Question for the amazing maintainers!

[KittyKat2010]

Hi all,

I must admit I have been snooping in your diaries and want to say you are all amazing! Congrats for maintaining, I understand that's the hardest part.

So i have been thinking about and trying to learn from you all about all aspects of maintaining and would like to ask if you think it's harder to maintain a weight which is in the lower end in terms of BMI. I would think so but what is your experience.. Also any tips?!

Thanks!
Cheers
Kat

 

[Katycakes]

As none of the amazing maintainers are about, thought I would reply... I truly don't think it makes any difference... it's just maintaining that is tough! It seems that we struggle whichever end of the BMI spectrum we settle at, I think adjusting our long term behaviour is the key and not easy! Others may have different views, but I don't think it makes a difference myself.

xxx

 

[Laura Croft]

The biggest challenge for me re maintenance as been dealing with my body's setpoint (the weight my body naturally wants to be at) and a wonderful (not!!) hormone called leptin. If you do a search for KD and leptin on here, you'll find a lot of the information. This however may be a good start to explaining what I mean!
http://www.minimins.com/lighter-life-forum/78857-10-months-body-reset-its-memory-fact-myth.html

so yes I guess the further I go from that number, the harder it may get. I don't know though because I have no desire to aim for a really low BMI. BMI is a loaded statistic and doesn't take into account people's build, body fat levels etc and of course state of mind.

If you look at someone whose state of mind has switched and they are heading towards anorexia, then it's probably easier for them to not eat than eat.

Btw if you are looking for good tips, have a read through KD's diary, it's the maintenance section and Porgeous's diary which is in the diary section. Of course there's lots of good info in here too

For me, counting calories (even on the days when I've overeaten) has been essential to staying on track and I use a program called Perfect Diet Tracker. There's some info about that just a few threads down.

And try not to take your eye off the ball because the hard work has really just begun.

 

[LizzMB]

i am far from being a maintainer.....i am more like a yo-yo-er! lol

BMI is irrelevent really in how "easy" it is to maintain or not. Any maintenance is difficult.
BUT...saying that, what you want to get to is a weight that can become a lifestyle! Like Natalie Cassidy getting down to size 8, it didnt last because it was so difficult a weight to maintain!

I know it sounds daft, but you will know your ideal weight when you get there and although its nice to have a number in mind, its more a STATE of mind than anything else.
If being 7 stone means you have to live on cabbage all day long, you wont stick to it....so for the time being, just go with the flow and you will find a balance eventually.
I also agree with the counting calorie, i didnt and lost sight of how much i was consuming...."a rough guess" is ok on occassions, but not as a rule!
xx

 

[Bess]

I know it sounds daft, but you will know your ideal weight when you get there and although its nice to have a number in mind, its more a STATE of mind than anything else.
If being 7 stone means you have to live on cabbage all day long, you wont stick to it....so for the time being, just go with the flow and you will find a balance eventually.
xx

This is so right, brilliant Lizz.

Hi Kittykat, nice to see you, come and join us, the more the merrier. I'm a struggler, not a maintainer yet. But trying really really hard!

 

[KittyKat2010]

it's just maintaining that is tough! It seems that we struggle whichever end of the BMI spectrum we settle at, I think adjusting our long term behaviour is the key and not easy!

xxx

Thankyou Katy! I think you are right - I am just so sick of being the girl who gains and loses and gains and loses. This is it!!!! and this time, mainly becuase of all of you on this forum, I beleive I can do this i.e maintain a healthy weight. This weight loss experience has been SO different to anything else I have ever done - I have really thought about my triggers and emotions and why I used to binge etc... I am also treating food like a sensual experience, savouring rather than cramming down my gob!... Thankyou for your post.

 

[KittyKat2010]

Thanks Laura! this is something I must look into - I have always felt like my body was "happy" at a certain weight and if I went lower than that (which i did a few times) that my body would say "AHAH! no you dont - you cant be that skinny minny.... ill make you eat somehow" Maybe that was Leptin? I will look into this so thankyou! the more I am educated about these things the better.... I have read some of the famous KD's posts and she is a star.. so thanks for the link and the diary reading tips!

I think I might have to follow your advice re calorie counting..

Thanks so much again!!

 

[KittyKat2010]

Hi Lizz! Thanks for your post.... I agree its going to be hard yards and its important for me to stay at a weight that is in line with my lifestyle - luckily I have been back at the gym for a while now so that will allow me to eat a bit more than if I didnt go...

xox

 

[KittyKat2010]

Hi Bess!! lovely to meet you.... thanks for the warm welcome - I might ask the one of the mods to move my diary accross to maintenance from CD 100% even though I am not there yet...

Its Friday afternoon here in Sydney so I wish you all a lovely weekend!

Thanks for all your responses - I really appreciate it!

 

[Katycakes]

KittyKat, do come over to maintenance... you'd be very welcome hun. You can tell us tales of sunny Sydney to warm us up, we are in the grip of a new ice age here in the UK...

xxx

 

[Bess]

OOOh! I didn't notice your are in OZ!! I'm so envious, you must be warm and do you have sunshine? Please send some here. Brrrrrrrr! Do come and join us Kitty, new inspiration is very welcome.

 

[KittyKat2010]

Hi Bess! Warm is am understatement especially for rhe last dew days. It's 10am here and almost 30 degrees! Not a cloud in the sky, bugs chirping flowers drooping lazily and the ocean glimmering. I went for a run at the beach yesterday which was amazing but hard due to the heat. I will def start up camp in maintenance!

We have been hearing about the big freez over in your part of the world. It's amazing to see the extremes isn't it.

Cheers xox

 

[boardwitless]

i am far from being a maintainer.....i am more like a yo-yo-er! lol

LizzMB

I guess one of the tricks to successful maintaining is to narrow the yo-yo effect to within a few pounds rather than a few stones. I could say I successfully 'maintained' my weight in the past between about 13 stones and 16 stones - now I've set a cap of 11 stones 7 that I want to get back to if I go a few pounds over. Having read the Atkins books, the case studies that have proved most successful at maintaining are the ones that take immediate action if their weight begins to creep up rather than let it get out of hand (which is kind of self-explanatory imho )
I think my body's set point is about 13 stones however so I know I may have some work to do. KD's thread about former overweight people needing less calories is interesting too as I like reading the science behind weight loss....slightly annoying however to learn that former fatties have to cut back more than 'normal' eaters :sigh:

 

[Laura Croft]

KD's thread about former overweight people needing less calories is interesting too as I like reading the science behind weight loss....slightly annoying however to learn that former fatties have to cut back more than 'normal' eaters :sigh:

Which thread are you referring to BW? I wonder if I have missed one!

 

[Bess]

Hi Bess! Warm is am understatement especially for rhe last dew days. It's 10am here and almost 30 degrees! Not a cloud in the sky, bugs chirping flowers drooping lazily and the ocean glimmering. I went for a run at the beach yesterday which was amazing but hard due to the heat. I will def start up camp in maintenance!

We have been hearing about the big freez over in your part of the world. It's amazing to see the extremes isn't it.

Cheers xox

Oh Kitty, I am soooooo envious!! We are freezing here and the beautiful sunny days have given way to a grey one. I spend ages lugging water from the only unfrozen tap to the animals and freezing my fingers no matter which gloves I wear. Even the novelty of sledging has worn off for the children and the Rayburn is surrounded by dripping coats, hats, wellies and gloves....ugh. Your world sounds wonderful to me just now!! I saw a satelite photo of the UK completely covered in snow which I should think is very unusual indeed. No sign of a thaw yet.....

LizzMB

KD's thread about former overweight people needing less calories is interesting too as I like reading the science behind weight loss....slightly annoying however to learn that former fatties have to cut back more than 'normal' eaters :sigh:

This is interesting and from my experience so very true. I wish I'd known this years ago, I might have kept a better eye on things.......

 

[boardwitless]

I can't remember where I saw it now - I'll have a mooch around. I think it contained a link to the 3 fat chicks on a diet site

 

[boardwitless]

Got it:
http://www.minimins.com/maintenance/8383-kind-depressing-but-important.html

As KD says, depressing but important. It seems that the myth about metabolism slowing down after weight loss is not so far from the truth after all.....:sigh:

 

[Bess]

Hmmm, just read it, thankyou. So lowered Leptin levels stay that way. Still, it's as we all thought from experience really and better to tell it like it is.
From what I've seen in my own family this is clearly true.

 

[KD]

Got it:
http://www.minimins.com/maintenance/8383-kind-depressing-but-important.html

As KD says, depressing but important. It seems that the myth about metabolism slowing down after weight loss is not so far from the truth after all.....:sigh:

Ahh, but most research says this isn't the case, besides, I think if it does happen like that it would only be a very small amount. Not enough to be concerned with.

They say the resting rate is the same, but the muscle effiency is less for a previously obese person. So, it's only when you are exercising...which would work out about 50/60 calories a day difference...which is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Personally, I find I can maintain on what is recommended for my weight, height, age but maybe I walk a little more to make it work.

I think what makes maintenance so much more difficult for us is mainly the psychological aspect. The problems of getting out of dieting mode, finding out why we overeat, relying on diets for a quick fix rather than dealing with maintenance, not dealing with what made us overeat in the first place.

Along with that is the leptin which can have this affect on the metabolism, but more so giving us cravings for high calorie foods and stronger hunger signals.

I think those things play a much, much bigger part in why people regain that just the 50/60/70 or whatever it works out calories because of metabolism. Mind you, probably need to check those figures

 

[Porgeous]

I do find this interesting but from a personal point of view it never had any bearing.

I spent 15 years overeating so when I reached goal I had no idea of what amount of food would be considered "normal" or what that would look like in terms of calorie intake. I adopted the approach of increasing my calories at 100 per day for a week at a time until I reached a point where I neither lost nor gained. When I found that balance I never questioned whether this calorie level was considered high or low.

It was only recently when seeing a specialist that I found out my calorie intake was quite low to maintain weight. This was due to an underactive thyroid.

I also think each of us is so different in terms of our life styles, exercise etc that our maintenance level will differ from person to person. It is case of finding the right intake for you and whilst this information is certainly valuable and explains why we need to be more vigiliant it doesn't make it impossible.

Blimey that was a serious waffle for a Sunday morning.

xx