Confession time.. struggling with maintenance

[Yvonne]

Confession time..or should I say a lesson learnt?

Last summer I was more or less maintenance weight, being 58 kilos after being nearly 85 for so long this was great!  Okay still had a kilo or two I could have shed but for my age, height etc 58 was okay...want it?

Going into winter I still felt good, for the first time in what seemed decades I bought straight legged pants to wear, no more baggy sweatpants with elastic tops..and yes there was a little more weight there than had been in January but it would come off over winter, wouldnt it?

No way was I going to gain any more, for the first time I had no sore hips or swollen ankles, I had collar bones again

A few weeks ago I realised that the 58 was now 62 kilos so time to slow down..but summer is coming...soon be back under 60 kilos..no problems

This morning armed with the tape measure I placed an order for a couple of items of clothing from a catalogue..looking back at January's measurements I realised that the bits that did measure under 100 cm then where now well over that mark... I realised that if I dont stop ..procrastinating (is that the word I wont) I am going to end up by the end of this year a whole lot heavier than I want to be!

I cant keep thinking the next season will do the trick..I have to stop (or cook less) homebaking for the family, they are adults and will benefit from less sweet treats..plain biscuits bought from the supermarket will do them fine..and I have to stop the cold glass of beer or wine while I make dinner at night..most time leads to two and then in the evening I eat whatever is handy...I guess some of you know what I mean

I cant just rely on recipes chosen from KK cookbooks or the latest weight watchers magazine and my daily walk I have to really really try!  No one else can control what I eat...

Well thats it confession time over..I know what I am doing wrong and have to put a stop to it...anyone else struggling with maintenace?

[Kiwismum]

I can relate totally. A few years ago I smashed up my foot and was totally inactive(not by choice) for four months. That is when I discovered that when you can't move you also can't eat little enough to not put on weight.

Well to make a long story short, I did lose it all but it also took a few years and here I am trying to lose again.

I promised myself that I would not let myself put it on, but it does creep up slowly, then it was I will not let myself get over 70kg. But yep you guessed it, I watched the scales creep up, was good all week but come the weekend ate what hubby wanted and so undid all my good work.

Hitting 75kg was my wakeup call and I realised that I needed accountability to make sure I didn't give up. Thats when I signed up for the online, and discovered that Carolyn really does read the daily menus. What better way to keep on track.

Anyway I think you are doing the right thing by addressing this now before it gets any higher, sometime only a few kgs is harder, but if not addressed those 4 kg will multiply.

Having a glass of wine or two is ok as long as you allow for it, but those cold potatoes in the middle of the night might need to go

Just a side note, why do the others need sweet biscuits, and why can't they do there oen baking?

[Yvonne]

That mist have been so hard!  Four months of being inactive...cannot imagine how hard it must have been for you...

I love cooking KM and baking is just part of it..guess I grew up in a generation when the cake tin was full but you didnt buy biscuits from the grocer..

Unfortunately husband is good at baking too..last shopping day he bought a tin of caramel condensed milk with a recipe in mind...the rest of the family arent fruit eaters so for morning or afternoon tea like a biscuit...specially my daughter who is more than capable of cooking  slices,cakes, biscuits  full of chocolate etc...she trained as a chef before deciding to help her father in the confectionery business..if those sort of things arent in the pantry I am not going to eat them..and both she and her dad could lose some weight as well so wont hurt them to go without

I dont know, you may, does Caroline have a maintenance 'class online"?  I think it would be too expensive at present...I just joined for the recipes...and yes I so agree writing it down and showing what you have eaten during a day does help keep you honest.

I think instead of allowing for a wine or two I would rather have a 'legal snack' during the evening..but not cold roast spuds with salt and pepper...that little snack was about midnight!

Being good during the week and falling apart on the weekend is my failing too...during the actual day its no problem...but evening and weekends can be disaster..last nights dinner was husbands favourite belly pork roasted with all that crackling!  He likes to cook that a couple of times a month...

Didnt bother with the broccoli potato mash..did the veg separate..mashed potatoes got a splash of low fat milk and a little horse radish cream...

[Kiwismum]

You sound like me in your eating. I am married to the original junk food king. His idea of cooking is to go and pick up takeaways.

It must be hard with all that sweet stuff around, maybe for a while they can make things that you don't like and then they can have their sweet stuff and you can stay on track.

Sometimes it is hard to stop at just one cookie, I try very hard but sometimes it does get out of hand.

[Yvonne]

I am just so glad we are no longer in the confectionery distribution business..we still get bags of free samples sent to us but its bubble gum and sour snakes etc..stuff none of us eat...why cant we be sent chocolates!!!!

I think plainer bikkies in the tin will keep everyone happy

[Kiwismum]

Sounds like you are well on your way to a solution.

In our house hubby often comes home with chocolate, potato chips and/or lollies.

It does make it hard when they are always being offered to you, I don't think there is ever a time when we don't have these things in the house.

[Yvonne]

Thankfully my daughter keeps chocolate and potato chips in a container by her computer and as its her stash I wouldnt eat it..now and again we have chocolate chips for cooking..otherwise thats one temptation I dont have...

What temptations do others face?

[Kiwismum]

Hmmm In thinking about this I think my biggest challenge is my hubby

He has a generous heart and likes to share, and also has a saying.... "You can't be finished, you still have food on your plate.."

Needless to say he needs to lose some and in fact seems to be expanding rather than shrinking. He has trouble leaving food and can't understand how you don't need to eat everything on the plate. And of course there is the whole come home in the evening with a little treat, usually chocolate or lollies. And of course he has to have his supply of larger chocolate bars and potato chips, in case he feels peekish.

It makes it all very difficult sometimes as all this is always here and as fast I get rid of it he replaces it.

But I am pleased to announce that I think we have a packet of potato chips that have gone stale

[Yvonne]

Stale potato chips..well, you could crumble them with a little cheese as a topping for a casserole   use them as a crumb coating?  or feed them to the pigs?

Lovely day here, have taken advantage and washed the sofa covers free of doggy foot prints..yes my lazy long haired layabouts are allowed on the sofa

Have put my itchy girl Lisa through the hydrabath so time now to go and blow dry her then as a reward for being good will take her for a walk before lunch..will go for a longer one after lunch...

Have made a rough two week plan for my shopping list on Saturday. using KK recipes, Mad Butcher has chicken on special so will use that as a base for meals with a few beef ones form the freezer, one calazone type pizza night and one frittata night..I think...weekends belong to husband so have little control over those..

Hope other KK people are having the same great weather  we are...

[lynda]

Hi there again.
Wow, I don't want to confess. I originally got to goal in two years (28 kilos) without a gain.  However that was in 2000 and it slowly but surely has virtually all gone back on.  When I am focussed you can't faze me, which I proved in my first loss.  When we went to Europe for 14 weeks I proved I could lose weight on holiday - 6 kilos - the joys of not being in the kitchen at all, but making healthy choices at all mealtimes - and not going without anything that I really wanted.  Also, having husband around for 14 weeks who does not eat rubbish or pick was a great help!!!

I am back on track.  My meals are what they should be but its the other bits that sneak in when you aren't quite thinking. I am not usually an "after dinner" snacker as my dad drove me mad wtih that, but afternoon is my biggest trouble time.  I have been throwing in all my snacks from after lunch to 5.30 to get me through and it did on the 2.6k weight loss week.

Oh, drat - I was down 500 last night, forgot to report and even after a weekend away!!

So, yes I know what its like and for me, the "weigh in" is the thing that keeps me on track.  I have to be accountable, not just to myself but the person weighin me.  Pathetic really when I think about it, but true!!!

But honestly, I love the classes anyway and they get me out of home one night a week and I don't cook dinner or do the clean up!!!

[Yvonne]

Good for you Lynda..a weekend away and a weight loss, you cant complain about that!  Hope the weekend was enjoyable.  Keeping this short at present in case we lose internet comnnections again!  Yvonne