While not as difficult as losing weight, maintenance requires diligence. Here is what works for me now:
The Scale and Food Journaling
I weigh myself almost every morning. When I'm up a pound or more, I start writing down everything I eat. Almost magically, I'm back down to where I want to be in a day or two. Another trick is eating cereal for dinner that evening. Usually it takes two bowls of a sweet but high-fiber cereal with skim milk to satisfy me, but even that amounts to way fewer calories than a typical dinner.
Eating Out
I try not to eat out more than two or three times a month. I have much more control over my fat and calorie intake when I prepare my own meals. I'm also vulnerable to delectably descriptive menus and sumptuous smells. I stopped my practice of buying a dozen bagels every weekend. When I started Weight Watchers, I was mortified to learn that a single bagel packed a whopping 6 points--before the cream cheese. At first, I missed bagels terribly; after a month or so, I practically forgot they existed. Now, when bagels are served, I don't try to resist them; but I take only half with a thin veneer of light cream cheese.
Beverages
I drink only diet soda and other zero-calorie beverages. The milk I drink is fat-free. I drink 3 to 4 bottles of water every day. I take water with me wherever I go. Drinking lots of water reduces the amount of fluid the body retains. So I never feel bloated (although I use the bathroom with greater frequency).
The Hunger Quotient
I analyzed my hunger quotient and determined that my appetite is greatest in the evening. Instead of fighting this reality, I opted to limit my food intake during the day when I'm least hungry, but I never skip meals. Skipping meals, or having a Slim Fast shake for lunch, makes me ravenous by 3 p.m. and likely to binge.
Mealtime
I try to eat smart at every meal. For breakfast, I usually have a bowl of oatmeal or oat bran; or a high-fiber cold cereal, such as Kashi Good Friends, Special K, or Fiber One (with strawberries or banana slices, sometimes) with fat-free milk, a small glass of orange juice, and coffee (no sugar) with light or fat-free cream. Lunch generally consists of sushi (a very low-point food), or a big salad with low-fat dressing (I can't stomach the fat-free dressings); or a Weight Watchers Smart One frozen meal. Sometimes I'll have a grilled cheese with a couple of slices of 2% American cheese on light wheat bread--only 4 points. Dinner is usually pasta with low-fat sauce, or skinless chicken, or broiled or poached fish, with rice or potatoes, and a salad or steamed vegetables (no butter). Sometimes I make a crock pot of vegetarian chili (I found a great recipe in the American Heart Association cookbook).
Portion Control and Servings
I gave up second helpings. I realized that if I waited 5 minutes after eating my first helping at dinner, I wasn't hungry any more. I serve bread with dinner about once a week instead of every night, like I used to. I limit myself to one indulgence a day, such as my precious piece of Godiva chocolate or 20 Jelly-Belly jellybeans (yes, I count them).
Fruits and Vegetables
I keep my refrigerator stocked with fresh fruit, baby carrots and other ready-to-eat vegetables. I often grab a piece of fruit or a handful of carrots whenever I leave the house. I also eat fruit between meals to stave off hunger.
Snacks
I discovered two low-fat, low calorie items that really fill me up: light yogurt (sweetened with aspartame), and soup. I go for vegetable or lentil soups and steer clear of cream soups. When I feel like pigging out at night, I eat a bag of microwave popcorn--the highest fiber, lowest-fat brand I can find.
Celebrations
Now that I'm no longer trying to lose weight, I let myself eat whatever I want at weddings, bar mitzvahs, Thanksgiving, and other special occasions without feeling guilty. Since I'm working out every day, an occasional foray into overeating really makes very little difference on the scale, I have found.
Exercise is Sacred
I no longer treat exercise as an option to be exercised when my schedule permits. Exercise time is sacred time, as important as spending time with my family and earning a living. My husband has come to feel the same way. We enthusiastically coordinate our schedules to enable each other to work out daily. Each workout spans 45 to 60 minutes. That may seem like a lot, but it amounts to a small percentage of my total waking hours.
I take an aerobics class or engage in some other form of aerobic activity after dropping my son at preschool. I add 15 to 20 minutes of strength training two or three times a week. Working from home affords me this flexibility. If I had a full-time job, I would probably work out at lunch and eat at my desk, wake up an hour early to exercise, or stop at the gym on the way home from work.
Add Variety to Workouts
I vary my workouts. Usually I aerobic dance or do step aerobics, but sometimes I'll use aerobic equipment at my gym, such as the cross-trainer or stationary bike. If I can't get to the gym because my son or daughter is sick, I'll jog around my development for 40 minutes after supper, if possible. On nice days, I may bicycle a 60-minute loop amid farmland near my home instead of going to the gym. During the summer, I swim laps. I also belong to tennis and racquetball leagues. Since I strive to exercise every day, missing a workout here or there is no big deal.
During my workout sessions, I put my body on automatic pilot and read, sing, or just let my mind wander. This way I'm not focused on how much sweat is pouring off my brow.
I work out in the morning so there is less time to find excuses not to exercise. On weekends, I try to work out a little longer, but I still do it in the morning.
A Second Workout
I grab every opportunity for a second workout. For example, I might walk the mile to my daughter's school to pick her up when the weather permits. If I have a tennis match in the afternoon, I don't let that preclude my normal morning workout. If I have enough energy at night, I'll do sit-ups or pump 10-pound dumbbells while watching television.
When I was fat, I used to jealously glare at svelte people jogging or biking through my neighborhood. "Sure, it's the thin ones who don't even need to exercise who exercise," I would think.
I now realize how naïve I was. Most people are svelte because they exercise, not in spite of it. I'm proud to be one of them.
-- Robin
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