What's the same and what's different?

[Katrina]

What have you kept doing now that you are maintaning your weight that you did when you were in weight loss mode? What have you changed?

[Susan S.]

I still workout ( circuit training, HIIT and SS cardio, along with hiking and biking on weekends) I still track my calories in a food journal, and I still keep track of my weight. I do allow myself a day now and then (during holidays or get togethers) of eating what I want, but eating what I want is usually something healthy because for one thing , greasy , fatty foods make me feel sick and for another thing, my taste for the foods I used to love has changed . I prefer healthier things over the junk . I really haven't changed that much I guess. I consider myself always "on program" with just a little flexibility once in a while.

[Valerie]

I've kept my exercise fairly similar, though I've cut back a little in terms of what I consider workouts (ie: running, using the elliptical or doing weights). I still try to be active as much as possible and go for walks most nights of the week, but I'm not as strict about running a certain number of times per week or anything. I actually find my attitude about exercise has improved since I'm not treating it like something I HAVE to do... it's something I WANT to do to work on my fitness.

Food is pretty similar too. I eat almost the same type of stuff I did while losing weight but with modifications. I've switched from low-fat to regular for a lot of things... cheese, yogurt, etc. I do have more splurge-y type meals but I've also found ways to incorporate foods I ate pre-weight loss, just in healthier format so they fit with my healthier lifestyle. Rather than eating a greasy beef burger, I'll eat a veggie or bean burger or occasionally have a lean beef burger (for those in Canada, PC Blue Menu are excellent!). I really watch portion sizes of things like pasta since I can be a bit of a pasta addict sometimes! I still incorporate lots of veggies and fruit into my meals, eat whole grains and watch my sugar and sweet intake (though I have a sweet tooth so now that I'm not actively losing weight, I allow myself a treat several times a week).

I think the main reason that a lot of my routine is similar is because I didn't really think of my weight-loss program as a diet. I thought of it more as a lifestyle change because I knew I would have to make changes for good in order to keep the weight off. So eating healthy foods and being active were changes I had to make during the weight loss process and I know that if I want to keep the weight off, I'll have to stick with that, just maybe not as strictly while in maintenance.