I've been lurking for awhile wondering if there were any posts on how people are doing daily to maintain their weight once lost. I lost my weight but once I started to add a few carbs back it got out of hand. Well, you can guess. I've gone back up five pounds and have those intense cravings once again. Yet, at the same time I'm really fed up with going so long without my favorites: potatoes, rice, bread, chips, and the occasional sweet. All my recipes I spent years cooking are all high carb and after working all day it's too much of brain drainer after work to try to come up with something low-carb (unless it's a slab of meat on the BBQ - it's too cold for that now - and a salad). Well, I'm not here to complain , just looking for ideas from other people who have been on the diet a long time and want to maintain their weight. And I really would appreciate a good bread machine recipe. I've tried about three different ones and and they were all so heavy, I practically choked trying to get them down. They really taste awful.

HI Teena, welcome to the forum. Eating healthy shouldn't be so hard, should it?? My first thought when I read your note was, if you haven't tried Wa'ils bread from the Recipe section, give it a try. It's Shepherds Loaf. I make it in my breadmachine, but only let my machine kneed it once (remove the paddle after the first kneeding). It's really light, and sweet tasting to me. I've read of others who make buns from the same recipe. Like you I find the quick meals the toughest to come up with ideas. If you like pizza, try the recipe I submitted in the "Snack" recipe section for Deep Dish Pizza Quiche...it's pretty quick to make and easy...and nice in the cold weather. You can freeze it as well and heat in the microwave when you just want a piece.

These are just a couple ideas...I'm sure you'll get more answers with other ideas.

Don't forget to share all your good ideas on getting those pounds off for the rest of us trying to reach "maintenance".

Sharon

Hi Teena, please share with us how you added the carbs, we might spot something for you. Some add 5 carbs each week, and some each month until they reach their maintenance level. Some go with less than 5 carbs as well.

Wa'il

Hi Teena, don't feel that you're complaining, 'cuz yer not! We all face this, and some of us (me!) have a long, long way to go to maintenance. In fact, my feeling about the holidays is that I will be thrilled and consider my efforts successful if I can just maintain my current weight until after NewYears, and forget about losing anything at all (except possibly my mind )

Instead of feeling bad because you "can't" have some of your favourite treats, why not give yourself permission to indulge. That way, you can really enjoy that shortbread cookie, or a baked potato, because it's "allowed" and not some forbidden thing that will make you feel guilty if you eat it. And you'll feel in control of the situation, and more likely to just have a small bit, then get right back to your lowcarb way of eating. Maybe cut back the carbs a bit for a few days after the feast, so at the end of a week, your carb intake balances out.

Another thing to remember is that, no matter which lowcarb program you are maintaining with, make sure you're eating enough PROTEIN. If you're having a slice or two of lowcarb bread, with a little sugar-free fruit spread for breakfast, that's nice, but where's the protein??. You must also have some eggs, or a scoop of cottage cheese or some ham too. You absolutely will not get your cravings under control without consuming adequate protein when you also eat carbs - even 2 or 3 carbs can make your blood sugar and insulin swerve all over the place.

Be prepared with the protein foods. I hear you when you say you're too tired at the end of a busy day. I always double recipes and freeze portions to toss in the microwave. Cook up a whole package of chicken thighs, they're delicious cold, with a dip of mayo & dijon, or thaw some frozen cooked shrimp and make a dip of mayo & horseradish. Those little cans of tuna and salmon are great too.

Here' a link to an earlier post on surviving the holidays http://www.lowcarber.org/forum/show...hp?threadid=286

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Doreen

Thanks for all the advise. I'm going to try that new low-carb bread when I get some extra ingredients. That was part of my problem. I started adding the occasional slice or two of whole wheat bread to my breakfast because I didn't like any of the low-carb bread. Is there a difference between whey protein powder (which is in the bread recipe) and whey protein isolate powder?

So in answer to Tamarian, I started to add back the occasional bread, potatoes, and wine. I've stayed away from the pasta and rice though. I think my biggest problem is that being tired or rushed I look for convenience foods and of course most of them have high carbs. I also found that I gain much easier than my husband. He lost a lot of weight on the diet as well but now that he's maintaining it it seems he can eat almost anything and not gain. For a while even when he was having his occasional bread and potatoes and other things he was still losing! Some people have it really easy!

Those low-carb bars have saved me from going off the deep end and losing control entirely though!

And thanks Doreen about the tip of eating protein with every meal. Some of the mistakes I've made is when I'm not hungry I'll just eat an apple instead of stopping to eat anything with protein. I've really fallen off the wagon here! I'm almost thinking of going back on the induction diet just to conquer my cravings again and get back on track.

Hi Teena, thought I'd add my two cents worth. I have been maintaining my 30lb loss for about 6 months. (I have to confess that I've always been good at maintaining but not so good at losing.)
I only have carbs a couple of times a day and have gotten used to not having certain foods and don't really miss them at all. When I get bored with what we have been eating I find a couple of new recipes and start a new batch of typical menu plans.
I have been having regular coffee with sugar at work, once a day and the odd Christmas cookie at parties but I always behave at home. Everyday for lunch I have a tortilla with chicken breast slices (deli), peppers, dill pickles, green peppers, cheese and mayo rolled up (essentially a "wrap"). The other night my sister & I were discussing the Xmas dinner menu. Turkey, bread stuffing, flour gravy, mashed potatoes and frozen peas!!! And did I want to bring a salad? I told her I'd bring mashed celery root and brocolli. She questioned why I couldn't go one day of the year without adhering to my low carb "diet". I told her that there is an excuse to cheat everyday especially this time of year and that I'd feel sick if I ate all that starch in one sitting when my body is so unused to it now. I think you have to pick what you are willing to give up and treat yourself to what is really important. I will have bread stuffing with my turkey,a small dessert & wine.
Hope that helps.

if you're really stuck up on rice and potatoes give up the low carb thing and just eat healthy and exercise. Maintaining your weight by keeping a low carb regimen isn't possible for someone who won't make long term life changes. Anyone's body is just a complex system that is in the perfect state given the internal and external factors. To make your body change you need to change those. if you can't get over not eating rice, potatoes, etc, then why bother with this? It will never work.

>>Dec-14-00

Wow, this was an old thread...