What exactly IS maintenance?

[KD]

I think the problem is there is never one answer for addiction, nor maintenance. I throw out ideas, my thought processes, what I've discovered either through reading, or what has worked for me, but I can never say "this is how to maintain" or "this is why you are addicted to food" and "do this or that and your problems will be over".

I've found it to be much more complex than that. Tiny bits of the puzzle which I've put together to almost get the picture.

Take the one biscuit thing. I didn't just wake up in the morning and think, "oh I'll just have one biscuit" and hey presto...cured. I found that certain situations triggered it. I found that depriving myself triggered it and indeed that's been proved over and over again with others. It wasn't an addiction to carbs, but something that happens in the brain when you are starved of highly processed food after having a fair amount of it. Something like that anyway. Wish I could find the article.

Anyway, I found that not eating enough in the day triggered it. I found that lack of protein triggered it. I found that my hatred for myself triggered. I found one biscuit triggered it. And of course, my love of biscuits triggered it

I couldn't just say I was a carb addict because I had IR as I realised that I had many more triggers than that and how much of it was up to IR was an unknown quantity...well, unless I eliminated all the other causes.

My final rather unscientific experiment wasn't long ago when I attempted to eat plain bread when I was poorly (another trigger for carbs), and found that I really wanted butter on it and the plain bread wasn't 'doing it for me' as it should have done. If I was just a carb addict, I could have just cut down on some calories and spooned plain flour into my mouth to cure the craving, but I had the feeling, I would still want to mix that flour with butter and eggs and sugar and make cake

 

[Katycakes]

Thank you all for this fantastic thread which has pulled me back onto the track and made me think when I am feeling low and exhausted and a little voice is suggesting i just forget about watching food intake until January. (Which i know is another way of giving myself permission to eat all before me).

So much to think about, so MUCH that makes perfect sense, all at a time when i am very wobbly, and it makes me feel steadier, safer, just to read it. Have tried to rep you KD but it won't let me, but big hugs, this has helped me sooooo much... an oasis of perfect good sense in a very, very quiet forum.

xxx

 

[MissAma]

While that was one of the most entertaining pieces of writing I read in a long time (I laughed so loudly I had to read it to the Mr too and he also laughed like crazy which made my mother curious too!) it's a strawman because addiction is not defined by the willingness to defy social convention and morality. Rarely do the most severe of addicts run people over to snatch their bottles or even attack to get another shot of cocaine. It doesn't prove lack of addiction, but it DOES underline the fact that we have the ability to control it and that is a very valuable point we ought to work on so thanks for both the insight and the laugh!

 

[MissAma]

As for your experiments and how carbs plus X are a more powerful trigger... I can only bow. You are certainly an amazing example of an exceptional human being IMO. You're not only amazingly determined and strong willed (probably more so than you credit yourself!) but that combined with your beautifully curious mind allowed you to do what only a few gifted individuals have done, experiment on yourself to the point that you've gathered undeniable self-facts. Truly amazing.

Personally, if I'm allowed to say so, I think you ought to impart this not as scientific knowledge but as self experience to a wider audience than the likes of us here, with your writing skill and your experience it could only be a best-seller!

 

[Bess]

Brilliant thread, thought provoking and helpful.....much to ponder here.

 

[KD]

While that was one of the most entertaining pieces of writing I read in a long time (I laughed so loudly I had to read it to the Mr too and he also laughed like crazy which made my mother curious too!)

Good, good

Rarely do the most severe of addicts run people over to snatch their bottles or even attack to get another shot of cocaine.

I beg to differ. Much crime is down is drug related in an attempt to get money to fund the habit. Ask my step brother who decided not to pay the restaurant bill otherwise he wouldn't have enough for his next 'fix'. Stoopid boy, when pretending to write the cheque to pay the restaurant bill, decided to scribble his name and address on a piece of paper and leave it at the eatery He was high at the time.

but it DOES underline the fact that we have the ability to control it

Exactly, and the point was we do it many times

 

[KD]

Personally, if I'm allowed to say so, I think you ought to impart this not as scientific knowledge but as self experience to a wider audience than the likes of us here, with your writing skill and your experience it could only be a best-seller!

LOL, I think not, but thankyou anyway My experiments have been part of my project. Not an attempt to appease my masochistic tendencies (I use my monthly date with my epilator for that), but it's helped me keep focused. Perhaps even given me a different obsession.

When I was losing weight, my focus wasn't so much on the excitement on getting to size X, or below a certain weight, but rather than to get to a healthy weight where I could suss out this maintenance lark once and for all.

But maintenance can get boring. No exciting new weights to report. No claps on the back for STS yet again, or people congratulating me on looking slimmer. Few people to share the ups and downs of maintenance with (I was the only one doing this on the forum I was on). I needed something to liven it up

I've had many different self experimentation projects and done it with relative joy. Reading up rather than eating up in an effort to make this part of my life as easy as possible. So, strong willed? No. In fact, when it comes to food I'm weak willed. Possibly weaker than the majority who go on to gain their weight again, knowing that at some point they'll get back on the diet. I can't do that anymore. Just don't have the strength and I know that it damages me long term. I love my food too much and don't want to be in a position to have to reduce my daily calories. I guess I've found my 'strength' to maintain because this is easier than the alternative.

People say maintenance is hard. I guess that's correct to a certain point but dependant on expectations.

Even though I was well prepared for the challenge ahead (this time anyway), it's been completely different to what I expected. I had thought that when I got to goal, I would be more than happy to survive on little, to keep to 'healthy' foods etc because I would automatically be that slim person who did that. Though I was aware that this might not happen, I wasn't prepared for how tough that is to do long term.

So this was different. Rather than continue to do what I assumed I should do, and constantly fail and beat myself up, I had to find a different approach; take a new route, which meant really challenging my belief system and taking a massive leap 'outside the box'