Taking the Summer and Just Maintaining What You Have Lost
Has anyone taken the summer off from losing and just maintained what they have already lost? I have lost almost 50 pounds and 50 inches. I have stalled out now again. I am having a really tough time losing with summer functions...weddings, graduations, barbecues, parties, picnics, camping, etc, etc, etc. I am thinking about cutting myself some slack and just maintaining what I have lost over the summer, and then hit her hard again in the fall, when all the fun stuff stops. I will be really watching it all week long (that is not where the problem lies), but then letting up a little bit on the weekends. Is this a bad idea? Has someone else done this and been successful?
It's not a bad idea at all. Maintaining is what you'll have to do forever, so doing it for a few months "in the middle" shouldn't be a big deal. I would try very hard, however, to concentrate on eating very healthy. If you do, you'll probably still lose weight. My own weight loss has been pretty slow, over the course of about 3 years now. I would lose 20-30 pounds in the winter, then try to hold it in the summer, then do more in the winter. As long as you're not in a hurry to get to goal for some reason, just do what you're comfortable with.
Plus your body willl get used to being at that weight, then it will be "shocked" when you hit it hard in the fall so the pounds may even come off a litte easier!
Not to mention, you will not have the "stress" of trying to lose, so you may even find that you lose while you "maintain"--we probably don't realize the stree we put our bodies through emotionally--
I took a whole year off when I was losing When I went back to losing it was much much easier. A maintenance break not only does no harm, but is also good practice for your life after you hit goal.
I took about 5 months off last year, from Aug-Dec, after losing my first 45 pounds. Just started back up in January. Anyways, it was a much needed break! I still exercised but I stopped counting calories and just tried to maintain. I vowed to myself that I just would weigh in once a week to keep myself honest. Guess what? I lost another 12 pounds during that time!
I think sometimes you just need a break. Especially if you have a lot to lose and have been doing it for a long stretch of time. If you burn out, (like I did), it's time to step back and give yourself time to regroup. Besides, I felt like I just wanted to live like a normal person for a while!
I find it easier to lose in the summer. Outdoor bbq or grilling with a salad .... outdoor activities. You may be pleasantly surprised just like djstorey was.
There is nothing at all wrong with taking a break from trying to lose and trying to maintain weight for a while. I have thought about trying to maintain my weight for a few months and with hopefully exercise and increased summer outdoor activities (swimming) maybe lose my last few lbs. in the process. Good luck in whatever you decide.
I think taking a maintenance break isn't a bad idea at all... in fact, I'm thinking about something like that when I hit my goal of 179 (I'll have lost over 100 pounds by then!)
BUT... it sounds like you're saying that fun functions = off plan. Maybe there's another way?
If you are going to do this for life, aren't you going to have to figure out how to deal with all the "fun" events sometime? I think if I set myself up for the idea that I can't eat well and healthy at picnics, bbqs, or maybe even weddings, that I will either a) never attend fun events, assuming I will eat poorly or b) attend and eat poorly.
I'm finding that a bit of prior planning and I can attend just about any event and do great staying on plan -- granted, I think my plan is pretty flexible...
I work at a college, and this past week has been crazy for events, including 2 honors dinners and free lunches (the lunches I did skip, because I couldn't deal with 2 unplanned meals/day), as well as my own personal celebration at getting tenure! I've even had wine and some dessert 2 nights this week (not much of either, granted)... and managed to lose 2 pounds this week. I had to plan carefully to make it work.
It sounds like you're thinking about it right -- eating somewhat less on other days... but I just wanted to add in that you might be able to do better than you think you can at the "fun" too!
And again, I'm not saying maintanence is a bad idea at all!
Wyllenn: Congratulations on reaching Tenure! What a great accomplishment in today's academic atmosphere.
Back on track:
I'd say that if by "taking the summer off" you mean slightly increasing the number of cals allowed and/or decreasing exercise BUT retaining the same sense of control that you have developed so far, go for it. If you mean throwing everthing out the window for 4 months and re-starting in the fall, I think you might be travelling into some dangerous territory. Successfull life-style changes just can't be turned on and off so easily-otherwise they really aren't life-style changes, just "things we are doing right now". Who says that you can't go to a barbecue, eat a reasonable amount of food, then go swimming, biking, or take a walk around in a park, etc.
I agree with Wyllenn, it's important for us to learn how to negotiate all kinds of eating/socializing events without blowing all of the hard work that we have done, AND without feeling like we are missing out of the fun and comradarie that comes from sharing a meal with other people.
Oh, yes, sorry for the additional hijack, HadEnough! Regarding taking a break during summer, I agree that scaling back some of the intensity a bit might be a welcome relief. Allowing yourself an all-out food-fest for 4 months might be problematic. But I don't think that's what you're suggesting .
For me, I'm hoping to do the same thing in late autumn, IF (big if) I make enough headway over the summer. Summer eating and activity isn't a big deal for me. The time between (US) Thanksgiving and New Year's is. If I can make enough headway before Thanksgiving, my cut-yourself-some-slack, maintenance-rehersal will start then.
I'll be interested to see how it goes for you! Keep us posted, please!
There is a difference between "maintenance" and slacking off. You can successfully maintain your weight over the summer if that is what you want to do-but you need to practice "maintenance for life" during that time-not slack off because it is summer. Losing control and reversing your lifestyle back to what it once was is a surefire way to gain weight back.
For maintenance, there are two ways that you can go about it:
~You can slightly increase the calorie level that you are currently at. If you are currently at 1400 calories a day, for instance-then go up to about 1600 a day for the summer, or around 200 a day. Since you are not at goal and working towards finding your lifetime maintenance calorie level, increasing it very slightly like this, you might even end up losing 1-3 more pounds over the summer, rather than maintaining it.
~Eat at your regular "lose weight" calorie level that you are currently using to lose weight-BUT-once a week have a "free meal". Not a free day...a free MEAL. Use this once a week pass for 4th of July, a wedding, a family gathering-and so forth-but do so only once a week. If you have multiple events that week, then make a choice which one to splurge at. At the other event, go for ice water/unsweet tea, fresh fruit like watermelon, and other lower calorie summery foods. If you have a treat like a hot dog or a roasted marshmallow-just plan for it and make sure you have the calories to do so at that meal.
I don't like "free days" for this at first-because some can go ape wild and eat everything in sight all day long. A free meal is more limited-because it is one meal per week to splurge.
Either way you choose to maintain during the summer-do not slack off on your exercise. If you go to the maintainers forum, and talk to anyone who has maintained their weight for a long period of time-part of the key is regular exercise. That is work that will always have to be done-no matter if you are losing, or maintaining that loss.
Taking the Summer and Just Maintaining What You Have Lost
When I went back to losing it was much much easier. A maintenance break not only does no harm, but is also good practice for your life after you hit goal.
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