I sort of look at it like this and sort of don't. I accept that I'm just not normal -- that I once weighed 500 pounds is convincing evidence of that fact, evidence I should have woken up to long before I did. But as long as I don't eat certain things I don't have to worry about what I do put in my mouth. It's upside down from your view. I haven't reached maintenance, maybe 6 months to a year away, but I've been eating at what will be maintenance levels for about 6 months, and found it fairly easy -- again, as long as I stay clean, I don't worry about what I eat, don't worry about how much I eat, even. I feel fairly certain I spend less time thinking about food than a "normal" person does, because I've been able to put food in its proper place in my life. And no matter what happens in the next year or further out, I know one thing is absolutely true: even if I have to start worrying about food and what not, I will spend a small fraction of the time worrying about that than I did worrying about all the problems of super obesity. So like everything else, it's a tradeoff, one I'm not just happy to make, but happy to be able to make.

I guess for a moment I paniced with the daunting statement "for the rest of my life". That panic subsided after I took a mock apple cobbler out of the oven.

Thank goodness I love the food. And thank goodness these past 7 months have taught me to recognize the trigger foods and foods that I really can not make a part of life again. Se la vie. Thank goodness for my LC chocolate biscotti recipe. And thank goodness for all of you on this wonderful forum!

In maintenance I just continue my pre-maintanence diet but allow myself to eat an abstinent dinner in a Restaurant once in a while for a treat. Or go out to breakfast on the weekends with friends once in a while.

I lost 7 more lbs even after I hit maintenance.

I say, do what you are doing and let your body figure out how much it wants to weigh.

I can tell you this, if you go back to old eating habits you will gain it ALL back and then some.

Stay Low Carb for Life.

For me that means: No pies, cakes, cookies, candy, chocolate, donuts or other pastry,...

No sugar, bread (wheat bread once in a while) No ice cream, no fried foods, No Cheese (other than on a burger if I eat out) No potatoes, and Rice only on occasion.

But recovery is sweet!

Lisa I love reading your posts! I hit goal a few weeks ago and am treading the maintenance walk now. I don't do a published plan though. But I do know what makes me feel horrible and what to avoid. I have lost 3 lbs since hitting goal.

You are a great inspiration!

I posted this in the tread I hang out the most in Master of MY Domaine.
Can you tell that I'm just getting my big toe wet with this maintenance/pre-maintenance thing???

Lisa!!

I love your rambles!! I have the very same issue around flour .......I have to be very careful. Even low carb flour is still flour and it can trigger me.

So every couple of weeks I allow myself to have one thing....I hope and pray that I can keep at it this way.

I allow myself to have Dreamfields pasta once every 2 weeks...just the same way I did when I was still losing. It does help me to feel like I'm not totally depriving myself of my favorite foods.

How long are you going to stay on Induction?

Probably 3-4 days.

As much as I hate induction I've got to say, its around 4 pm and I feel much more calm and stable (well, as stable as I'll ever get). The past week or so I just felt like my hunger was out of proportion to what it usually is and I felt as if I was eating for the sake of eating not for the sake of hunger. I put some of my guidelines in back--like after a normal meal I have to wait at least an hour if I still wanted something to eat to make sure it really is stomach hunger and not psychological hunger.

I felt like the butcher today--cooked a boat load of meat so I'd have something in a moments notice.

I've been following the pre and maintenance thread--for me, weighing isn't where my head is at--I flucutate on any given day--up 2, up 2 down 3-- and I have finally accepted those flucuations as part of life. I find it's the more psychological boost that I will continue to need. (and recognizing the triggers for what they are ) and hey, if I can only have orgasmic brownies once a month so be it.
I've still got wine, greek yougurt and Lindt 85% (have you ever tried to overeat Lindt 85%--impossible!!)

I do something similar each week. I buy 2 lbs of chicken or turkey breasts and cook it all up on my indoor grill. I keep it in a tupperware in the fridge for quick meals and snacks along with hard boiled eggs.

It does help to keep some foods available that we can grab if really hungry.

Lindt 85%? Haven't tried it yet but you were right about the shirataki noodles so I'm going to try the Lindt too. Thanks Lisa!!

So this would be considered day 3 of a not so strict induction but strict enough to get everything under control and I must say I feel so much better. That naggy craving feeling is gone, I feel clear headed and back in control.

Thank goodness!!

The thought of undoing all the hard work over the past 7 months really scared me! I guess it was the slap in the face with the wet cat.

Thanks Judy for listening to me whine, bitch and moan!!

As an aside and musing....talking about Dreamfields....I have maybe had it 3 times since I started back seriously the past 7 months. I am a pastaholic--I mean I used to eat 1/2 pound of pasta with garlic and tomato sauce and not even bat an eye--last time I ate Dreamfields I just thought it (the pasta) wasn't as tasty as I remembered pasta to be....could my tastes have changed that much????

In my opinion (and looking back quite a few years!), pasta doesn't taste like much. It's the stuff you put on it that tastes good - butter, parmesan, pesto and other sauces .... THAT's where it's at! The pasta is just a place-holder. Like potatoes - who needs the lousy potato when you can have the sour cream, butter, bacon, and chives?

Rachel

To me, I love the taste of real pasta and the sauce I use and just everything about it. Its always been my comfort food.

In my days of my highest weights, I'd be good for a whole pound at a time and then eat 1 whole pint of ice cream..ugh....then I'd try to go to sleep with all that food sitting on my hyaetal (sp?) hernia...and I'd end up vomiting and not because I wanted to but because of the hernia. It was gross :P

But being that I do love it so and not wanting to totally deprive myself of it forever, I allow myself a 2 oz portion once every 2 weeks and thats been working for me ...so far. I mix it with my protein and a veggie and the sauce and its a great meal!!

I don't know if your tastes have changed but mine sure have not...except that I do notice that sweet is not the same for me as it was. too sweet and I don't care for it any longer....mildly sweet is what I enjoy now.

So here I remain, working my way thru maintenance. It's funny, right now it really isn't that much different from OWL. Maybe a few more carbs or a planned restaurant dinner but it's pretty much business as usual.

My "goal" was to get to 150. I got to 150 for about a week but my body really likes 153. Believe it or not, I still have some flab but I am so much more satisfied with my body that I'm thinking 153 aint so bad I eat foods that I love, I'm not starving myself by any stretch of the imagination (not on 1700-1900 cals a day) and I get dessert almost every night (plus a glass a wine a couple of times a week) Who can argue with that?? I was thinking that I would like to get down to 145 to give myself 5 pounds of wiggle room (because 5 pounds now isn't going to make a whole lot of diference in the bod). I know in order to do that I'll have to cut my calories by about 300 a day and up my exercise a bit--the funny thing is, right now, I'm not willing to do either. Maybe in the fall but who knows.

Lisa

I'm in the exact same place Lisa!!! except that I'm a few lbs higher but still would like to get under 155 and be able to stay there.

I'm also not willing to restrict myself enough to make it happen ...at this time...but maybe someday....

Thank you Lisa for sending me this way... I am in a pre maintenance phase and close to my goal of 135. I am feaking out thinking that i can add more carbs to my day and not go overboard. What is typical during pre maintnance? I am also not one to cheat or fall off the wagon. Nowdays, I may have popcorn and I added dreamfields to the mix. What could I be adding now that I am so close to my goal. now that I added some extras i am getting that hungry feeling more often and I feel like I am eatting all the time. ( good foods) I have also decided to make sure I have breakfast and to do that I have added atkins shakes in the Am. I am not a breakfast person but I need the protien boost!
Thanks for letting me ramble my way into this thread,,
Cocoa

Hey Cocoa!! Glad you found it!!


It has been my personal experience (and Judy also), that when you add in "flourish" type foods it acts as a trigger for craving more flourish foods and carbs. Popcorn is a huge trigger for me--I just don't eat it because I can't stop when I start. Dreamfields is maybe a once a month meal if that. I do eat lo-carb tortillas regularly and also make my own lo carb bread in the bread machine. I'd add in things like more veg, nuts, berries and things of that nature. Also, did you really climb the carb ladder as written be Dr.A??

Other than that, I still use MY PLAN and log and measure like I did in the beginning. Some days are hungry days and I eat 1800-2000 other days are not so hungry days and eat 1200-1600. It all evens out at the end of the month.


You may also want to get Atkins For Life. This focuses more on maintenance and premaintenance with a plethora of menu plans and recipes.

You may also want to visit the weigh in thread for the pre/main people. I go and lurk occassionally but I'm not into the weigh-in every week. My focus is the psychological aspects of eating i.e., boredom/emotional eating and how to recognize it for what it is and how to dodge it with different techniques--such as the Master of My Domain challenge. I really have to give a lot of the credit to the challenge for getting me to 320+ days. The challenge totally made me look at food, and cheating (or whatever you want to call it) in a whole different light.

Don't be a stranger!!

Lisa