Just droppin in to say hi

[gr8bnme]

You may or may not remember me. I was on medifast for about 10 mos. lost 72 pounds and have been maintaining for about 7 mos now.

I pretty much eat 2 l&Gs and have yogurt, fruit, cereal, special k bar or quakers soy cakes for my other meals/snacks.

I decided I just didn't want to keep eating medifast meals so asked a friend who is a weight watchers teacher how many points to maintain my weight. She told me. I planned my meals using points for the next two weeks and from then on, i've pretty much been winging it.

I exercise 6 times a week for 40 to 60 minutes. and i've been maintaining. i still drink my at least 64 ounces of water.

I splurge every week pretty much on sat or sun. and so far this has worked for me. my weight fluctuates between 119 and 123, depending on how much splurging i did that week.

I weigh at least once a week but it seems like everyday other than the day after a splurge ...

so far so good.

it looks like there are a lot of you who have made your goal and are maintaining. Congrats!! and to the rest of you who are working hard on your goal, it really will happen, just stick to it!

gr8bnme

[bikipatra]

Thanks for dropping in and sharing your success story!

[dede4wd]

Thanks for dropping in! I followed your transition progress in the maintenance thread. It's so great that you've been maintaining for 7 months! That is so great for someone like me to hear...that once we get there, the losses can be maintained! I appreciate it and am SO happy for you! You must feel fantastic!

Keep us posted!

DeDe

[Lauren]

Hey, Gr8! Thanks so much for this post, I agree with DeDe that's it's so helpful to hear how others are maintaining. I have been on maintenance for about 5 or so weeks now, and it's going very well too!

I weigh every day (still like clockwork), because I want to make sure that nothing strange occurs, and it keeps me accountable. I haven't added any whole grains like cereal or non-MF bars, but those Special K bars do look yummy - how are they? I'm still very much using MF foods, but I happen to really enjoy them, so it doesn't feel like much of a compromise.

I don't know whether you initially had a hard time "seeing" yourself as a thinner person, but if so, has your head caught up with your body? This is still an obstacle for me frequently.

Please don't be a stranger, and congrats on your continued succes!

Lauren

[bikipatra]

[Lizabette]

Hey GR8,
Thanks for dropping in to let us know how you are doing.
I do remember you.
Congratulations on maintaining for 7 months!
I'm working on over 4 months and have stayed under goal during that time.
It took me little over 7 months to lose 60 pounds and it was worth every minute.
I keep a daily journal of what I weigh and what I eat & drink (water).
Sounds like I do pretty much what you are doing, except still using up my medifast products.
And yes, I splurge about once a week, usually on Sunday.
It gets easier making decisions about what to eat.
And being healthier and able to wear small sizes makes it all worthwhile.
Thanks again, GR8...drop back in often!
Lizabette

[gr8bnme]

Thanks for all the well wishes.

To be honest, after 7 mos, I still can't think of myself as a thin person. And it's weird how people who didn't know me before think of me as thin and are jealous that I'm thin. Calling me lucky to be thin. I used to say, I haven't always been thin and go into how i've lost 70+ pounds. But now I just smile. I don't know if my head will ever catch up really. it's always still such a huge surprise to me when i go to try on clothes and i have to find the smallest size . it makes me really happy. it's still like a dream though.

i do like the special k bars. they are very good.

i liked the medifast meals too but wanted to try to maintain without them. i felt like they were a crutch for me. i wasn't going to feel like i was maintaining for real unless i got rid of them. it was kinda like a challenge. can i really do this? and for me i had to do it without medifast to feel successful.

i've calmed down a lot too. i used to be so nervous that if i eat this piece of toast than i'm gonna gain. and if i eat this chinease food or this piece of pizza i'm gonna go back to what i was. i'm learning that these things can be ok sometimes. it's a hard lesson for me and i'm not completely cured. i guess it's just a journey and i'll have to keep weighing regularly and if i start to have problems i'll see it before it is out of control.

i will try to check in now and again to let you know my progress. i enjoy reading about your progress. it's always great to see people reach their goals!

[Serendipity]

gr8, Hi. It's nice to have you check in. I have wondered how you are doing. What you were saying about being nervous really hit home for me. I think about every bite I put in my mouth, and feel like I need to just keep it simple most of the time......a couple of supplements, 2 L&Gs, a dairy, a fruit, and a grain. But what do I do about regular food? I don't plan on NEVER having another potato or bowl of soup, etc......so that's what makes me nervous.....knowing how to incorporate those into my diet without going overboard or simply getting it wrong. I feel so safe wih the routine I'm on, but the reality hasn't really hit yet that I need to manange "regular" food at some point.

I really think I'll always have a few MF supplements each day, because I just don't like thinking about what I'm going to eat and I love the supplements, they're balanced, and handy.

[Nova]

I have the same nervousness. I've been on maintenance about a month, maybe a little more. I feel jealous sometimes because I didn't actually reach my initial goal, but I've found peace with myself that I'm at a weight my body seems happy to maintain and generally I look pretty good, and I feel great.

I track everything I eat on a calorie counter, exercise 6-7 times a week and have had very, very few splurges yet. I'm too nervous about eating extra calories. I got so obsessed about maintaining my weight that I had to put my scale away, something I never had to do when I was losing.

So I've reached my goal, but I'm not very confident about staying there yet. It's nice to hear from someone who's maintained for a long time.

Keep it up!

[DogMa]

I remember you, too, so it's nice to hear from you! Your maintenance sounds a lot like mine these days, actually. Glad to hear it's working for you.

And I do the same thing, always having to explain that I used to be heavy. Sigh. I'm still working on that one.

Come back again to visit!!

[Amber]

Thanks, gr8, for your post!
I, too, find myself a little more casual about eating "real" food; a slice of pizza with a gigantic salad isn't going to effect my weight, if I don't do it ALL the time. Food seems to no longer hold the allure that it once did, thankfully! I can not eat like that all the time, I've learned.
Please, keep posting, it's nice to hear that you're doing well~

P.S. Nova, I would argue that, from what I've seen, you don't "generally look pretty good", you look wonderful!

[Elizabeth]

Wow, what an inspiring thread! Its so great to see all of you who have reached your goals and are maintaining on one thread . Thanks so much for sharing.