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  #1   ^
Old Mon, May-03-04, 10:57
AntiM's Avatar
AntiM AntiM is offline
... Pro-Atkins!
Posts: 1,705
 
Plan: General LC
Stats: 312/274/220 Female 5'11"
BF:
Progress: 41%
Location: Tacoma, WA
Question Maintaining Weight Loss

Hi Folks!

I'm wondering if I have unrealistic expectations about my maintaining my weight loss.

When I first started Atkins, I didn't lose fast at all - one month I lost 1.5 pounds. I kept with it because it did such wonders for my blood sugar, and eventually I did start seeing the numbers drop faster. Today I weighed 240 - a 95 pound loss in 58 weeks - an average of ~1.5 pounds a week.

Since I've been obese my whole life (I graduated HS at 300+), and never had success with dieting more than 10 lbs. lost, this is new territory for me. I've never had a weight loss to maintain.

My doctor really wants me to stay where I am, practice maintaining this weight for 6-12 months before trying for 220. He says my rate of loss has been too quick for a person with my history - that had I continued to lose 1-2 pounds a month, he would not be concerned. I'm thinking on this - haven't made my choice yet - but I've been examining the underlying question.

Now here is my possible unrealistic expectation: I don't think I'll have a problem keeping this weight off.

There are days when I eat less on purpose, but most of the time - I just eat 'normal' LC. The amount and kinds of food that don't feel at all like I'm trying to lose weight, if that makes sense. LC is now my food of habit; I'm not saying that I don't have to pay attention, but I'm on automatic pilot most of the time about food choices.

Educate me, my friends. Do I have an unrealistic expectation about the ease of maintaining weight loss? Is there anyone in TDC-land out there who has a history similar to mine who by eating non-dieting levels of LC could not maintain?

And if you'd like, tell me what you'd do in my situation.

Thanks everyone!
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  #2   ^
Old Mon, May-03-04, 11:19
digwig's Avatar
digwig digwig is offline
Wombat Ashramite
Posts: 2,511
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 00/00/00 Female 64 inches
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Seattle
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Hey Monika,

I won't weigh in ( ) on what your doctor said about maintaining for a while before you move on. He understands the ins and outs of your condition much more than any of us do. A 1.5 pound/week weight loss is generally regarded as healthy, so he must have some specific reason for telling you to slow down. Did he say why? If it's just because you used to be heavy and he's worried about maintainence issues, then he may be operating on assumptions based on non-LC dieting. In that case, I might be tempted to proceed as you have been. LC is not low-calorie and doesn't have the same type of regain issues. But if he's concerned for some other reason to do with your sclerodoma, then I would listen to him.

So much for not weighing in!

Also, I would urge you to make sure you continue to eat enough protein when you start maintainence. As long as you eat regularly, eat good, whole foods, and keep your sugars in the right range, I'm willing to bet you'll keep off every ounce. I've done well maintaining my weight every time I've stopped counting carbs and have just eaten a generally LC diet, but have run into trouble if I get sloppy about eating regularly and not eating enough protein (from eggs and meat, mostly).

Congratulations, Monika! I'm so psyched for you.

xo Dig
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  #3   ^
Old Mon, May-03-04, 11:52
ItsTheWooo's Avatar
ItsTheWooo ItsTheWooo is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 4,815
 
Plan: My Own
Stats: 280/118/117.5 Female 5ft 5.25 in
BF:
Progress: 100%
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I don't think you have an unrealistic view that it will be easy to maintain.

I think the belief that maintaining is hard applies only to those people who "diet" to lose weight. In other words, you drastically and temporarily altered your eating habits leaving you clueless as to how to maintain that loss once you get off your "diet".

Since you are not dieting, and aren't even thinking much about what you are eating, as long as you don't do anything foolish like go back to HC you should have no problem maintaining.

That's my view of things anyway .

I'm kind of like you, LC is my second nature so I'm not too concerned about maintaining. I enjoy eating this way, I don't feel deprived at all. The only problem that I worry about is the emotional/behavioral side of having a weight problem. When I'm stressed or depressed it is way easy for me to over eat.
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  #4   ^
Old Mon, May-03-04, 13:41
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UpTheHill UpTheHill is offline
Fitday PC's #1 Fan
Posts: 1,309
 
Plan: Maintenance
Stats: 310/151.0/152.5 Female 5'9
BF:
Progress: 101%
Location: Southeast Ohio
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I'm finding that there is a world of difference in my ability to maintain exercise, healthy eating, and weight loss progress now that I know about LC. The difference between my upcoming maintenance and all previous attempts is that I am now in my longest sustained period of stable blood sugar levels and I know that blood sugar/insulin needs to be an unwavering priority for me for the rest of my life. I'd say that will also eliminate about 80% of the challenges of maintenance.

What remains is maintaining a commitment to exercise (easier now that my life is structured in a way that I have to be active), not getting off track if I have a lifestyle change (easier to stay on top of now that I weigh and chart my weight every day), and not buying into high carb/low fat blather like I have in the past.

Dieting is much much much easier now than ever in the past for me, and LC was the missing key. For me, maintenance will of course be about weight to some degree, but first and foremost it is about my blood insulin levels, healthy whole foods, and daily exercise. With those three not wavering, I doubt weight is going to shoot around too much.

Lynda
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, May-03-04, 14:05
liz175 liz175 is offline
Lowcarb since 7/2002
Posts: 5,991
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 360/232/180 Female 5'9"
BF:BMI 53.2/34.3/?
Progress: 71%
Location: U.S.: Mid-Atlantic
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I"m assuming your doctor doesn't have any special concerns because of your other medical problems. If he does, then obviously you need to take those into account. If it's just an issue of him being convinced that people who lose weight at the rate of more than one pound a week are less likely to keep it off, I'd look to see if there is any research evidence to support this. I know it is accepted wisdom -- I've heard this many times myself -- but a lot of the accepted wisdom in the area of weight-loss is not backed up by any data and may well be false.

I think that only you know your body and know how easy it is for you to continue eating this way. For me, personally, I have very few fears that I will be able to maintain this weight loss, because I like eating this way and I slip into maintenance easily whenever I am under stress.

Another way to approach it, if you want a middle ground, might be to experiment with slowing your weight loss down a little. Personally, if I could lose as fast as you do, I think I would be reluctant to slow down, but it's certainly an option. If you want to make your doctor more comfortable, and if slowing to a one pound a week loss would do that, adding a few high calories lowcarb foods (like a couple of ounces of nuts), would probably have that result -- you'd still lose but a little more slowly. As I said, if it were me I doubt I'd go for that, but it is something to consider.

It does seem to me that when you set your mind to doing something, you do it. I think that is probably what will happen to you with maintenance. You will make it a priority and you will maintain, regardless of how quickly or slowly you lost the weight!
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, May-03-04, 14:26
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bunks bunks is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 131
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 203/197.0/160 Female 5 feet 8 inches
BF:Who/knows/or cares
Progress: 14%
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Monika, you've said that it's taken you 58 weeks to lose the weight you have. To me 58 weeks is an awfully long time and I'd think that if you were going to have any problems with your eating you would have had them by now. I think you'll have no problem with your maitenance as long as you're aware of what you're eating.
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  #7   ^
Old Mon, May-03-04, 18:39
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diemde diemde is offline
Posts: 7,547
 
Plan: lower carb
Stats: 333/199.8/172 Female 5'8"
BF:??/39.0/25
Progress: 83%
Location: Central Ohio
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Hi Monika, I'm not yet in maintenance, but would like to share a thought or 2 with you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntiM
My doctor really wants me to stay where I am, practice maintaining this weight for 6-12 months before trying for 220.

This seems like a long time to me to practice maintenance mode. I would ask yourself first and foremost if you can be happy delaying your weight loss for this period of time. If not this long, then how long would YOU be comfortable with practicing? A month or 2 might be more reasonable from my perspective.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntiM
There are days when I eat less on purpose, but most of the time - I just eat 'normal' LC. The amount and kinds of food that don't feel at all like I'm trying to lose weight, if that makes sense.

This makes perfect sense to me. Eating lc has become habit for you and is your way of life now. I think this is normal for those of us in the TDC who have lost a lot of weight.

I don't think you'll have any difficulty in maintenance mode. You are a strong person and you've learned a lot from this forum. I suspect your Dr. hasn't a clue about how much support you really have here in the forum. I think that makes a huge difference in your ability to go into into maintenance mode. My guess is you probably know more than a lot of doctors about this WOE!

Good luck!
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  #8   ^
Old Wed, May-05-04, 19:50
AntiM's Avatar
AntiM AntiM is offline
... Pro-Atkins!
Posts: 1,705
 
Plan: General LC
Stats: 312/274/220 Female 5'11"
BF:
Progress: 41%
Location: Tacoma, WA
Smile

Dig, Lynda, Dianne, Liz, Bunks, Woo ~ thanks for your feedback!

The only reason Dr. Chen wants me to stay where I am is that this weight is new territory for me as an adult. I also think I'm his first patient who has done well over the long term on LC. He's very supportive, but I know he's still quite skeptical - and not informed about this WOL.

Thank you for the reassurance that I'll do okay. I had the secret fear that because I've never been there, some freaky psychological thing kick's in at / near goal and I'll be packing on the pounds, out of control.

My instinct is to just keep doing what I'm doing. I'll maintain when my body just naturally stops losing at my comfortable eating pace.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. It helps to have a 'reality check' from time to time!
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