There's no finish line, folks. If you want to shed the weight and KEEP IT OFF, you have to make some serious lifestyle changes.

□ Check. Lifestyle permanently changed, weight shed.

After I entered the maintenance phase of Fat Flush, I shed 4 more pounds. The really nifty thing - from my point of view (the only one that counts! ) - is that the inches kept melting off and I went from size 10 at goal weight to size 6 now.

Does my weight vary in maintenance?

Absolutely. Usually by about 5 pounds but sometimes up to 10.
So how do I stay at my goal weight? I'm glad you asked that question here's my strategies:

1) numero uno in my "stay at goal weight" arsenal is this: I return to Phase 1 every quarter for two weeks (for you Atkins followers, this would be similar to returning to induction, I imagine). Following the P1 food protocols has always, without fail, shaved off my pound creep.

2) exercise. I started pilates and rebounding during my weightloss journey and attaining goal weight did NOT mean I quit exercising. I do pilates about 3x per week, rebound daily, and weight-lift 15min/day.

3) new foods. I'm always trying them. I think many of us become obese in part because we've become new-food-averse. In this global economy and ability to find foods from all over the world, this is a real shame. Jicama, kohlrabi, quinoa, blue corn meal, spelt berries, star fruit, lemongrass, are all staples in my pantry/fridge. If I find myself in a food rut, I make 2 new recipes per week (sure, they're not all keepers but life is all about discovery - discovering what I DON'T like is nearly as fun as discovering new tastes I DO. )

4) I laugh. A lot Somehow, life sizzles more if I can laugh outloud every day. Besides, I like the laughter lines I'm gathering.

5) Support. I have a lovely group of friends who are there to cheer, encourage, and give me the occasional dope slap upside the head. Some are with me in person but many are in this virtual environment.

6) Pay attention. Complacency is deadly. Everytime I stop paying attention to what passes my lips, danged if I don't start gaining weight. Therefore, each weekend I outline what I will be eating the following week. Some dishes I even make ahead and freeze. For other meals, I simply ensure the ingredients are on-hand.

7) KISS. Keep it simple, silly! I shave off kitchen time where I can - with crockpot (nothing like coming home from work to find home fragrant with large crock full of Cuban Ropa Vieja!), blender (smoothies - YUM!), George Foreman grill (grilled chicken breast with nothing on it is simply delish and wonderful with salad), thunderstick (FF mayo is a step away. ).

Those are MY strategies for staying down here in size 6-land. I challenge you other maintainers to list YOUR strategies and tips for a happy skinny maintenance....

Well? Let's hear it!

Excellent strategies all around! I seem to remember seeing very similar strategies in a study of successful weight loss maintainers. My particular list might be worded differently, but in essence it's basically the same thing. I do add a point in about combating the negative thoughts that can lead me down the road to overindulgence, but not everyone has that issue.

Love it!!

Thanks for sharing!!

Mind if I put this in my journal?

feel free

Great post....I am on maintenance from Atkins but what you do is similar to me. In previous diets I used to reach goal then quit paying attention or quit weighing myself. This time I reached but weigh myself every couple of days to check myself. I still eat low carb alot but do go out to eat and slip up but I allways return to low carb when I'm getting close to my 5 pound buffer. Its working great and I can still enjoy eating. My key...weigh your self and keep checking yourself.

Great post. I agree that the lifestyle change thing is the first key. This can't just be a diet- it is my new way of feeding my body. It also takes a lot of planning, but being healthy (and looking great as a bonus) takes planning in our fast food/ high carb world.
For me, maintaining is the real challange. I lost the weight in a few months, but have been maintaining for almost 2 years. I'm in for the long haul- and will do what it takes.
E

Wonderful strategies. I agree this is a process. There are struggles at each point as we grow and learn.

You've said it all! Number (6) is especially important for me. Maintenance isn't difficult exactly--but it DOES mean staying on the plan, something I've never managed to achieve so comfortably before.

I only wish the Newbies could read your post, and understand what the low-carb learning process is all about. You have to absorb a lot more than diet information.

Thanks.

It is so different being on this side of the equation. Things I fixated on as a newbie, I now realize, werent that helpful. Long term thinking and planning and transitioning the mindset to "lifestyle" oriented and not so scale number oriented( goal) makes a huge difference. Anyone else come to that conclusion?

I have, sort of. Things I obsessed about in weight loss mode were helpful to me at the time, but not really useful now. Making this WOE an actual lifestyle wasn't that hard, cause it took me 7/8 months to get to goal, and that was enough time to settle me into a new way of looking at the food I put in my mouth.

I DID plan a lot, especially toward the end, and stayed in a pre-maintainance phase for a couple of months and lost the last few pounds slowly -- that was the hardest part for me, but I think that is what made actually entering maintenance easier.

I only weigh a couple times a week now, vs. 3/4 times a day before. I still measure some portions out of habit, but don't really count carbs or calories....I just eat the same healthy stuff I've been eating all along, with the exception of some LC junk in moderation. This may change in the future if I become unstable, but so far, so good.

I would say that LC is no longer an obsession, it is just something I "do" every day of my life without really thinking about it that much with a few "checks" here and there....for me, THAT is the beauty of maintenance.