Re:Anxiety and Maintenance

[Guest guest]

You and I have pretty much the same approach about maintenance. I weigh in

every day too, and particularly after " bad " days. It is vital for me (keeps

me in touch with reality and consequences etc.) Here's a suggestion to cut

down on the anxiety factor: plan your treats. Schedule them. Don't make

them haphazard and binge-seeming. Understand? Most weight trainers talk

about their " free day " or their " free meal " so they schedule too, and they are

extremely disciplined people. But even they understand the benefits of

enjoying food, but in moderation. Of course, ice cream every day is gonna get

you screwed. Once a week, probably not. Just keep checking in and try not to

be anxious about it. Give yourself permission in advance, and then don't

sweat it. Sweat it at the gym instead!

Lucille

In a message dated 12/30/2003 4:30:18 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Graduate-OSSG writes:

> I am almost 23 months post-op and at maintenance. I weigh daily in

> order to keep a close eye on my weight and take immediate corrective

> action if the scale starts creeping upwards. Over the past 4 or 5

> months the scale has crept up a few pounds more than once, then back

> down again when I take corrective action, so I know that by just

> changing a few things (less snacking, uping the water and # of

> workouts/exercise for a week or less) is all it has taken to bring

> the scale back to where I want it.

>

> However, I still do not have a handle on the anxiety this small

> weight gain causes...its a sinking feeling in the tummy that oh, no,

> what if I can't get it back down, or what if it keeps going up no

> matter what I do? There is no reason to feel this anxiety since I

> have successfully beat back the pounds each and every time, and have

> tried to reason with myself. Pre-op I wouldn't tackle a weight gain

> until it was 20 or more pounds and we all know where that got

> me..failure and obesity...gain and lose, then gain more over and

> over, so its understandable why I feel the anxiety when there is a

> gain, never having achieved success before... I know, an alternative

> is to stay off the scales and to cut back permanently on

> snacking/sweets/carbs. I do not want to cut back on daily weighing as

> I think that would create more anxiety, to not know what the weight

> was doing. Some say they wait until they feel a gain in their

> clothing. That would be a good 5-7 pounds for me and more than I

> want to deal with. As for snacking, I don't want to give that up

> either, though I do cut back when needed. I'm a believer in allowing

> myself treats, and I can limit amounts and do not want to live

> without them. What I really want to know is does anyone have any

> advice on how to handle the anxiety-put some calm back into my life-

> other than staying off the scale or cutting back on treats? Am I the

> only one that goes thru this? And will the success of beating back

> these few pounds each and every time eventually lower the anxiety?

>

> Cindy in VA

>