Welcome to Maintainers Club this November where we celebrate the highs and lows of maintaining.
This is the first time I have hosted, so I'm a bit nervous about doing a decent job of it so please be kind. I also have to admit to feeling a bit of a fraud hosting because I'm finding maintaining very difficult at the moment and have gained a bit. I hope things are going better with all of you.
I don't know about you but I seem to get much hungrier when the weather gets colder. I start to fancy stodgy puddings with lashings of custard. On the other hand its a good time to fill up on healthy soups and casseroles.
I'm hoping you're going to share that you've had a brilliant month and that you've found the secret to maintaining long term, especially when the weather gets colder. On the other hand if things haven't gone so well we're all here to support and encourage. Looking forward to reading your news, thoughts and tips.
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hjskev
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Well done for hosting this month- love the idea of celebrating the highs and lows! I find it SO hard to maintain, I try to be positive and think of all the weight I have lost and how I don’t want to go back there. When the scales go up, I try not to worry as that does not help me. How much is your ‘bit’? Soups and casseroles are coming into my mind now- with lots of vegetables! Comfort eating puds are so tempting- the occasional one doesn’t matter too much, just as long as it doesn’t become a habit! Keep focussed but I try not to obsess about small gains.
I’ve just finished participating in the fermented foods challenge run by Zoe. The aim wasn’t losing weight but to see if it made you feel better- mood, energy etc. and improve your health and gut microbiome. Has anyone else in the group join it?
I with you on the difficulties of maintaining. I went for about 18 months and was spot on all the time. Then a couple of months ago I could feel a change of attitude somehow and I started to gain. My bit is about 3 pounds which isn't a lot but I'm finding it a battle to keep it at that.
I've been doing fermented foods for a while because I've had digestive problems which I blame on antibiotics. I make kefir and kombucha. I drink kombucha everyday which I find is a good substitute for a glass of wine. Although part of my weight gain problems is down to drinking prosecco 😄I didn't join the Zoe challenge because I thought making fermented veg would be a faff. And I hate sauerkraut. Was it? How did you get on with it?
I don’t make anything- I bought kefir, bio live yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi. I put the first on top of my porridge, the second gobbled as pudding and the last two as part of a salad meal- not my favourite but edible. I did it as there is limited evidence that fermented foods help with inflammatory conditions and I have osteoarthritis. I finished the challenge but don’t think I felt any better in the short term. I did the intermittent fasting challenge too and didn’t notice an improvement which could be measured.
If you suspect it is the Prosecco which is the cause of your battle with weight, focus on alternatives when out for a drink. Think of the money you’ll be saving! That is a good incentive. M Mosley loves his kombucha. I haven’t tried it yet. He buys his active ingredient to go with the black tea and sugar online. Is that what you do?
I'm not active really. I've never exercised. We've got a motorhome and when we're away I walk a lot, but otherwise I don't do a lot. I know myself too well to think I'll stick to any exercise regime. I'll determine to knock the prosecco on the head. 👍
Thanks for hosting hjskev . I am a fairly newbie host myself but it has been a pleasure. Well, like you, I am 1.7kg (3.74lb) above the top of my ideal range (at 61.9kg). I managed to shave off the grams slowly, but each time I go away I put it back. At the moment apple crumble is my temptation at home, as we have buckets of windfalls and my husband doesn't really enjoy uncooked apple. I know I mustn't sit down in front of the fire all evening either, I need to get my exercise bike out. Good luck to everyone else this month, keep on keeping on 🙂.
When I was losing weight I would crumble a Nairns oat biscuit over stewed apples to make crumble so I still got the taste of crumble but less calories etc
Just had raspberries, yogurt with my porridge. When the raspberries are finished, I’m starting on frozen cherries and then blackberry fruits. I’m grateful to have a freezer and be able to afford to buy fruit for the winter.
Love porridge. Its so comforting. Its the thing I want if I'm not feeling well. I've never had it with fruits though. We used to put our initial on it with syrup when we were kids. I suppose that's a no no. 😞 I'll give the fruits a go next time I'm having it. Do you add sugar or are the fruits enough?
I have berries banana grapes and a high fibre mix that includes dried fruits with greek yoghurt everyday for my lunch. Its part of my high fibre diet plan and trying to eat over 30 different fruits and veg in a week. I might try heating the berries after your recommendation for a winter treat. Actually bananas are quite nice heated too. If you ever go to Costco they have lovely frozen fruits particularly raspberries in a box.
That sounds good with the 30 different fruit and veg a week. Do you find you manage it easily? I make a pretend blackforest gateau with the frozen fruit, yogurt and a fruit syrup chocolate sauce again with crumbled biscuits but this time a chocolate oat or a chocolate coconut one. I don't manage to get to Costco unfortunately.
30 different fruits and veg a week is a serious challenge so I don't always manage it. But I try. Some dietician expert suggests it. My high fibre mix has apricots raisins figs prunes sultanas and some nuts in plus berries banana and grapes so that's nine for lunch. Then I'll usually have around 5 veg in an evening meal. So if I mix it up a bit it could be done but usually I fall short. I do count things like tomatoes and onions in a sauce for example. For me its the high fibre that's the important thing.
I find the best way to get the veg count high is to make a soup- put all fresh and frozen you have, add cooked lentils/ tinned - green/ red split and herbs fresh / dried. I add a stock pot, black pepper and some tomato purée (usually have added a tin of chopped tomatoes/ fresh) . It is very colourful and filling.
Freezing here at the moment, so always a winter warmer as a lunch or evening meal - on its own or with bread, toast, cheese on toast. It always ends up a big pot, you make sure you have plenty of vitamins and fibre. Job done!
It sounds packed with vitamins and fibre and a proper hearty winter dish.It snowed here last night and I have lots of veg in so, I will be making stew and dumplings and soup at the weekend most probably. I also make a veg dish that I put chickpeas, tofu and spinach in to increase our iron which is tomato based and a stew kind of consistency that is similar to your soup. Do you freeze any of yours after ?
I've got a big pot of minestrone on the go at the moment. Its one of my favourite soups. I've got loads of veg in it and some cannoli beans . I'll be adding lentils to my next brew after reading this.
I love chickpeas, I put them in a vegetable curry along with spinach. No, I don’t freeze the soup but put it in the fridge. I eat it for lunch one day with cheese on toast, next day- a smaller portion as part of my evening meal. Keep it going all week, don’t get bored as ring changes with it. Then the following week I make a vegetable curry and make carrot and corriander soup or mushroom soup, so moving it around all the time if you see what I mean.
Ooh I love a crumble and find it hard to resist. I don't bake to avoid temptation. Fortunately my husband doesn't like sweet stuff and its not worth it doing for myself. Your ideal weight is similar to mine 9st 7lbs. I weigh 9st 10lbs at the mo. I dread standing on the scales and seeing 10st. 😱. I totally understand the difficulties when you go away. Eating is part of the holiday experience for me. Have a brilliant month. Lets see if we can knock ourselves into shape before we have to face up to Christmas.
Well done on your first hosting - looks like you are doing a great job! I haven’t been on here for a while although have continued to go on the weekly WI which keeps me sort of accountable.
I am also above my weight target by about 3 lbs - at least that is until I WI on Friday 😅 I have had a very enjoyable, social couple of months and have overindulged at every opportunity, pulling back in between. I have a few days now with no over eating on the agenda so that will hopefully get me refocussed and help me get rid of any surplus before it all starts again.
I guess this is us for life, putting on a bit, losing it again. None of us want to go back where we were but we have to accept we are human and are going to gain a bit as we seem to be that way inclined. We may have to accept that we will stay a few pounds over our target weight if that is easier to manage.
I am too old to be obsessed with what I am eating at the expense of enjoying special occasions. I guess we all have to make these choices.
None of us seem to be wildly off the mark so we must be doing something right 😊
Lovely to read your thoughts walkthisway . It's starting to look like that extra three pounds is the norm. I agree with just wanting to enjoy the social occasions. I don't want to be the picky eater when I'm with friends. All the same I'm hoping that hosting this month will help me focus enough to get rid of a couple of pounds before Christmas.
Yes I agree that it would be good to lose a couple of pounds before Christmas. But I will mainly focus on not letting it get any more than it is at present 😊
hello and thank you for hosting😁 if you read previous months you will see a lot of Maintainers are outside their range and having problems getting back in range- myself included! I’ve been outside my range for most of this year (I think). Every month I plan to get back in range and I will occasionally dip into range but then I go to stay with my parents to help them and then I return to bring outside my range. I was home for a couple of days and managed to get close to my range but now away for a month- dog sitting for my sister and BiL and looking after parents! Since I’m dog sitting for nearly 3 weeks I’ll weigh myself using their scales so at least I’ll have several readings on the same scales. I calorie count and not very good at estimating calories of food I’ve not prepared. At my parents I’ve restarted weighing stuff when I can but obviously since cooking for 3 portion size once cooked can be problematic
Hi RG07 thanks for checking into the Maintainers thread and sharing your maintaining experience.
I agree that maintaining is a constant balancing act and I empathise totally with the problems sticking with it when you're often away from home. I weigh myself everyday when I'm home but can't usually do that when I'm away. I'm a calorie counter too but I've let that slide, its easy to persuade myself that one slice of cake or one glass of bubbly won't matter, but it does if I do it everyday. I'm hoping that hosting this month will get me back on track and I do seem to have lost a pound since the beginning of the month. I don't know yet if it will stay off. Well done to you on having the staying power to weigh food. You're a star. Lets all us maintainers stick together and maybe we can make the weight loss stick too.
Must admit when I’m hosting or if I post my goal to get back into range when someone else is hosting, I hope it will give me the motivation but it doesn’t help me with my guesstimating skill😁
I use myfitnesspal for calorie counting. Or I did when I was behaving myself. The more you use it the easier it gets because it saves all your foods. You can import recipes and save foods in whole meals that you eat regularly. So unless you're having something new its just a quick click. I must get back to doing it myself.
Still eating apple crumble, but often it's the only meal after lunchtime, so my weight is stable. Trouble is, my husband is clinically underweight and he's happy to eat crumble every day at the moment. So must just watch what else I eat and get outdoors. I have lots of fresh dessert apples, too.
That must be difficult, having a husband who wants puds especially if he needs to put weight on too.. Fortunately my husband isn't keen on sweet stuff, but he does like a fry up and a beer, and he still seems to maintain the same weight.
I am sure feeling the cold and am feeling more hungry for sure. Luckily we have had a LOT of pumpkin so I have much pumpkin soup! Great for a quick meal. I am more nibbley and am trying to stick to better choices in my snacking and ofcourse not wanting to go too off track now as next months celebrations will possibly add the pounds! I do have my youngest daughter's 21st coming up though and the cake is already ordered......
Good Morning Bee-bop You can't beat a good hearty soup in cold weather. Ultimate comfort food and low calorie. Cake! I haven't made a Christmas cake this year although it is my favourite, because I know I would just stuff my face with it 😆. On the other hand you can't pass up joining in celebrating something as important as your daughters 21st. So I hope you and your daughter enjoy it. Any damage can be fixed afterwards. Thanks for posting.
Yes, lots of soup at present! I add red lentils to give it a bit of a protein boost too. I am looking forward to the cake. It's custom made and the woman who makes them is fantastic. Wheat free and vegan. Am hoping on damage control afterwards!
I'm always meaning to eat more lentils. I suppose I need to buy some to make that happen. 😆 Do you use red ones, do they need soaking? Or do you get a tin? I think I could sneak them into a spag bol and no one would notice.
Good morning hjskev .. had quite a busy month so far and I thought I'd posted here already , but it seems not🙄 As many know, I've been on my journey since 2013, mostly in maintenance. I fell from 12 stone to 10 st, then 9st.7, and maintained easily for several years. But eventually it crept up and now settled around 10 st to 10. 5. Not such a pretty number but I can live with it. Of course I'm now ten years older, 71, not as energetic, but I do an hour's walk most days and housekeeping ( I do weekend B&B). In Nov/Dec my downfall will be drinks rather than sweet stuff, as we try to meet up with several friends & relatives well ahead of christmas.So I shall definitely have to monitor that !! 😀
It's a lovely time of year when you can meet up with friends and family in the run up to Christmas. But, as you say, you hsve to kerp sn eye on things. I am mainly a savoury foods person myself but, an odd mince pie could slip in and my downfall drinks wise will be hot chocolates !
I am a crisp person- my sister bought some multi-bag crisps for me before she left to go on her holiday with her OH- not good They disappeared in one sitting (6 packets) so I bought another 6 pack ready for my friend when she came to visit for the weekend and the same thing happened again so I didn't buy anymore- I would have been well within my maintenance range by now if I hadn't given in to the crisps bingex2! The one good thing about house and dog sitting for my sister is that she lives in a village with no shops, the nearest is 5m away so whenever I got the munchies in the evening I had to work through it since I couldn't do anything about it
Oh dear re the crisp temptation! I think a chat to your sister may be in order re the crisps. At least you were able to stay on track in the evenings 👍
Hi elliebath Welcome to November maintainers and thanks for posting. Your maintaining record is amazing and hats off to you for the walking. I'm afraid I'm a lazy mare and can't motivate myself to exercise especially on days like today when its lashing down outside My weights were similar to yours. I stopped at 9st 7 and managed to maintain that or there abouts for about 20 months. Now I've started to creep up, not quite to 10st yet. I so don't want to gain all the weight I've lost but I know that somewhere along the way I've lost the mind set. One of life's pleasures is meeting up with friends for a drink, so have fun and enjoy that.
What a beautiful photo you've used. I haven't found maintaining easy but I've no desire to put all the weight back on that I lost. I was 14 1/2 stones at my heaviest and as I'm only 5ft 3ins, that was a lot of weight. I intend coming onto this site more often because I know that will help me.
Fortunately for me, I love soups and stews. I love my soupmaker as it's so quick to make soups and stews in that. I'm on the weight loss challenge at the moment. I do experience a bit of emotional eating from time to time but only to a certain extent and that is getting a lot better than it was. I had to give away most of my clothes to charity shops as I was size 22 at my heaviest. I'm now 12/14. I don't want to go through all that again. In addition to that, I feel so much better and have more confidence. I also have much more energy now. I do a lot of gardening and can work for much longer now at one time. Amazing improvement that I've now got used to.
People who haven't seen me for several years are amazed by the difference. I had close family to stay with me last month and it was 2019 when I last saw them and they were amazed by the difference. It is good for each one of us to make the very best of ourselves.
When I was at my heaviest my blood pressure was at the upper end of normal and I was told by the doctor that it is now text book range and that is without medication. So many advantages to losing weight. I also enjoy choosing clothes now.
I also love salads at any time of the year along with a baked potato.
So good to hear from you lea57-49r . Thanks for checking into the maintainers thread. I'm glad you like the photo. It was taken by a photographer local to me. Its of a walk called the seven bridges which is close to Fountains Abbey. I chose it because it looks so Autumnal.
You've done really well with your weight loss and maintaining it. I'm 5ft 3 ins too and would like to stay around 9st 7lbs. Unfortunately I'm finding that a bit challenging at the moment. It sounds as though you're looking amazing . Isn't it brilliant to go in a clothes shop and know you've got lots of choice because everything will fit you? I need to keep hold of that feeling.
As for soups I love them too and my husband says he could live on soup. I made leek and potato yesterday and we've had it for lunch today. Keep up the good work.
Oh your leek and potato soup is making my mouth water. I really enjoy my food now and that makes a huge difference. Yes I too would like to stay around 9st 7lbs. When I was a size 22, a lot of shops didn't stock that size so I was limited in what I could get so yes I heartily agree with you that we have a much wider choice now and that is what inspires me too. I also feel much more comfortable with the lower weight.
Hi congratulations on loosing weight and I agree maintaining is a lot more challenging in different ways, because you know the changes you have made is for life. I bet it was lovely to look at the clothes you used to wear compared to what you now wear
Hello how is your first hosting experience going? Well I have been away from home for most of this month I don't return home until 4th December. I have been visiting my parents for a couple of days and I'll go again in a couple of days after my sister and her OH returns from a nearly 3 weeks holiday. I was house and dog sitting for them- today is my last full day since they return tomorrow mid-morning. I put on 1.5kg at my parents (according to my sister's scales) and with all the dog walking I have been doing and being back in control on what I'm eating I have lost 2kg and have got back into my maintenance range (55kg). To take some pressure off my sister I have prepared meals and will do some essential food shopping and the big weekly cleaning jobs, so she won't need to do anything (apart from the alternate day hoovering if the living room) until the weekend at least I am hoping to get down to the mid point in my maintenance range before I go to my parents when I will not be in control of my meals so likely to put on weight, though I plan to fit in daily walks🤞 It will be interesting to see what my own scales tell me on the 5th Dec- hopefully it won't be too bad
Hi RG07 . Thanks for logging in to the November Maintainers. You've done amazingly well to lose 2kg while away and getting back into your maintenance range. I'm jealous. lol. It sounds like you've done a good job of taking care of your sisters house and dog. How lovely to come back home to meals prepared and the house clean. In fact you can come round to mine any time. 😊 It looks as though you'll have a bit of a safety margin weightwise as well for when you visit your parents. Well done you. As for me hosting for the first time it's been really nice to touch base with everyone and read their news. I just hope I've done ok. Fingers crossed that you're own scales are kind when you get home.
Well when my BiL has weighed himself in the past at mine he said he likes my scales! So 🤞I will have a good result when I weigh myself on my own scales next week. With regard to the housework- I have enough problems doing my own but my sister is such a stickler- has specific cloths for specific jobs so I need to be on top form! If she wants to do it all this week that is up to her- I won’t take it too personally😒
Its my last day hosting today. So I'd like to thank all you maintainers. I've enjoyed it and all the chat about soups and eating lots of plants etc has been inspiring for me. So thank you all for your contributions. I'm still the same weight as I was at the beginning of the month. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I'm still in my range...........just. 😊
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They disappeared in one sitting (6 packets) so I bought another 6 pack ready for my friend when she came to visit for the weekend and the same thing happened again so I didn't buy anymore- I would have been well within my maintenance range by now if I hadn't given in to the crisps bingex2! The one good thing about house and dog sitting for my sister is that she lives in a village with no shops, the nearest is 5m away so whenever I got the munchies in the evening I had to work through it since I couldn't do anything about it
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