Beware the maintenance creep...

Hanlie · 08-07-2008, 05:37 AM

Hi everybody!

I lost just over 50 pounds on Atkins last year and got to goal in Feb of 2008. Since then I've been on maintenance and have been adding a little this and a little that ... and then a little more this and a little more that ... you get the picture. Result? I've regained 15 of the 50 pounds I lost!

It really creeps up on you very slowly and then one morning you wake up and think "Crap, I'm getting fat again!" Then I stupidly tried following a low fat and low calorie diet for the past month or so to lose the 15 pounds and big surprize : I just can't stick to it!!! I'm hungry all the time and I keep bingeing.

So, here I am. Back on Atkins. Today is day 1 of Induction and it already feels good to be back

Why did I ever stop eating this way?!

On low fat & calories I had to eat all the time and I could not stop thinking about food. I'm already feeling much less hungry and much more calm.

It's good to be back! Wish me luck please?

xxx Hanlie
Cape Town, South Africa

ab1ht · 08-07-2008, 06:51 AM

You and I must have woken up from the same bed this morning. Just don't tell anyone...

I was actually AT goal about a week or two ago. Now I'm 4 pounds up.

Once we get complacent, carbs (and extra calories) really do sneak past us and make their way in.

SugarFreeSheila · 08-07-2008, 06:55 AM

Welcome back, Hanlie! If you've done it before, you can do it again.

Please post often & let us all know how you are doing.

neesiems · 08-07-2008, 06:59 AM

Sugar Free Shelia... i rememeber you from way back.. you look great!. awesome website. you do inspire!

JuliaL · 08-07-2008, 07:00 AM

Maintenance is the trickiest part. I've been maintaining for over 4 years now, with a few fluctuations, but for the most part within 5 lbs. or so of my goal weight.

I found that I started to gain when I stopped journaling my food. I have to keep a food journal and use it at least a couple of times per week to stay on track. I also have never stopped weighing myself regularly. For a while I only weighed once per week because I was getting a bit scale-obsessed

but I never quit weighing altogether.

Besides eating clean, the biggest factor in maintenance for me has been exercise. Exercise keeps me motivated, makes me feel great, and helps keep my weight stable, even if I have the occasional indulgence.

I don't eat low carb anymore, but I will never again eat sugar, white flour, pasta or white rice. All the carbs I eat come from high-quality, slow digesting sources, like oats, beans, and veggies. I also eat fruit every day, but I make sure I eat protein with it.

Good luck on your journey back to goal! I'm sure you'll be there in no time!

Ailuros · 08-07-2008, 08:04 AM

Like Julia, I find that my weight creeps up if I don't weigh myself, and that every so often I've had to go back to logging all my food. I don't eat very low carb either, though it's generally not much over 100g, and mostly less than that.

I've also had to deal with menopausal issues, which haven't so far made me gain weight, but have meant that I could tolerate much less stress, and losing weight isn't what your body generally wants to do, so I've had to be very slow and gentle with anything I have done over the last couple of years.

Wine2 · 08-07-2008, 08:35 AM

Me, too! I gained 17 pounds of the 35 I had needed to lose to reach 140, so I'm back! I won't be doing WW ever again that's for sure. I had thought that since I was at goal weight I can just do WW but I suck at it or it doesn't agree with me either! I've lost 7 of the pounds already back on Atkins in 2 weeks, so keep at it! I find it is a little slower coming off this time because I'm closer to goal weight than I was originally, but that's OK, too. I had stopped weighing myself, too, which I won't do this time!

Charski · 08-07-2008, 09:04 AM

Hey, Wine2! So nice to see you back here - I've missed you - still love your corndog recipe!

Once you stop thinking of this as a "diet" and a means to getting weight off, and START thinking of it as a "way of life" and a means to HEALTH - I found that really helps me to NOT gain back the weight. Also I have a "danger" mark of 133 and an "induction time" mark of 135 so once I hit the 133 I back off on extras and if I don't do THAT and hit 135 - back to induction levels until it's gone again! I still don't do sugar or refined crap though, 99.95% of the time.

Wine2 · 08-07-2008, 09:20 AM

[quote=Charski;10690641]Hey, Wine2! So nice to see you back here - I've missed you - still love your corndog recipe!

Thanks, Charski! I'm happy to hear from you, too! Great job with maintaining. I'm with you, sister, no refined sugar either. I still don't miss it and am glad to be eating LC again! You and others on this board are what really keeps me motivated and on plan!

08-07-2008, 05:37 AM	#1
Hanlie Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cape Town, South Africa Posts: 201 Gallery: Hanlie Stats: Start : 173 pounds, Goal : 132 pounds WOE: Atkins Start Date: 3 April 2007	Beware the maintenance creep... Hi everybody! I lost just over 50 pounds on Atkins last year and got to goal in Feb of 2008. Since then I've been on maintenance and have been adding a little this and a little that ... and then a little more this and a little more that ... you get the picture. Result? I've regained 15 of the 50 pounds I lost! It really creeps up on you very slowly and then one morning you wake up and think "Crap, I'm getting fat again!" Then I stupidly tried following a low fat and low calorie diet for the past month or so to lose the 15 pounds and big surprize : I just can't stick to it!!! I'm hungry all the time and I keep bingeing. So, here I am. Back on Atkins. Today is day 1 of Induction and it already feels good to be back Why did I ever stop eating this way?! On low fat & calories I had to eat all the time and I could not stop thinking about food. I'm already feeling much less hungry and much more calm. It's good to be back! Wish me luck please? xxx Hanlie Cape Town, South Africa

08-07-2008, 07:00 AM	#5
JuliaL Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: May 2003 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 17,212 Gallery: JuliaL Stats: 190/145/140 16/8/6, height 5'8", age 48 WOE: Atkins/BFFM Start Date: 4/22/03	Maintenance is the trickiest part. I've been maintaining for over 4 years now, with a few fluctuations, but for the most part within 5 lbs. or so of my goal weight. I found that I started to gain when I stopped journaling my food. I have to keep a food journal and use it at least a couple of times per week to stay on track. I also have never stopped weighing myself regularly. For a while I only weighed once per week because I was getting a bit scale-obsessed but I never quit weighing altogether. Besides eating clean, the biggest factor in maintenance for me has been exercise. Exercise keeps me motivated, makes me feel great, and helps keep my weight stable, even if I have the occasional indulgence. I don't eat low carb anymore, but I will never again eat sugar, white flour, pasta or white rice. All the carbs I eat come from high-quality, slow digesting sources, like oats, beans, and veggies. I also eat fruit every day, but I make sure I eat protein with it. Good luck on your journey back to goal! I'm sure you'll be there in no time! __________________ *"Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on our own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon." -Denis Waitley*

08-07-2008, 08:35 AM	#7
Wine2 Senior LCF Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 714 Gallery: Wine2	Me, too! I gained 17 pounds of the 35 I had needed to lose to reach 140, so I'm back! I won't be doing WW ever again that's for sure. I had thought that since I was at goal weight I can just do WW but I suck at it or it doesn't agree with me either! I've lost 7 of the pounds already back on Atkins in 2 weeks, so keep at it! I find it is a little slower coming off this time because I'm closer to goal weight than I was originally, but that's OK, too. I had stopped weighing myself, too, which I won't do this time! __________________ 5'7" 50 yo Last edited by Wine2 : 08-07-2008 at 08:36 AM.

08-07-2008, 09:04 AM	#8
Charski Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Central Coastal CA Posts: 10,311 Gallery: Charski Stats: 174 (WW)/130/150 goal 5'5" 54 years young WOE: ATKINS! now and always.... Start Date: 5/03	Hey, Wine2! So nice to see you back here - I've missed you - still love your corndog recipe! Once you stop thinking of this as a "diet" and a means to getting weight off, and START thinking of it as a "way of life" and a means to HEALTH - I found that really helps me to NOT gain back the weight. Also I have a "danger" mark of 133 and an "induction time" mark of 135 so once I hit the 133 I back off on extras and if I don't do THAT and hit 135 - back to induction levels until it's gone again! I still don't do sugar or refined crap though, 99.95% of the time. __________________ Veni, Vidi, Velcro - I came, I saw, I stuck! Save the Earth - it's the only planet with chocolate! ATKINS '72 - MAINTENANCE X 5 YEARS! 2 7 10 16 31 12

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08-07-2008, 06:51 AM	#2
ab1ht Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Westborough, MA (USA) Posts: 646 Gallery: ab1ht Stats: 160+/149/143 WOE: Still working out the kinks. Start Date: December 2007	You and I must have woken up from the same bed this morning. Just don't tell anyone... I was actually AT goal about a week or two ago. Now I'm 4 pounds up. Once we get complacent, carbs (and extra calories) really do sneak past us and make their way in.

08-07-2008, 06:55 AM	#3
SugarFreeSheila I'm here to help! Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 4,632 Gallery: SugarFreeSheila Stats: 141 to 109 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 2001	Welcome back, Hanlie! If you've done it before, you can do it again. Please post often & let us all know how you are doing.

08-07-2008, 06:59 AM	#4
neesiems Senior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: mississippi Posts: 151 Gallery: neesiems Stats: 246/189/160 WOE: Atkins Start Date: july 27, 2008...again	Sugar Free Shelia... i rememeber you from way back.. you look great!. awesome website. you do inspire!

08-07-2008, 08:04 AM	#6
Ailuros MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,697 Gallery: Ailuros Stats: Maintenance (since 2003) WOE: Controlled carb, real food Start Date: 2003	Like Julia, I find that my weight creeps up if I don't weigh myself, and that every so often I've had to go back to logging all my food. I don't eat very low carb either, though it's generally not much over 100g, and mostly less than that. I've also had to deal with menopausal issues, which haven't so far made me gain weight, but have meant that I could tolerate much less stress, and losing weight isn't what your body generally wants to do, so I've had to be very slow and gentle with anything I have done over the last couple of years.

08-07-2008, 09:20 AM	#9
Wine2 Senior LCF Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 714 Gallery: Wine2	[quote=Charski;10690641]Hey, Wine2! So nice to see you back here - I've missed you - still love your corndog recipe! Thanks, Charski! I'm happy to hear from you, too! Great job with maintaining. I'm with you, sister, no refined sugar either. I still don't miss it and am glad to be eating LC again! You and others on this board are what really keeps me motivated and on plan!