AIM: Adventures in Maintenance is Shelley, Lori, Cammy, Debby and Lynn, former weight-loss bloggers who now write about life in maintenance. We formed AIM to work together to turn up the volume on the issues facing people in weight maintenance. We publish a post on the same topic on the first Monday of each month. Let us know if there is a topic you’d like us to address!
This month’s topic is What is Different Now? I really gave this a lot of thought and while a lot has changed, a lot has stayed the same. I am sort of an accidental maintainer. I had a different number in mind than where I have been at for the last few years, so I never really did hit a goal number and then try to maintain. I sort of slid into maintenance, so to speak, which means I approached maintenance differently. The number is not as important to me now as being healthy and active and being happy.
Of course, there are the obvious physical differences, like smaller clothing sizes, bones that are palpable which used to be buried under fat. It takes a long time to get used to a new body, too. For such a long time I would automatically twist my body to maneuver through aisles or narrow spots when I didn’t need to. I took a long time for my mind to see the physical changes in my body. It still doesn’t always see those changes. That hasn’t changed.
I love to move now, too. That’s a big difference. Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows how much I love to cycle. It wasn’t always that way. When I first tried biking, I really didn’t like it. I just wasn’t using the right equipment. It was a cheap heavy mountain bike, which isn’t good for road riding. Once I found the right equipment, everything changed. I think exercise will have to be a post for another day because I could go on forever about that. 😀
Probably the biggest change is my relationship with food. I have always loved food, but put it into categories of good/bad, diet/non-diet. Not banning any foods from my life or considering anything to be a ‘cheat’ really helped change my thinking about food. It’s nourishment for the body and sometimes nourishment for the soul. I think it is okay to be comforted by ice cream once in a while – as long as you aren’t using it to hide from your problems. I do find that I have to pay attention to my food most of the time. I used to only pay attention when I was ‘dieting.’ Now I realize that I will likely have to pay attention for life.
Something that hasn’t changed has been the struggle with body acceptance. I am much better about it now, but it is still hard. It’s hard not to compare to others and it is hard not to compare to the airbrushed famous people as well. My body isn’t perfect, but it’s mine and it does many wonderful things for me. That is certainly deserving of acceptance and I try to remind myself of that daily. I have a scale now that does not tell me a number, which is good because I don’t fixate on a number. It just tells me where I am at compared to when I first set the scale. A voice says “You are X pounds above/below your starting weight.” When you lose (or gain) 10 pounds, it resets that as your starting weight. That’s kind of nice and very freeing to have a measurement without number stress.
I get asked the question fairly often about “How did you know this was the last time?” To be completely honest, I don’t know if this is the last time. There were other times where I was sure it was going to be the last time down the scale – and it wasn’t. I know I am not the only one this has happened to. However, the differences in how I live my life and approach food now give me a lot of confidence that I can keep the weight off or catch the slide before it gets too far.
Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts and, if you haven’t already, check out the other AIM bloggers’ thoughts:
Lynn @ Lynn’s Weigh
Debby @ Debby Weighs In
Shelley @ My Journey to Fit
Cammy @ The Tippy Toe Diet
My first AHA moment I read on your blog was bagel Wednesday. I thought to myself, that’s genius! She still treats herself to a bagel once a week – just didn’t have one every day like I was doing sometimes!
You are a great role model – and hope the weather cooperates in the near future for you to get your bike out of the garage! 😀
Yeah – getting rid of the all or none was really helpful!
I’m with Biz on this. It was your bagel Wednesdays and your acceptance of all foods that helped me (and I was already maintaining…I thought I knew everything) to fine tune my relationship to food. And of course, your biking… We WILL ride a trail together some day. I just know it 🙂
This is completely relatable to me 🙂 so I really enjoyed reading this post. I definitely think relationship with food is a big difference for me too. Long-term weight-loss is only possible if old habits are permanently changed!
You group of girls are truly inspirational! Have a fantastic week!
” Long-term weight-loss is only possible if old habits are permanently changed”
Wonderfully said!
I am an accidental maintainer, too – never hit that “goal” number, mainly because I didn’t have one.
It’s very cool to see how much you appreciate your new body and all that it can do for you!
Yeah, I gripe about my back, leg and now my shoulder – but I can do so much more than I used to.
I hadn’t thought of it that way–in spite of how it seems like my whole body is breaking down, I can STILL do so much more than I used to! Thanks for the attitude adjustment!
Loved reading your thoughts–some different and some the same as mine. But both of us still love food!
Well said, Lori! I agree that we can’t KNOW this is the last time, but I think we’re all better equipped to handle any long slides. The improved energy levels alone are worth the effort! (Not to mention, I can’t afford new pants! 🙂 )
I’m still “reworking” my relationship with food. I’ve gotten so much better, each year that I maintain, at looking at food as fuel and not feeling like I needed food to make me feel better.
It takes a long time to work on a food relationship, but really is a very important step.
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Love these – they are making me think right along with you. For me, what was different this time was not counting calories or really paying much attention to calories. That led me to understanding that yes, a calorie IS a calorie, BUT at least for me, certain types of calories affected my body in detrimental ways and when I eliminated those very specific calories, the weight AND the inches came right off. The inches even came off in the right places!! LOL! (Is it cheating if I copy this same comment to all your posts?? I’m not creative enough to come up with a different one since I’m already friends with all of you except Shelley and I have no idea how that’s slipped by me all this time. Gonna fix that right now!!)
Not cheating – It’s okay to post the same thing for all of us LOL!
Lori,
I loved visiting all the AIMS ladies last week. What a great resource for those that are maintaining as well as those of us who have not yet reached the maintenance phase! I especially love your thought about how you have to think about food all the time. Thanks:) Daria
I am loving reading these posts Lori!!! I love how you view life & movement & just you now…
What I so get with what you wrote – having to pay attention for life. I write that a lot as you know. People don’t want to hear it but it is the hard truth…
On body acceptance – heck I still battle that & I tell myself I should have learned by now but.. and then as age changes it even more – it gets harder but I am so much better than I was even a few years ago!
Thx for sharing!
Great post Lori. I’ve been a reader for a couple of years now and I enjoy your blog post after post because I love your approach of food and exercise. You don’t go extreme, you act normal and in my opinion that’s the only way to reach your goals.
Well said!
I don’t know if anyone has ever called me normal before 😀
I’m with Biz and Lynn about the black and white thinking. Weight loss and maintenance is very difficult if you think that you have to be perfect 100% of the time – and only eat foods you.
These days I eat chocolate almost every day and still lose weight.
Umm, can I request a Pixie-only post? 🙂
I have a Pixie-only post that has been in draft mode for a while. I need to find time to work on it 😀
I’m really enjoying the AIM posts. I feel like I’m reading advice from people who have actually BEEN there and come through on top, which you all have. It is encouraging. I wish you taught classes! I need help in so many ways. I want this to be my last time, but it is a constant struggle with more defeats than victories lately. Again. Love this post and the others, thank you.
I’ve finally taken some time today to read the first installment of AIM posts and I’m awestruck by the perfect timing of every word written. It’s almost as if I had a divine appointment to read the words of wisdom you all shared today. Your lives are so real and down to earth. It is encouraging to see the ups and downs of each journey; to know there is hope for the commoner to lead a healthy and active life … for the rest of our days.
I look forward to hearing more of what you ladies share and I will be posting about this on my blog.
Carla (sp?) mentioned a book from you ladies…and I second the motion. Maybe after a year of posts? A compilation?
Have a good Wednesday!
I am loving all of the AIM posts and different views you ladies have. Your approach to food is so refreshing in the fact that you allow yourself to have the things you enjoy in moderation. I agree that food and exercise are something that will have to be monitored for life. I am okay with that – at least it is something we can have control over.
You said, ” My body isn’t perfect, but it’s mine and it does many wonderful things for me.” We all need to think that way and be grateful.
I can’t wait to see what you all write about next month!