5 years and 4 months in long term weight maintenance- I have what I wanted, and I'm thrilled, for today, earned not a given

Starting weight 187.4 lbs

Goal Range 113-125  lbs

Current Weight 115.2 lbs

Keeping off    72.2   lbs

Time in maintenance 5 years, 4 months

Age 51

Menopause 3+years

Height 5'1"

BMI 21.9

BMI ave this month 21.7

BMI ave last month 21.8

Glucose (fasting & 2hr post this month range 71- 94 mg/dL)

Food Template:  Paleo, LCHF,  Keto (some days), 
Total Carb ave = 40 grams per day
Net Carb ave = 25 grams per day

Abstain from all grains, most sugars*, dairy. Nut free, artificial sweetener free **
* 85% chocolate 1X per day
** Tiny bit of stevia in my Natural Calm, magnesium supplement

Food Timing or Time Restricted Eating Window or Intermittent Fasting 17:7 or 18:6

17 hours fasting (water only)
7 hours eating, 3 meals
Eat 6am Stop eating at 1 pm

Or 18:6, I change it up a bit

Auto-Immune Hashimotos 1997, 100 ug Synthroid daily

Food Addict in Recovery: 6+ years

High Risk, but never diagnosed Type 2 diabetes

Walking 11,300 ave steps per day

Weight lifting : 1X per week, I need to bring this up to 2-3

Sprints  3 days per week stair sprints 

Stair Ave/day for the month 18 stairs (Apple Health Kit)

What is working: All of the above

What did not work in the past: 

1. Moderation based food template that fed compulsive overeating

2. High carb, low fat, grains, sugars, emulsifiers

3. Eating from 5am to 10 pm

4. Walking 3,000 steps, too little for me and proud of myself

5. Daily weighing (food and body) and daily food recording. 

Earned not a given: I've put in a lot of work so that I can stay well, keep my weight maintained, continue to put my health- both physical and financial and my family health first. To keep my diseases in remission. 

I'm fortunate I have diseases that I can manage with effort and time. My heart goes out to those who have diseases that are less manageable. 

I always dreamed and put this thought in my mind in early May 2011:

GOAL: Weight Maintenance on a food template that gives me good health, exercise that keeps me mobile and strong as I age.

I finally realized, I've arrived. I can say I've made more adjustments and put more time into weight maintenance much more effort than in weight loss. Even with 50-75 solid attempts in 40 years. 

Interesting! Because, it's a day by day thing. Earned, not a given. All things I could have done but I didn't have the right tools, support, or thought processes for my biology or mind. My thoughts will drive my behaviors. 

Example : Eating a Belvita High Protein breakfast cookie, a protein cookie from the box a my gym, OR a keto fat cookie or fat bomb would not be the right thing for me. High carb or low carb- cookies are OUT. And I earned another day of weight maintenance 

Having a life time without cookies = long term food sobriety, weight maintenance, and a calmer existence. My life is better without it. My choice. 

I earn my monthly weight updates by staying true to what I told myself I wanted to do 6 years ago. It's not a given. Even after I publish this post, I do the work that it takes for weight maintenance. It's not too much. It's just right. 

Glad I didn't quit!!!!!!!!  Don't quit. Keep going. I will be doing the work that it takes. 5 years down, 35 more to go- daily work. Habit building, behavior change, managing my genotype....