Eight Months Of Maintenance: Reflections

Onward Little Warrior!

Okay, I may be getting the hang of this. I say this cautiously, but I am feeling optimistic this morning. I've completed the first eight months of my Optifast maintenance journey, and much has been learned -- good and bad -- and I'm still hanging in there. I wanted to share with you a "summary" of what I am doing, what is working for me. This routine is certainly not for everyone, but if I follow it, I hold on average about 10-12 lbs. over goal:

1. Eat similar things every day (dinner excluded -- change that up). Schedule is breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, snack.

Breakfast: 1/2 c. quick-cook oatmeal prepared with 1/2 c. skim milk and 1/2 c. water. One tbsp. pure Vermont maple syrup and 1 tbsp. almond slices mixed in.

Lunch: 2 oz. lean turkey deli meat, 1/2 slice cheese, mustard on Brownberry Sandwich Thin; 1/2 c. low fat cottage cheese; 6-8 oz. low sodium V-8 vegetable juice.

Afternoon snack: small apple and part-skim mozzarella cheese stick

Dinner: varies -- 300-400 calories 5 days a week; 400-600 calories 2 days a week

Evening snack: 1 c. Fiber One cereal mixed with 1/2 c. no-fat yogurt, almonds, berries or peaches and Splenda.

2. Walk 1-2 miles a day.

3. Fiber-based diet. The dinners I cook emphasize high fiber/high protein; low sodium and low calories. I notice if I don't have my Fiber One cereal at night my weight will go up and it opens the door to night grazing and waking up in the middle of the night and eating.

4. In depth reading/study of emotional eating behavior and how to correct it. This has been on-going ever since I started Optifasting. I know I overeat for emotional reasons -- bored, angry, stressed, anxious, celebrating, depressed, etc. etc. -- and I am getting the tools to process my feelings in ways that do not involve food.

5. Weigh in/attend class at clinic once a week. This is critical for me. My weight is recorded in my official file. I also get the chance to see my friends there and have sessions with the staff.

6. Visit and post in the Facebook Optifast groups every day. I am guaranteed support 24/7.

7. I can now "eyeball" my portions, but every few days I measure my servings. This was a suggestion from Millie, my nutritionist. I need to be careful my portion sizes don't grow. That can happen very, very easily.

8. Follow the "80/20" rule -- ease up on two dinners a week. I take in more calories, and I need to watch my portion size, but honestly these dinners keep me sane. I love them, I need them.

Following all these steps, I have held on average around 10-12 lbs. (on my scale) over goal for 3 months. The first 5 months of maintenance I held on average right at goal, but then my weight started creeping up. I had medicine increased but I am also convinced this inevitably happens, as your stomach expands post-product and you take in more food to fill it.

I also know now that I am very salt-sensitive: If I have salty foods, the next day my weight will swing up and it takes about 5 days to bring it back down. I'm getting much better at not panicking when this happens. It's taken some time, but I'm getting there.

By far, my greatest struggle, my greatest source of anxiety and frustration is the scale. You know this already. I am trying to build a more "healthy relationship" with it. Like other things, this will take time and the clinic is helping. I now stand with my back to the scale at my official weigh-ins, and I made it through two days this week with no weighing. This is a major accomplishment for me. I will keep working in this area -- we all have crosses to bear and this is mine.

So this is where things stand right now. I feel pretty darn good about it. This "Little Warrior" is fighting the good fight. Onward we march!