The Maintenance Thread

[GreenTealael 24,964]

6 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

Nothing except for TRE
The main reason I do TRE is because even now it’s tough to get in Water if I start eating before noon.
From when I wake til noon, I drink 2/3 of my Water for the day bc once that first meal hits, I can’t hold both.
As I continued TRE, the structure of it provided me with emotional support. It really empowers me to make better choices when I have a set eating window

For now I’m going to stick with the TRE only and we will see what the next few weeks bring

Ahhhh ok, I was pondering if fasting was messing with your desire to eat (makes you want to eat less often)

[Sheribear68 3,200]

On 10/16/2019 at 16:53, GreenTealael said:

Ahhhh ok, I was pondering if fasting was messing with your desire to eat (makes you want to eat less often)

It’s a legit question.
I think it actually was back when I was playing around with it a few weeks ago, so I stopped.

[FluffyChix 17,413]

13 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

It’s a legit question.
I think it actually was back when I was playing around with it a few weeks ago, so I stopped.

But you are not only doing TRE. You are also doing calorie restriction whether intended or not. The results are the same. Loss of appetite and eating less. It comes from being in deep ketosis. It takes your appetite away.

[ms.sss 14,972]

2 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

But you are not only doing TRE. You are also doing calorie restriction whether intended or not. The results are the same. Loss of appetite and eating less. It comes from being in deep ketosis. It takes your appetite away.

Yep...I can vouch for this. Once I committed to start eating more (bit by bit), it was less "uncomfortable" doing so (both physically and mentally).

It's scary at first though! It's a mental block. But once I started trusting myself and dealt with my fear of regain, I was able to relax, and settle in. Also, I had to make peace with carbs (I still normally limit them on my normal/at-home/everyday meals but I am now okay to go to town with them every once in while)

Everyone will deal differently, and I guess we each need our own timelines to stabilize, get used to our new awesomeness, and trust ourselves that we have the tools and knowledge to navigate maintenance confidently and to the best of our abilities.

For those with deer-in-the-headlights eyes, just like the weight loss, it'll take some time, but you'll find your maintenance sweet spots ❤️. Add a little bit more (as much as you are comfortable with) every week and wait and see.

Edited October 17, 2019 by ms.sss

[FluffyChix 17,413]

1 minute ago, ms.sss said:

Everyone will deal differently, and I guess we each need our own timelines to stabilize, get used to our new awesomeness, and trust ourselves that we have the tools and knowledge to navigate maintenance confidently and to the best of our abilities.

For those with deer-in-the-headlights eyes, just like the weight loss, it'll take some time, but you'll get there ❤️

This so much! It's a total head trip--even more than the WLM (IMHO). And we each evolve at our own pace. No rights or wrongs about it!

[ms.sss 14,972]

15 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

This so much! It's a total head trip--even more than the WLM

Right?

I think for the first time in my "dieting" life, I have actually put effort/thought/consideration to "maintenance". Previous attempts were all about the weight loss, the idea of maintenance was never part of the equation. This is probably why the weight never stayed off...and why I think we will collectively do better this time around because we recognize it's importance (and actively put in effort for it).

Edited October 17, 2019 by ms.sss

[FluffyChix 17,413]

2 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

think for the first time in my "dieting" life, I have actually put effort/thought/consideration to "maintenance". Previous attempts were all about the weight loss, the idea of maintenance was never part of the equation.

This a thousand percent. I never did "maintenance" cuz I never in my life hit goal. So I too never let my brain go there. Even while I was LC for most of the last 20 years, I was still mentally in WLM. I ALWAYS was losing.

Even now, I don't know if I can declare that my plan is maintenance. It is more like a stair-steppy spikey "precipice" based on weekend food behaviors coupled with compensatory "fasting" or lean days where I go back into WLM to lose the weekend bloat. I honestly don't know if that's "jacked" thinking/behavior or if it's what skinny bi*ches the world over do every day of their lives. I suspect most skinny people naturally do this--have feast and famine days during each week. Or feast and famine meals within a single day.

[FluffyChix 17,413]

2 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

But you are not only doing TRE. You are also doing calorie restriction whether intended or not. The results are the same. Loss of appetite and eating less. It comes from being in deep ketosis. It takes your appetite away.

I should add, this loss of appetite can also become strangely compelling--at times, addicting.

Because, it's usually accompanied not only with loss of appetite, but generally with a sense of well-being and high energy.

[Healthy_life2 8,322]

On 10/15/2019 at 10:17 AM, FluffyChix said:

@ms.sss Welcome back!!! Your trip sounded amazing. So happy for you and am so happy with how you sprang back. With each new experience, you gain new understanding about your new reality!!!! Wooohooo. You are a rockstar and inspire me!!!

@Healthy_life2 I tend to have a different perspective. Although maintenance for me is a little more relaxed (especially on the weekend), I still go back after the weekend into WLM. Cuz over the weekend I will have gained. So I have a feast/famine cycle with the IF. Although I'm not as hard core IF as I was trying to lose my last 5-10lbs.

This morning I'm 132.4lbs. which is down from a weekend high of 136lbs. I cut carbs down low, but not out. And take out the high glycemic carbs. And try to get as many veggies and a tiny bit of fruit down as I can while hitting Protein goals. I still keep fats low when in WLM. Nothin is off-limits, but it has to be calorie/macro worthy. If it isn't, it doesn't go down my pie hole.

I don't do rice, or regular Pasta. It's just too high glycemic for me and causes my insulin to spike hugely still which means RH in 2 hours. I still have to watch sugars, and have to watch root veg as well for the same reason.

I stay away from triggers. I spent so long (3 years) rewiring my lizard brain to my gut. That it seems self-defeating and pointless to go back to the old behaviors with food that led me to the point of obesity in the first place. It's like, "Hmmmm, tell me again, why did I just have 80% of my stomach bissected and my bowels rerouted, again?" It has little to do with weight loss or maintenance and has everything to do with managing the underlying hormones that promote longevity rather than brevity. Every bite is either prolonging your life, or shortening it.

Because we're human, there is no need to plan treats. Trust me, treats are gonna happen. Way too frequently. So plan for 100% compliance, knowing the reality is that if you are super-achieving, you might hit that 80% of your time. That's a massive improvement towards healthy living.

That's just how I tend to approach maintenance. I know I'm an outlier. It's not that I wouldn't eat rice or that it gives me digestive issues. It's just not worth the insulin spike (which drives disease), and the RH issue.

Maintaining is a different animal. Who knew the mental battles still happen in maintenance mode.

@ms.sss Thanks for starting this thread. Many vets disappeared on me. I didn’t have support like this after goal. We have each other to not let a regain spiral into a significant gain. Regain is a sensitive subject on this site. It's also something we need to openly talk about. Maintaining long term can be done.

@FluffyChix you are on my mind today

Many things that I wasn’t prepared for in maintaining.

I’m Thankful we met. I knew a 15/20-pound weight bounce is normal. I had a gain my third year (16 lbs.) I had a melt down and it brought me back to this site. In my head I was back to my starting weight (not reality) My fear of regain went into overdrive. I was afraid to eat off plan. I worked my gain back down. But, my fear of regain was not at a healthy level. Wow, it’s been a long haul to be in a place where I can relax.

I couldn’t think of a better person than you to start the thread on doing the head work.

[FluffyChix 17,413]

10 minutes ago, Healthy_life2 said:

Maintaining is a different animal. Who knew the mental battles still happen in maintenance mode.

OMG. I know, right? LOL. But every time I start to deep dive into "mental" about it, I actually think of you and also think of @proud grammy and @BigViffer and some of the other vets here who have or had regains that they just pretty concisely "dealt with" and it gives me hope and encourages me about what the future holds!!! Thank you for staying here and being part of this group, cuz we're all enriched by your perspective, experience, and through your actions!!

I am pretty sure my fear still exists lol and I'm not in a state of "healthy level" about regain. But I think on a sliding scale, I'm much better. So doing the head work has helped me more than it's probably helping anyone else. Part of it is I'm a nutrition nut nerd and love reading about the physiology, biology, biochemistry and neuropschiatric/behavioral side of obesity.

And huge cudos and congrats on getting to the point you are at!! So inspiring!!!

Edited October 17, 2019 by FluffyChix

[Sheribear68 3,200]

Okay so it’s been a busy morning and I’m literally standing here waiting for the Water in the shower to heat up and that’s ALL the time I have today before work.

I want you guys to know that this thread is absolutely essential to me right now and I’m busy reading and digesting all the wonderful insights and info.
So I’ll try to post after midnight my time if I’m still coherent enough after work later.

Hope everyone had a fab Thursday

[KT1981 294]

Hi friends! I am about to start maintaining. I got some advice that I felt was a bit conflicting from the PA (she is new to the practice) at my appointment today. Here's the scenario:

They don't want me to lose anymore, but would be accepting of up to another 10 pound loss, preferably only 5 pounds. (At this point, I suspect most of my concern areas will need to be address by PS anyway, and not by weight loss. Starting a conversation with a plastic surgeon is on my to-do list yet this year, although I won't pursue a surgery date until I have stabilized, of course.)

I agreed to this minimized loss at the appointment (I wanted to lose 15 more), but here's my question- I was told to stick with the calorie intake I'm currently at, even though I made it clear that I'm still actively losing at this intake level (~1200 calories). I upped it about 2 weeks ago and the loss hasn't slowed at all. She doesn't want to see me again for 6 months unless I lose more than 10 pounds before that. Ya'll... unless I very rapidly stabilize at this caloric intake, I'm probably going to lose these 10 pounds before Christmas, based on my current loss rate. In 6 months, I could very well lose 20 or more if I don't find a new caloric intake. I felt a refusal to work with me on transitioning to maintenance calories before 18 months is up, but at the same time, I was pretty explicitly told that I really should stay where I am weight-wise.

I specifically asked if I should incrementally increase calories or anything like that if the loss doesn't slow down, and was told no... just stay where I am until we meet again in 6 months, but also, don't lose any more weight unless you really feel you must, then absolutely no more than 10 pounds. This just feels odd to me, knowing that transitioning to maintenance can take some time, and I'm actively losing where I am now.

Am I missing something? I realize it's totally possible for me to very suddenly stabilize, but that doesn't appear to be the case for me at the moment.

What were your conversations like with your team when you began transitioning to maintenance? I really feel that if I don't start experimenting with slowing the loss now, that I run the risk of losing too much and being unhappy with how I look.

[LynnV1964 134]

That is odd! Not sure how you are expected to maintain if you eat the same calories that make you lose... I don’t think it could hurt to add 100 cal a day for a week or two at a time to see where you stop losing. That’s how I found my maintenance level (1600-1900....so far. Maybe I could do 2000?). Then again I’m not your nutritionist or dr. Are there other nutritionist at the surgeons office you could call and talk to? Or could you talk directly to the surgeon or a PA to get their thoughts on this?

[FluffyChix 17,413]

58 minutes ago, KT1981 said:

Hi friends! I am about to start maintaining. I got some advice that I felt was a bit conflicting from the PA (she is new to the practice) at my appointment today. Here's the scenario:

They don't want me to lose anymore, but would be accepting of up to another 10 pound loss, preferably only 5 pounds. (At this point, I suspect most of my concern areas will need to be address by PS anyway, and not by weight loss. Starting a conversation with a plastic surgeon is on my to-do list yet this year, although I won't pursue a surgery date until I have stabilized, of course.)

I agreed to this minimized loss at the appointment (I wanted to lose 15 more), but here's my question- I was told to stick with the calorie intake I'm currently at, even though I made it clear that I'm still actively losing at this intake level (~1200 calories). I upped it about 2 weeks ago and the loss hasn't slowed at all. She doesn't want to see me again for 6 months unless I lose more than 10 pounds before that. Ya'll... unless I very rapidly stabilize at this caloric intake, I'm probably going to lose these 10 pounds before Christmas, based on my current loss rate. In 6 months, I could very well lose 20 or more if I don't find a new caloric intake. I felt a refusal to work with me on transitioning to maintenance calories before 18 months is up, but at the same time, I was pretty explicitly told that I really should stay where I am weight-wise.

I specifically asked if I should incrementally increase calories or anything like that if the loss doesn't slow down, and was told no... just stay where I am until we meet again in 6 months, but also, don't lose any more weight unless you really feel you must, then absolutely no more than 10 pounds. This just feels odd to me, knowing that transitioning to maintenance can take some time, and I'm actively losing where I am now.

Am I missing something? I realize it's totally possible for me to very suddenly stabilize, but that doesn't appear to be the case for me at the moment.

What were your conversations like with your team when you began transitioning to maintenance? I really feel that if I don't start experimenting with slowing the loss now, that I run the risk of losing too much and being unhappy with how I look.

I'd follow her plan. She wants to know if your body can "naturally" slow down at the 1200cals per day. At 5'5" you are only at the very beginning end of normal. You're still losing at that rate cuz you have extra fat to lose. Your body should theoretically start slowing down when it's nearing a set point. For a lot of us that appears to be somewhere between 19-21% fat. The loss should crawl to a stall.

Add too many cals back, then you are artificially maintaining at a weight your body doesn't really want to support.

If you are in the normal BMI category (not an athlete, not power lifting, not endurance training, not overly muscular, aren't "big boned", etc...you know, just average, then this chart can apply to you.)

Don't fear too much weight loss. Believe me. Most of us are CHAMPIONSHIP level weight gainers. If you lose more than 10lbs, then that's your cue to call her and ask for her orders at that point. But she knows you have a ton of wiggle room. If it were me, I'd want to be closer to 130lbs and that's likely where your body is gonna stop losing.

Just my 2 cents.

[ms.sss 14,972]

2 hours ago, KT1981 said:

What were your conversations like with your team when you began transitioning to maintenance?

Me and my team didn't talk maintenance (I reached goal at 7 months, and my next appt with my NUT & surgeon was 5 months later...had my appt w/ surgeon** yesterday and NUT and labwork to be done this coming Monday), I figured out maintenance on my own with the help of Google and the people on here.

To be honest, I find the information and advice given to me by my NUT to be too cookie cutter and not so very useful to me specifically. I mostly went against her originally prescribed advice (though I always told her that I did), and she was not overly concerned by my choices. Go figure.

Like @FluffyChix said, you've got lots of wiggle room before you need to be concerned about being unhealthy/underweight (and you will be glad for the extra cushion when the bounce back comes around)

As an aside, and if it makes you feel any better at all, I find that lots of people are concerned about losing too much weight/looking too thin when approaching maintenance (myself included). Now just speaking from my experience, when I decided to stop losing weight, I believed I was way too small and my face way too Skeletor-ish. Now, 4.5 months later, I actually weigh less than I did then AND I personally think I look and feel great awesome (probably cuz I am now used to my thinner self and my fat self is becoming more and more a distant memory). My Skeletor-face seems to also have filled out, and my skin seems to have snapped back some (not enough to forgo plastics, but still).

Sooooo...it's not easy, but I think the most effective strategy is to first just choose one (whether it be your NUT's or not), try it out and wait and see. Then adjust as necessary. We are all sooooo different that there can't possibly be just one solution for us all.

Edited October 17, 2019 by ms.sss