Angela, all I know is that maintenance has to be treated exactly like losing ... it's the kiss of death to think "well, I've done it, I'm here now, and whew! it's over and now I can go back to the way I used to be." I read where someone said they cringe when they hear someone say "I'll be glad when this diet is over so that I can eat xxx." The trouble is, you CAN'T eat xxx. That's what got us in trouble in the first place. Same with "eating til satisfied". If most of us knew when enough was enough, or when we were satisfied, none of this would have happened. Here's a post in the Maintainers Forum about the "Do's and Don't's of Maintenance". You might find something in there.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85735

Angela, I can't stay online, but your post motivated me to spend a couple of minutes seeing if I can help. I hear your plea...that's the first step. You have the warning bells going off in your head. PLEASE don't ignore them! I just told you how sad I was that I no longer weigh 150 pounds. I looked SO beautiful and SO happy in those photos that I saw on Saturday. I really wish that I hadn't ignored my warning bells when I gained the first 10 pounds back. It's not too late. I'm SO proud of you when I look at your two pictures. I know you don't want to go back there. You are absolutely going too long without eating. Everyone I heard (including you) says that when they are being successful on Core they eat 4 or 5 small meals/snacks a day. You absolutely need a fruit/veggie/any kind of snack in the mid morning and mid afternoon. I, too, have no self control once I let myself get too hungry.

You've done amazing. Don't let it slip away. Please learn from my mistakes.

Angela, the change is AMAZING! Thank you for being honest with us. I think it helps everyone to know that it isn't "easy" and then we can just all help one another. I truly believe that you can get back to where you were. You seem to have a lot of fire and determination in you, when you want to. :) Have you still been doing meal planning? Are you following core plan, or just eating whatever is around? I don't have a lot of suggestions, except for the meal planning. I know that you were always very good about that and it seemed to keep you on track.
Anyway, that probably wasn't much help. All I know to say is "You can do it!" and I know you will. Let us know how we can help!

Hey maybe we need a challenge like....whoever loses the most pounds or exercises the most by Labor Day wins, and everyone else has to send them a $1 gift in the mail. ;)

Angela - hang in there - no one said it would be easy - but we know you can do it. It is a great idea not to 'wait' and take things into your own hands and get some control over the situation.

I think Melissa's idea of planning is a great one - maybe write out a weekly menu (INCLUDING 2 DAILY SNACKS!!!) and put it on the fridge - maybe even set the time if you have to - and have your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. I know that will help.

And you must take that 2nd skinny minny picture of yourself - make some copies and plaster it on the fridge, pantry, bathroom mirror, etc - you look so slim and tiny - and I think that might help keep you motivated!

Vickie - make those lists and keep organized - do what you have to do to stay calm. I know you must be a bit stressed about Jim's upcoming surgery and this is perfectly understandable. Heck - looks like another Long Island iced tea might help you out? :D (congrats on getting the scale moving downwards!).

Sandra - I just LOVED the bouquet (so pink too!). Thanks - your flowers look amazing! Good luck to Curtis with all the houseplan drawing (even if you're not 'really moving"?? :) )

I am trying to get back on track today - after my dangerous weekend (and I did not dare get on the scale this morning). Definitely (like Angela) I need my snacks so I will make sure I get them.

Poor dh was so frazzled this morning - thought he had his therapist appt this morning (he usually goes in the morning) at 11 am and then the workshop this pm (1-4).....has been talking about this since thursday (hence dd's babysitting requirement). Anyhow this morning at 8 am pulls out the appt card and reads 2 pm! Well that sure changes things - called her to try and reschedule, but she is fully booked and of course was going to charge him (only half?) for the appt if he didn't go - but we certainly can't afford that.

So looks like he is home this morning - and will miss the workshop in the pm - but will be home w/lots of time to prepare dinner before we go to the rock concert tonight! (the marinating salmon I did not cook yesterday). We might have about 45 mins safely to eat (5-5:45) then must head off to the concert (starts at 7:30 pm). They do have LOTS of goodies at the venue - but I will try to stick to either coffee or popcorn and diet soda! Wish me luck.

And since I can't go to the gym after work I have brought my runners, and walkman with me and plan to go out at lunch - I am just hoping it is not too hot out yet! I will see how it is when I get out there (supposed to be a high of 25 today - almost 80 F).

Will check in later!

Frouf

Angela, I so hear you. This maintenance thing is the biggest challenge yet. Don't get me wrong ladies, the whole thing is a challenge, but it's so scary to get there and fear gaining it back.

I reached my first goal weight in 1982, and talk from experience. Since then, it's been back and forth for the same 20 to 40 pounds. I really hope that this time is "the real thing", but I do know that it's a constant effort. Core has helped keep me going.
Angela, for me it's been staying excited. I know that you are so creative in the recipe forums. It's a matter of having "good", "satisfying" meals and snacks available at all times. Sure, a piece of fruit is always good, but smoothies and your wonderful baked banana oatmeal are great too.

Trust me, I'm always worried about maintaining, and know that we all can do this together.:grouphug:

I think the meal planning is an excellent idea. I always have my dinners planned for the month, but I've also done the breakfast, snack and lunch planning and it works well. Melissa, I think I've just been eating whatever is around. My dh doesn't follow Core, and always has goodies sitting around. Plus, the kids eat things that aren't Core, so they are there staring at me too. Sigh. But I did it before, and I can do it again. Exercise is key, but it's just so hard to do it with all the girls home. I can't afford a gym, and my flat feet don't stand for (ha ha) much in the way of tapes/dance pad. I love walking, and we will be able to do that next week, so I'm glad. We have a wagon now that will hold two little girls, so it won't be AS hard to drag them along on the walk.

And, would the Froufie roast rub work on pork? I have a beautiful tenderloin just sitting in my fridge.

Thanks guys, this has been great...all the ideas and advice.

Angela

I saw your question the other day and was going to say something about it. I do think the froufie roast rub would be excellent on pork.

Good luck, but I don't really think there's much luck involved anyway, is there? Just a lot of hard work (which you do) and determination (which you have)! It'll happen and being proactive before it gets out of hand, which is what you're doing, is the right thing. :hug:

The Labour Day Send Froufie on a Cruise Challenge!
 

Oh ya I forgot about the challenge - thinks it's a great idea - and I need all the american dollars I can get before I go cruising! I will let you know where to send them (but I must have them all by Sept 8th - I'm sure you will all try to comply!).

THANKS! :D:D:D:D

Frouf :)

p.s. So Melissa - what are the rules and when do we start?

Angela, the Froufie Roast rub would be EXCELLENT on the pork tenderloin. I just got home from buying Jim 4 button down shirts. We had lunch and I returned the pair of dumpy capris to Fashion Bug. Now I have to go change so I can clean and Jim can wash the floors. Later Chicks!

hi, chickies. i have been working in the yard for over 3 hours. am i sunburned! got a lot of flowers planted in one rosebed by our hummingbird feeder/our swing in the back then weeded, pruned the rose garden, and 4 rosebeds. whew! i'm going to the podiatrist in a minute. my face is beet red but i don't care. i'm not putting any makeup on. i don't know if i'll go to water aerobics today or not. i probably won't have the energy. but i feel soooooo goood.

got to go. i'll be back later to read all your posts. hope you're all having a glorious monday.

Hey Chicks! Here I am for a short break while Jim does the kitchen, bath, and laundry room floors. I've still got to clean my hutch in my kitchen, the outside of the refrigerator, and the top of the stove. Then I have to clean the sink in the bathroom and I'm done! Woo Hoo....a nice clean house for the surgery recovery. I'm thinking it'll be at least a month before I can deep clean again. Until then, it will just be wipe up cleaning to keep it looking as good as I can.

We learned that Jim is the first surgery on Wednesday. We have to be there at 6:00 am for a 7:00 am surgery. Fortunately, the place is about 5 minutes from our house. I'll probably want to leave a little early so I can go get a cup of dunkin donuts coffee to take with me. I guess I'll need a book to read also. The surgery is likely to take 2 hours and then the recovery will take another 2 hours depending on how quickly Jim comes out of the anesthesia. Then I'll bring him home and go fill any prescriptions he needs. The scheduler said that sometimes they go home with a pain pump...whatever that is. His shoulder will be packed in some kind of cooler. Kathy, I imagine he'll look like the baseball pitchers look after they pitch. They said he'll probably want to sleep in a recliner for a couple of days because it will hurt too much to lay down. I can tell Jim is really dreading/regretting that he has to have this surgery but there is just no living with it anymore. I told him that I'll take good care of him.

Ok, I'm off to see what you all have been up to.

You mean he goes home the same day? When my dad had knee replacement surgery, he was in the hospital for almost a week! I was thinking this was shoulder replacement, so if I'm wrong that could explain it, but still ... hmmm, now why am I thinking that? Okay, what kind of surgery is it?

Woohoo on the sparkling clean house! I know that's a good feeling to get it done!

I'm thinking that maybe it's because Curtis had shoulder replacement? Otherwise, I'm losing my marbles.

Angela, your daughter is precious! I'm sure that I'd have been giggling right along side you. What is your new avatar? Saundra made a great point about the other snacks besides just fruit. I made those wonderful blueberry muffins. I'm going to try to make them with peaches too. Whatever it takes.

Melissa, it stinks that the shelf is giving Aaron so much trouble. Time to call in the reinforcements!

Saundra, I'm so glad you had fun. You and Frouf almost make me want to travel. We haven't heard about the shopping fun yet, have we? I am really happy for you that you were able to let loose a little over the weekend and use some WPA's. I know that you normally don't use them and it's good for you to see that you can use a few and not gain weight.

Niki, I'm sorry you couldn't get the Catherine's one day sale. I think you still managed to get alot of stuff for your money. The website was probably overloaded with everyone shopping the sale at the same time. I was on quite early Sunday morning.

Frouf, I hope that DH is done scratching and that you can now breathe. Your allergies sound pretty significant. I hope you're feeling better. Silly DH! I would have been pretty grumpy that he couldn't keep track of his appointments and he's not even working. But, at least you'll get a great dinner before you go to the concert.

So Sandra, I'm not clear on what will be happening. You are staying in your current house and doing renovations or will you be staying in your town but moving to a new house? I see your temperature thingy! OMG, were those flowers from your garden?! I wish I lived near you. My yard is just nekkid compared to you.....except for the gorgeous peonies that grow in the spring near my birthday. My Mommy's favorite flowers!

Kathy, you aren't losing your marbles. Curtis had shoulder replacement. Jim is having a repair of a torn rotator cuff and they are also going to shave down a bone spur that is causing the problem. It is same day surgery. They are doing lots of them here now. He starts PT on Thursday and goes back to the doctor on Friday. We don't know yet how often the PT will be. The scheduler said, though, that he might not be able to shower for a week. Yuck!

Yay! I'm caught up.