I thought I'd start a thread for people who have lost and are KEEPING IT OFF. I have heard so many horror stories about people regaining it and more (not to mention Oprah - but I just did)
Do people just go back to poor eating habits? Is it because they think they deserve a break from their "strict regimine" of healthy eating rather than adopting it as a way of life? Have they lost too quickly and messed up their metabolisms? Or did their weightloss plan not teach them the proper foods and portions?
I am not at my goal yet, but almost half way. I'm already worrying about maintainance! I need reassurance that YES you can keep it off, so don't quit now!
5'10" female
bodybuilder - large frame
220/198/170
Hi! I lost 30 pounds last year, finished in November, one week before Thanksgiving and KEPT IT OFF ALL THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS! Since then I have lost a few more pounds and am where I want to be, but am trying to tone up. Do 30 minutes cardio daily and am beginning to lift some weights. However I am getting a little careless about the weight sessions. Have to curb this.
Happy to be here. Seems like a great site. Good luck to both you guys and I am sure we can all help each other stay motivated.
The key is to continue exercising!!!! That is probably 90% of the reason people lose weight in the first place!!!
I lost almost 100 lbs. and have kept it off for 1.5 years now!!! I eat whatever I want - just usually in moderation!!! I still drink a ton of water and I still eat healthy for the most part (because I enjoy healthy food!)
I've kept off a 100 pound loss for over TEN YEARS now (check my homepage for pix). In April I began living the "Body-for-LIFE" way and I LOVE IT! Finally seeing tone and muscles where I never thought I'd see it!
Exercise is ONE of the two keys to keeping it off. I'm not saying you have to stay on a 'diet' (hate that word) for the rest of your life - BUT you need to control your portions. As a rule, starting after WWII, Americans (and this is spreading to the rest of the world) just eat too darn much and exercise too little.
And I've learned that many people who DO exercise don't get their intensity up enough to make a difference. A lot of people will binge - have a huge meal - and then spend a couple hours on the treadmill/stationary bike/whatever, trying to burn it off. Sorry, folks, it doesn't work that way...learned that the hard way myself!
Stay out of the all-you-can-eat buffets, the Cheesecake Factories, etc. and adopt PERMANENT healthy lifestyle changes (both EATING and EXERCISE habits) if you want to keep that hard-earned weight loss!
Mrs Jim: Agreed, exercise was the key to my weight-loss as well and so far I have managed to maintain it not changing my eating patterns all that much from "losing" mode (I got to goal 4 months ago, but I maintain a very low-fat diet<though I switched up to 1% milk from skim>).
I still exercise a lot and work part-time in retail and walk whenever I can (I am also a student). I have also learned that the occasional slice of cake, cheese cake or garlic bread are not going to make me fat, but if I eat them all the time that will. The fact is if I go back to my old eating habits, I'd gain weight plain and simple... On the plus side though, my new found energy keeps me active ALL the time. I am now one of those people who can't really sit and relax in front of the TV anymore.
Good Luck to all on maintanence which is most likely the hardest part of weight loss.
So do we all agree that those who fail at maintenance slip back into bad habits of overeating and couch-potatoness? The way some "experts" on other web sites talk, it seems like 90% of us are doomed to failure no matter what we do. It's like those nasty hungry overabundant fat cells are just waiting there to gang up on us.
Mrs. Jim,
I think the Body for Life plan is really good, but I hear weight training and cardio needs to change regularly or the body adapts (unless you're just maintaining there too). Have you done other routines besides pyramids? Like supersets, negatives, superslow, etc to keep seeing more progress?
Currently I'm on my 2nd Challenge (12-week cycle).
Although I always do the BFL rep pattern of "Half-pyramid with a compound pump set" (12-10-8-6/12-12) I do vary the exercises every four weeks - I get new exercises from a couple of websites and Arnold Schwartznegger's New Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. For cardio, I do the 20 MAS (20 Minute Aerobic Solution). I must say that I'm seeing terrific results - much better than when I was doing endless hours of cardio (a minimum of 65 minutes a day, 6-7 days a week pre-BFL).
I do try to lift and lower as slowly as possible to get the maximum benefits though.
A great place to find out more about BFL is at www.leanandstrong.com - and of course right here at 3FC we have a BFL thread under Diet Plans (tho' I wouldn't consider it a 'diet' - it's a plan for life - I don't see myself having any trouble doing this for the rest of my life...especially since I'm feeling so terrific!!)
Keeping it Off
Exercise AND eating are the key...
