Getting Comfortable With The "Range"

Back and forth...

Looking back on the 3 1/2 months of my maintenance program, I'm beginning to see that my weight appears to hover somewhere in a five pound "range." By this I mean I can typically expect to weigh between 155 - 160 lbs. IF I keep my calories counted and tightly managed, but also allow myself to have a meal out once a week. As you know, I'd feel totally relaxed if I just stayed at one number, but that of course is impossible. So it comes down to getting comfortable with this range and not panicking if I get on the high or low ends of the spectrum.

Accepting the range has been somewhat difficult for me, mostly because I have never dieted before, never counted calories, never monitored what and how much I eat, never weighed myself on a regular basis. This is all so new, so foreign -- it's like learning a new language, in a way. I know intuitively that my weight will fluctuate day to day, but when I get on the scale each morning, I seem to forget logic. But I am finding over time that I am getting into the swing of things and my weigh-ins are becoming a little bit easier.

Now as I mentioned, I have to really manage my calories to stay within this range. What is working for me is to eat a similar menu every day -- which some might find unfeasible/unappealing. I really like things this way, and I don't (at this point in time) seem to get bored with my routine. I like eating my oatmeal breakfast; my lunch of 1/2 pita sandwich with low-sodium turkey, a side of no salt 1% cottage cheese and some low sodium V-8; my apple and string cheese for my afternoon snack; and Fiber One/ no fat yogurt/almonds/berries for my evening snack.

Keep in mind, for years and years I never ate breakfast, lunch and two healthy, low calorie snacks at all. I just had a huge dinner and grazed all night. So this is a vast improvement, even if it is repetitive. It's like my Optifast routine -- the same products every day. It feels safe and comfortable. Which I need right now. Some flexibility does come in at dinner time. I switch up my proteins, vegetables and whole wheat carbs daily. I know this influences the range, but I do like changing up something every day -- plus it keeps me sane (wink, wink).

I will say that holding my range is not the easiest thing in the world. This "rigidity" I have embraced can be hard sometimes to keep implemented. Case in point the cheese incident two days ago, and recently, the boss at the office ordered pizza for everyone and it was awkward and difficult saying "no." Curve balls are everywhere, and it's impossible to accurately predict when they will be thrown. But I'm holding my own right now, so that's good.  

So when you enter maintenance, be prepared for the strong possibility you will have a "range" as well. As is the case with me, if you creep out of this range either way, tighten things up a little bit and get back into the acceptable zone. I am vigilant about this -- particularly if I hit 160 lbs. at my morning weigh-in. I don't want things to quickly escalate out of control. I invested too much time, effort and money to see everything blow up in my face. So work on this I do.

As always, I'm a work in progress. But things are getting easier every day. After all, this is simply about practice, not perfection. Slowly, I am starting to trust myself and my decision-making when it comes to my eating. And that's entirely acceptable at this juncture. One foot in front of the other, I'm making progress. Which is great!