a little hope, laughter and love

Having recently lost my 40th pound this summer really made something hit home with me. How in the hell am I going to maintain this? I’ve never lost so much weight at one time. The results have been dramatic. They have been inspiring. They have been all-consuming this summer. And they’ve made me a new man. In all honestly I don’t really see that much of a difference when I look in the mirror. I still look the same way…weird huh? I almost feel like Neo from The Matrix when he realizes that the image of himself while in the Matrix has none of the holes in the back of his neck and body. It’s an image his mind remembers about himself..not the actual way he looks.

So I needed to go about making some changes now that I’ve made some big changes to my health and body. How to transition from losing weight to maintaining this lifestyle. First I had to get past the idea of maintaining being a bad word. I get bored easily. Maintaining anything means to me that I’ll eventually get bored with it and have to start all over again. I’ve had to deal with this my whole life really. Here are some common definitions of Maintain:

1. to keep in an existing state (as of repair, efficiency, or validity) : preserve from failure or decline
2. to sustain against opposition or danger : uphold and defend
3. to continue or persevere in : carry on, keep up
4. a.to support or provide for
b.sustain
5. to affirm in or as if in argument : assert

I’m providing the definitions to just drive a point home that maintaining things has been, for me, a boring concept…something I can’t keep up with…that failure is imminent. So I’ve had to re-define for myself what is meant by maintaining my health and recent weight loss. I’m still doing this work and I’ll share with you when I’ve got it.  The work doesn’t stop after you’ve reached your goal. However, making the transition doesn’t have to be difficult. You’ll continue following many of the same guidelines as you did while you were actively losing weight. Here’s how to transition from losing weight to maintaining your weight.

Figure out Your Calorie Needs

When you’re in weight loss mode, you’re looking to cut back on calories. Now that you’re simply trying to maintain your weight you loosen up a little. It’s important to figure out how many calories (approximately) your body needs to stay at your current weight. There are a number of free calorie calculators available online to calculate this number for you (check out FitDay.com). By entering in your height, age, current weight and activity level, the calculator will give you a number. Use this as a guideline in determining how much you need to exercise each week (and whether you can go back to indulging in that daily Starbucks Mocha).

Keep Eating Healthy, but Ease Up

Depending on how much you exercised during your weight loss process, you probably consumed anywhere between 1,200 and 1,800 calories per day. When you’re maintaining your weight you can feel free to eat more, but within reason. It’s a good idea to continue with your healthy eating habits formed during the weight loss process. Still focus on eating mostly clean foods like fruit, vegetables and lean meats, and avoid eating junk foods and empty calories. What you eat has more of an effect on your weight than anything else. Keeping your diet healthy overall gives you wiggle room to enjoy a dessert a couple of times a week without adding to your middle section.

Scale Back on the Workouts

Now that you’re trying to maintain your weight you can scale back both the number and the intensity of the workouts. Going to the gym six days a week isn’t really a necessity anymore. While it will depend on your personal preference, you can hit the gym several days a week and find less intense ways to be active on the days you don’t go (like taking evening walks). It’s important to stay active on some level in order to maintain your weight. However, watching what you eat is the more critical component to your maintenance efforts.

Keep the Healthy State of Mind

Above anything else, the most important thing you can do as you’re transitioning from losing weight to maintaining weight is to think of the entire process as a lifestyle change. You didn’t make it this far to go back to your old ways. Make the commitment to yourself to put your health first. You’ll continue to live the way you did when you were trying to lose weight (exercising, eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep) but with less rigor.

It may take a little trial and error until you find the right balance of exercise and revised eating habits. With a little work you’ll figure out what you need to be doing to maintain your weight.

Portions of this article were taken from different places I found on the web.  The best one I found was from 3 Fat Chicks.  Thanks for reading and I’ll keep you updated and keep sharing the progress and love!

Here’s an after shot taken before heading to the gym for my weigh in.  The belt around my waist has to be folded under a lot because nothing I’m buying is fitting for long.  Let’s see how this continues to work.  Sharing my pictures feels so vulnerable…but I think necessary for people to really get a sense of what is possible.  Lord knows I’m not sharing for ANY other reason!  The first pic is of me on my way to the gym to be weighed.  The middle picture is about 6 months…I was pretty close to my heaviest weight.  The other pic was taken this morning.

I stopped caring about my weight in 2001.  I remember running the day before 9/11.  I think I even remember running through the Montrose area the day after and remember looking up at the sky and it being so quiet.  There were no planes allowed in the air and it was quiet.  I always brought $5 with me to buy a bottle of water or a watermelon Gatorade when I got to the little store on Westheimer.  It wasn’t much.  But this was my routine.  I can still remember the taste of the Gatorade on some days…even though they don’t make that flavor anymore.  

I was really stressed during this time of my life.  Even though I had a pretty good job that I somewhat enjoyed, I knew it was time for a change.  I lost my job by the end of September.  I’d like to say it was because of the economy crashing or that parties were being cancelled…even though this was true.  I got fired but I wasn’t afraid for some reason.  I even ended the call I was on with the employment office to file for unemployment benefits.  I drove over to Copy.Com in the Montrose and I sat at the counter and thumbed through a book of artwork to choose the new logo of my new catering company I would start.  I continued my exercise and eating well through this difficult time.  But, something changed.  By the end of October I was eating fast food.  By the end of November I had stopped running.  By New Years Eve I had gained several pounds but I wasn’t terribly unhappy.  I just felt depressed in ways I had not thought imaginable.  Maybe it was the shock of all that horrible stuff that happened on 9/11.  Maybe it was losing my job.  Maybe it was all the crummy stuff I had to deal with during that time of my life….but the bottom line is I simply stopped caring about my self.

Two months ago I stopped drinking Diet Coke.  I weighed about 265 pounds.  I felt dead on the inside…but I kept going on with my life.  I wasn’t particularly unhappy; just not happy.  I stopped drinking Diet Coke because the pain I had in my body wouldn’t subside no matter how many pills I’d take.  So I started drinking water and stopped the sodas.  I had to try something…anything.  A few weeks after stopping the sodas, I started to feel less bloated and less swollen around my joints and knees.  My doctor gave me more encouragement to work out with a personal trainer by giving me a gift card and a phone number to Tom Jackobs here in Houston.  He was a personal trainer who is also an author who wrote Get Off Your Butt and Do Something.  Tom and I met one day in his office and I was really nervous.  But he was so understanding and patient with me that I soon found myself willing.  I was willing to make a change in my life.  But not just a quick change that would be a quick fix…but like a permanent change for my life.  I’d not felt this certain about making changes for my life since I got sober over 14 years ago.  I’m not sure what switch got flipped while I talked with him, but I’m glad it did.

Since that day I’ve worked out at least two times a week at Tom’s gym.  The trainers are really so nice, but they push me and give me encouragement. Rayme has been my favorite since I joined.  I feel safe with her and like I have a partner…I’m not alone.  Tom is there most of the time and we say hello…I feel like he’s always rooting for me even if he doesn’t actually say it in those words.

I’ve found a new love of Memorial Park and the track around Rice University.  Three miles that I’ve gotten down to about 43 minutes.  I started at an hour.  But I’ve walked faster and faster every time.  I actually started to run yesterday…my body felt lighter and like I could handle it.

I weighed myself this morning.  I weigh 240 pounds.  I expect that I’ll break into the 230′s this week and I can actually see the 220′s in my view.  My body is looking good…and I’m getting compliments now.  Monday starts The Meltdown Challenge with Tom.  There are 10 people in the challenge and the winner gets a pretty cool prize.  Tomorrow I’ll be planning out my meals and portioning foods.  I’m excited and even a little scared.  I’m writing this post because I have to make it public what I’m dealing with and what I’m going through.  I know it will help other people.  I know it’s helped me.  The challenge is for 28 days.  Since this is my birthday month (on the 10th) I thought it would be a great way to celebrate.  My goal is to lose 20 pounds.  I haven’t seen 220 pounds since 2001, but I know it’s coming again.  I’ll keep posting my progress and challenges and I hope you’ll support me in this.  The weight thing is just really for fun.  My feeling good is most important to me these days.  And I feel good.

I’ll write again this week to update you.  If you have questions about what I’m doing or want to encourage or support or even play with me…I would really love that!  Feel free to email me or message me here.  I’ll share whatever I can so that we all win.  Thanks in advance for your love and support!