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  #16   ^
Old Wed, Jul-20-05, 13:52
KryssiMc KryssiMc is offline
LC Bridezilla
Posts: 1,349
 
Plan: Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 122/99/105 Female 62 inches
BF:Who/Cares
Progress: 135%
Location: NJ
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Bonnie, I couldn't have said it any better. If we stayed static, then we wouldn't have to watch, but there are so many factors as we age. I don't think that you have to be as vigilant as you were before, but jump on the scale once in awhile just to make sure you are on track. It's much easier to deal with it when it's just a few lbs, right?

Unfortunately, I have to watch because my body still tends to lose. I now have to ease up on exercise a bit...something I used for stress reduction as well as health. I have no idea what my body's goal weight is as it's still trying to go down even though I'm eating very well.

Trust me, you'll find what works. Add things in individually and keep notes of the amounts so that, if it doesn't work, you can pull it out of your menu immediately without repurcussions.
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  #17   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 08:12
MeBLady's Avatar
MeBLady MeBLady is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,296
 
Plan: Maintenance (PPLP)
Stats: 216/131/140 Female 5 feet, 5 inches
BF:48.79/21.19/23
Progress: 112%
Location: Southern California
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Bonnie and Kryssi, you guys make it sound so easy :-)

Not having to be as viligent as before sounds doable for me.....basically, I don't mind a "WOL", but I don't want to be on a lifelong "diet", if that makes sense.

I've recorded every single meal and exercise in my journal from day one, which will hopefully make it easy to catch what I can handle and cannot handle as I add new stuff -- but I will admit that I am looking forward to focusing less on portions/cals/carbs and moving on to enjoy life with my newfound health and figure.

Kryssi, I've seen ladies small boned as yourself around your height carry as low as 86 pounds without looking anorexic, was your exercise primarily cardio, or do you still fight to stop losing when doing resistance?

Bonnie, do you feel that you were able to handle menopausal symptoms better with LCing? I haven't had any indications that I am close to that yet, but several friends my own age have started "pre menopause" already. I've seen huge improvements to my PMS and TOM, and wondering if LCing will help me through the "change" as well.
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  #18   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 08:26
KryssiMc KryssiMc is offline
LC Bridezilla
Posts: 1,349
 
Plan: Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 122/99/105 Female 62 inches
BF:Who/Cares
Progress: 135%
Location: NJ
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Lady, it's always a fight to stop losing. I did a combination of both cardio and weight lifting. I'm going to be easing up on both and relying primarily on my swimming and my job, which is running around on my feet for 6-8 hours to see if I can stop it.

I am peri-menopausal. My mom went through it early too. I noticed that LCing helps with the hot flashes, but my TOM is a nightmare. I've never really had that before...usually some cramping two weeks before only. I find that I have to really up my water intake during TOM to keep the bloat down and watch the sodium intake as well.

And funny that you mention 86 lbs...I was 87 lbs my whole life up until age 35...this was even after having two children!

Maintenance is not easy, but it's not hard either. Just really know yourself and keep a watchful eye...not a hawkeye, but enough to know how you're doing and what you can handle.
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  #19   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 08:36
BKM's Avatar
BKM BKM is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 733
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 159/141.7/130 Female 5'7"
BF: LOTS!
Progress: 60%
Location: Florida Gulfcoast
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I do not consider maintenance EASY! In fact, I am very much worried that I'll stop being so vigilant and let those dratted pounds sneak up on me again -- you know the scenario "well, I'm only a pound heavier than I was, doesn't show, so why worry...." and those one pounds keep adding up....

Menopause -- I'm one of the lucky ones. Not only did I never have PMS, I had "cramps" 6 times in my life -- and each occasion produced a baby! (and my labors took from 1 hour for the first, to possibly a minute for the second, to approx. 30 minutes for the other 4 -- the medical term for my labors was "precipitous" -- my biggest worry was getting caught someplace public -- as it was I had one kid in the hospital, another in a doctor's office, and the rest at home.....).

I've not had hot flashes, mood changes, or any of the other misery that so many women go through (even my bone density scan came out with a score equivalent to a 20-year-old female) -- so sort of took me by surprise when I gained weight!

I have no idea why I've been so lucky in this regard -- the rest of my life certainly hasn't been!
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  #20   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 10:30
Judynyc's Avatar
Judynyc Judynyc is offline
Attitude is a Choice
Posts: 30,111
 
Plan: No sugar, flour, wheat
Stats: 228.4/209.0/170 Female 5'6"
BF:stl/too/mch
Progress: 33%
Location: NYC
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Quote:
do you feel that you were able to handle menopausal symptoms better with LCing


I'm 55 yrs old and still in active menopause. My flashes have diminished alot since eating this way...I also take a supplement called Estroven, which is over the counter and does not have hormones in it.

I think that I have become addicted to the high I get when I see the scale go down...it gives me such a good feeling to know that what I'm doing is working.

I've just come out of a 6 week stall....it was draining and it helped me to see that I need to learn to find joy in maintaining....I am so tired of being a yo-yo dieter....I just wan to be at peace with my food and my body.

So I'm using this time in pre maintentance to really push the limits of how much fruit and grain I can eat and not gain and either keep losing or at the least...maintain. The fruit is not the problem for me as 3 servings a day is alot to me now. Its the grains that I'll always have to be real strict with...this is where I can get really abusive with my food.
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  #21   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 10:42
KryssiMc KryssiMc is offline
LC Bridezilla
Posts: 1,349
 
Plan: Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 122/99/105 Female 62 inches
BF:Who/Cares
Progress: 135%
Location: NJ
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Wow Judy...55! You'd never know it by your pic. I agree with the grains issue...that's always going to be my downfall, I think. I have never totally pushed the envelope to see how many I could eat without gaining. I'd probably fall asleep from overproducing too much insulin anyway...so those are out for me. Fruits don't bother me either. And I would probably have more dairy if my body could tolerate it.

Hey, there's something...since LCing, I have developed an intolerance to lactose...wonder if they're connected? Anybody else?
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  #22   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 14:27
Judynyc's Avatar
Judynyc Judynyc is offline
Attitude is a Choice
Posts: 30,111
 
Plan: No sugar, flour, wheat
Stats: 228.4/209.0/170 Female 5'6"
BF:stl/too/mch
Progress: 33%
Location: NYC
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Thanks Kryssi!

I attribute my good aging to no husband and no kids!! Much less wear on the skin without all the grief....although I'd have loved to have my own family, it just didn't work out that way for me. I've had to learn to accept my life as it is.

As far as the grains, I am eating only whole grains and very little bread.

I've also not had any of the low carb porducts...except for Dreamfields pasta which I have about once every 2-3 weeks as a treat. I do eat mostly whole fresh foods that I cook...rarely eat out any more and hardly ever order in as I used to only eat food that got delivered!! Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Indian...you name it, I ordered it in!! oy!!
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  #23   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 18:55
MeBLady's Avatar
MeBLady MeBLady is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,296
 
Plan: Maintenance (PPLP)
Stats: 216/131/140 Female 5 feet, 5 inches
BF:48.79/21.19/23
Progress: 112%
Location: Southern California
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Kryssi - I bet that 87 pounds is where your body wants to stop, but I don't blame you for not wanting to get any lower. You flat out look FANTASTIC! How the heck did you get that stomache after two kids? No matter how hard I have tried, I have never been able to get a tight tummy after having my two. I can get it flat at a low weight, LOL, but not tight -- my abdominal muscles are just too far gone I think.

My guess is that the cardio probably isn't helping you any, doing strictly weights may stop it.

Bonnie - I am hoping to be like you in menopause. I also had very easy TOMs and labors....TOM got worse as my weight came on, but the first one after I started LCing completely put it back to what it was in my younger years. My doctor always told me one tends to take after their mother, which I have so far, but she had a heck of a time in menopause. Flat out hard to be around unless she's taking her hormones (premarin?).

Judy -- When you told me in the other thread that you are 16 years my senior, I was shocked. I would have guessed you closer to 45.

I also owe you a big thank you! I went shopping today, and I had a blast trying on everything I could get my hands on, especially when I discovered I was actually a size 6-8 rather than a 10. Went overboard, bought more than I planned....but it sure made me feel good :-)

Scruff, where are you at? Are you feeling any better??
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  #24   ^
Old Thu, Jul-21-05, 19:05
Judynyc's Avatar
Judynyc Judynyc is offline
Attitude is a Choice
Posts: 30,111
 
Plan: No sugar, flour, wheat
Stats: 228.4/209.0/170 Female 5'6"
BF:stl/too/mch
Progress: 33%
Location: NYC
Default

Quote:
I also owe you a big thank you! I went shopping today, and I had a blast trying on everything I could get my hands on, especially when I discovered I was actually a size 6-8 rather than a 10. Went overboard, bought more than I planned....but it sure made me feel good :-)


Yayyyy for you!!! I bet you look great in all the clothes that you got!! I want to see some pics!!! Isn't it fun to play with your new body???

I'm really happy for you!!

Scruffy??? How are you doing?
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  #25   ^
Old Fri, Jul-22-05, 07:22
Enomarb Enomarb is offline
MAINTAINING ON CALP
Posts: 4,838
 
Plan: CALP/CAHHP
Stats: 180/125/150 Female 65 in
BF:
Progress: 183%
Location: usa
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Its been 2 years on plan for me, and I have been maintaining for the last 18 months, and I still have to follow my plan. I can eat any carbs with my one RM and have gradually increased the carbs I eat to stop losing and to stabilize. I am very aware that this is what I have to so for life.
By the way- for those of you on Eades plans, they have a brand new book on maintenance called Staying Power.
E
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  #26   ^
Old Fri, Jul-22-05, 07:58
KryssiMc KryssiMc is offline
LC Bridezilla
Posts: 1,349
 
Plan: Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 122/99/105 Female 62 inches
BF:Who/Cares
Progress: 135%
Location: NJ
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Welcome Eno...I'm so glad that this place is starting to pick up...maintenance seems really lonely sometimes and I still think we need support.

Lady-I'm blushing after those compliments. I can attribute my ab muscles to, believe it or not, Denise Austin. When I was younger she said to never let your abs "hang". So I have always kept them crunched up. If I'm in the car, I do seated crunches....same thing if I'm standing in line. If I had to estimate, I would say I do over 300 crunches in a day, whether traditional or just the seated kind. And congrats on the size 6-8!!!!!

Judy - You seem like the type of person who lives a full and well rounded life. A husband and children are not the end all be all in life. Sometimes, having a significant other is like having another kid anyway! And it's good to see that you cook for yourself now rather than ordering out. It's just so much more pleasurable, isn't it?

Bonnie - You have definitely had it easy in the "women's problem's" department. Nice to see someone like that...hope it stays that way for you forever!!!

Miss Scruff, where are ya? We need all the "goalies" we can get in here!!
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  #27   ^
Old Fri, Jul-22-05, 08:06
MissScruff's Avatar
MissScruff MissScruff is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 6,113
 
Plan: 1
Stats: 110/110/110 Female 111
BF:
Progress: 74%
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Sorry I hadn't been around much! I had dental work Wednesday afternoon and while it is healing nicely, the man put a huge gash on the inside of my mouth and that is really hurting me so I am taking tons of meds for the pain and sleeping it off! I have been popping in here to see who all is posting and what they have to share...I am excited to see more and more pre-m's and m's sharing!
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  #28   ^
Old Fri, Jul-22-05, 08:10
KryssiMc KryssiMc is offline
LC Bridezilla
Posts: 1,349
 
Plan: Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 122/99/105 Female 62 inches
BF:Who/Cares
Progress: 135%
Location: NJ
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Oh Scruff, sorry to hear that. Hope it heals quickly!

I wanted to share something between me, Judy and Scruff. As you know, the three of us have been accused of "telling it like it is" in the past. I find it funny that we all wound up here together! Maybe it's a testament to our fortitude...maybe just a coincidence. I just found it funny and wanted to point it out!
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  #29   ^
Old Fri, Jul-22-05, 08:14
MissScruff's Avatar
MissScruff MissScruff is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 6,113
 
Plan: 1
Stats: 110/110/110 Female 111
BF:
Progress: 74%
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I was thinking the same thing! It's nice to not be kinda ignored anymore!!!!!! Gals like us have so much to offer...the only problem is, well folks want to have to hear it! More and more are listening...really listening and that is good. And it is nice to find folks to talk to and share this new phase of the journey!
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  #30   ^
Old Fri, Jul-22-05, 08:21
KryssiMc KryssiMc is offline
LC Bridezilla
Posts: 1,349
 
Plan: Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 122/99/105 Female 62 inches
BF:Who/Cares
Progress: 135%
Location: NJ
Default

I still feel a little weird and, kind of in awe, though, because I haven't had the same journey as the rest of you women have. I have had to learn to change my eating habits, not easy, like everyone else, but, gosh...I can only say that I look up to you all. You have soooo much to be proud of!
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