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Celebrating one year of successful maintenance! Look, Ma, no Spanx! March 2013 (148)
Just before I got started and at my highest recent weight--about 240 pounds. February 2010
At long last, maintenance success!
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Celebrating a New Year of My New Life on Maintenance
I'm living proof that it is possible to lose a lot of weight and keep it off even if you've had a long history of ups and downs.
I reached my goal of losing more than 90 pounds in March 2012 and have been successfully maintaining since then--a feat I had never accomplished before. I think that staying very active and engaged here on SparkPeople has helped me to finally keep the weight off and really internalize all of the lifestyle changes I've made. To anyone who has been caught ...
I'm living proof that it is possible to lose a lot of weight and keep it off even if you've had a long history of ups and downs.
I reached my goal of losing more than 90 pounds in March 2012 and have been successfully maintaining since then--a feat I had never accomplished before. I think that staying very active and engaged here on SparkPeople has helped me to finally keep the weight off and really internalize all of the lifestyle changes I've made. To anyone who has been caught in the frustrating cycle of yo-yo dieting, please know that there is hope. I had nearly resigned myself to a lifetime of obesity, health problems and getting old before my time. When I started my journey in February 2010, I was 240 pounds and 33 going on 80. I had lost and regained hundreds of pounds over the course of my life and had nearly undone all of a 115-pound weight loss from my late 20s when I finally tapped the brakes and decided enough was enough. Over the past three years, I've reclaimed my health, my life and my youthful energy. At 36, I think I look and feel better than ever and am looking forward to many more happy and healthy years.
My journey has involved lots of ups and downs, but I remained committed to losing the weight slowly and sensibly while taking some time to enjoy myself and life's special occasions along the way. Since I began maintenance, I've worked hard to find a sustainable balance both in my diet and in my fitness routine. I've been known to be a gym nut, but I know that my obsession has sometimes led to burnout and that's something I really want to avoid. My goal is to have really intense periods of exercise only be occasional, not the norm, like the two bootcamps I did before my sister's wedding in September 2011 and before my summer vacation in June 2012. They really whipped me into fantastic shape, but require a level of commitment that I can only realistically make from time to time. I'm also continually working on decreasing my maintenance spread. I have quite a liberal range (about eight pounds) for what's an acceptable weight for me and I hope to eventually whittle that range down to about five pounds.
I like participating in challenges here on SparkPeople, like the ones offered on my maintenance team and the Seasonal 5% Challenges I've done in the past, because they give me an extra push and keep me more accountable. I'm also a leader on the At Goal & Maintaining + Transition to Maintenance team and am working with the other leaders and members of the team to provide more support to my fellow Sparkers as they begin to plan for and continue on in maintenance. The statistics for maintenance are daunting--many studies say that 95% of people who lose weight will regain it--and we want to help turn those statistics around by providing more tools, resources and support for people who are at or near goal.
I also love the consistent support I've received from my SparkFriends. I hope that, with this support system and my continued consistency, I'll be able to continue to maintain my losses in the long-term, something I've never been able to do for more than a few months' time. I absolutely do not want to have to restart this process again, EVER!
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Profile
Member Since: 3/7/2010
SparkPoints: 36,864
Fitness Minutes: 39,044
My Goals:
First and foremost, I'd like to maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. Once as high as 260, I now maintain between 145 and 150 and I'm 5'7". Reaching goal has liberated me from feeling constantly self-conscious about my size and appearance, worrying about whether I'll be able to fit in chairs, or worse, break them, and much of the weight-related stress I was placing on my body. I've found that I CAN maintain my weight without total deprivation and feel a deep sense of peace at the balance I've achieved in my life. I finally feel like the image I present externally matches who I am on the inside--young, joyful and full of energy.
My Program:
I follow a balanced plan that doesn't exclude any type of food in moderation. I have weekly planned splurges like I did while losing weight and try to work a few small treats in the rest of the week. Now that I'm on maintenance, I've worked hard to find the right balance between continuing my healthy lifestyle and figuring out where I can loosen up a bit without gaining weight. I aim for three to four days of cardio each week in addition to all of the walking I do living in a city without cars. I also try to do at least two days of upper and lower body weights each week and ab work on at least four. I like changing my workouts regularly to ward off boredom and to keep challenging myself. I also do yoga and have recently discovered Pilates (don't know what took me so long--I love it and am hooked!). I try to do one class a week of each to complement my cardio and strength training workouts.
Personal Information:
I'm 36 years old and originally from New York but have been living in Venice, Italy for the past five years with my wonderful husband and two cats.
Other Information:
Obviously, I love food. I'm trying to balance that love with being healthy. I'm fortunate that, living in Italy, I have access to wonderful fresh produce year-round. I also love traveling, wine and fresh European beer, film (especially Pre-Code movies and gritty 70s crime dramas), reading (I'm really into Zola at the moment), music, dancing and spending time with the people I love.
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! I added you as a spark friend~I need the motivation 
