Maintenance chat

[FleshEmoji]

I've lost 2.5 stone this year and am getting to the part I always get wrong - maintenance. Anyone to join me in sharing tips and just generally chatting about maintaining?

I've still got some of my Cambridge diet packs left, so at the moment I'm having days off (usually the weekend) and then doing 3-4 fast days (600 cals) to balance it. I really need to start adding more real food on those fast days, so I need some recipe ideas, especially for dinner - 300-400 cals.

[Ice3]

I don't know if you use Reddit at all but there is a sub called 1200 is plenty where people post lots of 3-400 calorie recipes and snacks. I steal ideas from there.

Also I use Skinnytaste (It's American so measurements can be a pain) which has healthier, low cal versions of food and has all the nutritional information.

[Ice3]

I meant to say congratulations on the weight loss too!

[KeyserSophie]

I really CBA to ever cook. My bog standard weekday dinner is chicken or salmon steak oven cooked in foil with salt and pepper and a splash of white wine, squirt of lemon juice, and served with either salad or steamed vegetables. That has to come in under 400.

[FleshEmoji]

Ice3 - yes, I'm on Reddit, thanks for the tip.

Keyser - I'm a bit like that - 4-5 simple meals I can rotate will do me. My DH will be wanting to eat together again soon, and I'm dreading his nights a bit. He takes forever doing fancy food (I know, such problems I have!) and then by the time we eat I'm either starving or have opened the wine or both.

I'm also wanting to get a full day's nutrients in a small number of calories - can anyone recommend a recipe book or website for that?

[bubblyone]

I'm nearing goal so am in once I've lost 3 more pounds. Have NEVER managed to maintain.

[FleshEmoji]

I'm doing daily weighings. I know everyone advises against it, but I think for me the bigger issue is going blind to it when I know I've overeaten, so that a few pounds that could easily be lost becomes a stone or more.

I'm also trying to keep to the smaller portions I got used to - I think that's another thing that creeps up over time.

[FleshEmoji]

Forgot to say, well done bubbly - did you lose a lot?

[KeyserSophie]

Fortunately my DH is even less interested in cooking than me. When he's not travelling he actually does that diet where they deliver all your food to you. He gets 3 little plastic boxes a day and that's what he eats. Finds it helps him stop getting banker's bloat from too much restaurant and hotel dining.

Do you like eggs? 3 egg omelette with tonnes of spinach in it is good with salad.

Basically, adding a massive salad to any meal is effective in that it's very filling for very few calories.

[FleshEmoji]

Keyser luckily I love salad and eggs. I have a standard 200 calorie lunch that's salad, prawns or crab and some Soulful mint dressing - it makes a massive bowlful and keeps me going until dinner (and breakfast is only 2 coffees with milk too)

[MoodyBox]

Hi, is anyone still using this thread?

I've just lost 8lb while on annual leave from work (not loads I know but it makes all the difference to how I feel). Going back today and there is no way I can keep up the rigid diet but I'm desperate not to pile it all back on. My plan is three smallish healthyish meals a day and no snacks except a piece of fruit if really hungry. I have a bad habit of binging when stressed so that is something I need to watch out for (my mantra is "brain over binge").

Hope all the pps are successfully keeping the weight off!

[MoodyBox]

OK, I'm just going to keep twittering and hope someone joins me..

Yesterday wasn't perfect but having weighed myself this morning it doesn't look like I've done too much damage yet.

Plan for today:

• just had a protein shake for breakfast
  
• lunch at work. Maybe treat myself to something tasty (but small!) from pret
  
• not sure about dinner. Was supposed to be eating with dp and some friends but my shift has been changed so won't be home till 8 at the earliest.. Will see what time they're eating and may have an m&s sandwich and just join them after.
  

if I stick to the plan I will allow myself a glass of wine. If that doesn't motivate me o don't know what will.

[MoodyBox]

Twittering? Wittering, obviously.

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

I find maintaining much easier to manage if I skip breakfast (sometimes I'll have a protein shake) - I'm not ever ravenous when I wake up, so I find it easy.

I tend to stick to around 1200-1400 calories in a day, but if I've been out for a meal or gone a bit overboard, I'll do a couple of fast days. It's bloody hard work maintaining, but I've lost well over 2st this year and I don't intend to slide back into old habits!

[MoodyBox]

Yey - company! Congratulations on your loss, Beauty.

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

Thanks Moody - properly chuffed with myself! How's the meal plan for today going?

[plumstone]

Hi all, I also lost two stone this year and there is no way in this life time its going back on (next year I want another stone off - January's problem). maintenance is in my world all consuming, but I find if I have the following:

B - One egg spinach omelette with cheese
L - Soup - ready made, fresh in a carton (one carton = two days)
D - Proper meal

this is varied if I am going out for dinner or lunch and just swap the soup around. I drink 4 litres of water daily, and never eat between meals. I am so dull but it means I indulge in what I want when out (I like to drink calories and don't really do pudding even when heavier) I also have stopped drinking when I am not out.

I do feel the above plan will go tits up when I am away for Christmas, but am determined to stick with it re breakfasts and lunches. Last year I managed not to put anything on weight wise over Christmas, by going to 2 meals a day (brunch about 10:30am and then dinner) seemed to work, but it became almost fast like.!!! Good luck

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

It really IS all consuming plum!

We're off to Spain next year, which will be all inclusive and that's going to be a major source of wobbles for me. I plan on eating a small plate of salad at the beginning of each meal, to take the edge off the hunger so I don't gorge on any of the other stuff.

[Chasingsquirrels]

I did 5:2 and am doing a form of 6:1 or 5:2 (on half calories instead of 500) to maintain.

My normal intake should be 1600. I try to stick around that 3 or 4 days a week upto around 100 calories over max, maybe go over by 3-400 calories 2 days a week and do a semi-fast day 2 or 1 day a week.
Semi-fast days are about 7-800 calories.
The 1 or 2 fast days depends on the rest of the week, sometimes I might be 500 or 750+ over if there has been special events, then I'll have 2 more rigid fast days. But I've only gone over a little bit during the week I'll only have 1 semi-fast day.

I started Easter 15, lost most of my weight by Nov 15 and dropped the last 1/2 stone by Feb/Mar 16. I had a bit of a blip in May 16 when I dropped another 1/2 stone due to a very stressful home situation and not eating enough, but I out that back on and have since maintained between 9st 6lb - 8lb for the last six months.

5:2 worked for me and my modified version is working for maintaining so far. I really enjoy my fast day meal, so usually look forward to a fast day - and now I've upped it to 7-800 calories I have a few treats as well and don't find I'm missing out at all.

My 300 calories fast day meal is chicken, peppers, tomatoes & onions.
Basically cut up 3-4 peppers, 2 red onions and add a handful of cherry tomatoes, some 1-cal spray & ground pepper then roast in the oven for 25 mins on 160c, add some form of marinated chicken fillets (around 170 calories) on top and cook for another 15 mins. It makes a big plateful and is very filling and tasty. I sometimes have it with potato wedges thrown in now as well.

[bubblyone]

Oops. Forgot this thread!

Thanks, @FleshEmoji. Around 30lbs. Just want to get it down to a nice round number. Hard at the moment with all the Christmas temptation, lunch at friends' place coming up on Sunday etc. And genuinely hungry +++ today.

Am daily weighing too. Some people advise against but the studies that are coming out seem to suggest that it's actually a good thing, and it was one of the findings that came from review of the National Weight Control Registry in the US which looked at people who had successfully maintained a loss. Hoping it will motivate AND stop me doing my usual gain with denial where it becomes so much that it's an ordeal to lose again.

[Chasingsquirrels]

With holidays etc, I'll have 2 strict fast days the week before and 2 the week after and have found that's enough to maintain the same weight.

My major changes in habits are:

• realising that that 2 waitrose pain au chocolat and orange juice I was having for breakfast both Sat & Sun was 900 calories a pop! I cut down to 1 once a week (and now don't have any, but that's down to DH's illness and diet change).
  
• not having Gu puddings every evening.
  

(The recurrent theme here is actually eating too much since DH moved in and kept buying sweet things!)

• cutting out calorific drinks. I don't drink alcohol but did drink coke, other fizzy drinks, orange & apple juice, squash etc. I now drink low-cal drinks 95% of the time which makes a massive daily difference. I'd actually cut out coke a year or so earlier due to increasing migranes - which then stopped, but I'd replaced with equally calorific drinks.
  
• actually looking at the calorie count of things (it's not something I'd ever really considered before) and making a decision as to whether the food is worth the calories.
  

Another thing I've found that I really like is Del Monte Raspberry Smoothie ice-lollies. Basically pureed frozen raspberry (or mango). Really tasty, feel like a treat but at just under 100 calories significantly less that Gu Millionaire Cheesecake!

[bubblyone]

@Chasingsquirrels
So interesting!! I was definitely eating far too much. Just wasn't thinking - grabbing and munching.

I'm not sure how well I would do with fasting (tend to overeat after) but will try to overall reduce week before and after instead to see if I can offset the holidays...

[MoodyBox]

Oh wow - loads of maintainers!

I was feeling like I'd done OK today but compared to you lot I've totally pigged out

Breakfast - protein shake
Lunch - salmon sandwich, toasted pumpkin seeds
Dinner - salad with boiled egg, vegetable crisps, 2 custard creams
Snacked on a protein bar.

Just on way home from work now so have missed dinner (must not snack on leftovers!) but God I need a glass of wine.

[MoodyBox]

Succumbed to the wine but miraculously the scales didn't notice. Must do better today though. I really feel much better this weight (and have had some positive comments which I am choosing to take as flattering rather than intrusive) so really don't want to go back to bad habits.

Totally agree with those of you doing daily weighing. In fact I can trace my weight gain to a period 2 years ago when my scales broke and I just thought "sod it" - massively regret not just buying new scales that day!

Today's plan

• Protein bar for breakfast
  
• Something sustaining for lunch (likely to be a long day at work)
  
• Snack on apples
  
• Will wait and see re dinner, but the important part is no snaking or grazing afterwards!

[MoodyBox]

Oh, and no biscuits!

Hope everyone else has a good day. You've all lost so much I am massively impressed!

[bubblyone]

@MoodyBox
Your bad day sounds like a good one to me!! That's not much food at all...And love custard creams. Keeping daily treats is HUGE for me so that I don't feel restricted and bingey.