Maintenance and Holidays

[jane010669]

Well after reaching my goal, the maintenance starts at about the same time as we went on holiday. It has been ok. I did have a couple of ice creams, some cider and cream teas. Got back and yes I had put on half a stone. I have been very strict with my self and excercised more and after a week and half back down to my goal weight. For anyone who does have a holiday/slip up please dont see it as the end. It has been far easier to be really good for a week than have to have 5 months of dieting because you have given up.

Tips....I would say when I go away again I think I would try to avoid the following.

1) Refind carbs, especially sugar. It didnt take long for my blood sugar to up and down and I had a nasty low blood sugar attack when I got back which meant I had to cut out all carbs for the last week. Just had my first bowl of porridge this morning,

2) Beware of eating out, I found a couple of times I had a starter and main or a pudding. I was just so full as my stomach as shrunk and felt so ill. However when starting to diet again i felt hungrier as my stomach as been stretched.

Am so glad I got straight back on track after my holiday and can now look forward to my next holiday in france, Two weeks of confit duck and cheese. Will I be able to resist the wine and bread though?

[Hidden]

Hi jane010669,

Oh yes, it's easy to slip back into 'bad' habits, isn't it? Even for just a few days or so!

And perhaps because you have been overweight, you're able to get into those again only too easily and quickly. (And that's probably a mixture or resurrecting your previous habits and your hormones).

It was a good couple of years after giving up smoking before I lost that occasional, "I kind of fancy a ciggie" feeling

Perhaps it's the same for food, too?

Good luck with your maintenance efforts.

[jane010669]

Yes it is easy to slip back into bad habits, but as my hubby pointed out it is not good either to rule whole sets of foods out for ever and you must find a way of being able to join in with a special occasion, holiday or feast of some sort with out giving up healthy eating long term you must be able to indulge and restrain otherwise life is pretty miserable. If you only restrain and eat healthy all the time is that really healthy or is it the start of obsession.

[suzybenj]

mmmm -- not sure where i am on this - I have still someway to go to get to that lovely goal weight - but I do feel once I get there I have the means to maintain it. However as you are saying life is also for living and I refuse to live live at half volume all the time. So high days and holidays - I do live it up a bit (pretty certain reasons why my weight loss is so slow) - i don't begrudge the weight gain as I now know I can lose it pretty quickly to get back where I was before the extravagance. When I went to spain last (April) I just didm;t eat any bread or carbs and stayed off the sweet stuff - except wine!!! I didn't put any weight on which feels pleasing - i hope I can achieve the same with my summer hols - but if a few pounds go on so be it

We all have to find our own way in this - as you say as long as we don't slide all the way backwards and then spend months digging our way out - I am on the payback diet of too much enjoyable lifestyle

[jane010669]

I agree suzy, be good 80% the other 20% has got to be indulgent as food, cooking and drinking are such a pleasure in life. I have had a healthy bmi most of my life, it has only been the last few years where due to various personal problems my diet was not a priority. I am happy to be back to a healthy weight. I agree you can only do your best and high days and holidays are to be enjoyed. Good luck with your weight loss. I will definitely be following your example of no carbs or bread in france but will most definitely be drinking the wine

[xsallyx]

Hi Jane

Thanks for sharing this,