Maintaining weight loss in 2021

[zzizzer]

Just wondered if anyone fancied a maintenance thread as we head into the new year?

I lost the weight I needed to recently and am now finding it tricky to eat to maintain: it's become such a long term habit to lose weight (which I now can't afford to do), and I also don't want to let it slide again either.

I think my focus will be on staying around the same weight but building up muscle as much as possible.

Anyone have any tips, or want to join and try to encourage each other?

I’m up for this. I hit my target just before Christmas. I’ve got a Les mills subscription and some zoom hiit classes booked. I’ll be focussing on exercise and eating loads of vegetables.

At least this year I haven’t got as much chocolate etc hanging around.

Hurrah, hello Purple!

That's a great idea about booking some classes. I've been trying various routines from YouTube but perhaps if I booked proper classes or paid for it, I would stick to it more.

I'm trying to work out the best way of measuring success for myself now, whether its photos over time, or measuring muscles!

I always thought I’d go with free ones from YouTube but I’ve realised I need the structure of having a class happen at a specific time and someone at the other end shouting at me! Plus, I like supporting my personal trainer friend who runs them. There’s a bit of social chat at the beginning and end which feels like some normality.
The Les mills site I like because it’s got my favourites from the gym which aren’t happening at the moment. I like that you can just squeeze in a quick 15/30 minute one when it’s convenient. It’s about £10 a month.

It’s hard to know what to do about targets because I’m used to aiming for a number on the scales. I might switch it for an exercise/fitness based one.

Yes I'm so used to weighing every day, that can't be healthy. Maybe my new resolution needs to be once a week, photo and measuring muscles.

You've inspired me to look into my gym's online classes - I'm on a suspended membership but probably need to unsuspend it now.

I used to go swimming several times a week and miss it horribly - I dream of it most nights. Still, by the time I next go, I will have such amazing muscles that I'll astonish myself

I’m missing swimming a lot too. That’s my proper destress time away from the phone and it really can’t be replicated at home! I wish I’d taken before photos. I didn’t need to lose a lot but it’s made a big difference to my waist, legs and arms. My double chins have gone too. I guess that’s all over!

I think I’ll weight once a week, aim for a certain number of hours of exercise a week, or maybe a total miles walked or something and go from there. It’s nice to have a buddy!

Thinking about food, I’m going for a week or so to finish off the Christmas treats and then back on the menu planning. I’m lucky to really like vegetables and really like cooking. I was in good habits and had big stash of batch cooked healthy stuff in the freezer but that’s been seriously depleted and replaced by sausage rolls and pizza for the holidays!

Maintenance is where I failed every single time in the past. I have just lost 23kg and would really like to keep it off. Atm I am eating too little to have the energy to exercise, but I'll start lifting weights again as soon as I increase my calories.

I hoping to be here soon as I can only afford to lose a couple more pounds as I'm near the bottom of my healthy BMI. I'm just trying to lose a bit more fat percentage (25/26% at the mo). I probably need to gain muscle so I don't know what that will look like weight wise. I run 10k a day and do a few strength exercises. Tried heavyish weights before and didn't like them, always felt a bit nauseous doing them for some reason. Don't want to give up the running, though because apart from loving it it's good for my circulation and recovery generally after having chemo treatment just over 3 years ago.

I'm envisioning adding nuts, seeds, oils, and cheese to salads more and having more things like avocados which I avoided a bit because of the calories. Having more fruit too. I normally eat a lot of veg anyway.

Yes it'll be really helpful to have some maintenance buddies Purple perhaps a weekly check-in on Fridays or something after this week? I have just resisted adding more mince pies and things to the shopping order this weekend, we have so much to finish!

Hello sad, I had to Google to convert that to stone but thats an amazing loss so far!

As I understood it, some strength exercise or weightlifting is really good during weightloss as it helps you maintain muscle mass instead of losing it accidentally. Muscles also burn more calories even when you're at rest, so let you eat more. So if you can manage any at all its could be good for you.

(Having said all that with confidence, everything I know is from Google and could be total bullshit )

Sorry, missed your post Pigeon! Sounds like you're near me if you're heading to the lowest healthy weight. I'm now keenly aware that I don't want to slip into ED territory, its hard to get the balance right isn't it?

I haven't had cheese since March - I'm going to add that to this weekends order

Yes, I won't go underweight, if I can help it! I do love my food but I'm conscious of not wanting to fill the gap with chocolates! I do already eat a small amount of chocolate most days but don't want it to be a major food group! I've lost nearly 4 stone (was overweight) since deciding my excess fat (just over 40% at its worst!) was doing me no favours - sciatica and then breast cancer! So took up running and started logging my food on FitBit to ensure deficit. Well, I'm used to what I eat and my exercise now, love being able to have a small portion of main meals and save the rest for lunch another day. Hence I'm trying to think of healthy, calorific foods to add in!

Sounds like you've been through the wars

I use fitbit to record food too and at the moment I'm using Huel which I bought to get more protein into myself - I've never used it as a meal but I value the extra nutrients.

(If anyone else ever feels like trying it it, I've found that frozen chocolate flavour seems the most palatable so far. The vanilla flavour was pretty much undrinkable for me. Its quite pricey if you don't use it up though.)

Hi zzizz. My progress has not been linear but I am now 40kg lighter (6st 4lb) than when I got pregnant with DC1. DC4 has just celebrated her 2nd birthday.

I think stepping on the scales everyday is OK as long as the inevitable daily fluctuations do not bother you. In my case it puts me in the right mindset for the day.

@sadsaddersaddest yes, I agree. But I actually avoid stepping up n the scales at a weekend now because I know having a glass of wine will mean meaningless fluctuations I just can't be bothered with. However getting back regularly is worth it (few times a week). You begin to know what is the scope for fluid fluctuations and actual more (semi) permanent weight gain.

I'd love to join in. I reached goal weight at the beginning of December, but I'll be honest I have no idea how to maintain. I've been really eating like mad all month and I will have to get my head back in the game.

Hello, please may I join? I have lost 2 stone in total this year and have been maintaining since August. I actually lost half a stone while gradually increasing my calories as part of an attempt at reverse dieting which I thought would be a nice buffer on my target weight but I've grown rather attached to my lowest number on the scales... I have put on 5lbs since Christmas Eve which I kind of expected. Now I'm not sure how to go forward, should I go back to my calorie deficit? Probably.

Welcome Down and Marmite! I've namechanged so that there isn't that feeling of an OP in charge since I don't claim to know what I'm doing

Yes its going to be a challenge, but we'll get there! I think the key thing is that, like weight loss, it won't happen overnight. I'm very so used to focusing on losing that I panicked after putting some pounds on overnight after eating loads yesterday - until I remembered that this year is about maintaining. So thats going to involve tiny gains and tiny losses, and finding a weight that makes you feel happy and healthy not just an arbitrary number on a scale.

Personally I wouldn't be cutting calories right away Marmite unless you really feel you need to.

I don't quite know what the general maintenence rules are but for me its going to be something like:

• I'm not trying to lose weight. I am trying to build muscle and I need food. I am going to focus on muscle mass instead of weight. I should only start thinking about cutting back if I go over 7.14 stone, and even then I personally should never drop below 1350 calories again but focus on tiny weight loss increments.

• I'm going to eat well. I will keep focusing on protein and fibre. I am not going to slip back into chocolate and junk food every single day again because my body is so much happier and alive on healthy food. I am less anxious, full of energy, I sleep better and life is better.

• I am going to keep enjoying exercise. For me, it needs to be fun or I won't stick to it, and I'll find a way to build in weights over time too. Examples of fun things for me: indoor rebounder, hula hoop, Powerspin, Ringfit, dance exercise.

... this has turned into an essay so I apologise! But writing it down has helped. I might even write it and stick on the scale or something.

Bastard app deleting paragraphs!

Just a thought in case my weight target there concerns anyone, I'm very short and petite - possibly because I was premature and didn't eat much (weird autistic kid with weird food habits!)

That's partly why I think I need more muscles too, I'm probably lower than most people, which increases the risk of arthritis etc later on too.

I love those three rules @zzizzer
That’s definitely what I’m aiming for this year.

I might add I will not feel guilty for when I’ve eaten less well.

It’s going to be back on the meal planning in the next few days. I’ve got weird leftovers-a swede, half a massive red cabbage and a big bag of kale, plus a distinct lack of things that make meals! It needs a proper sit down and think about it. In a way it’s nice to have such an empty fridge-it’s a bit like a real restart. Today is going to be parsnip and apple soup (Christmas day leftovers!) with posh sourdough (lovely dh bought from the village shop this morning). Dinner I think will be a curry stew thing using the kale with quinoa, lentils and chick peas. Hoping to get a portion for the freezer to rebuild the stocks of healthy easy meals in there.

Yy Purple, I really like I will not feel guilty. It's not shameful to like or eat food. It might not always be healthy but its not poor behaviour, and its about the overall pattern, not one-offs.

The parsnip and apple soup sounds really interesting, do you have a recipe you recommend?

It was essentially this one from the Covent Garden soup book. I didn’t bother measuring the butter, didn’t use milk just extra veg stock and I had an enormous eating apple in the fruit bowl-no idea what type. It’s good with toasted pine nuts as croutons.

@sadsaddersaddest

Hi zzizz. My progress has not been linear but I am now 40kg lighter (6st 4lb) than when I got pregnant with DC1. DC4 has just celebrated her 2nd birthday.

I think stepping on the scales everyday is OK as long as the inevitable daily fluctuations do not bother you. In my case it puts me in the right mindset for the day.

What height are you sad?

Sorry, I think i misunderstood your post.

Thank you! That looks quite easy and tasty, will add some vegetable stock to our next delivery.

IdontmindMarmite I am 169cm - 5'6 1/2 if I remember well. 40kg is my total weight loss, not my weight.

If you think about it, you almost lost a whole person in weight though, that's amazing!