When to take maintenance breaks and work travel question
Hello! Thank you for the opportunity to ask my question! Over the past 4 years I’ve gained back the 50 lbs I’d lost in 2012. I’m focusing on my healthy habits & I’m down 5 lbs. while I maintained for years, it always felt like a struggle. This time I want to take it slow and take maintenance breaks along the way. What type of maintenance break schedule would you recommend? I’m 42 years old, 5’6”, 195 lbs. I’m trying to figure out if I should take a break after every 10 lbs lost or maybe after every 2-3 months. Should it be a 2 week or 4 week break? Or longer? Additionally, I have a work trip coming up in 6 weeks (my first since before 2020!) where I’ll be eating restaurant/hotel food for 4 days. Should I try a maintenance break during that time? Thank you very much, Alicia
sad about saying goodbye to eating to soothe anxiety
Hi Heather First I want to start by thanking you for all the work you do. I've been listening to the podcast every day for almost 6 months, plus going through your you tube channel, doing all the things and it's been life changing. I'll be joining the community for sure soon. You do such important work Thank you! I lost 25 pounds last year on WW and have been maintaining for almost a year - and found you just in time. WW wasn't cutting it for maintenance and you are a breath of fresh air! Anyway, here's my question I'm coming to terms with having limits on food without that dopamine hit of the scale going down and have. noticed some things. I struggle with anxiety and am now much more aware of how I've used food as a coping mechanism to self-soothe and calm my busy mind. I'm making progress but have also realized that I feel a bit of grief around letting that go. Finding things besides food to deal with anxiety feels like saying goodbye to a good friend. Can you please talk about that a bit? Share your insights on the process? Colleen
Hunger and fullness versus calorie counting
Hi Heather, thank you so much for your advice and the opportunity to speak to you, this helped a lot! Now I find myself confronted with another dilemma. I first worked on my binge eating and emotional eating for 14 years before I started with a calorie limit again one year ago. The thing is, the limit turns into a target and I tend to eat all the calories even if I am not hungry anymore. Relying only on hunger and fullness helped to maintain but not for weight loss, but having a calorie number seems to outweigh the bodily cues, I guess this is a mind thing. I would like to combine the both, to have a limit to promote weight loss and to pay attention to my body and not eat more just because I can. I don’t seem to find a solution to this, any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you, Candida
I can’t Decide What I Want to Eat
I paper/pencil plan every morning- and track my calories- I am in maintenance at around 135 - I have been lower in my life but this weight keeps me at a happy medium sized 8/10. My problem is I can no seem to decide what I want to eat when I’m planning- At 5am - All I want is coffee- nothing sounds good - When I get hungry at 7am - Then I can decide- I have written down 12 different breakfast options to choose from - most are definitely healthier options and fit into my goals Lunch on work days is very easy- I prep - but weekends… same - I usually have no clue in the morning what I’m going to want (I live alone) - It could be just cheese and crackers- or a can of tuna with Avocado- Or I could pick up something if I’m out Dinners - same problem- I try to have stuff on hand - frozen meals- bag veggies - I’m tired and not going to cook - I can pick up something- and that can be 2 meals -(Longhorns pork chops are 3 meals) I want to follow this plan - but how do I decide?
Continuing to Lose After Ending Weight Loss Injections
Hi Heather, I just completed an 8 month journey on weight loss injections. I had lost almost 40 lbs, but I had a falling out with my provider over some concerns about my blood work. I wasn’t planning on being on them for the long term due to cost, so I’m ok to have stopped. My concern now is that the food noise is starting to come back as well as the fearful thoughts I have over the possibility of gaining it back. I did meet with a dietitian and have established a calorie goal and some other goals around healthier eating habits. I’ve also addressed this in counseling. I just have always had trouble sticking with a plan and am concerned about slipping back into old habits. I know this is probably a problem with my thoughts and was wondering if you have any resources or podcast episodes that may be helpful as I move forward. I have considered joining the Academy, but again am fearful it would be one more thing I start and don’t use. I have really enjoyed listening to your podcast as I have started to navigate this next leg of my journey. Thanks so much! -Kelly