And so this is maintenance...

As many before me have said on here this is such a crazy crazy ride!  I have been at goal and a few pounds under for a little over a month now and it's such a mind warp.  Never in my life did I think maintenance would be harder on me mentally than losing.  During the losing phase I stayed right around 800 calories.  Wanting to put myself into maintenance as soon as I hit goal I jumped up to 1300 and now have gone up to 1500 after playing around with my numbers.  If you would have told me 9 months ago that eating that amount in a day would take work I wouldn't have believed you.  I still don't seem to have a very large capacity so to make my count I am eating every 2-3 hours.  I have added nuts, pumpkins seeds, fuller fat milk/dairy and other higher calorie food items to my diet to try to help.  I do have days were the empty calories sneak in but I try to be mindful.  Everyday is a struggle of not listening to that voice inside my head saying you can eat this now you've made it.  No I will always be making it, this is never going to be over!    I weigh myself everyday to help hold me accountable.  It's such a mind game at first when you want to see the scale stay in one spot.  How many years have I spent wanting it to go down?  Too many to count!! This is a crazy ride but I would do it again in a heartbeat!  I could go on and on listing my NSV's that still seem to happen daily but I will just share my top two:  crossing my legs and playing with my kiddos without getting winded!  Hands down the best is being way more active with my children.  They have benefited so much from this too.  My son will ask "Mommy does this have protein in it?" and my daughter is more mindful of eating sugar. Every time they ask I smile to myself and can only hope that this new lifestyle sticks with both of them too.    When I started this journey of course it was about getting healthy and changing my ways but I would be lying if I said it wasn't about the number on the scale and looking better.  I was so ecstatic to reach the one hundreds and seeing 199 on the scale was such a victory.  As I approached my goal though my priorities shifted and it became more about how I felt and the long list of new things I could do.  The day I reached goal I was like, hmm okay so what, now on to maintaining.  I feel terrific and am healthy so that is at the end of the day what this journey is all about.  Everyday is full of choices and I can only hope and pray that I continue to stay humble and cherish this gift I have been given!    I just wanted to share a little bit about my ride and say that even though I don't post a lot this board has been a tremendous help and support.  I check in regularly and appreciate everyone that does post, because I wouldn't be where I am without you all, especially the veterans!   Another side effect is that I love taking pictures now.  To the point I almost feel a little vain, almost but not quite :)  I couldn't decide which ones to leave out so I apologize for all of them but I love seeing others progress pics so hopefully you all do too!   I look these monthly so here is the first and last months:
  Had to have some fun with a "fat" outfit. I always wanted to do the two legs in one pant leg.  I still can't believe I just wore this outfit 11 months ago!

Last summer to now with one of my girlies!  
 

Last summer to now with the family!  

Just for fun  
  Okay sorry about that I'm done killing you with pics now and if you made it this far thanks for sharing in my journey with me.  It's such a crazy ride but so, so worth it!  Everyday I'm am thankful for this gift and love my sleeve and self even more. Have a wonderful day! Aleyna  

So happy for you!  You look beautiful!  Enjoy!

Thank you!  I really do feel like I am enjoying life now!

Congratulations on reaching goal!  This is wonderful.  You look great. 

I found maintenance to be mind-boggling, as well.  It is odd to not need to lose weight anymore after a lifetime of trying to manage my weight.  It took me a while to find a balance in my calories per meal vs number of meals.  But I found something that works for me. 

I'm glad you see it as a long-term commitment to being mindful rather than being "done."  I think that's the way to be successful.

best wishes,

Carol

Thanks Carol.  It really is finding what works best and just because this is what works for me right now I know it might not always and I  may need to change it up down the road.  So much of this is mental and I really try to keep my head in the game.  Thanks for all your support and well wishes!

Congrats on reaching goal and maintaining now!!   You look great, I love the pics.   You look so happy!

Thank you, I really wasn't sure if I should post them all but then I was like what the heck!  I feel amazing and never realized how good I didn't feel before losing the weight.  It's so awesome and I'm thankful everyday!

Thank you for sharing - you look wonderful.   I'm excited to know that I'll be where you are in another 6 months - At least that's my goal.  I'm half way there.  So who knows maybe sooner.  

Thanks!   It's amazing to look back and see where I came from, I still can't believe it some days.  Continued success and I wish you the best on your journey!

 

Maintenance is far more difficult than losing.  As time goes on you'll see more and more.  If you think it is tough now, try 3 years in maintenance. ;o)   But, it's all worth it~

Everyone says if they can just get the weight off they can keep it off. That makes me smile still today.  It's doable, but it's hardest to maintain.