I've been musing.. "Going back on Plan" once on maintenance?

[RevampedTramp]

How very relevant at the moment for me. However I have decided to do my version of ON PLAN because I think we need to assess each weight gain on its own merits. I would completely agree with not going back on plan for a kg or two after some heavy indulgences. I would also agree not to use Cohens as the next crutch on which we lean when we have been "naughty" (I think even naming it as naughty makes the desire stronger to indulge).

The reason I have turned to Cohens plan amounts one year down the track is:
Post surgery (realistically, the surgeon has removed...tummy tuck - 2 kgs and boobie reduction - 300grams each side..which makes a difference of...let's say 2.5 kg to make things easier.
Which logically means I should weight 2.5 less than what I finished on (which was 70.2) - which makes it 67.7 that I should be sitting at. Of course, I need to consider that swelling and post op can have extra fluids etc roaming around my body for up to 9 months later..so that is something to bear in mind.

Up until my latest surgery I was hopping on the scales daily and monitoring everything - I have let that lapse as I didnt want to beat myself up when recovering. Weight as of Monday sitting at 73.7 - but most of all, I can feel it. I am supposed to feel better than this. I remember feeling slim - I dont feel slim now..I feel very average..and one of my dresses doesnt fit. That is what I am chasing - that feeling of lightness and slip any old thing on and wham - it looks good.
I think having that control that Cohens offers is a way of treating my body - I am enjoying knowing that it is up to me to make myself regain that feeling.

I am modifying it also to some extent, so not fully on plan. I am boarding a plane mid september - so I will do some loss and then fit in a modified refeed as I still belive that is what sets things for us.
So that is the reason I have decided to jump back in - so to speak - but I think mine has more to do with timelines and wanting to feel good in the head.
........Oh and the fact that I just bought 3 bikinis and I want to look HOT when I hit the Greek Islands!!!!!!

[Collie]

You know RT, the people at our clinic used to say that in maintenance they used to go by the feel of clothes rather than weight itself. As soon as the pants felt tight the belt was uncomfortable etc, then it was.........ok reset, off carbs, follow management guidelines to a tee and often only for a few days, and that always did the trick........sounds like a plan!!!!

[Marmaduke]

hey RT and Collie,

you know when your body doesn't feel slim anymore, I completely agree. I found my weight took a couple of days to catch up with the feeling and suddenly bam I was up 2kg. So odd. I checked my weight after a weekend of excess eating and was up slightly but felt totally crap. So important to know how it feels when your body is working well, because you can then take steps to correct things when you need to.

And I agree with the 3 step approach suggested by someone (Jilou?) earlier:


First step: reset
Second step: plan food but quantities based on maintenance not plan
Third step: if the above fail (unlikely if you catch it early) plan with weighed quantities....

[ridemum]

Love this thread! The comments here make sense.

Bumpity bump...

[AudreeS]

What is a reset?

[littlemiss]

Bumping this because it's relevant to me now - greatly miss Koh on the boards! What an amazing guy he was to help us all.

[Kohinoor]

Hey Littlemiss,

Surprise !!!


Great to hear how well you are going, and, since I'd found this topic for someone else, I wondered if you would take the time to help others out by telling YOUR story of maintenance?

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6440

So many I suspect really ARE succeeding out there in the big wide world - it is SO good when they come back to share how it is going for them (as you just did here). If you can also share it in that thread, it is in the right section, and with the right title for others to be able to FIND it when they need to read it.

I am smiling from ear to ear in hearing how you are doing - that is so awesome. Travel well, lil miss - and I hope we cross paths again in the future,

Hugs,
Koh

[Kohinoor]

Since this thread started off as a question, and received such good answers from so many, I like to add other "snippets" of useful or need-to-know information whenever it appears.

Just today I read from another topic that cast doubt on doing a Reset for more than 48 hours, and the reasons for NOT extending the Reset past that point. The words appeared to make sense, so I am linking to them here for your interest.

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthr...036#post410036

Summarised, a Reset (with no carbs) longer than 48 hours can have the body becoming sensitive to carbs and piling on weight once it gets carbs again (preparing for the next "famine"). Click the link to read the solution and the theory around the subject.

I hope it helps those who might have seen a similar "gradual increase in weight while maintaining" and allows you to consider an alternate way to handle the situation.

Koh