Keeping off the Weight!!!

huge congrats on the weight loss...i know you feel amazing...
i lost 45 pounds back in Jan 06...it took me 9 months and i have kept it off by doing weight watchers. that was the best thing that worked for me because it teaches you portion control and you are held accountable...

good luck

First, Congratulations! You have done a great job! I have a sugar addiction, it's terrible. I have found that the less I eat it though, the less I want it. I have been cutting it out of parts of my diet where I don't notice it as much, and using Sugar in the Raw for everything I add it to. I would say though, give yourself a break. It's not going to make you gain all your weight back as long as you practice good portion control. A sleeve of smarties is only one third of a serving if memory serves me corectly. Eat 1/2 a serving of whatever sugary snack you want at a time, then eat the other half later in the day. Also, if you eat before you play with your daughter (or go for a walk) it shouldn't even be enough sugar to make a difference.
It is so much harder for women to get a six pack then men, and, it depends on your body type too. Just listen to what your body is telling you, stay active, do the gazelle 3 times a week, and the ab ball every day. That should be enough activity with a mostly healthful diet to maintain. I'm doing about the same thing, different excercises though, and I'm losing weight, so you should be fine. If you start to feel like you are gaining again, cut your sodium and go for a few walks with your daughter. You are gonna be fine and can contact me for support if you need to.

First off, congrats on losing the weight. It takes a lot of strength and commitment - and that's the biggest half of the battle.
You may find additional help in cutting out your processed and restaurant food intake. They usually contain additives and MSG that do horrible things to your mind and body - google "MSG" to find out how many foods they put it in and all the names they hide it under. Next, if it says "diet" DONT EAT IT. Typically foods and drinks with the word diet in them contain higher amounts of salt and additives to compensate for the flavor loss. You can easily make your own "sodas" by mixing 100% fruit juices (not cocktails) and carbonated "seltzer" water. My girls love this - plus they get plenty of water and all the natural nutrients from the juice. Feed your sweet tooth with fruit - smoothies are super simple with frozen fruit, yogurt (Go for the big tub of Horizon Organic Vanilla over the "flavored" name brands), and a little juice.
If you have to have sugar, keep it real. Use only real sugar, 100% maple syrup or honey, not corn syrup (Your body doesnt recognize it as a sugar and cant adjust your insulin levels to compensate - this is why so many children are coming up with diabetes lately).
Bulk up on your veggies - they should be the main course with meat and starch as no more than a side. Eat them as natural as possible, fresh or frozen (never canned). Start your own small garden - this will help threefold. You get plenty of free veg, a little workout, and the therapy of working in the yard. Its something you can share with your child as she grows as well.
Lastly, choose in favor of rices and complex carbs over simple starches - and not Western rice either - go for Basmati and short-grain brown rices. Super cheap at Asian and Indian supermarkets (along with a host of other natural foods and spices).
If you'd like some more info and how I manage without losing my mind, feel free to let me know. I can even help you with tips and tricks for the garden, and simple and tastey recipes that everyone will love. :]

Congrats to you! That is such an accomplishment. I am in the same boat you WERE. I am at the overweight, family is the priority stage. Can I ask what pills you were taking? I have tried a few but nothing really ever worked. I will keep you in my prayers. Taking it off if the hardest part. As long as you keep being active you should be fine!
Thanks for the encouragement!

Hi M.,

Congratulations on losing the weight! I know it's very difficult to try to maintain your goals. As a competitive race-walker and wellness consultant, I suggest keeping a maintainable schedule when working out. Either three days a week incorporating strength exercises and cardio for one hour or 30 minutes of circuit training 5 days a week. You don't want to try to keep up an unrealistic schedule. Also, I'm a member of a private wellness company where I shop and get 30% to 40% discounts every month on top-of-the-line weight loss bars, electrolyte drinks, protein shakes and bars, and the most absorbable vitamins ands supps out there. They sponsored the US team for the 2008 winter olympics. If you are interested in learning more about them, message me.

I recently started working at Curves fitness center for women and have noticed that the ladies who are keeping their figures are the ones who are in there 3 times every week religiously. Most of them also walk at least 2 miles every day that they don't come in the gym, eat healthy food and splurge only on special occasions. It isn't about continuing to diet, now it's about staying healthy. You can do it. You were strong enough to lose that 50lbs and you can definately keep it off. If sugar is your problem, try FiberOne bars. They are as sweet as a candy bar, but much healthier. Eat half of one and save the other half for later in the day when the craving comes back. You are an inspiration to all of us overweight women in the world. Keep up the good work and enjoy your new body.

J.

Congratulations on the weight loss! You sound like you are on the right track with the gazelle and ball so keep doing that. The other part is what you eat. Try to eat healthy but also be conscious of the portion or amount you eat. I weigh myself almost every day. If I start gaining I get more careful and aware of what I am eating and how much. Hope this helps. You have alot of moral support here at mamasource

Hi! congratulations on losing that 50lbs. I don't have any magic advice for you- just wanted to offer some words of encouragement. Losing weight is something that there is all kinds of information about- it's maintaining that I think is even harder! You have made it this far- so you have some will power there and apparently some discipline.

You might want to spend a few minutes everyday either just thinking about or journaling about your journey- about why you wanted to lose the weight in the first place- to keep it in the forfront of your mind. Also- although they don't recommend stepping on the scale everyday while you are trying to lose the weight- you might want to start doing that- knowing of course that there are a few lbs of up and down when you do look at your weight dailty like that- buit you can see when a couple lbs start to creep back on IF it does happen- it also keeps you in tune with your weight everyday- reminding you of how important it is.

anyway- like i said- no magic suggestions- but - wow- go you and hang in there- don't freak yourself out!

K.

Great job, I say make time for you and your daughter but remember to continue to eat healthy and continue to exercise but not as intense. I had the same problem, I had my daughter at forty and now I am trying mentally to hold it together. I am walking and now am trying to eat better. I pray for the best for you.

Hi!

Kudos on all the hard work.

If you crave sugar, check your calcium intake. A calcium deficiency causes a craving for sugar. Mom the nutritionist explained it to me once, but I forget why. But it's a fact!

So, look at your vitamins, and try to gauge how much calcium you're getting from food sources every day. (Then, for every dairy-based calcium mg you are calculating, cut the mg about in half, because that's about how much your body is actually absorbing of any animal-sourced calcium - it's not very absorbable.) I don't remember the RDA for it, but, like most of us, you're probably not getting enough.

I found that, after a few days of taking calcium supplements, my lifelong craving for sugar vanished. Try it and see if it works for you!

L.

Congratulations! You have done the hardest part already! What works for me is not keeping junk food in the house and not buying it. I pretty much don't buy any proccessed foods and cook everything from scratch. The main thing I feel is trying to eat very little carbohydrates, carbs are turned into sugar in your body, then the excess is stored as fat. Eat whole foods as much as possible, lots of fruits and veggies, raw as much as possible. If you eat any grains use whole grains, no white flour or white rice. Your whole family will be so much healthier for it!

Truly, the only way to be successful long-term is to commit to make a lifestyle change...FOREVER. That doesn't mean you can't ever have something sweet. It doesn't mean you can't have carbs. Here are some tips I learned that really have worked for me. No suggary drinks, or at least keep them for a treat sometime. Drink plain water instead and make it a habit to bring water with you so you don't buy bottled drinks at stores or fast-food restaurants. These drinks make you crave more sugar! Portion control is SOOOO important. It doesn't matter (for weight loss) what kind of calories you eat (fat, carbs, etc), but it does matter how many you eat. If you are dying for a special treat, say a piece of cheesecake, only eat the cheesecake...don't eat a steak, potato, salad, and then the cheesecake. And learn to listen to your body's cues so you STOP before you feel totally full. It takes 20 mins. for the full signal from your stomach to reach your brain...so many people eat for 20 mins. too much. Some people like to use small salad plates instead of large ones to help eat less. If you are a chocoholic (like me), try to switch to dark chocolate. A small piece of dark chocolate fills my chocolate craving, but doesn't cause me to crave MORE chocolate or other carbs like milk chocolate does. Try to eat protein for snacks (nuts, cheese, etc.). It lasts longer in your stomach so you are less hungry! If you keep your food intake low, and you are active throughout the day, then you really don't need to exercise a lot to keep the weight off. Good luck with those abs!

Maintaining is no different than losing weight sadly. I'm 20 lbs away from my goal weight (I've lost 121 pounds so far)...I work out 5 days a week for an hour a day & on weight watchers. There is a fantastic maintainers forum on 3fatchicks.com :) Those ladies know their stuff & will help you tweak things to stay on maintenance.

I have 3 children and get up an hour earlier to get in my exercise. This way they don't bother me and I'll have time to play with them when they are up. It just depends on your work schedule...if you are working it in now though then you can figure out a way to keep it in your life :)

Oh yes and congratulations!!!

Hi M., congrats for both your daughter AND losing the weight... that's great!

A couple of things that helped me were:

Up your fiber intake, because fiber will help prevent some of the fat that you consume from being absorbed... I did this by adding benefiber to my morning coffee. *downside is that you can get a little gassy if you take too much! :)

Do little things during your day that make your body work a bit harder... take the stairs instead of the elevator, carry your daughter instead of putting her in the stroller... park in the far spot at the grocery store - remember, you are just a few steps from staying the skinny girl you are, and it will be easier.

Be active with your daughter... take a mom and baby yoga class, or something, but get out there and DO instead of staying in...

That's my best advise... remember you always WERE a skinny girl, you just had to let her out! :)
-H.