I took Mel's advice a few weeks ago and have been on a maintainence break. You know what? I've lost more weight trying to maintain than I did trying to lose! But, the break was more a mental one than physical anyway and now I'm ready to really buckle down and tackle these last 20 pounds.

We are getting back to normal after Katrina - schools have re-opened, roads are clear, and we have gas. So, I've been able to get back into a routine and head to the gym first thing in the mornings. I try to get there by 5 which means I have to leave around 4:45. The cities are enforcing their curfews because of some issues that cropped up after the hurricane. So, techically I'm not supposed to be on the road unless it is a medical emergency. I wonder if I could convince any policeman that pulled me over that the gym IS a medical emergency?

Hi maintainers,

jawsmom - glad to hear things are getting back to normal in your area.

Gina, SusanB - Just keep hanging in there !

SusanB- It sounds like you have a stressfull job. Don't be too hard on yourself. Stress can do weird things with your self esteem. Don't let it get the upper hand.

Over here some large stresses are removed in my life. Medical issue turned out OK, my daughters sleep in birthday party went Ok, and the workmen laying a new terrace at the back of the house are finished and gone. I feel like literally there is a load off my back. I am still tired, but feeling better. I stuck to my new found routine last week for the 2nd week in a row, and I lost weight again !!!

So I'll try to stick to it again this week: 7 hours of excercise AND clean eats.

have a great day,
rabbit

Hi ho everyone,

Oh Susan, I dunno 'bout that. Even though you ended with a , I've got to say that I've discovered buckets of excuses for fluctuating 10 or 15 pounds. But of all of them, my fave is, "Up. Down. Up. Down. That's what maintenance is all about."

And for what it's worth, I think you should keep tucking that T-shirt in. I read somewhere (maybe "Why French Women Don't Get Fat" ... and maybe not) that French women *always* tuck shirts in so that they have a defined waist, even if that waist is far from waspish. We went to Paris last May, and I looked. Sure enough, I saw lots of waists of all shapes and sizes, and I liked what I saw. I've subscribed to the tuck-it-in theory for several years, and I find that when I'm tucked, I walk taller. I feel more finished. And I, too, have a tummy.

I also agree with Rabbit (Hi Rabbit Saw your note in the other thread. I couldn't be better! Thanks for asking.) who cautions you against the dangers of stress. It does SUCH a number on one's head.

The problem with stress, as I see it, is that it becomes all encompassing. I kept trying to find any way out of it; any port in the storm; any respite, no matter how brief. Of course, I felt too pressured to do anything useful, like take a walk, grab a nap or get away for a bit. So, instead, I was diving into whatever comfort I could find: sweets, wine, french fries. Basically, anything that registered as a treat.

Result: Still stressed, but with greasy fingers and heartburn.

I have a suggestion. The next time that you're mentally under siege, and you don't have a moment to spare, do two things: get a class of water, and find a place to be by yourself for 30 seconds. Yes, I mean that literally ... 30 seconds. Drinking a glass of cold water, and getting away from the noise for 30 seconds (which you can use to take a handful of deep breaths) gives you a timeout. That in turn, allows you a nanosecond to step back, regroup and go on.

If it sounds like I'm preoccupied with stress-busting, that's because I am. Before I saw the light, I was spending my days in spasms of back pain, indigestion, grief and guilt. And I couldn't wear many of my clothes. Let me tell you chickies, it was not a pretty sight. So, if I can spare anyone any of that, I'll do it.

A couple of days ago, Gina wrote, " ... Working on reintroducing structure into my routine. Funny thing is I keep needing to reintroduce the same things... Maybe they will stick one of this time." Don't feel like the lone ranger Gina. Sometimes I feel like I reinvent myself damm near every day; on the real lulu days, I think reinvent myself on an hourly basis. Such is life.

And on that note, it's bedtime.

Hi maintainers,

Airregrrrl - glad to see you back and glad to hear you are OK !

rabbit

Ah Robin, such good advice. Ya know .... I could've taken a glass of water with me to fill in those reports. It's in the same place we keep the saltines

Oh Robin .... I have my t-shirt tucked in again .....très sexy dans une sorte française de manière, n'est-ce pas ?

Mais oui, madam, et tres chic! And downright purty, to boot.

Hi All:
Seems too quite around here.
???: Anne when is that baby due, or did I miss the arrival. Good luck and God Bless.
???: Ilene how are things going?? Miss you around here.
???: Karynlee: What's up with you.

Okay any one else who I miss check in and say hi.
I am succeeding at maintaining my above goal weight, which is good except I want to reclaim my goal weight..Show's what happens when you ignore half the equation, exercise.
Good day all.

Reg,
You just summarized my state too ! I am very frustrated about my weight as well as appearance. Sometimes we miss when weight starts to go up, but in my case second year in a row it goes up after the event - like this year I did mountain biking as well as triathlon - and it is 4 pounds up (last year I gained 4 pounds and never lost them, so I am 8 pounds above my goal now)! I keep my food clean and I keep exercising more and weight JUST stays higher than normal!

I think I need to relax! I stopped doing cardio in the mornings and will do some running during the day today. No extra exercise on the weekend. Bought myself new ADVANCED yoga DVD and will do it on weekend. Food is clean, no chocolate in the house, I even stopped going to the polish sausage store to keep sausage (which my kids use for sandwiches) out of the house... No parties this weekend. I decided that I will NOT do cardio in the morning for a week and will just give myself a break and get more sleep! Hopefully I will have enough energy to loose weight...

I also ordered Pam Peeke's book BFL for women and hope to find help there - can not wait till it arrives (out library was out of them and waiting list is 3 month long, and Chapters sold them out, so I ordered it from amazon). I think it is time to relax (if it is possible with all the activities with kids and dog that I am doing )

Hi Sandy:
I am sure you have added lots of muscle in those pounds.
You sure do a lot of exercise so maybe so rest is in order for you. Your accomplishments inspire all of us.
Rest & Relax this weekend.

Hi Sandy, Hi Gina,

Just reporting that I am still around. I seem to be on a lucky spell these past 2 weeks: scales finally moved when I changed the routine. I am now taking more care about the food, having a difficult time with it in general. At least I now realise when I crave chocolates that this often has to do with me being tired or frustrated or things not going my way. And sometimes I can then either allow this chocolate or shake myself out of it.

Also I upped the excercise to 7 hours a week, AND I started running outside more. I am sure the running contributes a lot to the scale movement because my heart rate monitor gives both a higher average bpm and a higher calories burned on running days.

Last, I am getting more emotionally stable and maybe even less tired! I am still into reading the nKabat-Zinn books and trying to get some minutes of meditation everyday, but this usually works out like 2 minutes in bed in the morning or evening. Still, I am trying. Summarising, I'm on a roll!

Sashenka- Please share what you thought of the BFLW book. And Enjoy your new advanced yoga DVD

Have a great weekend,
rabbit

And here we are at another Monday ...

I'm feeling pretty good today, having chalked up a nice workout at the Y yesterday afternoon. Sunday afternoon is a perfect time to go ... almost no one there. Empty machines everywhere. No wait for weights. 'Course, it was beautiful yesterday, and I would imagine that when Ol' Man Winter arrives, I'll have more indoor company.

Incidentally, my routines are quite different than what I had been trying in the past. The PT recommended single sets of light weights, and a max of three days a week for now. To that, she's added 20 minutes of aerobic work five days a week. And you know what .... it's working. I'm not winding up totally exhausted after 3 or 4 days. I'm also doing about 45 minutes of yoga 2 or 3 mornings a week, and the pool opens on the 23rd, which means my water aerobics classes start next week. All in all, I'm very pleased. It's a very slow start, but if I can maintain it, it will be worth it!!

Rabbit, sounds like you've had a couple of good weeks! Good job. I've just ordered Kabat-Zinn's, "Everywhere I go, I Find Myself" (or, something to that effect). Yesterday at the bookstore I saw a new tome of his as well, but I'll wait for the other to arrive first. And if two minutes a day is what you've got, then that's just fine, in my book.

Sandy, I, too, want to hear your take on the Peeke book. I think she's terrific; in fact, her earlier book (Fit After Forty, I think) was key in helping me turn my eating and fitness around a couple of years ago. And lemme ask you: while your weight is up, what about those measurements? Given your exercise, I can't believe they're up as well. How'd you like the yoga DVD?

SusanB, how was your weekend? T-shirt still tucked in?

Anne, where's that baby? (probably a harder question to answer than the one about the T-shirt

Oops ... there's the phone. Gotta go.

Hello maintainers!

May I jump in here? I am getting close to my goal and maintenance is where I always have run into trouble in the past. I don't any trouble at all going up, and I don't even have too much trouble going down...but staying in one place has been really hard for me. I've been trying to up my calories a bit the past few weeks just to slow down the weight loss and get ready for maintaining, but instead the pounds have been coming off faster and I've lost 7 in the past 3 weeks. What is the secret of staying put?? I've lost the weight by eating low fat/high fiber and LOTS of exercise. I find that I can eat a lot of food and not feel hungry as long as I make the right choices.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Hi guys,

I'm still pregnant, but made it successfully to 37+ weeks, so the baby will not be premature when she comes. I am SO relieved about that. This Friday we have an external version scheduled to try to coax her out of breech position, and depending on how that goes, they may induce labor at that point. Or they may not.

This last month is turning out to be so difficult that I'm just focusing on surviving. My body and my mind are starting to give out under the strain. My weight is up way more than it should be (looking like a 60 lb pregnancy!) but at this point I just don't care anymore. I feel like Jabba the Hut, great and bloated and swollen and just lying around. It is difficult to even sit normally anymore, with the position the baby has taken. Plus my emotional stability is shot--I broke into a half hour crying fit when my husband brought home the wrong bag of spinach from the grocery store. He is afraid of me now--can't say that I blame him, because I'm afraid of me too.

I literally dream of running and triathlon now. My husband goes out for his morning run and I have to sit down to rest halfway through my shower. I am so jealous. I'm glad I made the sacrifice for a healthy baby (complications grounded me several months ago), but I'm just not a couch potato anymore and I am going NUTS. I cannot wait to stand up from the couch, put the baby in the jogging stoller and begin again.

The countdown on the computer says 16 more days. I know I can make it that long. I know that the healing will just begin then, and I'll have a whole bunch of new stuff to deal with, like sleep deprivation and figuring out how to be a mommy, but I am so ready to be finished being pregnant.

I hope you guys are doing well, and hanging in. I read your posts, but don't really have the brainpower to properly process information anymore. I expect in about another month I'll be a bit more coherent.

Anne

Anne, I was thinking about you this morning. I'm glad to see that you are maintaining your sense of humour. We sure miss your wisdom here. That's a lucky baby girl you're gonna have.
Be well and be patient!


edited for Robin .... no my shirt is not tucked in but my jeans are the smallest ones I own.