I was thinking that I am around the two month marker since I hit goal and entered into transition from the Optifast products and now back to "real" food. As you can easily tell from reading my posts, this has been a very difficult time for me, particularly emotionally. My anxiety has, at times, been through the roof and I've been contending with scale and calorie-counting obsessions. Sure, I'm holding, for the most part, dead even on 157 lbs. but it is coming at a cost.
Many questions have emerged: Is something like this inevitable when you drop lots of weight in a very short period of time? Am I alone in going through all of this? Was there any way I could have prepared for this in advance? Will this "insanity" ever end?
I really want to underscore my belief that there is a whole heck of lot involved in maintaining your weight after reaching goal and ending the Optifasting It goes well above and beyond what the clinic teaches you about watching calories and exercising. Folks, this is really hard work right now -- for me -- and I know without a doubt I did not anticipate the intensity of it all when I started the program. I plunged in head first, determined to get my 80 lbs. off. Yes, I was constantly reading how challenging maintenance is, and how many people fail at sticking to it. And now I am facing it head-on and everything about these "warnings" makes sense.
As far as keeping my weight steady, here's what I am doing at this juncture:
1. I eat pretty much the same thing every day, with a few variations. I focus on eating "bulky" things high in fiber and protein; lots of fresh vegetables especially green leafy ones; yogurt; and whole grain carbs.
2. I rarely exceed the recommended calorie, carb, fat and sodium intake limit for me on MyFitnessPal.
3. I do not set one foot in any fast food establishment. If I crave a hamburger, like I did yesterday, I go to the butcher and get some ultra lean ground beef and make a hamburger patty at home.
4. I go out to eat at a restaurant once a week to enjoy myself and prevent binges and a total collapse of my program. I try to watch what I order closely, because I have felt ill from rich foods in the past.
5. I stay very close to the clinic, weighing in once a week; having a private session with the nutritionist roughly every three weeks; and attend the monthly maintenance class.
6. I walk the dogs at least 30 minutes a day.
7. I have a "sweet treat" every night: A "concoction" made from no-fat yogurt; Fiber One cereal; almonds; and 1 Ghiradelli dark chocolate square broken into bits. I like a sweet treat every night, and this does the trick. Plus it keeps me "regular." Which I like!
As far as keeping my emotions under control:
1. I see a psychologist once a week.
2. I take doctor-prescribed medication for anxiety.
3. I only weigh in the morning now, not at night too.
4. I lean heavily on a support system comprised of my family, clinic friends, and my Internet friends.
5. When I am shaky, I will email the nutritionists at the clinic for advice.
And most importantly, as far as celebrating goes:
1. I got my hair colored and cut and it looks beautiful!
2. I am purchasing beautiful new clothes and feel like a million bucks wearing them!
So this is where things stand today. I definitely have goals I want to aim for i.e. more exercise (I am working with the clinic on that), a more varied, interesting diet, and perhaps even getting to the point where I only need to weigh once a week. I don't know about that last one, as certainty is pretty darn important to me right now, and I'm terrified of getting out of control and gaining. But it's something I am shooting for.
I am trying to remember that all of this takes practice; that I am very new to maintenance; that I never had to watch what I ate so closely. This is new, foreign territory, and I need to get my bearings straight. I need to be patient, to try and relax a little bit more, to nurture myself when I can. One day at a time, I'm getting into the groove of things. I've come a long, long way. Much has been accomplished. Forward I now go. Into the happy, healthy future.
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