knew what healthy eating was, but I just loved to eat good food, and to cook/bake; and no exercise. Had tried lots of fad diets (anyone my age remember the Scarsdale diet?), but could only stick to it for a couple of weeks.

Gradually gained a few more pounds each year; had two boys; hard to get the pregnancy gains off! In Feb. of 2001 I was at 176, tired, no energy, sick of hating how I looked/felt; and looked on the Internet for help. Found this site, and hooked up with the "Doin' It The Old Fashioned Way" thread, as counting calories and exercising sounded like what I needed to do . Through the support and friendship there, by late summer of 2002 I gradually got down to 142 pounds (my lowest) and a size 6.

However, I have regained a few pounds, due to *ahem* eating like I used to!! I kept up the exercising, but the eating was way out of line. So, I would like to get back down to at least 142, but keep my mind open to gaining more muscle, and losing more bodyfat.

I do videotapes for my exercise, and definitely prefer to work with free weights than do cardio, but I realize cardio is also key to losing fat. When it's better weather outside, I do like to walk. Otherwise, my cardio is aerobic tapes.

For me, weight and eating and exercise are all control issues...when I am doing well, I know I am in control of that situation, and it feels good.

My BIG motivation was to get in shape enough to feel I could learn to ride a motorcycle...which I did! And the motivation to keep going was that I wanted to buy black leathers, and look good in them :lol:

The other motivations are that it just feel so good to NOT be so self-conscious anymore; to be able to pick out clothes happily; to not dread social functions. For the first time in my life, I don't dislike (almost hate) myself. And that feels good, because when I didn't like myself, it was hard for me to be happy with the world. I have much more confidence in myself that I ever thought I could have.

SO, I don't quite fit the "maintaining" mode yet, but would like to join you here when I do!

Holly

Hello my name is Julie and I am also from Vermont :). I have been overweight all my life. Even when i was little i felt the effects of being overweight. Always the last one picked, many adults are not nice to overweight children and I alway felt I had to try harder just to have anyone like me. 85 % of my family is overweight. I reached my heaviest weight in January 2003 of somewhere around 340 lbs. I could not even weigh in on any scales I could find in the stores. I had been losing weight for a month before I could weigh in and when I did I was 335 lbs so I know I was at least 340 lbs or higher.
I have never put myself first. I am always the one to give up what I want to make things easier for someone else. In January 2003 my mom who is diabetic found her glucose levels over 350 decided that she needed to get control over it before she ended up on insulin. She was 235 lbs at that time.
She went to her doctor and they talked about the difference between a good carb and a bad carb and how to make some changes in her diet. She needed someone to do it with her to help her stay on program so I did it too. We started walking at the mall and I could not even do one lap which is 1/3 of a mile without being in pain but I kept working at it. That was last January and we havent quit.
My moms glucose levels are normal and she weighs 145 lbs and I am off high blood pressure meds and at 176. The way we eat is a way that we can do forever and we just joined the gym in february to get into the toning exercise and weights. I hope I didnt bore anyone!

Hey there! I know several of you already, but here's my story.

I was a relatively small, relatively athletic kid with 3 brothers that I always felt that I needed to keep up with. Somewhere along the line, that changed. My old-fashioned parents, with entirely good intentions, pushed me into more 'girly' stuff. I got told frequently by my brothers that I was fat and ugly. I discovered boys.

At my lowest weight of 130, I was exisisting mainly on cigarettes and wine coolers. I got older, made some bad choices that resulted in bad feelings. I got hurt. I went through 3 years of a soap opera and came out of it weighing almost 170 pounds.

After that, I tried every 'easy' thing I could come up with to lose weight. I took xenedrine, xenical, diet fuel, stacker, stacker 2, ate cabbage soup for weeks, stayed under 800 calories a day for months. I'd lose 20 pounds and gain back 30. When I hit 200 pounds, I had a meltdown. I was miserable and desperate. I was so disgusted with myself that I would throw up every time I ate (no finger down the throat necessary). To try and stop that, I started taking lots of laxatives. If I believed that I wasn't really going to digest the food, then I wouldn't get sick.

Happily, my DH found the pills within a couple of weeks and talked some sense into me. I spent the next couple of months learning what I could about nutrition and decided to try the Atkins plan. Now it's 10 months later and I've lost almost 70 pounds. I'm at 133 right now and think I would like to get to 120.

It's not so much about the weight anymore. It's more about wanting to be strong and toned. I've discovered that I love to move, so my exercise consists of pilates, biking, rollerblading, bellydancing, dancing at clubs, and walking with my little chihuahuas. It doesn't feel like work, it just feels like life.

And I think that's the biggest thing I've learned: when it feels like life, you're doing it right.

I was not fat until puberty, though I was never a skinny child. When puberty hit, I gained about 10 pounds a year until I hit my highest weight as a freshman in college. I was constantly trying to lose weight from about age 15 on, mostly by starving myself, eating one meal a day at dinner. In between successful times of weight loss, I'd binge on everything at the house where I babysat after school every day, also spending my own money on lots of chocolate. I hated myself, felt huge, never had a date, and was miserable all the time.

In college and later, I either lost weight by exercising (walking, swimming, and later aerobics and weight training) and cutting down on portions, or by starving myself. I was never, ever able to follow a true "diet" for more than three days. I still had a major starving/bingeing problem until I got married and got some counseling for my self esteem problems. Thankfully, it's been probably 10 years since I truly binged. I still overeat occasionally, but never have that horribly uncontrollable urge to drive to Dunkin' Donuts, buy a dozen donuts, and eat half of every single one until I feel overfull and sick.

These days, I belong to TOPS and write down every bit of food that goes into my mouth on a food sheet. I do step aerobics every morning and try to walk at least 10,000 steps a day, not counting the steps taken during aerobics. I despise exercise, but like how it makes me feel and look. Someday I'd like to join a gym again and lift weights again, but right now my kids are just too young for me to exercise away from home, not to mention the time constraint of working full time with two small kids. As it is, I have to get up at 5:30am to have time to exercise.

Right now I'm the thinnest I've ever been, and I worry that I'll gain the weight back. I've maintained about 30 pounds of my weight loss since I was 19 (20 years now), but always struggle with that final 15-20 pounds. I'm hoping this is "it" and sometimes I feel that it is. I worry though about living for the rest of my life not being able to eat like the rest of my family and friends (who are either naturally skinny and eat like horses or are overweight but aren't trying to lose it so also eat like horses).

Hello!

I can't tell you all how excited I am to have found this site! I've had a lot of trouble finding somewhere for maintainers to talk about how they're maintaining - finding this place is such a relief.

My story:
I didn't realise I was overweight until my Mum told me I was getting a bit big when I was 9/10, and started me on schemes to lose weight. I know she was doing what she felt was best (and don't' hold it against her), but it started me on an obssession with my weight, that as I'm sure you've all experienced, is very difficult to get past.
I'd done the yo yo thing for years, and pretty much given up. I was the weight I was - like it or lump it. But then, at the ripe old age of 26 I started having some health problems that were the result of being overweight. Scared the **** out of me. I really saw how being fat could shorten my life. So, I decided it was time to do something about it. In truth I'd been working up to it for a little while mentally, the health scare was what spurred me into action.
I joined Weight Watchers in September 2001 at 241 pounds, and lost 89 pounds to reach goal in June 2003. In truth, I think this weight is a bit low for me and am happier about 4-6 pounds heavier than that.

Maintaining has been more of challenge for me than losing the weight was!! I felt a bit lost without a goal to work towards any more. My weight has fluctuated a bit, but learning that that is normal and healthy has been a big lesson. As long as you nip it in the bud before it goes too far it's OK. "Skinny" people's weight fluctuates too, within reason.

Anyway, even though a challenge, I was maintaining fairly well until the last couple of months. I've started noticing the old eating patterns creeping back in, and I'm now 11 pounds over where I'm comfortable. But I'm finding it very difficult to halt the creep. The main problem is my eating. One thing I haven't stopped, and never will again, is exercise. I'm determined to never lose that habit.

I really don't want to go back to Weight Watchers. I know how to lose weight healthily. I want to get to what is triggering these eating patterns coming back - the emotional and mental stuff.

Either way, reading the posts I have so far here, have started putting me back in the headspace I need. I was concentrating on what I couldn't have if I wanted to stay slim and thinking how unfair it was I couldn't eat as much of them as I wanted. I wasn't concentrating on why I couldn't - because they're bad for my health. When I think about what they do to my body, they really don't seem so appealing!

So, I'm looking forward to losing the 11 pounds and getting back to figuring out how to maintain more effectively. I'm also looking forward to getting to know you all and learning how you all do it day by day :)

I just discovered this forum, after having re-read Passing for Thin for the third time (!!!) I found SDP and then here. I have been maintaining my goal weight for nearly 2 years now but lately I have been struggling, and am up 10 lbs from goal. Considering that I am down 140 from my all-time high, that's not a lot but I'm still trying to deal with the idea that my maintenance is really in my hands.....

Anyway, it's been great reading your stories the last few days. You all give me so much inspiration. I did a little web page chronicling just SOME of my many ups and downs: my life in weight

Hi Mennie! I've been looking at it as NOT depriving myself of what I want. I eat what I want. I just don't eat what I want ALL the time...like I used to. :lol: At first I stayed away from everything and felt guilty if I broke ranks just once. But a co-worker kept telling me that's the problem. She said not to feel guilty because you're not going to gain all the weight back that you've lost by just having a piece of chocolate cake when we went to dinner for our anniversary. ;) I "taste" things, and I treat myself to stuff I like from time-to-time. Use to be I ate that way daily though. Having 3 Boston Creme donuts was a normal breakfast. Now I might get one once or twice a year as a special treat.

I don't feel I'm depriving myself that way. And when I look in the mirror, I really don't feel like I'm depriving myself. LOL

You know, when I was in high school, I weighed 132 and thought I was overweight. My butt was too big or something. Years later, when I was up to about 160, I ran into an old friend from HS. His comment was "Dang girl! You used to look GOOD in high school, what happened?" He realized what he said and started backpeddling at that point...LOL! But that's when I decided to diet. And I went on about half a dozen of them after that and just kept getting bigger each time I stopped dieting.

I see myself now and realize I was never fat in high school. I had so many self-esteem problems because of family issues. Now I live far from my family, and while I miss them, their influences are no longer keeping me down. My esteem is up, my weight has finally come down, and now I look in the mirror and know that I was never fat then...and I'll never ever allow myself to get fat again. I'll never let others have the power over my self esteem that they once did. It's all up to me.

Well compared to some of you who have achieved so much my weight loss is pretty pathetic.

I wanted to lose 2 stone its the first time I've ever seriously dieted. I felt my weight was starting to get out of hand. I was a UK size 10 then I went vegetarian and promptly put on tons of weight because I totally let my nutrition go to ****. I wasnt eating a balanced diet I was eating a ton of margarine and cheese to stop me feeling hungry rather than learning to cook proper veggie dishes. Since turning veggie my health had been rubbish, I've had tonsillitis, glandular fever and developed asthma in a year when i've never had a day off before in my life. So I decided it was time to nip it in the bud, I went up 2 clothes sizes and then started going up to 3 sizes in some things and it made me really depressed so I decided it was time to come up with a decent exercise and eating plan.

Anyway I've lost the weight quite quickly, my health is better now I dont have as many asthma problems which I think is to do with the gentle exercise I'm doing. I have a gym programme. I really have 2 concerns and they are pretty contradictory.
1. I want to keep the weight off, I like the way I look, I dont feel as depressed, I feel tons more confident and outgoing and I'm definitely happier.
2. i am worried about losing too much weight, since I started maintaining I've lost another half stone in 6 weeks and I got on the scales this week and I've lost another 3lbs and I dont know how. I'm trying to eat more without getting back into bad old habits but I still seem to be losing weight. When I was a lot younger in my mid teens I had the problem of being too thin and I'm stuck between the worry of being like that again and my weight becoming an obsession and between the worry of putting it back on again and undoing all the good that I've achieved.

My mum isnt helping shes been really moaning about me being overweight but now i've lost the weight (and although I've lost more since I stopped dieting I'm still in my healthy BMI) she is saying I look too skinny and that my boobs look too small etc. and I feel like she undermines any confidence I have in myself.

I'm going to have a look around this section and hopefully I'll find tons of positive stories and tips to keep me going in the right direction.

Hi Almostheaven! :wave:
I know what you mean. I eat what I want, just in moderation. Well, that's what I used to do until a few months ago :rolleyes: I've been feeling a bit down lately and the emotional eating is creeping back in. I feel like a choc chip cookie, so I have a couple to satisfy the craving. But that small taste makes me want more, and lately I've been giving in! I'm fighting that old battle again, using food to numb emotions - I was in control of it for a couple of years, and thought I had it licked. I'm now realising it's going to be a day to day battle, and I really need to get to the bottom of the emotional stuff. Which is what I'm trying to work on now :)

What you say about tasting stuff is so true though. Someone told me once that if you have a craving for say cheesecake, you should have some because nothing else is really going to satisfy you. But, when you do have some, if you really think about it, it's only the first three bites that you really enjoy. The rest is nice, but nowhere near as good as those first few bites. So have the first few bites and leave the rest of the cake for someone else - you really don't need it. But you've gotten what you want.
Thanks for reminding of that :goodvibes:

Oh, and Viviki - your weight loss is not pathetic at all - it’s bloody fabulous!!!
Figuring out the right balance in order to maintain, rather than lose, weight can take a bit of experimentation and time - but you’ll get there. It really comes down to trying different things and seeing how your body reacts. I'm not exactly a role model for maintaining at the moment :dizzy: but I wish you all the best.

I just realised i never properly introduced myself! I've been posting around the board here and there for the last couple of weeks, so i guess i better say a little about me :)

I'm 21 yr old Aussie, currently in my second year of Uni. I was never an overweight child, I may not have been the slimmest, but i was healthy and fit and always involved in sports. I especially took to athletics and sprinting and was being groomed for bigger things from about the age of 10. However my feet just were not up to it. I have flat feet you see and by the time i was 13 the tendon along the bottom of my foot, the arch, just gave out. I couldnt walk properly for about 6 months and for another 6 months after that I was terrified that if i did anything slightly strenuous it would set my foot off again, so i basically stopped moving for an entire year. Of course, at that age i didnt care what i was eating, and having the metabolism of a growing teen i didnt put on a lot of weight, but i definitly started to edge toward to higher end of "healthy" scale. Around 14/15 I started playing softball and soccer and generally became more active again and my weight gain stabilised itself at 68kgs or 150 pounds. I was an Australian size 14 since i was 14, and i stopped growing at 5'6. I was fine with my weight until I got to Uni, when things went off the rails!

My boyfriend basically became my world as he was the only person i knew in a new city, and being a naturally quiet and shy person i found it hard to make new friends. Then he up and dumped me and ran off to his ex and I fell apart. Became a hermit, locked myself in my room, ate myself into oblivion and became quite overall depressed and miserable. I went up to 78kgs or about 172 pounds.

One morning, a year ago now, i literally woke up to myself and realised how pathetic my treatment of myself was and I decided then and there to pull myself out of this self-imposed exile and mental funk and do something postive to get my life back on track. I started walking, then running, then gyming as well, i got out and met people, i put a positive spin on everything in my life, i ate better, healthier...just overall did a complete 180 reversal.

It took 9 months, but i got down to 57kgs or 125pounds (and would you believe, an Australian size 8?) in may this year and thats where i am attempting to maintain. I dont mind if my weight goes to about 60kgs, but so far it's been bobbing between 56 and 57kgs. So yes, thats me and my tale! It'll be nice to get to know you all :)

Livi

Hi everybody! I just discovered this forum. I'm glad to find a strong maintainer's site.

My name's Lydia and I'm a 39 year old mom of 3 who is also the president & CEO of a healthcare association (in my spare time...ha!) Talk about stress!

Anyway, I'd pretty much been overweight my whole life. Lost 86 lbs on NutriSystem back in '89, but then crept up over the years back to a high of 210 in 2001 (4 months after delivering twins).

So I went to Jenny Craig and started my weightloss journey on 9/11/01. Talk about a day NOT to start a diet! But I did and in a way it helped to have something to focus on.

Anyway, it took me 10 months to lose 80 lbs. For the first year after I reached my goal I kept my weight below goal through exercise and, let's face it, never really stopping the diet. I'd splurge a little then diet the rest of the week. In the second year I've slowly crept up about 15 lbs, so I'm now a solid 10 lbs above my goal weight. I'm back at Jenny Craig 100% until I get it off. Frustratingly, I'd been trying low carb which was working to maintain but not to lose. When I switched to Jenny Craig, my body got MAD and it's now holding onto the weight. Granted, I'm only 5 days into my return to grace, but geez, I'd like to see something for my efforts! (I'm up a lb, bloated, and my clothes fit worse than they did a week ago!) And I'm eating 1200 cals a day!

Oh well, I know this shall pass...

I'm now 2 years and almost 2 months into maintenance. And I have to say I have yet to figure out how to do it. It's really so much harder than losing the weight. I'm good at black and white, but I have a tough time with shades of grey.

So I look forward to your sage advice and wisdom!

Welcome Lydia and Lyria! We're glad you found us here. :)

New to this forum--

I am maintaining a 16-18 lb. loss (hard work via Weight Watchers; I found a very helpful leader/supportive meeting and thought it was a great program for me).

What I need now: a good, enjoyable exercise routine, ways to not obsess about regaining, ways to continue positive self-talk and (especially) ways to avoid high-carb snacks at night. I live in New England, and it's pitch dark now by 7 p.m. Boy, do I hate northern winters!

Would welcome any/all suggestions and support--
Elana

Hi Elanajel and welcome to Maintainers! Congratulations on your weight loss! You're absolutely right, it's hard work -- regardless of whether someone loses 5 or 50 or 150 pounds. :) And once we hit goal, it doesn't make any difference where we started because we're all in the same place NOW and in this together for the rest of our lives. We're never going to gain back those pounds we fought so hard to lose -- right, gang??!! :lol:

I'm going to copy some of your post into the "New To Maintaining" thread because I'm afraid your questions might get lost up here ... and I see you posted a bit there already. ;) They're great questions and ones that we all deal with every day, so I'm glad you raised them. See ya on that thread!

Hi Elanajel. I'm also in New England...until November. LOL Maybe I'll get out before the snow flies, eh? I'm in Concord, NH. I usually get out for a run right after work, so I get it in before it's dark. During the winter, I'm fortunate to live in apartments which provide a clubhouse, so I could work out there. But on bad weather days, I bought aerobics and pilates videos. I stick to my same, right after work, routine, but I don't have to leave the house in the nasty stuff.

Geez, I cried through some of your stories. Yes, I happen to be hormonal today, but I SO identify with much of what you’ve written. Thanks for sharing…

My name is Karyn Lee and I'm a married, 37 year-old mom of two boys who are 5 and 4.

"Diets" have been a part of my life since I was a teen. I wasn't really overweight back then, just obsessed with being thin. My weight problem began soon after I married and I was overweight throughout my 20s and midway into my 30s. I was (am) an emotional eater and food was definitely my drug. I was very unhappy and I was really good at hiding from the world. My highest non-pregnant weight was 215 lbs and I'm 5'6".

In March of 2002, we went on a family weekend outing and I ate myself sick. None of my own size 16 pants fit, so I began to wear my husband's (they were snug, too, but at least they didn't cause me pain!). That next Monday morning weighing in at 189 lbs, I decided I was all done feeling so out of control of my life. I had started many "Monday diets," but I just knew that it was going to be different. This time, I didn't look to an outside source to make it happen - I knew it had to come from ME. It took me about 7 months to lose down to 135 lbs and I've maintained within a 5 lb range for 2 years.

When I decided to lose weight, I knew that exercise would be a huge strategy for me. I started walking regularly on my treadmill and I remember how I thought I was going to die after just 30 min. I gradually increased the duration and intensity of my walking and added strength training (The Firm) after about 3 months. In the Fall of 2002, I began to run and I trained throughout that year. I worked up to running (no walking!) a 10k during the summer of 2003. I was so excited because I have asthma and I'd never been able to run before. Unfortunately, I developed tendonitis in my heel and have since decided that running is not for me. I joined a gym last April and just love it. My current exercise schedule is: step aerobics 1x per week, walking 2x per week, elliptical 3x per week, weight training 3x per week and Pilates 3x per week. I'm not perfect by any means, but I'm pretty consistent with my workouts. I believe that it's been the key to keeping the weight off.

My food "plan" evolved constantly just like my exercise plan. At the very beginning, I used frozen, lowfat dinners because I had no portion control. Once I got a handle on that, I cooked my own healthy meals. I used Fitday.com to count calories, keeping them between 1300-1500. I tried to keep my fat percentage under 20%, my protein around 30% and my carbs under 55%. I also watched my sodium, water and fiber. I ate 3 meals and 2 snacks every day and chewed gum in between if I got the munchies. I became a student of nutrition and I planned out all my meals and snacks ahead of time. I logged my weight, calories, exercise and water intake on a daily basis.

I still do the above, but I don't count calories or log my info as often. I still weigh myself every day, plan out all my meals each morning and make a non-negotiable appointment to work out each day.

One of the biggest things I continue to struggle with is binge eating. I re-read my Dr. Phil book last July and feel like I've been in a much better place since then. But, I have a vacation coming up next week and then the holidays after that (my two worst binge triggers) and I'm a little worried. I will definitely be needing some support!

Anyway, I've realized there's no end to this journey. I hit my goal and I've maintained for 2 years, but I am NOT done. I'm still plugging away, making mistakes and looking for answers. I'm positive that if I felt like my work was all behind me, I would gain back the weight in a hurry.

I've lost weight before, but I wasn't successful at maintaining it because I just went right back to my old ways. I treated reaching my goal as the end of the weight loss process. I can now embrace the fact that this battle will never be over for me. It really is just beginning! Maintenance is so much harder than I expected it to be! It takes a lot of thought and effort, but the rewards are phenomenal. I am much more pleased with my appearance, but the best part is that I'm happy. Being happy has a profoundly wonderful effect on my life and I want to do anything in my power to hold on to that.

And just for the record...I'm currently having one of those moments that make me so happy and proud of the fact that I've worked successfully to keep this weight off. (Hope this doesn't sound too shallow, but I'm thinking you will relate to this...) I'm going to Hawaii next week for the first time and I've had so much fun putting together my little summer outfits for the trip. I have so many things that I feel good in that it's hard to keep my packing to a minimum. Excitement about clothes is definitely something I didn't have 3 years ago. Back then, my main goal was to hide my body as much as possible.

Thanks for listening! I look forward to giving and getting support here!

Thanks for sharing, Karyn! Wow, your story is my story! I could have written a lot of what you said, especially about binging still being a problem, exercise being key, and maintenance being harder than we thought but oh so worth it. :)

And about the clothes -- I don't think you're being shallow at all. :D Clothes are a huge incentive for me and yes, I seriously overshopped once I got rid of my big clothes forever. :o Unfortunately, I live in a older house with tiny closets, so I have plastic storage boxes of sweaters under the bed and those drop down pants hangers and ... it's embarrassing ... :o BUT if I'm ever having a bad day and want to say to **** with diets and exercise, going clothes shopping is the BEST way to snap myself out of the funk (and it gets me away from the kitchen).

Have a wonderful time in Hawaii and we look forward to hearing lots more from you. :)

Thanks, Meg. I'm so happy to meet someone who has gone through and who is going through much of what I'm experiencing. There are so many little things about this whole deal that I really can't share with anyone. Whether it's good or bad, I just haven't been able to find anyone who can totally relate.

Like...

Like I said before, I may be smaller now, but I really have nearly the same issues about my body that I did before. It's not like I suddenly look in the mirror sans clothing and think, "Wow, I'm hot!" I'm still as insecure about my stomach, hips and thighs and still feel completely uncomfortable in a swimsuit. I want to get a tummy tuck when I turn 40 (in a couple years) to rid myself of loose skin from my c-section and from being overweight. Here's why I don't feel like I can talk about this stuff: Have you ever been around someone you regard as "skinny" who complains about how fat they are? When I was heavy, I just wanted to slap those skinny girls when they *****ed and moaned about their weight. I didn't feel like they had the right to complain. Am I making any sense at all??? Anyway, that's why I keep my mouth shut! ;)

I don't talk about all those wonderful little things either. About how awesome (and easy) it is to squeeze past people in a movie theatre aisle, how strong it feels to be muscular or how fun it is to go straight to the 4s and 6s when I'm shopping for clothes. To this day, though, I still take 8s in with me because my brain won't wrap around the fact that I'm a 4 or a 6. These little things bring me so much joy and satisfaction (and makes all my hard work feel worthwhile) but to talk about them seems too much like bragging.

As you can now see, I'm a babbler. I think it's obvious that I'm pretty excited about meeting you all. :)

Karyn Lee

PS Meg, I would love to talk to you sometime about your surgeries. You sound like you're very satisfied with your results!

Ok, so I've figured out how to lose the weight, but...how do you break the overshopping habit? As I was taking more clothes to Goodwill, hubby says "But I remember when you said 'but this was on clearance, but this was only $10, but this was a good deal...'" LOL

At 7 months til I turn 40, I'd love to have a tummy tuck myself. I have promised myself one the minute my rich uncle gets out the poorhouse.

Karyn, I do tend to brag. I still see that last bit around the mid-section that I'm working on, but I've always wanted to get down to the smaller sizes and am loving being there. I don't look in the mirror and see myself as fat anymore. I've slowly gravitated to two pieces, miniskirts, and lowrise pants. My motto has become "If I can do it, anyone can". ;)

I've gone through some life changes though that have built my self-esteem, which is mostly what enabled me to get a handle on weight loss finally. And it perhaps has a lot to do with not having a lot of issues with insecurities.

Try growing up with a 95 lb dripping wet cousin who would say this. You don't know how hard it was to resist smacking her upside the head. LOL

Overshopping was also a problem for me when I first hit my goal weight. I've had to get rid of many impulse buy items. Also, in the beginning, I gravitated toward tight clothes because I wanted to show off my hard work. That feeling has subsided a bit - slowly realized I could wear flattering things without them being skin tight.

It's great and kindof weird to have a "stable" wardrobe. Everything I bought in 2002 still fits! On my weight roller coaster, I usually bought clothes because the pieces from the previous year were suddenly too small. My wardrobe changed constantly because I was a different size every year!

Congrats on your weight loss and building your self-esteem! :)

Karyn, you’ve found the only place that I know of where you can talk about things like feeling fat when you’re size 4 and have a whole bunch of people who understand exactly how you feel (and not want to slap you :lol: ). Like Mel said a few days ago, we think we’re alone and kind of :dizzy: :dizzy: and then we come here to discover people who feel the same way about things. So you can always talk to us even if there isn’t anyone in Real Life who understands. We talk about body image a lot – here’s a thread about it that you might want to check out: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35318 I had the same crazy thoughts last week when I was getting dressed to go out to dinner with DH and I looked in the mirror and told myself I looked fat – though I was wearing size 4. I realized in the rational part of my brain that was :crazy: – but it didn’t change what I SAW in the mirror. Anyway, feel free to keep blabbing – it’s a great feeling to discover that we’re not alone. :)

About my surgeries – feel free to ask me any questions you’d like – I’m not embarrassed about talking about them. Mel, Karen, and TusconChris here have also had TTs or lower body lifts and can help too. I don’t know if you found it yet, but we have a sticky about weight loss and skin that has some posts about surgical experiences: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36040 Yes, I am extremely satisfied with my results. :D I’m never going to look like a model, but I never expected to and this is much, much better than having all the skin flopping around.

About shopping – I’ve gotten rid of a lot of what I bought at first too, for two reasons. First, I was so overwhelmed by the choices that I was really undiscriminating about what I bought. I was used to begin stuck in the plus sizes and having to be content to make do with anything that simply fit. All of a sudden, everything fit (or was too big) and it came in 200 varieties. Too much choice. Now I tell myself I have to LOVE it to buy it. Second, totally without realizing it, I was buying the same style of clothes in smaller sizes that I used to buy in plus sizes: big, baggy stuff meant to camouflage my body. It took me a while to realize that I didn’t need to camouflage any more AND that wasn’t a very flattering look for me now. I’m a much more careful shopper now. And isn’t it a marvel when last year’s clothes still fit this year? I’ve never been at the same weight for two years before ever – it always was up or down before.

Glad you're all here -- keep talking -- great topics! :D

Meg, thanks for your wonderful post. I immersed myself in the surgery thread (lots of great info!) and plan to read the body image thread next.

I get so emotional when I read the posts on this forum. I can't believe how new and wonderful it feels to have found people like me!

Oh, Meg, you really do look incredible! I love your muscles! :) I'm going to have to venture on over to the Ladies Who Lift forum to find out how I can lower my body fat percentage. I started lifting at the gym in April. I love it!

Thank you for having me!
 

This board is just what I was looking for. I am so happy to have found you guys! Your stories are sooo inspiring!
My name is Margaret and I live in NW Pennsylvania. I am a 32 yr old stay at home mom to two boys David 4 and Josh 13 mo.
I have just spent the last 3 years ( Had a baby in that time) losing 167 pounds going from 315 to 155 thru diet and exercise. Talk about life changing! It's very surread to see me at 155, believe me. I spent 30 years miserable and clueless on how to take care of myself. My only regret is waiting as long as I did to do this for myself.
I really NEED to learn how to maintain because I am only a few pounds away from my goal weight! I'm scared to death of doing it wrong.
Thanks again! As soon as I figure out how to post pics, I will!
Margaret :coffee:
Highest weight: 315
Now: 155
Goal: LTG: 150
How I'm going to do it: maintain a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise.

Wow that's a well decent weight loss! You lot are all so inspiring. Looking forward to the pics Margaret!

hi guys second posting whew i m lost i donot remember i posted last .well v all know the issue ,but today my concern is ,i want to buy ttreadmill.i donot know good brand how much it cost.... i donot mind if it is exepensive.i want to see it go long way with me ....lol ,lot to loose ...donot want something cheap thats broken tommorrow

Welcome to Maintainers, Margaret! Congratulations on your fabulous weight loss! Can't wait for the pictures. :D Yep, you've found the right place to help you transition from losing to maintaining. :)

I think I know how you're feeling right about now -- I was petrified when I reached my goal because the only thing I knew was how to lose -- I was clueless about maintenance. All I knew was that I was NEVER going to go back to 257 pounds again. With the help of this wonderful group, I've been able to keep the weight off for 2 1/2 years now and it does get easier over time (this is what our "big loser" Karen always tells us -- she's kept off 115 pounds for 15 years now :D ) Stick around with us -- this is a great group for support and encouragement. We're writing the "instruction manual" for maintenance right here and we look forward to you adding in all your insights and thoughts. :D

BTW, I'm a Margaret too! DH's family lives in the Oil City/Franklin area -- is that close to you?

Hi Reenu! You might want to post your treadmill question in the Exercise forum -- I bet you'll get lots of answers there. ;)

Meg R U There I M Trying To Get Response From U . U R Goooooood. Plz Help Me With Two Things ***how Much It Cost U To Get Rid Of That Extra Skin, Imean Loose Skin That U Lost In Two Surgeries...aftr Weight Loss ...imean In Canadian Dollars***.***and Want To Buy Treadmill ...goood One That Goes Long Way With Me In My Weight Loss Journey......not Like One Dies Next Day ,plz Guide Me I Can Spend Good Money On Treadmill Since Thats The Only Thing I Want To Own In My Entire Life[ I Mean As Soon As I Become Teen] Not Teen Anymore Long Story Short I Need Ur Help ,sorry For English .at Work I M Inhurry,plz Reply****Thnx