When I started out on this journey, I'd hoped to get to 150. Then it dropped to 143 (50# loss), 140 (even number), 135 (in the 30's) and now I'm thinking somewhere in the 130-135 range would be ideal. I never thought I'd be looking at that. I was about 120's in high school and near 130 in college so after 20 yrs and two pregnancies, I didn't expect to even be near those numbers. I just bought a size 4 pants (but have been wearing mostly 6's this summer) and know that my body shape is smaller than my weight belies due to working out regularly (otherwise, what do these really low weight people wear -- girls clothes?).

So there's the background.

I thought that those first days of induction flu were the worst/scariest part of this adventure. WRONG! The ending isn't so great. I'm terrified. I keep reading the pre-maint and maint parts of DANDR and checked out AFL from the library. I've been looking at some other plans (like SBD) just for information and inspiration.

I'm not afraid that I'll go to my parent's anniversary party, have a small slice of cake and going off on a binge. I've had cake on this WOE and I'm fine.

I think I'm afraid of it ending. Of just being this size and not seeing the scale move any more. That's been motivating all along. All the tracking, planning, etc.

How do you feel when you've arrived? How did you know you were there? How has your weight fluctuated? Has it? Are you still "obsessed" with everything you eat? Do you still count carbs every day or do you just have a feel for it?

It seems like it's hard to find maintenance support anywhere because people just go off into life. That's great! But I'd just like to know what that life is like and how you feel, etc.

Thanks!
Brenda

The good news is that it doesn't end. You are going to eat for the rest of your life and be aware of how much you weigh. And the LCing goes on forever - just not as low.

You can make excursions into high carb stuff but it's much less likely that you will go away from LCing for long because you'll feel too yucky from eating carbs.

You have probably healed your metabolism by following the LC regime and will not react by ballooning up if you eat carbage. And you will be able to stop more easily. As Dr. Atkins said: if you gain a few pounds (no more than 5) then you have Induction to go back to.

Congratulations on getting there - you give us all encouragement.

Hi Brenda et al

Phew...do I EVER know what you mean. My last 3 weeks have been eating to stay ABOVE my goal (cause I was so scared of it). I've FINALLY decided it's time to rock and roll to goal, but part of it is also that I'm close to coming up with a set of guidelines, for me, to deal with maintenance.

I call them the 3M's "Mikes rules for Maintenance Madness"
...these are my thoughts so far (cut and pasted from my journal).

When I hit goal (185), my goal weight will change to 190. I really want to bulk up a little, but HAD to meet my original goal weight in order to feel good about it.

If I end up over 5lbs above goal ALL the carbs come out of the diet (basically a little above induction).

Holidays are free.

Vacations are free.

...but gotta have a plan to recover from vacations..that may be back to induction or CAD... (although I don't really know CAD yet).

I want to bulk up a bit, so I'm going to try and figure out what kind of feedings to give my body pre and post weight lifting.

Breakfasts are basically free, as long as I keep exercising the way I am.

I will still try and avoid a lot of the bad carbs. I see no reason to eat high carb fruit (except bananas), high carb veggies (except corn on the cob....yummm), baked potatoes, high carb bread (except in restaurants).

Someone divides (was it Sarah?? have to go back and check) their carb groups into LC, slow absorbtion (is that LOW GI) carbs, and basically binge carbs (sugar, burger buns, french fries, etc.) I need to understand and "know" a lot of these like I came to know carbs so if I'm faced with choices, I can make good ones.

Also, I need to stay away from carbs at night unless they're part of a workout, because I know what my body will do with them (oh boy, extra carbs, no workout, let's STORE them).

Soooooo.... anyway, I think that's a reasonable start.

Take care!!

Mike

Hello Brenda.
Some good answers posted, I just wanted to say, iIve been maintaining for one year now. My goal was 140, but I continued without trying to 135, so I call that my "buffer zone", which means it is o.k. to go up a pound here and there. Over the past year I have pretty much stayed at 135. anytime it has gone up by 3-4 pounds, it has only been temporary and I can useally guess what caused it
Chinese food, starch or most resently I drank some wine for 2-3 weeks before I realized it had a higher sugar contend then my normal wine

I have'nt counted carbs in months, I just keep track of what I have eaten through out the day and make my choices based on that.
I can honestly say I do not eat anything that has white flour, sugar or pasta.
That is my only restrictions.
I eat fruit and any veggie I want including fresh corn, potatoes.I eat whole grains, But I never eat more then 2 grain products/potatoe/corn in one day.
So if I have toast like I did this morning, I'll have a fresh corn at dinner but not potatoes.
I don't feel it's being obsessed about what I eat, no matter how anyone eats they should really think about what they eating right?

So relax, find your limits and don't get bent out of shape if you go up a bit, adjust your carbs and it will go down.

My Motto has alwasys been, it's all about "controlled servings" Don't deni yourself of to many things. If you find that something, is just too hard to controll the servings with, then stay away from it for a while longer, it will get better.

Cheers Kathy

Brenda,

I totally know how you feel! We are in about the same position considering OWL/Premaintence but it is very scary. I am way more comfortable with my induction routine, plus like you the scale numbers do not match my clothing size and measurments as I work out as well. I can fit in clothes that I previously wore at 115lbs (and I can't really see what my body looks like so how do you judge?)

I have reconsidered my goal to maybe 125 being ok, but I so wish someone could just tell me the "magic formula" of how many carbs calories etc to eat every day to maintain, is that asking for too much? LOL

I just keep trying to read what others are doing and eduate myself and hopefully th efear will subside as it did when I started this WOE.

I know not much in the way of advice, but though you might want to know that you are not alone in what you are experiencing.

Please let me know of your progress!!

Kristen

First of all, Kristenv, you didn't eat that "hot dog", did you?

It has been hard to set a goal, but I think all of us set one we thought we could reach, then when we did reach it, sometimes we set new ones. I wanted to be 130 this summer, and I haven't seen it at all. I don't have the willpower to lose, only to try to maintain!

M

Hi Brenda,
Yes, really low weight people wear 'girl's clothes. LOL. I cannot seem to find women's clothes to fit so I wear a girls 16.
I didn't have all that much to lose and my reason for trying Atkins was just curiosity. I ended up loving this way of eating so I plan to 'keep' it. I dropped a bunch of symptoms and have tons of energy.
When I got to goal I felt excited to be at the point of trying to figure out where my carb and calorie level would be to maintain. I'm still in that process. Right now I'm eating between 40 to 50 net carbs and 1700 to 1900 calories. I was still in the losing phase until just the past week so I think I might have the numbers that are best to me.
I might consider in the future after I have been maintaining for quite a while to not count anymore but not sure how that would go. I guess I could go by the fit of my jeans to keep track. I seem to know about what all carbs counts are pretty well so maybe that will be an option.
I wish you much success,
Susie

I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one in this boat and it's normal! Thanks for all your advice and sharing. I guess that's how we get through this part as well -- huh?

So you really do have to go to the girl's section? I just started getting curious when I'd find some stores that don't even have 6's. I guess it keeps me from buying too much. :-)

Things are still going well. I'm kind of following the LC for Dummies whole foods diet. Well, I let myself go nuts on legal veggies & fruits but I'm still not real open to the grains & starches being part of my daily diet. But I'm moving them in from time to time. I'm still losing a little bit (it's been slow the last 25# regardless of what I do/don't do) so my goal is to see what affects me and try not to get bent out of shape. I'm getting better.

I should be better about counting my carbs but I keep kind of a running total in my head so I figure about where I am each day. I'm concentrating on making the healthiest choices.

Sounds like you are doing well and feeling better about maintaining.
Yes, I 'really' do buy girls 16's. The women's 4's are baggy and can find no lower size.
Someone yesterday asked me what I was doing to myself and said I was TOO thin. He then went home and told his wife and she told me that he said I looked terrible. HUM. It hurt but I know I'm five pounds underweight. I'm trying to find the carb level of not losing and I think I have it now but now sure. My husband says I look great. My photo that you see is me about a year ago and 12 pounds heavier.
Oh well..........I feel great.
Susie

Like others have said--I'm at the maintence level and am scared of it. I find it's a lot safer just to stick with my basic modified induction food. Over the Labor Day holiday a friend brought us a freshly baked apple pie and I figured "Why not a piece or two?" My weight immediately went up 3 lbs and is still there so it wasn't just water weight. That really scares me. No, I don't plan to go back to my old way of eating--but I should be able to have a piece of pie every now and then, shouldn't I? In fact, this is only the second piece of pie I've had in the past six months so I don't feel like I'm going overboard. So--it's back to my safe little 20-30 carbs this week. Sigh. I guess I'm afraid that "maintence" is going to mean "induction" or close to it for the rest of my life.

But if you are on Maintainace you should of been able to slowly increase those carbs prior to getting there. That way your body gets used to the higher levels over time, not just overnight with a piece of pie
By following the Atkins plan through OWL then Main, increasing the carbs as the plan lays out, would allow you to have treats like that now and then with no effect, but if you are at those induction levls, yes you will see a spike in your weight, you've just shocked your system with all that sugar sad but true, the weight will go but it can take a week or so on good behaviour of course

kathy

I agree with the others, surely if you lost all the weight you wanted, you'd still have to track things and plan your meals or you'd just put it all back on....I can't think of a time when I won't have to do those things for fear of it all going back on!!
xxxx

Thanks Kathy, that makes sense. To me, "raising my carbs" has meant going up to the 25-27 range. Guess I need to loosen up a little and consume a few more healthy carbs before going for the pie. It sure tasted good though!

Maintaining "to me" doesn't mean eating real sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, and pasta. It means eating the SAME stuff I did before but a little more of it.
Susie