The Psychology of Maintaining

Maintaining is all about trial and error. And it's internal and external.

It's really about finding a balance between confidence and fear.

You already know how to lose weight. You've done it. You already know that you've made lifestyle changes that will likely stick with you forever in some form. But you also know that there's room for a little more flexibility.

Trial and Error

Enough exercise. Enough good food. Mixed in with a little more leniency on both fronts when it's appropriate. You've gotta gain a little to know where the upper limit is and then you're going to have to lose it again. It's about defining those boundaries.

But it's familiar territory. I was lucky in that my journey included learning how to eat well while I was losing. I knew how to feed my body with the right nutrition. I knew how I reacted to occasional slip-ups or purposeful indulgences. I knew what to expect.

So maintaining wasn't that different. I could scale back my workout regiment ... I added more strength and cut back on cardio without panic, because I knew that was OK. I could stop compulsively weighing myself every day, because I knew it would be all right.


Internal and External
The internal part ... what's in your head ... is just as hard during "maintain" as it is during "lose." There are two thoughts that seem to rule. Two sides of the same coin. They seem similar, but they are not.

"What do I have to do to maintain balance?" vs. "What can I get away with?"

The first is positive. It provides a realistic place for you to live in. The second is waiting to sabotage you.

Your internal dialogue changes. Your head starts to think you're invincible  You "get away" with quite a bit and there's no ill effect for a while. If four tough cardio workouts a week is enough, you think, three will probably be OK, too. If I can have one cookie a week, two might be all right.

It's a slippery slope.

The external dialogue changes, too.

After a while, the compliments slow down and you're not getting that positive feedback from the universe. Your body starts to look "normal"  ... like the body you've always had. It's not this evolving thing that pleases you every time you look at it, giving you the surge of power and motivation to keep doing what you're doing.

You get comfortable. And that can equal lazy.

Confidence and Fear
So how do you stay on track? The trick is to not get complacent. You have to take the confidence that brought you this far, and the fear of going back to where you were to find a new strength. It's not a struggle every day. It's a choice every day. In the end, I think maintaining is all about waking up every morning and deciding to live healthy.

Easier said than done.