Inspiration

[philmo418]

I am a long way from maintenance and I have no doubt I will reach my goal. I did Atkins several years ago and hit my goal but failed miserably at the maintenance phase and here I am again.

I got to wondering, how many have been successful on maintenance for over a year, how long, and if there is one secret to your success would you pass it on?

Philmo.

[momov2boys]

Philmo!

I have maintained a 20 pound loss for about a year and a half.

I have found that the keys to maintenance for me are:

Never go back to eating unhealthy carbs.

Avoid trigger foods (those that you are very likely to overeat).

Healthy, LC foods (in moderation) is the foundation of my maintenace.

HTH

Good luck to you!

[ptcenter]

Five years ago, I lost 40 pounds and managed to keep it off for 3 years. Over the last two years I have gradually (??) gained back 20. I think one key is not being deadly serious about having a panic stop weight. Although I was concerned, I never got seriously serious about getting back on track. Now, I have 20 pounds to lose. My goal is to do it by the end of May.

I believe the term is "weight creep". I hate that guy.

[JuliaL]

I lost 50 lbs. in 2003 and have maintained my loss within 8 lbs. ever since.

Exercise has been a huge factor in maintenance for me. Regular exercise allows me to eat a normal amount of food and not gain weight, so I don't feel deprived.

I still use Fitday about once a week or so to track what I'm eating. It helps me see where I might be slipping up or allowing extra calories/carbs back into my diet.

I weigh myself several times a week. After Christmas I didn't want to get on the scale because I knew I had gained weight, but in the words of Dr. Phil, you can't change what you don't acknowledge. For years when I was heavy I never got on the scale - I was in total denial about my actual weight. So now I face it, no matter what.

Having said that, it's important once you reach maintenance to re-adjust your focus away from the scale, while still using it as one of many guidelines to keep you from gaining weight. It's a delicate balance, but one that must be achieved for long-term success. If you get too focused on the number, it can lead to frustration, because you can't keep losing weight forever. That high you get from seeing the scale number go down will have to be replaced with something else. I set a body fat goal of 22%. I don't know if I'll ever reach it but it keeps me motivated and reminds me that there are other ways to measure success besides the scale.

Best of luck to you!

[mjais]

Hi Philmo:

I've maintained a weight loss of 38.5 lbs since 2004.

Learning how to deal with stressful emotions and situations in a healthier way - without turning to food - has played a huge part in maintaining my weight loss and contributed greatly to my overall contentment with my weight.

So my advice is to be aware of those emotions/situations that may trigger a stress response and work on ways to deal with it without overeating. It takes effort, but I think it's worth it in the long run.

Here's wishing you success and contentment with your weight loss in 2008!