My 2 year weight maintenance anniversary- 70 pounds gone & feeling awesome!

  2 YEARS!!!!  I'VE BEEN MAINTAINING A 70 POUND WEIGHT LOSS FOR 2 YEARS!!!!!

Let me just list some of the good things that eating grain free and mainly processed sugar free has brought during the last two years. Low inflammatory, real foods. Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates from non starchy veggies. Yes, a Paleo-ish template with coffee and some 85% chocolate thrown in there.
Best weight maintenance tool ever for me.  40 years of trying to find the right thing. That's a long time.

Being tough, not moderate has been the theme of the last two years. It's a lot of work in some ways.. planning my food, cooking, prioritizing my work outs and walking. It's sustainable, do able. The right problem solving. That's it. Problem solving and priories. 

 It's so, so worth the work. The work pays back in a MAJOR sort of way. Here's what's working:

•  Maintaining a weight loss of 70 pounds, two years
•  37% of my body weight, gone. 
•  Lower blood pressure (92/62)
•  0.4 hs-CRP
•  Migraines are GONE. 30 years of migraines
•  Physically stronger than ever in upper body strength
•  Thinner than I was in high school, just saying....
•  Size 4 little black dress is waiting for my 30 year high school reunion, just saying...
•  Feeling 27 and not 47- think... fountain of youth,
•  Eating LOTS of plants, animals raised humanely , and coconut oil, avocado, olive oil,  spices,  sea salt
•  3 meals a day
•  No crazy sugar/carb cravings or getting the shakey due to good food fuel!
•  No Sugars, No Grains (BOOM, y'all!!!)
•  Walking over 10,000 steps, through out the day
•  Much better skin (AKA- much less acne)
•  Almost 0 menopause symptoms
•  Sleeping great
•  Almost 0 emotional/binge urges.
• Support when I need it
• Daily weighing in and data tracking

What didn't work in the past:

•  Trying to use my weight loss plan in weight maintenance
•  Trying to eat moderate grains and sugars 
• Trying to sooth myself with food
•  Trying to get support from people who did not support abstaining
•  Stopping trying.. this kept me stuck for years.
•  ANY, and I do mean ANY 100 calorie pack... seriously...what was I thinking??!!
•  Listening to weight loss advice that was based on poor science (Dang that Ansel Keys!)
•  Listening to weight loss advice that was based on big food ( that heart healthy whole grain thing, might as well have been red skull and cross bones for me.. follow the MONEY!)
•  Counting points or calories without regard to food quality and binge triggers.
•  Eating nuts, so sorry nuts.. you're out of here!!
•  Not listening to my gut instincts (no pun intended!)

Celebrating the 2 years, food sobriety, my support bloggers, my support group,  the frequent comments on the blog, real life people who have cheered me on, JR. family member,   those people who have interviewed me over the last 2 years so that I can share my story with more people = pure awesomeness!!! 

THANK YOU!!!!  I would do some cart wheels in the side yard, but it wouldn't end well. ;)

I have no doubt that I will be maintaining in a year from now. Here's to our safe travels over this year.

Weight Graphs, for the geeky: I always weigh more in the winter and less in the summer. More when I don't strength train, less when I do. I'd say this is pretty normal maintenance mode for me. I'm 5'1 and weigh 116.6 currently. I'm 47 years old and in my first year of menopause.  I'm pretty happy with my weight and health. I feel better in this weight range. Super glad I still hop on the scale. The data is very, very valuable to me and the process of long term weight maintenance.