After maintenance

Has anyone been through maintenance and if so what diet are you doing now or is it just healthy eating? Someone mentioned GI diet was a good one to do as you have a small amount of each food group but I'm allready starting to feel anxious of what I am going to eat afterwards and was wondering if weight watchers would be an option. Any ideas?

Try AJ's management thread, its brilliant!!

Sez is right about AJs maintainence diary, it is really inspirational. I have also been thinking about what to do afterwards and the GI diet appeals; it has a similar effect on insulin levels to LL (i.e. stable) so should help with the sugar highs, followed by insulin leading to binges, but at the same time you could easily eat out on it. The other thing I have for at home is the 'diet plate' which marks out how much protein, carb, etc you should have at each meal - might be quite good if portion control is an issue (which it is for me!) and if you don't want to have to weigh everything you eat. It is a bit pricey and may be a bit 'gimmicky' but after the investment I have made in this diet it's worth a try to make sure the change is long term. I've still got a while to go before I am on maintainence (which I will definetely do).

If you come across any other good beyond-maintainence strategies I'd love to hear them!

Good luck

I have read some of the other maintainence diaries and a lot of people are using Weight Loss Resources or Tesco Diets and choosing a diet plan that suits them. You pick the die and the amount of calories you want to eat or state the weight you want to maintain and they provide you with meal plans and receipes and calorie counters etc.

thanks guys for the good advice

Betty Boo said:

I have read some of the other maintainence diaries and a lot of people are using Weight Loss Resources or Tesco Diets

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Yes, I used WLR for the first year and a bit after I finished the refeeding bit of Cambridge.

I chose WLR, because I needed to have complete freedom of choice with foods. I felt I had learnt enough about what I should and shouldn't have, but really wanted to put it into practice and make my own choices of meals without having to keep to something low fat, high fat, high protein, high carbs, blah blah. Just wanted to be normal WLR helped me work out what normal was

Yes, I used WLR for the first year and a bit after I finished the refeeding bit of Cambridge.

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Karion,

What do you use now? Or do you just know after so long what you need and the cals, fat, carbs etc. The other thing I wondered is how do you know what a portion is?

My example is with cereal here. On the packs they say for instance 30g and milk. But when you measure that out it works out at 3 spoons or something ridiculous, is this really enough. I used to eat a big bowl years ago before worrying about weight and always stayed the same weight. But when you measure out a bowl it weighs a lot.

Please help, this has always puzzled me.

xx

Betty Boo said:

....My example is with cereal here. On the packs they say for instance 30g and milk. But when you measure that out it works out at 3 spoons or something ridiculous, is this really enough. I used to eat a big bowl years ago before worrying about weight and always stayed the same weight. But when you measure out a bowl it weighs a lot.

Please help, this has always puzzled me.

xx

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Whoa!

I had to go and check the packs.... 30g is way too little! I used to eat a small bowlful of cereal. Looked at Weetabix, it says 37.5g = 2 biscuits, which is not too bad. I think I would add some fruit to my cereals!

I also have Oatso Simple here, and each sachet weighs 27g. Its thickness depends on type of milk used. I could add mashed banana to my oats???


Now, I feel a bit better!

Betty Boo said:

What do you use now? Or do you just know after so long what you need and the cals, fat, carbs etc.

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I don't use anything any more. I eat what I want, when I want it. Having said that, I stay aware. I'm not too good at throwing away leftovers...think it's wasteful, so I try to get my portion sizes right in the first place and 'fridge or freezer' the rest for another day if there's too much.

I have total freedom around food. Well pretty much. Most of this I've practiced via WLR. I feel free

The other thing I wondered is how do you know what a portion is?

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This is a really good question. I felt quite confident that I could practice healthy eating...for a time anyway, but I had no idea what a portion size was.

Okay...Cambridge showed me, but deep down I kept thinking, yes...but that is a diet. Even though it took me up to 1500 cals it still felt like a diet to me. Didn't feel like a real life.

I had to work out what portion sizes I could live with on a maintenance basis and it was a bit trial and error. Too much of something meant I had to cut back on something else.

My example is with cereal here. On the packs they say for instance 30g and milk. But when you measure that out it works out at 3 spoons or something ridiculous, is this really enough.

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Yes it is. I have about 30g. Always weighed 30g, now I guess at it. So much is in the expectations and what you get used to.

I used to have half a CD shake for breakfast. 30g of cereal is more than that and takes me longer to eat.

There again, I don't really have heavy cereals. 30g porridge with a large handful of frozen fruit in before cooking is easily enough. 30g of Cinnamon Grahams (which I used to love...but now taste too sweet), is hardly worth bothering with.

One small chicken breast with some chips seems little. One small chicken breast with masses of salad (and yes, I do use some real mayonnaise ) and some chips seems like a huge meal.

I think the focus has changed. I have chicken with my veg or salad, rather than veg or salad with my chicken.

So, I reckon that generally speaking, the portion sizes recommended are pretty accurate, but you have to 'plump' them up with loads of different healthy extras.

You get into the swing of it. I used to think a way of eating that included loads of veg and salad would be awful to live with, but I crave it now.

I come back from work thinking about how I can't wait to get my teeth into my fruit salad. Hey...this is a person who didn't even like fruit once.

I used to eat a big bowl years ago before worrying about weight and always stayed the same weight. But when you measure out a bowl it weighs a lot.
xx

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To be honest, unless you are talking about very sugary cereals, they really are relatively low calorie anyway. I could double my amount of cereal without it making much of a difference.

There again, regardless of whether I have a big portion or small portion of breakfast, I still tend to get hungry at lunch time and want the same sort of lunch, so I opted for the smaller size. It's finding out what works for you. That's why I like WLR. I could completely personalize it

Hi karion,

I have total freedom around food. Well pretty much. Most of this I've practiced via WLR. I feel free

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Thanks for the tips and advice. I am so pleased that you and that you have maintained for such a long period.

I have put the above in quotes because I think that is one of the best ever statements that someone could say. I hope that all of us following any kind of diet will feel like this at some point and maintain so successfully. You are the first person that I think I have read (hope that makes sense!?) that has said this and it makes me so happy, thank you. There is hope then, it is just a long journey. :thankyou:

Trial and error with portion sizes, I suppose that is something we will learn in management and just adjust ourselves depending on the amount of exercise and types of food we eat.

I shall definately have a trial on wlr and tesco diets when I get to the later stages of management.

Does anyone else have any successful stories on which sites are the best?

Betty Boo said:

Trial and error with portion sizes, I suppose that is something we will learn in management and just adjust ourselves depending on the amount of exercise and types of food we eat.

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Indeed. It's such a personal thing. Do go right to the end of LL though. I know that I made great strides through those maintenance stages on Cambridge. It's the key to unlock the first door.

Plenty of keys after that to find yourself, but that one is given to you.

Thanks, I found this post really interesting.

It helps to know after I begin to eat food again I can not reurn to be obsessive, although will be careful

Sam