irish molly
Maintaing LT loss on GL
I can hardly believe that it is a year since I began on a GL plan. Starting in Sept 2009 I did six months on lipotrim and lost 87 lbs in total. Towards the end of that time I found my losses slowing. I then decided to face the real world of food and also tackle the remainder of my target loss. After a lot of thought and research I decided to follow a Glycaemic Load (GL) plan and also keep an eye to total calorie content but not obsessively.
One year on and I have maintained my 87 lbs loss and, by last August, added another 29lbs bringing me to an overall loss of 116lbs. Since then I have been maintaining pretty well. Some weeks I lose a pound or two and others I stay the same and some others I will gain a couple of pounds. I have a gain if I decide to pig out a bit that week or for a couple of weeks!! It's all down to me to decide what goes in my mouth!! I can regain control through GL.
For me, maintaining is a matter of being aware of food but not being obsessive. Unless you are a stick insect (and I never have been), you just have to make sure that calories in are less than calories out, otherwise you record a gain. Food is no longer the centre of my life. I eat to live not live to eat.
The mix of foods is important as well. GL gives me a proper balance and keeps me feeling full, mostly!! The principle of GL is to maintain blood sugars at a constant level throughout the day thus avoiding sugar spikes and consequent hunger pangs.
I follow a few simple rules:
1)Almost no bread/potato/pasta or rice. I do not miss them and if I have them I have very little. So for starchy carbs I have lentils/beans/quinoa/oatcakes/rye crackers.
2)Follow the 80/20 rule. I try to be good 80% of the time and allow for being a bit piggy the other 20% of the time. When I overeat I gain, simple fact, so I have to plan for that from time to time.
3) Eating regularly. This is vital to keep blood sugars level throughout the day. I used to skip meals and then find myself ravenous later. Now I have, breakfast, lunch and dinner and allow for two small snacks as well.
4) Portion sizes. I find it a constant challenge to watch the portion sizes. A 120g of chicken or fish is TINY but it is enough. I weighed everything until I was comfortable visualizing the correct portion size.
5)Watch the snacks. I weaken some days and have too many snacks, especially late in the evening. This can be a slippery slope so I need to be very careful.
6) Keep up the water intake. I find drinking at least two litres of water every day really helps. 80% of the time we feel hungry it is,in fact, water our bodies crave.
7) Regular weighing. I feel it is important to weigh regularly and record it once a week. It is important to not obsess about this but it does serve as a reminder as to what direction I am going in and it is my choice as to what to do if I don't like what I see on the dial!
So, I will be very happy if I can maintain my weight between 170 and 180. For me, it is not realistic to go any lower. I look and feel great at a size 14 and I want to try and keep it at that.
All I can do is give it my best shot. It's all any of us can do!
One year on and I have maintained my 87 lbs loss and, by last August, added another 29lbs bringing me to an overall loss of 116lbs. Since then I have been maintaining pretty well. Some weeks I lose a pound or two and others I stay the same and some others I will gain a couple of pounds. I have a gain if I decide to pig out a bit that week or for a couple of weeks!! It's all down to me to decide what goes in my mouth!! I can regain control through GL.
For me, maintaining is a matter of being aware of food but not being obsessive. Unless you are a stick insect (and I never have been), you just have to make sure that calories in are less than calories out, otherwise you record a gain. Food is no longer the centre of my life. I eat to live not live to eat.
The mix of foods is important as well. GL gives me a proper balance and keeps me feeling full, mostly!! The principle of GL is to maintain blood sugars at a constant level throughout the day thus avoiding sugar spikes and consequent hunger pangs.
I follow a few simple rules:
1)Almost no bread/potato/pasta or rice. I do not miss them and if I have them I have very little. So for starchy carbs I have lentils/beans/quinoa/oatcakes/rye crackers.
2)Follow the 80/20 rule. I try to be good 80% of the time and allow for being a bit piggy the other 20% of the time. When I overeat I gain, simple fact, so I have to plan for that from time to time.
3) Eating regularly. This is vital to keep blood sugars level throughout the day. I used to skip meals and then find myself ravenous later. Now I have, breakfast, lunch and dinner and allow for two small snacks as well.
4) Portion sizes. I find it a constant challenge to watch the portion sizes. A 120g of chicken or fish is TINY but it is enough. I weighed everything until I was comfortable visualizing the correct portion size.
5)Watch the snacks. I weaken some days and have too many snacks, especially late in the evening. This can be a slippery slope so I need to be very careful.
6) Keep up the water intake. I find drinking at least two litres of water every day really helps. 80% of the time we feel hungry it is,in fact, water our bodies crave.
7) Regular weighing. I feel it is important to weigh regularly and record it once a week. It is important to not obsess about this but it does serve as a reminder as to what direction I am going in and it is my choice as to what to do if I don't like what I see on the dial!
So, I will be very happy if I can maintain my weight between 170 and 180. For me, it is not realistic to go any lower. I look and feel great at a size 14 and I want to try and keep it at that.
All I can do is give it my best shot. It's all any of us can do!
