What's your maintenance plan? Have any good tips to share with other maintainers? Share your insight here! Post a comment. Respond to a comment. Let's start talking!
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This guest blog by Jennette Fulda discusses maintaining while living with chronic pain.
Guest Blog by "Pasta Queen," Jennette Fulda: 4 Tips For Maintaining Your Weight While Suffering From Chronic Pain Fred Astaire was a great dancer, but as it's commonly said, his partner Ginger Rogers had to do everything he did backwards and in high heels. I've never seen a movie with this dancing duo, but I feel empathy for Ginger Rogers. Four years ago I weighed almost 400 pounds, but lost over half my weight in two years. For the past couple years I've been maintaining 90% of that loss, a difficult task in itself, much like Fred Astaire's dancing. But I am more like Ginger Rogers because I've recently been stuck with a trickier task, maintaining that weight loss while suffering from chronic pain. In February I got a headache which I still have today. The severity of the pain waxes and wanes. Sometimes I hardly notice it as I move through life, like a radio station playing faintly in the background. Other times I can only lie in bed in pain, as if the neighbor's subwoofer is making the floors vibrate. I've consulted dozens of doctors and alternative health care practitioners about my condition, but no one has been able to give me relief as of yet. My drug of choice has never been tequila or Vicodin, it's been food, available freely without an ID or doctor's prescription. When faced with a neverending barrage of pain, I turned to the baked goods aisle. The pleasure I felt while eating a chocolate covered donut or a pint of ice cream would briefly drown out the pain in my head. But when I had to open the box marked "fat clothes" in the closet, I knew this coping mechanism was not sustainable. Instead, I've learned some things that have helped me return to weight maintenance despite my chronic pain. 1) Accept that you are capable of doing less If you're driving through life with the parking brake on, you're not going to win the Indy 500. You can still get around town, but it will take longer and put more wear on your system. Once I accepted this, I felt less stressed because I was no longer berating myself for not doing everything I wanted to, either in work, life or fitness. 2) Spend your energy and your money wisely I decided I didn't have the energy to train for a half-marathon again, but I was feeling well enough to go for a 45-minute walk. In comparison to my training routine, walking felt like a pathetic excuse for exercise, but I had to remind myself that some activity was better than none. Depending on the cause of your chronic pain, you can hopefully find a low impact activity such as swimming or biking that can help maintain your weight. Leading an active life will ultimately benefit your health. I also decided it was worth spending extra money on healthy dinners from the whole foods store to save me the energy required to plan and cook my meals. Fortunately I was in a financial situation where this was reasonable. Don't be afraid to spend extra money on yourself if you can afford it and it allows you to do the things you really want to do instead. Do you want to keep your money or your life? 3) Get help from others 4) Take time to take care of yourself Depression is common among chronic pain sufferers, so if you are feeling abnormally down, don't be afraid to ask for anti-depressants or seek therapy. Sometimes these pills can cause weight gain, but their benefits to your mental health most likely outweigh the weight they'll bring. I know that I would probably gain more weight without anti-depressants than I would with them. Although weight loss happens in your body, the changes you make occur in your head. If your head is not in the game because of your pain or depression, you are less likely to win. For the past few months I've been following my own advice. While my pain has not disappeared like my excess weight did many years ago, I am coping better with my situation. The majority of the weight I gained during the darkest period of my downward spiral is still present on my body. But for the past two months I have not gained any more weight, and I've actually started to lose weight again. As I've learned how to better manage my pain, I've been able to better manage my weight as well. My life has stabilized and I feel less of a need to self-medicate with food. I do not know what the future holds for me, but weight maintenance is always on my mind, even if it is sometimes overshadowed by the looming figure of pain. All I can do is continue to fight, losing some battles, but hopefully winning the war. And I can do it in high heels, just like Ginger Rogers. -- Jennette Fulda is the author of Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir and blogs regularly at http://www.pastaqueen.com/about her life after the "after" photo.
Cut yourself some slack. If you suffer from chronic pain, you must accept that your body cannot do everything that it was previously able to do. When I got my headache, I was training for a half-marathon, writing a blog four times a week, and promoting a book – all while working a full-time job I'd just started. After too many weeks lying on the couch in a dazed haze of pain, I realized I was only doing my body harm.
You must spend what energy you do have to your best advantage. While you might be capable of doing less, you are still capable of doing something. My exercise routine had languished after several months of pain. It was hard enough to make myself go for a run when I felt well, but doing it while I wanted to pop my head off like a Barbie doll seemed unattainable.
People who suffer from chronic pain may feel like a burden to others, but most family and friends are happy to help you. They are often frustrated that they cannot do anything to ease your suffering, so they might feel satisfaction by helping you do your shopping or wash your clothes. My mother comes over occasionally to do my dishes and help me clean. My brother has cooked me dinner during particularly painful episodes. While I doubt my brother wants to cook dinner for me every night, there is no shame in asking for help when you need it. This has left me with more energy to take care of myself, leaving me less overwhelmed and less likely to binge for comfort.
Making your way through the medical system can be a full-time job, one that is frustrating, stressful and that you have to pay the salary for. Still, take the time to seek the medical help you need to find relief. I've gone to many doctors and tried acupuncture and massage, which have been somewhat helpful, if not a magical cure. You must be your own advocate in the health care system. Once you are taking the best care of yourself, you are more likely to be able to do what's necessary to maintain your weight loss.
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In her blog entry, "Food Has Been Giving Me The Business," Barbara shared her "Scan and Plan" technique that helps her plan the day's food and scan the day ahead for any possible food challenges. Below are ways in which some of our readers plan for possible food pitfalls, too:
Susan wrote: "I battle the food demons here at work myself, on a weekly basis. My co-workers will plan a "potluck" where the main dish is usually fried chicken, then everyone else brings bags of chips and dessert items...We usually have advance notice for the potlucks, so I just bring my lunch on that day, and make sure to include a low-calorie Atkins bar that I can have later if I feel like indulging. If I go to lunch with friends, it's usually one of only a handful of places I know is diet-friendly."
Pubsgal said, "In work situations, it helps to have allies. For example, our receptionist noticed that I was losing weight, and so I told her about my way of eating. She's also the one who orders lunches when we have lunch meetings, and she's very supportive about ordering good choices for me when we don't order individual meals."
Sondra's plan: "1. I never order a salad without the dressing on the side. 2. If food comes out that is not prepared how I asked for, then I send it back. I am the customer (even if someone else is paying) so I have every right to get what I asked for. 3. When on business I don't drink."
Allison's plan: "I think Scan & Plan is a must for us maintainers. I implemented it myself last night. I had to go to my husband's place of work for an employee appreciation picnic. I wasn't sure what they were going to serve so I ate a yogurt and some almonds before hand. When I got there they were serving burgers and hot dogs so I skipped the food and when we got home I had some eggbeaters, a slice of ff cheese on some of that wonderful new Arnold sandwich thins, whole wheat of course :-) and some yellow squash. I was very proud of myself."
Feel free to add your Scan and Plan tips in the comment space below.
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Below is a guest blog written by wardrobe stylist Kami Gray in response to Lynn's blog entry, "Clothing the Maintaining Body."
Often times, I work on direct response commercials which typically have real people in them called testimonials. I once had to dress ten real people for a commercial on a weight loss device. It must have worked (at least temporarily) because most of the folks had lost 100-200 pounds. They had a lot of loose skin and it was a bit of a challenge to dress some of them. Afterwards, I came up with a list of my Top Ten Tips for how to dress to create a flattering look. Here they are:
1. Wear clothes that fit you. Your tops, bottoms, and undergarments should not be too small or too large. Oversized clothing adds weight and makes you look like you're trying to hide in your clothes. Undersized clothing squeezes the top layer of subcutaneous fat (which we all have to some extent) and creates a muffin top, fatback, and peek-a-boo breasts. A good bra that provides proper coverage is essential to tops and blouses fitting correctly.
2. Dark on bottom, light on top. White and light colors add weight and dark colors subtract weight. For most people, the bottom half is larger so to create the illusion of it being less pronounced, wear dark jeans, pants, skirts, and shorts and pair with lighter tops. Khaki is fine, but never wear white on the bottom.
3. Layering on top. It's hard to get away with much when wearing a single layer on top – every little bump shows. Pair lightweight tops, blouses, polos, tanks, and tees with cardigans, blazers, hoodies, or a second t-shirt. Make sure that whatever top(s) you wear cover the midriff when you reach for something or blow-dry your hair. A long, black, completely opaque camisole or tank top worn tucked or untucked can be layered under almost everything.
4. Add some height. Wearing heels or boots with a few inches (or more) does wonders for your legs and creates a completely new proportion. Someone 5'6 and 145 pounds looks 5'10" and 145 pounds when they wear a pair of 4" boots or heels. Make sure your pant hem almost reaches the floor to create the longest legs possible.
5. Embellishments. Ribbons, bows, jewels, and other adornments dangling from your clothes add bulk and makes people around you dizzy. Simple, classic, solid fabrics and silhouettes create the most slimming look.
6. Denim. Jeans should not be too short – they should almost reach the floor. Make sure your jeans have back pockets. Pocket free jeans don't look good on any body type. If you have a muffin top, get a larger size or choose a different brand or style. Jeans that come up too high on the waist create the appearance of a long behind. A boot cut jean is by far the most flattering hem type; narrow hems are for skinny, trendy, young people. The darker the denim, the more flattering and no pleats in front!
7. Self Tanner/Bronzer. If you weren't blessed with naturally tan or dark skin, adding a bit of color to your legs when wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses works like magic to slim and even tone your legs. Bronzer also hides spider veins and other unsightly blemishes. It stinks! Apply at night and rinse off in the morning. Try Physicians Formula Organic wear™ 100% Natural Origin Liquid Bronzer.
8. Sleeves. Make sure the sleeve opening fits around the circumference of your arm. For tank tops, make sure the strap is loosened enough so that extra skin is not oozing on either side of the straps. Sleeve lengths that cover down to the elbow look the most flattering.
9. Shoes. Choose shoes that create a low contrast with what you're wearing on the bottom. For example, pair black shoes with black pants, tan shoes with bare legs, and brown or rust shoes or boots with denim.
10. Black. Nothing does the trick better than black. So you don't look funeral bound, wear a colorful scarf around your neck or some fun, but tasteful jewelry.
In addition to her career in TV/Film, Kami is the author of "The List: Sixteen Simple Habits for a Smaller You (and a Healthier Planet)," New World Library. Due in bookstores Spring 2009. Kami's blog address is www.thelistbykamigray.com
