Staying Motivated for the Long Haul

@lcamino, Lynn, Thanks for the update, and the inspiration! I agree that having a 'buddy' is terrific, especially when it is your spouse!
My husband and I have been going to the gym together, but each doing our own routine - it keeps us going regularly. So many of my friends have quit going. So I feel very fortunate and healthy.

I am looking forward to hearing from you as you and your husband continue. Keep us posted - and inspired:-)
Rosemary

@rosemarya - Good for you! My husband and I will strive to emulate you and your spouse.

@lcamino Lynn, this sounds great! Maybe I should look into Jenny Craig too.Of course I would still need to cook something different for my husband so that makes things difficult.
Years ago we both wanted to lose some weight so be both cut down. He was eating over 3000 calories a day and losing weight. I was eating around 1500 and not losing any. 🙁
Thankfully I think both my son and daughter may take after him in that area. I am thankful too that neither has my complexion, that burns so easily.
JK

@contentandwell - We chose Jenny Craig because my in-laws knew someone who had tried many diets and was successful on Jenny Craig. Plus she said their food tasted the best (still not all my favorite but the portions are "small", really appropriate, so it is doable) and you can make substitutions for things you don't like. Plus it is designed by dietitians so there is an appropriate amount of protein, carbs, fruits, veggies, good fats, salt etc. The prepared meals just makes it easier when you are learning but I suspect Weight Watchers or the Mayo Diet is just as good. My husband and I just needed some encouragement - to see some immediate progress - and Jenny Craig has made that easier. We tried others ways with some success (I lost 20# and then put on 12 when I stopped exercising and counting calories). The real test will be if we can maintain it when we are fully transitioned onto food I am cooking but for now my goal is to lose the weight before my transplant.

I will say that I think one of the keys is eating 6 times a day because it keeps your metabolism working and burning fat. My husband's job sent him to something called The Human Performance Institute where the executives learned about being a corporate athlete. It is very scientific and a place where olympic athletes go to learn how to maximize their energy with exercise and eating. Anyway, it was critical that people eat 6 times a day to keep your blood sugar level (no crashing and getting tired so then you sleep or eat something sweet or high in carbs) and energy high. I suspect the Mayo Diet and others do the same thing. So if you are doing it on your own I'd try smaller portions but more often.

Oddly enough I find it hard to eat that much because it does require thinking about what you eat and planning. You feel like you are eating all the time. I used to think I was so good if I did not snack between meals but that was the wrong approach. Of course, when yo eat 6 times a day you have to watch your portions. My meals are a lot smaller and so are my snacks. The hardest thing for me to cut is the fruit. I used to eat A LOT of fruit. My fruit portion this morning (a beautiful, and yummy, fruit salad I made with red and green grapes, pineapple, mandarin oranges, blueberries and strawberries) is half what I would normally eat. I always told myself, "Well it's healthy, it's fruit."

It is also important to eat as soon as you get up to get your metabolism working.

All that to say that you need to find what works for you. I feel confident this is going to get me where I need to be pre-transplant. I started on Saturday and it is Wednesday morning and i have lost 3 lbs! And because of the medicine I'm on for my kidneys (it empties me of liquid) I'm quite confident I'm losing fat. Of course, I'm sure the exercising (just doing weights thus far - small steps) is aiding in the weight loss.

Once again, try to find a buddy. It really does make a difference and take all I wrote with a grain of salt (seems like a bad idiom for this conversation) because I'm not a dietitian, trainer, or doctor but someone who has not taken care of myself for many years.

I came across this Mayo webinar from 8/18/2015 titled: "Weight Loss-5 Behavioral Strategies".
It is 1 hour, which is a little long for me to sit, so I ended up standing at my computer and doing some leg stretches and other 'in place' exercises while viewing it = double benefit:-)
I also needed to view it by clicking to the utube site.

I think that you might find some good ideas and things to think about. I especially liked the explanation of the "Behavior Chain" and how to break the cycle.
At the very end is Plateau and Relapse Preparation.

What did you learn that might be helpful to you?
Rosemary

@rosemarya this sounds great. Hopefully I will get a few minutes to check it out this week. I will be going for a knee replacement in October so for a while afterwards I will be looking for ways to not gain weight while being inactive and I need to find some exercises I will be able to do. I am thinking of some of those exercises they do while seated. I will be champing at the bit to get back into action though.
JK

Here's another resource on Connect that might be helpful. Check out the Page (blog) by the Non-Surgical Weight Management Program https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/non-surgical-weight-management-program/

And for those of us using fitness trackers: You know how they are always set at 10,000 steps as a goal? Have you ever wondered if that number is too high, too low or just right for you? Check out this blog post by @epagel:
- 10,000 steps a day: Too low? Too high? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/newsfeed-post/10000-steps-a-day-too-low-too-high/

Now I'm off to get in some steps. Have a great day all.

@colleenyoung Colleen, I have been doing well with my own diet management and getting in plenty of exercise using my fitness tracker to keep me going but for the last three days despite keeping my calories low and doing plenty of exercise I am at a plateau. I find plateaus are very discouraging and tend to make a person want to "throw in the towel" but I am staying positive, as difficult as it is, and hoping to see things budge tomorrow. When I see the my weight slowly decrease it keeps me motivated.
I lost quite a bit of weight and recently gained back about 8 pounds so that is what I am trying to lose. I have lost three so far. I may have mentioned this before, I am sure I did in one of the forums, but we are going away two times in the next few months, once on a vacation, and once to NYC to enjoy the city at Christmas but primarily because my daughter is getting married there. I am finding VRBOs (or airbnbs) to be a Godsend. I can eat more appropriately staying in that type of accommodation. Of course something like the Marriott Residence Inns have kitchens so you can do the same there. Initially I balked at the thought of having to prepare my own meals because vacation for me has always also meant a break from cooking but now I am glad that I will have that control. Of course we will eat out a few nights.
Obviously the other advantage of VRBOs is the cost. We are staying right in the center of Manhattan in December, in what looks like a beautiful condo with a doorman and a gym in the building, sharing it with my son and his girlfriend, all for about $500 a night total, which is cheap for the city. Of course you save money by preparing your own meals also.
JK

I am currently upset with my weight, as I have gained 4 pounds in the last month. I know that does not sound like much, but it comes off so hard and has come back on so easily. Just today I finally put together my weight gain and the steroid shot put in my back to possibly reduce pain. I was hesitant about taking the steroid, and they made a big deal out of the fact that it could throw off my blood sugars and downplayed the possibly of weight gain. Maybe because I am no longer grossly obese they don't think it is much of an issue, but for me that is a huge issue. So now I'm back at eagle-eyeing everything that nears my mouth. Hopefully I can get my back surgery done soon and relieve some of my pain and the ensuing depression. I am working as hard as possible to build my core strength before the surgery and increasing my fluids as much as possible. I must say, though, those big lunches, sandwiches and peaches were very tasty. I do have to say tata for now and go back to the rice cakes, tuna and summer veges. I forgot the farmer's market Tuesday, so I have to make sure to hit up the next one on Saturday.

@contentandwell , plateaus are so discouraging. But I like to think of them as times of quiet germination. Think of a young child learning. For a period of time, they may not seem to be making any progress and then, boom, all of the sudden they accomplish a new milestone. Not sure if this applies to diet and exercise and weight loss, but plateaus were a topic at the dinner table with my daughter tonight. She was getting frustrated with her apparent lack of progression in her music lessons, and then all of the sudden she got it, and the passage she was practising worked. That may be a bit of stretch to compare, but a reminder that we also have to be patient with ourselves.