This new lifestyle that we committed to isn’t easy. Losing was easy. Maintaining is hard. Let’s face it, we have (probably) all failed many times with other weight loss programs, and we’re seeing higher degrees of success with this one, so let’s celebrate that.Chrissie you are an inspiration to the rest of us and thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience with us.
No, you are not a failure if you put on weight during and after completing maintenance. That’s what you’re supposed to do. The key is recognizing and reacting in a timely manner.
I suck at that. I always go to the point where my pants feel like they’re splitting me in two before I jump back into the river. I just so enjoy my wine and cocktails, and bread, and occasional bites of sweets… that become more and more in volume and frequency... that I delude myself into thinking that I can enjoy them without consequence. I deserve to enjoy them after all the hard work I did. WRONG. I can’t stay fit and healthy by repeating my failed patters of yesteryear.
My 3+ year maintenance pattern has been:
If I could only react more quickly it would never be so hard. I refuse to think of this as failure though because each time, when I’ve made the commitment to myself, I have honored it without a single cheat - ever. And I've never been to a refresher. I am a stubborn woman who refuses to quit on myself. But I need to work on my reaction time.
- Lose in the river for 2-3 months,
- Put it back on over the next 4-6 months,
- Start over.
I think that it’s important for each of us to stop thinking of ourselves as failures because we have to return to the river. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Julie said that she also returns 2-3 times/year, and she’s been at this for many years.
Losing weight is easy. Keeping it off is very hard. But I’m not giving up. Are you?
The afterlife is not just some far away dream, but it takes making the right choices to transform this dream into reality. Life is full of choices and we get to choose what our life looks and feels like. If your life feels like a black and white movie screen, perhaps it's time to make other choices to change your perspective.
This is exactly where I am. Chrissie is SO right.....it was like I was writing that piece. Working on my "Reaction Time" is "The Key". I so need to do it sooner, also. And I wouldn't have to spend so much time "in the river" It's been a little over 2 yrs. for me. Been in the "After Life" since last July. My goal is to lessen my "reaction time". Right now, working on the 1/2 size I still need to be back to my fittest.
ReplyDeleteI have a non-Key friend who lost weight in a very similar program many years ago. She has developed a system that works for her. She has decided to give herself 2 or 3 "sweet days" per month. Every month. No carry-overs to make a month of days in December! She does sometimes have her days at the end of one month and the beginning of the next. But never more than 5 or 6 days in a row. She plans for it. Cooks for it. And if she craves something at other times, she writes it down for a Sweet Day. This has worked very well for her, and seems to figure in to the Key philosophy, as by the time her Sweet Days are over, she is feeling her clothing get a bit tight. She then goes back to her program until her next SD.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Momomig. Each of us learns what works for us to maintain our weight. I'm glad your friend has found a method that works for her. Her system is similar to the "The Day-Off Diet" Dr. Oz talked about on his show recently.
DeleteI don't speak for Julie, and I don't work for her, but I know this is not a "system" Julie would support. This is what Julie refers to as a "third program," which is when people add foods that are not on her program.
However, I am supportive of anyone successful on maintaining their weight loss!
I absolutely agree, Theresa. We really don't need/want a "third program." My point was that my friend has learned that when she introduces new foods, it really only takes a few days for her clothing to get tight. She then backs off those foods. Perhaps my understanding of maintenance is off, as it has been a long time since my sessions, but I thought we were to gradually add in starches and whole grains, beginning with potato. Had I gone back into the river when my pants first got tight, I would have been much better off.
ReplyDeleteThanks Momomig! While I'm have not gone through maintenance, here's my understanding from I've learned from my sessions with Julie and key-friends who have successfully done maintenance...
DeleteYes, your understanding of maintenance is correct. We have a specific order to follow as to what foods to add back to our diet during the maintenance phase of this program, including how often, how much, and even what time of day is best/worse.
How long we continue those foods is clear: when our clothes feel tight, go back in the river until they are loose again. Then move on to the next phase of maintenance.
Introducing new foods during maintenance affects people in different ways. Some continue to lose weight, which we all wish would happen to us! Others learn that some of these new foods become triggers for them, making them have insane cravings. While others, like your friend, find some of those foods put weight back on quickly.
We need to notice what's happening as we progress through maintenance and deal with issues that happen. If certain foods make us have insane cravings or quick weight gain, then we may need to consider limiting those foods or not having them at all.
And yes - we need to get back in the river when our pants first become tight!
The consequence of ignoring all of the above is gaining weight.