Ok so that hard work is done and your at target - yay

Well no, its not yay.......its blinking hard lollll......I'm really interested to know how other members have coped successfully of not after reaching target.

The literature you receive is great and gives you lost of options and explains how you should gradually increase your cx etc, but I feel like I'm just not sure what works best or what to now.

So the VERY good news is that since reaching target on 5th June I have without fail stayed within my 7lb target zone and for the most part I have been at target or around target so as always with me its not actually the numbers that bother me.....its the psychology of it all and I guess how to progress and relinquish a bit of control.

I started maintaing very successfully and gradually increased my cx getting up to 55cx per day at most (I should be aiming for 65/70cx) but then I went a bit mad and I was finding myself binging (somthing I rarely did when losing) so I cut back on cx again and lost my wee gain and was back in control but then just as I was increasing cx again I did the same thing.....I enjoy a treat and then get a craving and go looking (hunting!!!) for more stuff I wouldn't normally eat. I eat and eat until just before I feel sick and then stop. I dont feel guilty as such and make plans to get back on the straight and narrow.

As many of you know I consider myself quite self and aware and I am starting to wonder if this is my way of still being in control, so I can go back to being strict and religiously counting checks - Am I scared to let go? I think so......I have clearly been a successful slimmer, am I scared I cant be a successful maintainer? I think so........

So what should I do? If I'm on 55cx a day (working up to 65/70) and I go mad and have a gain should I stay on 55cx and run it out or should I be cutting back and starting from the beginning again? Or is there another way? Confused.com

So Target Weighters - Past and Present, share your words of wisdom.....how do you go from dieting for years to having a "normal" approach to eating? Any CM's out there, it would be fab to have your thoughts too.

Thanks folks xx

Will come back on later and tell you what I did at first Miss Broxi incase it helps - just saw your post but must go put dinner out xx

I obviously can't help - just wanted to wish you luck Jaci x

Miss Broxi,

Where to start!!!! PEP and healthy eating are for life and not something that has a start and an end. Maintaining is not easy and getting it right needs fine tuning!!! I was at target twice and went off the rails but this time I have been at target for over 3 years (approx)

It is so hard to get counting checks out of your head and I must admit I still do every day but dont get paraniod if I go over.
Ive tried to forget about checks and just eat healthily having weekends off - but some where is the sub conscious(sp) mind I still add up checks.

For a start I went to class every week but I havent been to class in over a year - I try not to weigh in on a regular basis but still step on the scales every now and again - I feel my clothes are a good judge.

Re your question on checks now that you are on 55 a day I would not go back again I would continue to increase you may get a small gain along the way but I would ride it out especially when you do so much exercise too. If you dont increase your body might get used to having less checks

We all have a blow out now and again - we are all human - but I feel the fact that you get in control again very soon after you will have no problem maintaining your weight loss

Sorry if this isnt the help you wanted

Ona xx

Not at all Ona - thank you. I know there is no right or wrong answer and I guess thats what makes it so difficult. I am genuinely interested in hearing how other people make the transition from losing to maintaining.

Massive well done on your maintaining 3 years is a long time.....

I know what you mean about dropping cx too - I was struggling to see how I would ever get up to my optimum cx if I kept going back every time I was naughty

What you say about clothes is so true too, after years of lycra and elasticated waists I could definitely tell I had gained a few pounds on holiday - 4 to be exact but I could feel it a particular pair of jean

Thanks hun xx

Ona well done on being at target for 3 years Jaci im a bit cheeky even saying anything as im currently over my danger weight ! but I got to target in 2006 and and sat under for nearly 3 years ! I had a great wee system going I stuck to 40 to 45 checks sun to thurs and ate what I liked fri and sat and it was a perfect balance Excuse coming now lol had cataracts and gall bladder ops over last two years and felt sorry for myself and let things get out of hand but heading back to target especially for December ! Good luck with maintaining takes a bit of getting used to xxx

Sarah , have you burnt the dinner again



maintaining was a major struggle for me ... first I couldnt stop losing , then I went the other way and went well over target which didn't seem to bother me either .
Something kicked in and I am now losing steadily and intentionally , though I dont intend to weigh myself any more as I think the expectations of myself and others puts too much of an un needed pressure on . My target is now going to be set by clothes size , where I intend to keep losing until I fit certain size clothes , and use this as a way to keep happy . It works for me, though I dont think it is something I would recommend to anyone looking to be strict and regimented with their weight loss .
Eddie

Hi Jaci,

I found it hard the 1st couple of weeks increasing my checks after I reached Target, but found going to Class was a great help, just to stay behind at the end and having a wee chat with my CM or other Target Members.

After that I followed PEP Monday to Friday and exercised 5 days a week and at the weekend I never counted checks, and ate a few extra things that I might not normally have like a meal out or takeaway.

I hope this has helped and if you need any help/encouragement etc then feel free to ask away!

S

Eddie - I never burn the dinner

Hi miss broxi! i would agree with the others!

i have been at target now for nearly 7 years - and i must admit i still struggle with increasing my checks - i did really well to start with and then dropped back after a holiday - i have never managed to increase again! I found that if i do increase them so does my weight - maybe i have just stuck to too little for too long because i exercise an awful lot too - the thing is , im slim and healthy so do i need to eat more? just because people say i should - i know fine i couldnt eat 60 checks a day - i would feel like a whale to start with! i am happy to stick to 40-45 checks a day and enjoy a treat every weekend and a nice meal out every so often. I too have a touch of the control freak about me so like counting and keeping an eye on things - mind you after 7 years im pretty much a dab hand at it!

good luck pet and dont fret! all your hard work will not pass you by
xx

Hiya. I too kept to target for approx 3 years then weight started creeping on again although it never went back up to what it was [thank goodness ]. I have now lost a bit of it but still over target weight.

Everybody is different and I think I need to be one of the people who sticks to 40-45 checks a day with maybe an occasional treat.

Well done on being at target though, it is a great achievement. You will find your own way somehow.

Thanks Folks

Thats really interesting I guess I will just need to be patient and a bit flexible with myself........... I really do want to increase cx though - the thought of being on 40-45 cx a day forever seems a bit daunting and limiting when you see other folks eating normally and having treats and living life.

I think I will stick to 50cx a day for a couple of weeks and see how it pans out - god willing I'll stay in target zone and then increase to 55cx, stay there for a couple of weeks and then up to 60cx and see what happens.

Any other thoughts, please, please share though......anyone else found they binged?

x

Yes - I have found that I have binged when I have been stressed. The key for me is to keep going to class - have found the weight creeping up when i havent been to class.

I got to target in June 2008 and I found as well as increasing my checks then so did my weight. Although we are allowed 7lb over or under our danger weight I kind of felt that it was undoing all the good work I had been trying so hard to do for the past few years if I started going over my target, if that makes sense.

My weight has gradually gone up so back down to 40 cx per day to try bring it back down.

My CM also told me to stick to it during the week and eat what I wanted at w'end but I felt when I done that I just binged on rubbish and then felt rubbish.

Hmmm thats what I'm worried about Tiny....I REALLY dont want to be eating 40/45cx a day forever.....it just seems so low for someone who has lost what they need to lose and just wants to maintain.

Anyone succesfully managed to get up to their chx equivilent to their weight in kg as the plan recommend AND maintain their weight when doing so???

xxx

Miss Broxi,

I have approx 64 checks a day, or average it out over week and still have my EDB's and my weight is between 8 12 and 9st
(sorry dont know the kgs)

I was on 40 checks a day when got to target - I dont know how I managed now on 40 checks

You do need to increase checks - was told that by class manager

Ona xx

Ahhh thats encouraging Ona .....so did you find you had a wee gain as you increased and you body adjusted......did you just ride it out and did things fall into place naturally?

Sorry for the over analysis folks but I'm quite impatient and if I dont see things working from the outset I tend to re-think and change direction and thats not always the best plan.

xx

Miss Broxi

No probs just ask away. I used to put on and lose the same 1lb at class for about 10 weeks, the lassies I used to sit with used to ask if it was the week to gain or lose the pound I am also 7lbs under the target weight I got from SS i am 5ft 3" and they set my target at 9 7lb i am happier at 9st.

I might add that I dont do any exercise as such ie gym or classes but I do like to walk and do garden etc

If i remember rightly I increased by about 3 checks a week, i did try staying at 40 checks Mon - Thu and then having a free weekend but that didnt work for me

Ona xx

There are some really good and helpful tips here and I am going to keep them handy as I just reached target a few weeks ago.

Since I have been slimming for so long, it hasn't really sunk in that I have reached my target and I still have it in my head at times that I have to lose weight still and cut back and other times I think I don't need to watch anything (although I know I can't do that realistically or will end up back at my highest weight).

Did any of you think that also when you first reached your target and do you still have those thoughts from time to time? Hope that makes sense!

I suppose it is just something that will pass with time once I find that happy medium but I am just curious x

ooops