Reading through a couple of journals, I see, "maintenance is more difficult than losing" as a common theme. Thinking about it earlier today, coincidentally, I was imagining what "maintenence" would be like in my life. Maybe, working out 3x week at the gym, weights and cardio, plus some yoga and walking. Eating much the same as I do now. Gaining a pound or two--then "going back on plan" (wait--I'm not ON a plan!!)....even then, this afternoon, I started getting nervous about That Magic Day, The Day I Move To MAintenence because I have Reached Goal Weight (choir of angels sing, here.)



So I thought I'd make all of YOU think about it, too. What'll change in your life? What'll stay the same? Maintainers, what has changed? What has stayed the same??? And tell me (us) about That Magic Day, when the angels sang, because you ... reached....GOAL....

Nothing's really changed jessica except the fact we have to really still watch with the eating and continue on the exercising...We can't use reaching goal as an excuse for going back to old habits. .figuring I'm at goal now I can go back to the way I've eaten before. Watching our weight will be a lifetime issue...To me it will be a constant thing... I don't want to gain the weight back so I have to be extra careful..Especially if you have a set goal number and you don't want to go below or above that number.. Am I confusing you yet/? LOL :D

It been more like a "I'm here..now what?" kind of time for me. The excitement left pretty quick and left me in a state of confusion. And Im still there for part of the time. What changed, nothing really except that i think i started worrying more about what i was eating. Fear of gaining it back i guess. I've been told that it does get easier though. Im still in a transition stage and looking forward settling in. I will always be aware of everything though...will always look at food choices and will always exercise.

Lindasue I've had that same feeling.. The "I'm here, now what??" feeling.. and let me tell ya.. there are days I still get like that.. Especially at TOPS.. I sit in the group and it seems nothing is aimed at me anymore but at the people who are still losing..hmmmm

For me I figured that a "goal" was something to be achieved. After I achieved it, then what?

No more goal in sight. No more something to strive for. No weight-loss destination to attain.

Now for me it is, by comparison, rather dull. I eat properly, I exercise faithfully, I think positive thoughts. But I am very fearful of regaining the lost weight. Those lost lbs. are hiding somewhere, just waiting to reurn to my body. I must be ever-viligent and totally careful.

It is a day to day thing . . . . forever. But I am glad I reached my goal.

Now, Emilyrose. I have lots of goals in my life.

But Jess asked about "maintenance" not about my life goals. My maintenance is a small part of my life, but it is difficult for me. Most people seem to find it difficult, or we would see so many people who have lost and regained the same lbs. over and over.

But weight-loss can be achieved. And maintenance can be dealt with. Both are a struggle.

I lost my original post here as i was editing it... I commented that i was training for a marathon, among other things..there are always goals to strive for in life. There is always something to focus on.

Jo, the maintainance part is a struggle for me too. But its doable. We learn as we go, and hopefully from posting our struggles, others will learn from them too.

WOW! What great, thoughtful responses to my post! Emilyrose, I *will* continue to have fitness goals--like running a 10K, competing in more than one sprint triathalon; I guess it's the focus that I feel will change, or the intensity...and I think I find that scary. And I remember when I've lost before, I felt like a car sitting under a wire with tons of birds on it...with a nice bullseye right on it--except, intead of bird poop, it was pounds waiting to splat onto my body. And maybe, to a degree, the fear was a self-defeating mechanism that made the gain happen....

Oh well.

For now, that's a ways off, so I'll keep on keeping on...

I have been at goal for 13 months now. At first I missed the excitement of losing weight. It does feel different at maintenance. Instead of having a "jumping up and down excitement"....there is a quiet sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. There is the rush when someone you haven't seen in awhile congratulates you on your weight loss, or when you see that smaller pant size and realize that you have actually accomplished your goal. I am still in disbelief.

My life is about the same as when I was losing. I eat and exercise the same way. It just seems that my body knew when it was through losing weight. I seem to have a certain weight that my body goes to. Yes, if I overeat, I do gain and I have done it.

In terms of maintenance, I still have goals. I am still working to wards a more healthier lifestyle and I still have room for improvement. I still feel challenged with maintenance. I still have goals...they are just differnt goals now. My goals change and evolve as I reach each goal.

It is definitely worth the journey!

what a great thread Jess!
i am glad that i wasnt the only one who experienced the now what syndrome... once i started focusing on other goals, mainly fitness related and self esteem issues that feeling went away...
the angels did sing- i felt an awesome sense of accomplishment that all my hard work had paid off, but in some ways it really wasnt any different..i still had to work hard at it, wasnt like there was this magic number that i could stay at without really trying.
i think when the numbers regarding people who successfully keep weight off long term( somewhere between 5-10%) are always being published then its easy to see why people at goal are always worrying about gaining it back...
It really has gotten easier for me now 3 years into maintenance, i never thought the day would come where i wasnt obsessing over every mouthful...but it has i am still careful but i am not dieting i am making healthy choices and if i want something a little higher in calories i have it without guilt...just not on a regular basis..
i am always making new goals for myself to help me stay focused.
hugs bell :)

yes it is wonderful to hit goal, but was very surprising how few cals were added back to my food plan. Age may have much to do with that! i noticed a HUGE difference in my body when i hit 40s(by this i mean weight gain, stamina etc.) and then at 46 finally took control changed everything around exercise/food but when i entered 50s(will be 54 soon) i noticed another slowdown and the struggle get harder, i dont mean i go off my lifestyle i just notice it gets harder to stay at weight goal, i am dreading the 60s LOL everyday when i am walking i give my thanks for changing my life, it feels so good to feel strong and in control. The first time after i hit goal we took our two youngest kids(they werent small, jr high and high school) to Orlando Disney world and of course we walked a million miles LOL but it was impowering to me, i could not have done that a couple yrs before that. the only thing about after you are at goal a few yrs, yes you know how you have changed your life but all the praise goes away(not that you want it all the time, but once in awhile.............) and you are working just as hard,

In my experience, reaching goal is the "high" and maintaining goal is just part of life. Like a lot of other things I have changed in my life, change is tough at first, then after I have been at it for a while, I forget how hard it used to be, and just keep doing it. It becomes part of lifestyle, as opposed to goal that I constantly think about. So, just a word of support...keep doing it right and eventually it will "just happen". LOL to all.

I ain't there yet but I am close to the magic figure I thought on 16 months ago and the reality is that I will have to reassess when my goal weight comes about, But these statistics that suggest most will gain it back Might not be accurate or even close if we consider the way our lifestyles have changed and the program chosen to lose was cleverly selected, so I live in hope that it will save the day,
So to those who have reached the goal post a big well done
and to those who have hung around the post a really big well done.
And for all the rest on our journeys keep motivated
Each day is a milestone especially if you consider where you might have been.

Good luck to all Acey

Hello!

My 2 cents :D

Thank You Jessica for Posting this.
Its something I have really been
thinking alot about lately!

For me- ITs truly about a Lifestyle Change
that I can live with for life. Having
some way of making myself Accountable.
For me: I will do a Weekly Weigh In
whether I feel like it or not. Don't get
me wrong I am not saying the Scale should
completely determine your Success. But
Also for Me - The Scale doesn't lie,
and If I see the Scale going up....Then that
means I need to do something about it NOW!
Also the Diettalk.com Community is awesome -
I honestly plan on staying a part of this community forever!

It is so scary to me that over 60% of
Americans are overweight and that
number continues to climb.
The Health Risks Alone from being
overweight truly scare me to death.

I heard on the radio just this morning
about what happens to overweight people
who eat what they want and don't exercise.
Heart Disease - Heart Attacks - Physical
Problems - include Back and Knee and much more.
The heart problems due to being overweight
is becoming the leading cause of death in America.
That just makes me so sad because THERE IS SOMETHING
THey COULD HAVE DONE ABOUT IT.

I love my life and love my family and I want
to be around for many many many years to come.
I want to leave a New Legacy for my Future Family-
Besides being a Strong Faithful Woman of God- I want
to be a Living Example of a Healthy Lifestyle that I can
leave for Generations to come.

See I wasn't lying when I said I have really being thinking
a lot about this! :)

Thanks For Listening and I hope that my 2 cents helped
out some.

God Bless!
Dee :rose: