This past Wednesday my doctor said something to me that no doctor I've ever seen has ever said to me before.
I was told that I do not have to lose weight anymore. I'm in a good place in terms of height to weight ratio. I need to focus more on exercise and maintain a diet conducive to STAYING at the weight I am.
"You are almost literally half the man you used to be."
Translation: I'm probably about 185 pounds right now, give or take. That's the number that's going on any document that asks for my weight. It's a good guess.
All of this means I'm officially in maintenance now. I have stepped out of the river and can feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. I'm here. I crossed the finish line. I finished what I started and I am very proud of my accomplishment.
Now comes the part where I do anything and everything to not fuck it up.
So here's what I've been doing this week:
1. I have carbs with one meal each day, either lunch or dinner, never breakfast.
2. I have stopped obsessing over whether there are croutons on my salad or if there's a thin crust of breadcrumb on the casserole. I don't COOK that way, but I don't shun these things at social gatherings or in restaurants.
3. I am NOT limiting my carb intake to just potatoes. I think people mishear Julie on this point. I'm adhering firmly to the concept of "everything with a hunk of meat." I build a good protein foundation before taking in anything with carbs.
4. I have had the privilege of enjoying rice, croutons, baked steak fries, popcorn and cornbread, all in small amounts, just enough to satisfy and probably below the recommended 15 grams of carbs my body can use. What's small? 1/4 cup of rice or soba noodles (approximately - I still don't measure, just guesstimate), two handfuls of popcorn (maybe a cup and a half), 1 small cornbread muffin (not four), and a grand total of 5 fries (about 1/3 of a baked potato). That's small.
Now for a bit of advice for people looking to re-incorporate some carbs.
1. I still don't eat anything sweet but I will eventually allow myself some fruit. In season.
2. No desserts. That's a slippery slope. On rare, very special occasions I might allow myself an indulgence but not today. I have plans to enjoy certain treats when they are available and all of them share the distinction of being associated with holidays or vacations - things I can enjoy ONCE and leave behind until next year. There will be no more half-gallons of ice cream in the freezer, no oreo cookies, no anything that got me to the point where visiting Julie became necessary. But I will snag a piece of Liam's funnel cake at Knoebels next summer. Provided I'm not back in the river at that point.
3. I still have to think about what I'm eating and how I'm eating it. Maintenance is not a free-for-all. I still keep the protein intake higher than the veggie intake and I increase the protein if I'm going to have carbs.
4. I'm keeping close tabs on how my clothes feel and will dive back into the river IMMEDIATELY if I start gaining in excess. As of right now, my metabolism is so confused I'm actually continuing to lose. Rapidly, I might add. But my body will catch up with my diet shortly.
5. I remain firmly resolved that certain foods will just never cross these lips again. Foods like candy bars, packaged cakes or any kind of sweet with no nutritional value. Again, a slippery slope. That's not diet thinking, that's quality of life thinking. I used that shit as a coping mechanism. I'm learning better ways. I will admit that I am going to miss sour patch kids and swedish fish. That said, given the quantities of those "foods" I used to eat in a single sitting it's a wonder I wasn't 665 pounds.
6. When you finally get out of the river, the temptation to indulge will be there but if you've been doing this right all along and haven't allowed yourself the occasional cheat, it shouldn't be overwhelming. If you have stumbled a bit along the way, I recommend doing a refresher and starting maintenance the next day. I never cheated, hence my transition was pretty smooth.
So that's pretty much it. If you have questions, ask them and above all don't be envious if you're still in the river. Your time is coming. You should also know that being in the river is the easy part. I have a lot more to think about and consider now and so will you so enjoy the simplicity the river affords your diet.
