Weight Maintenance

[sugarmouse]

For those who have succesfully dieted and lost the weight they wanted to , how have you kept at that weight?I/e not wanting to lose anymore, or gain any?
I am asking because I am almost there, almost happy with my weight. I dont want to lose much more and I dont want to pile it back on either!
Thankyou

[flying plum]

if you lose weight by eating an unnatural diet, the only way you'll stay at that weight is by maintaining that diet i.e. eating cabbage soup all teh time, or eating no carbs etc.

i guess the best way is to eat a balanced, healthy diet and exercise. i fyou've been doing this anyway, then it won't be a problem.

it's best not to look at diets as short term things, because if you reach your target weight and then go 'YES! i can eat cake!' you'll binge and put it all back on. much better to just eat sensibly the whole time.

amanda

[ALexiconofLove]

I've heard of people increasing their cal intake by 200 cals a day for a week or two and seeing how that goes... and then continue to increase or decrease depending on how their body responded. But that only works if you're counting calories.

[sugarmouse]

That what I think I am going to do Alexicon just increase my food intake a little then maybe a little more and see what happens.I have been trying to increase my metabolism by exercising little and often say 25 min every other day or every day.
I have a history of eating disorders all the way thru childhood (from about age ten) thru adolescence so I guess my body will never respond normally,and I have IBS from it.But I am finally feeling bit more comfortable in my own skin.

[flying plum]

But I am finally feeling bit more comfortable in my own skin.

and judging from the pictures in the erogenous zone, you're looking pretty good in your skin too!

what's your diet been to lose weight? if you've just been restricting calories, then raising it slowly like alexicon said could work. i'm not very good with diets...i tend to put it all back on once stopped. i find instead that changing the way i eat has really made a different and definately becoming vegan seems to have helped - i thinkjust because it's made me a lot more concious of what i'm eating. over the past year or so, i've lost about 10lbs.

amanda

[sugarmouse]

Thankyou!
I have just counted calories really, and running more often, making sure I do not eat when I do not need to really (I ave a habit of eating when I get in, home from somewhere!Sounds crazy I know)...and other habitual eating patterns I have tried to break too.

[DiaShel]

I've maintained my weight loss for over two years. I lost 65 pounds by a tons of exerise and calorie counting. I pretty much kept doing what I was doing to maintain weight (stayed on a really strict diet). Then about 6 months I started to ease up, which lead to more "easing up" and I gain about 8 pounds. So I got strict again but it was so hard to break these bad habits that I acquired (again). I got back to "happy weight" though and now with my new healthy vegan diet I'm back to good eating habits. My advice is stop dieting and make a lifestyle change you know you can stick with for the rest of your life.

[ALexiconofLove]

Do you use any software for calorie counting? I used to use CalorieKing....

When I was counting calories it was pretty bad for me mentally (I've had a history of disordered eating), then when I went vegan I quit counting... but my weight is creeping back up. It's finally getting warm here, so I'm hoping if I start biking, walking, etc., that will fix it. I feel so much happier in mind now but am afraid of getting all big.

In some ways, maintaining weight loss is harder than losing, I think.

[DiaShel]

I think it is too. It's easier to stick to something when you see results. It was my favorite thing to weigh myself every week and see the pounds dropping, great motivation. When your just maintaining you don't have that anymore and it's kind of sad. When your at the weight you want it's ok to indulge once in a while, but it's hard to draw the line of what "once in a while" is.

I did get a little too obsessed with counting. I didn't use software, just pen and paper. I realized though that I had to stop for my mental wellbeing. Since I went Vegan I'm trying not to but I catch myself adding in my head and have to yell at myself to stop. I did to for so long it's just automatic.

[sugarmouse]

I've maintained my weight loss for over two years. I lost 65 pounds by a tons of exerise and calorie counting.

My advice is stop dieting and make a lifestyle change you know you can stick with for the rest of your life.

I guess so yes. My metabolism is pretty buggered I fink due to years of dieting and compulsive eating...so I am going to stick with the exercise ( i do that to stay fit aswell as weight loss anyway) and stick with the diet I do now, perhaps being a little less strict say, at weekends or hwatever.

[DiaShel]

Sounds like a good idea. Do what works best, just be healthy not just skinny. Best luck!