I'm just sort of thinking out loud here... (so what else is new?!?!?!)
I'm really close to my goal - just 8 lbs. I've been working on for 3+ years now.
I've realized that I don't have an extra 100 calories for cheetos or oreos. Some of the "problem" is that I'm kind of short 5'2". If I eat all my fruit, vegs, grains, dairies, porteins as recommended by the food pyramind or the DASH plan - that's my calories for the day. The only way I could possibly fit in a 100 worth of no-pudge brownies or snack crackers is to not eat a piece of fruit or skip a glass of milk.
I'm not complaining at all. I am totally happy eating desserts or special snacks (like 100 cal oreos) just on the weekends (but I have to compensate during the week). I feel much better eating this way... I have buy in from my family. Things are good.
I could exercise more and eat 100 cals of Cheez-its. I would have to increase my exercise time from 35 mins. a day to 55 mins. a day. I don't want Nabisco crackers so much that I'm willing to put in an extra 20 mins to eat them. Plus, I KNOW that I will come up with the excuse "I don't have time" way more often if I have to do 55 mins and will ultimately end up exercising less minutes a month.
WW also got me thinking about all of this stuff. WW has this whole point system. Somebody who is 200 lbs gets 6 more points a day than I do. The 100 calorie pack of Oreos is probably 2 or 3 points. Somebody with more points could easily fit them in as a snack - but at some point (as they lost weight and points) would maybe have to figure out how to eliminate them.
Also, somebody who is 200 lbs would "earn" 2 extra more points than I do - even if we did the same exact exercise - because a heavier person is going to burn more calories doing the exact same activity.
I guess, ultimately, I'm sort of thinking out loud here about maintainence... especially since I am so very close. This is sort of my continued thought process of "How much do I want to weigh? Why do I want to weigh that? How am I will/able to eat to maintain that weight? How much exercise am I willing/able to do to be that weight?" Kind of weighing up the cost/benefit ratio here...
Don't know if this makes sense...
Posts: 8678 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Cajetaguy: (Thinking aloud)One strategy would be to create Good/Better/Best maintenance weight goals, rather than having one Pass/Fail goal.
LOVE this idea! Thanks for mentioning that! I will definitely be doing something along those lines.
quote:...I don't think you can find a maintainence weight that is so low, you can't keep it, how defeating...
(Thinking aloud)One strategy would be to create Good/Better/Best maintenance weight goals, rather than having one Pass/Fail goal.
I recently surpassed a "fantasy weight", that back in January, I didn't even dare let myself think about. It's going to be a stretch to maintain it, but stretch goals aren't necessarily a bad thing.
quote:Originally posted by GoingSkiing: I guess it is just a case of figuring out where each of us wants to spend those calories.
This is a great point. It IS a very personal choice. Each person's food likes and cravings are different, so we each have to find a way to manage our eating that works for us.
The biggest lesson I've learned going from years of diet mentality to healthy eating is that total deprivation ain't gonna cut it. Giving up everything we love to eat is the fastest way to fail, at least for me. I've proven it time and again. The reason I'm still eating healthy and still losing weight after 13 months is because I do factor in those treats and cravings (in moderation of course). I have to give myself that, or I'd never be able to stay with it.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
I am so far from maintainence that I can't even see it. But I do have many friends who are going through the "training" maintainence now. They tell me that it is harder in that you have more freedom and that part is harder to handle for most of them. They can eat up to say 10 points more and still stay the same...don't ask how many calories that is I have no clue. But, they do still have to keep exercising and none of them have increased what they are doing in time or reps. That's WW maintainence. In my mind, I will find a weight that I know I can keep generally between five pounds either way; that would be close to 150 - 140. Although that's not the ideal weight for me -- 106 is the ideal weight, like that will ever happen. But at 52, I see 150 - 140 doable and keepable. I will find the set point at which I can eat and still maintain that weight...145 sounds like a good average; and try to stay at that point. I think you are right, I am going more to what the clothes fit like, what I feel like, and for me what the Blood Sugars are doing. But I would believe that with almost 70 pounds off they would be terrific. I don't think you can find a maintainence weight that is so low, you can't keep it, how defeating. WE have to use our heads and our hearts here. We know what is best for us, what is the healthiest choices and do what it takes to get to where we want to be.
There are times I will swim an extra 30 minutes or 15 laps for a treat I've kept away from...it's worth it, there are many more times, when I think rather than eat, that it's not worth it. I make the healthiest choice possible for me at all time and in all situations. OH, Friday night, I had gotten a card with M & M's in it....only 12....now I used to survive on M & M's....and hadn't had any not even one in 2 years, they were worth it, and I swam that 30 mins. longer on Saturday. Healthy choice. Made me feel good about myself, and now I remember M & M's are not inherently bad, it's bags and bags of them that are bad for me.
It's never too late to get it right.
Posts: 3473 | Location: Central USA | Registered: March 11, 2004
Sandy, you articulated some of my very thoughts - much better than I did! The thoughts are not exactly linear in my head.
I look at the pyramid or dash plan and know that is how I would like to ideally eat (at least during the week and most meals on the week-end). You're right. You save up cals for crackers - you're cutting out something more nutricious... (ackkk - my spelling...)
I just remembered being on Ediets 3 years ago. Ediets would lay out an entire week's worth of menus, snacks, recipes, shopping lists - everything - for you. I don't remember any "real" desserts (ice cream, candy, cake, etc. - maybe a fat free fig newton for dessert once in a while... It was really hard to eat out and stay on plan. I really missed desserts. I didn't like the computer weigh in.) Anyway, my sister was doing it with me. She only wanted to lose about 8 lbs and is very disaplined so she hit maint. very quickly.
We were posting on a board kind of simular to this and the entire board wanted to know "So... What does maint plan look like????" "I got an extra piece of bread and another glass of milk a day. LOL! I was sort of hoping that they would add a bag of M&M's a day!"
I would not be surprised one single bit if I need to eat exactly as I do now at maint. I'm not bummed and I'm sort of expecting it. I'm sort of half expecting to hit about 120(+ or -) and just sort of stay there eating like it do now... I really can't see being able to eat an additional 500 cals a day (and keep eating 1500-2500 cals/day on the weekends). I could be wrong... We'll see!
Thanks for listening to all of my rambolings - Well the computer will be unplugged sometime tomorrow. I will miss you all!
Posts: 8678 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
Denise, I have gone through this in my mind too- or at least something similar and I always come back to the realization that maintaining (for me) is just at tough or tougher than the weight loss phase simply because in order for me to maintain 126 pounds at 5'3.5" I can't go over about 1300-1400 calories per day unless I really pump up my exercise. Like you, I will always find an excuse. I do 30-45 minutes most days, but don't ever see myself doing 2 hour marathon workouts more than twice a year.
When I started seeing my dietician she told me that the toughest part of the food plan was actually eating all the food on the plan. I did not believe her. I do now. I so often am willing to forget about the AM fruit snack and "save" calories for crackers. I struggle with this for 2 reasons. First, I know that I need the fruit and I feel better eating friut. Secondly, when I skip my planned fruit, I almost always overeat on crackers. (Do you know how few crackers gets you to 200 calories? A ridiculaouly small amount in my estimation!)
So many have said that they can relax on maintenance. I have not (am not) finding it to be true at all. The less I weigh, the fewer calories I need- I have less room to play.
We have a pretty structured life. I eat the same way on weekends as I do during the week. I go overboard on vacations and weekend away. I gain "real"weight and have to get back.
Congratualtions on being so close to goal, Denise. I am glad that you've been having good weeks through moving prep.
Interesting thoughts...I'll throw this out. My understanding of maintenance is that you would be increasing the number of calories/points you are eating to the level that will maintain your weight instead of lose. I actually looked this up yesterday for myself to see how much more I'd be able to eat this fall and still maintain what I've lost so far. Shouldn't it be an average of 500 cals more per day than what you are doing to lose? I'm not really strictly counting cals and that is working for me now so I'm not precisely sure what I am eating now but the calculator told me I could have about 1900 cals a day to maintain the 160 lb. weight (this was using a 'moderate' activity level) I want to 'rest' at this fall. You might want to ask WW what your point allowance will be on maintenance instead of weight loss and that might buy you some more to 'play' with. I agree I still might not spend them on the Cheez-its but I can tell you right now, adding the chai I like back in for a few more days a week is looking pretty good.
P.S. For me, it is 11.8 lbs more or until I drop 1 clothing size, which ever comes first. I have decided since I have been a member here that the clothing size is more important to me that the weight number. I've been thinking a lot about maintenance too and it makes me a little uneasy. I really don't want to look at maintenance as an "off and on diet" and know that it should be (like I am living now) a healthy living plan. I wonder if I will ever be able to relax. I also wonder when and if it will be OK to relax.
quote:Originally posted by skedwards: Only 8 lbs to go!!!! Wow, congratulations!!!!!
Thanks!!
quote:I don't know if this would help or not, but I read in a "Self" article that you should allow about 10% of your daily calorie allotment for a treat. Maybe if you didn't want to do this on a daily basis right now, you could set aside 1 or 2 days a week for it?
Oh, I do that! We ALWAYS go out to eat once or twice on the weekends and I ALWAYS have dessert a couple times on the weekends. Had a bagel with cream cheese and lox as meal out this AM. It was wonderful! I guess it is just a case of figuring out where each of us wants to spend those calories...
Posts: 8678 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
It makes perfect sense and only you can answer your questions, but of course you already know that....that is why you are thinking out loud.
Only 8 lbs to go!!!! Wow, congratulations!!!!!
I don't know if this would help or not, but I read in a "Self" article that you should allow about 10% of your daily calorie allotment for a treat. Maybe if you didn't want to do this on a daily basis right now, you could set aside 1 or 2 days a week for it? Just a suggestion and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
