Weight Creep in Maintenance

Bright Lifers have been asking me for a long time to talk about a particular subject, and because it’s very much on my mind right now, I decided to address it in this week’s Vlog. Watch to hear all about it.


Comments

  1. Christine Fernie

    I suffered from terrible mood swings starting at age 30 and it progressively got worse until I turned 50 and went through menopause. At age 30, I found a herbal remedy called Estrologic that kept my mood swings in check just by taking one a day. Around 45, I had to up my dose to a couple per day. Around 50, I was an emotional mess.

    I was then introduced to an herbal combination in a product called “Quinary” which is sold by Sunrider. I took the capsules and had a maintenance program of 1 capsule per day. For about 1-2 months I increased my dosage on an as needed basis to keep from crying or raging.

    I still take the Quinary daily as I have rosatia (cheeks flush, skin flakes and sores can break out) and it keeps it in check. If I drink chai tea, red wine (not now with BLE) or anything spicy, including cinnamon and extra pill will clear up my skin within a few hours.

    All this to say there may be herbal remedies for some of our issues. For those who suffer with Rosatia, Quinary may be a real blessing.

    Thanks for a great vlog about all the variables that affect weight. I am preparing to transition hardcore into bright-line eating and my weight is up or down 2-5 lbs per day with a downward trend which is the direction I want to go. I am trying the program and emptying my cupboards and freezer gradually of bad food and know when the bad foods are gone, I can replenish with better quality options every shopping day.

    Reply ·
  2. Rhonda G Reindl

    Thanks so much Susan. You answered some questions I’ve been wondering about for quite a while. I wasn’t sure if it was okay, but I’ve already been exercising (just not much). For instance, I walk on the treadmill for only ten minutes a day, then do an exercise video that works a variety of my other muscles for another ten minutes. (20 minutes total). Believe it or not, even that little bit makes a difference in my muscle tone.
    But after seeing your exercise. blog, I think I can pick it up a notch further. I plan to add a couple more minutes to my walking and maybe five more minutes to my exercise video (making almost 30 minutes total, five days a week). Thanks for a wonderful program and making us behave with our bright lines. 🙂
    Rhonda

    Reply ·
  3. Amanda Kay Creighton

    I am now doing a hydrostatic body fat test every quarter or so, as I’m working with a strength coach and yes, muscle weighs more than adipose tissue!

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  4. Kathleen E. Dalton

    I do not understand the term “sexier food” , what foods are sexy? It seems like a strange term to me. this is a new comment. I have not commented in over a year. Whe I push submit comment it says I have already posted this comment. No I have not

    Reply ·
  5. Kathleen E. Dalton

    I do not understand the term “sexier food” , what foods are sexy? It seems like a strange term to me.

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Hi, Kathleen! “Sexier foods” refer to foods that are a bit fancier and more “appealing.” Foods like: cheese, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, corn potatoes. Also making “mimic foods,” which are foods that resemble previous non-ble foods. Hope that helps!

      Reply ·
      1. Kathleen E. Dalton

        thank you

        Reply ·
  6. Megan Hawthorne

    Susan mentioned after her twins were born it took nine months to get back to goal yet after next pregnancy only weeks. I was thinking this is probably an example of cortisol at work. The birth of the twins would have been accompanied by a lot more stress then by the next birth.

    Reply ·
  7. Molly Reams Thompson

    This vlog (and last week’s vlog about the Spanish Proverb) were EXACTLY the one-two punch I needed to hear. Initially, I was shocked when you shared your goal range varied by as much as 10 lbs. When I investigated a little further into my own conversation, though, I noticed that it was simply fear of gaining ANYTHING after arriving in maintenance. As someone else deftly pointed out, I have so many years of conditioning that there has to be a specific number tied to my weight in order to feel successful. Crazy. I’m less than a year into my goal range, and we are currently in the dead of winter in the Midwest, with no outside activity and short days. My weight has crept up 5-7 lbs since Fall and I’m noticing the fear and dread (and very old conversations) are present. With your prompting, I’m looking at the bigger picture – extreme stress (trying to keep a business afloat, loss of a parent, caregiving for the other parent, kids in online school, dealing with some stomach issues, navigating in a pandemic, all within a small house – you know, the usual!) and it’s no wonder things are a little wonky. Giving myself a little space and perspective is KEY. And, as I’ve discovered, maintenance is less about getting to a particular place and more about learning a new dance. There are ups and downs, literally and figuratively, and my body is a dynamic fluid machine that reacts and manages different factors in unique ways.
    Also, I may be a little late to the party, but I JUST got the expression “come for the vanity, stay for the sanity.” lol I’ve heard it dozens of times, but when my BLE coach shared earlier this week that it was part of her success, something finally clicked. So very grateful for this community! 💜

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Happy to have you here, Molly! We wish you courage and peace as you continue through the difficult winter in a crazy time. <3

      Reply ·
  8. City of Newburgh NY, unsalaried Poet laureat

    My daughter tells me in Korea where she lives that
    unexpectedly people have been known to gain
    as much as 20 pounds during CoRona days.
    More indoor sequestering than usual.
    moT

    Reply ·
  9. Linda

    GREAT Vlog, Susan! Tho I am not on maintenance, I can relate to all that you said. AND as always, I appreciate your honesty and sharing your vulnerability. You are obviously SO intelligent, you know ALL the science yet you are only human! LOVE BLE and I hope you truly feel the love as you have and are and will be helping SO many! My husband (of 52 years) had issues with BLE at first due to my insistence of weighing all my food tho now he “gets it” and encourages me and is amazed at my weight and inches releases! I was thrilled to move from the “obese” to overweight and am only 13 pounds from the “normal” range and know I will get there and to my “right sized body!” in 2021. Thanks again!

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Proud of you, Linda, and happy for the freedom you are experiencing. Be well, friend. 🧡

      Reply ·
  10. Jean

    I am in hibernation mode…

    Reply ·
  11. Ronnie Hacken

    This is the problem with weight as the only metric we use to measure our okness. It seems that when we are wedded to a NUMBER we are never free. Ever time we weigh ourselves we risk success or failure.

    Reply ·
    1. Megan Hawthorne

      Well said. I’m trying to free myself from that dynamic. The conditioning is intense.

      Reply ·
  12. Michele Anne Metz

    Great vlog!! thank you
    It was very supportive and thought provoking.

    Reply ·
  13. Michele Anne Metz

    Great vlog!! thank you

    Reply ·
  14. Petra

    Thank you for this great vlog, super helpful!!

    Reply ·
  15. Gill Gething

    A BRILLIANT blog Susan. Just the reassurance and support I need. Thanks

    Reply ·
  16. Martha Myers

    Been wondering about this for a while. So thank you. This has been very helpful as I’ve been experiencing “winter weight” fluctuations

    Reply ·
  17. Carole Loll

    So glad I Iistened to this vlog because it is exactly what I need right now after being on maintenance for 2-3/4 years. My weight has crept up slowly to the point I have become concerned & know I definitely do not wish to ever return to the place from which I started. I have invested too much time thought & money to let all my efforts vanish. I need to brighten up my lines & quit giving in to my indulger part, quit listening to my rebel part & turn away from my isolator part. But I also realize that for my age, perhaps my goal weight was set a little too low. I don’t mind a few pounds more but not where I am now, so need to work harder on my bright lines & connecting with others. Like SPT, I am also on new meds to which I am still adjusting that may have caused some of this gain, plus the stress from COVID-19 isolation from family friends, church & activities to which I am accustomed. Being home is too tempting to give into snacking. Also, miss my exercise classes – don’t do too much on my own. Need to Reboot & Rezoom!

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Hi, Carole!

      We wish you well in your endeavors and send love and peace to you in this time of COVID-19 isolation from your family, friends, church, and regular activities. It is a difficult time and we hope for your happiness and success. 🧡

      Reply ·
  18. Kimberly A Salter

    Oh my goodness!! This is EXACTLY what I needed! I am coming up on 1 year on maintenance March 27th and I am up about 5-7 lbs. Granted, I got a new scale and it weighs 3 lbs heavier than my old one… so in actuality its 3-5 lbs. And I strained my back so have been immobile for quite some time. THANK YOU dear wonderful Susan!! Your timely Vlogs always help me.

    Reply ·
  19. Ariann

    Great vlog. You always know what’s on our mind.

    Reply ·
  20. Rayna Swee

    Thank you Susan, for the gentle reminder of all of the things that go into our weight. Our bodies are truly remarkable machines. I am always so grateful for you and all of the valuable nuggets you teach us. Thank you. I am getting ready to land this plane. I know it’s a dance so I will look to the community and coaches for support. Good information to keep for the future.
    So much love and gratitude.

    Reply ·
  21. Stubborn

    Thanks for this vlog. I’d been at a plateau for over two years (released 45 and 20 to go) before the coronavirus upended my life. I’ve gained back 12 pounds and I know it’s mostly from relaxing quantities. I’m not sure I will ever get even close to goal and am terrified of the maintenance regiment as I struggle enough to stay at my plateau.

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Hi, there!

      Thank you for watching and for commenting. Do you have access to a coaching call or accountability call? A 2-year plateau is unusual (unless you’re on maintenance, which you’ve indicated you aren’t) and this is something our coaches could dig into with you a bit further to do some discovery on. If so, we invite you to reach out so we can be of help. 🧡

      Reply ·
  22. Ginger Wessel

    I’m so glad you shared. I just started birth control for the same reasons – got to love getting older! I’ve been afraid to weigh myself – knowing that it will probably go up! But really – I’d much rather have a balanced hormone than a number on the scale!

    Reply ·
  23. Lorraine Abate

    Super helpful vlog and very timely for me, thank you! I have a question though—how do we keep our mitochondria healthy so they don’t atrophy? Seems important, I’d love to hear your recommendations!

    Reply ·
  24. Patti

    This is the vlog I’ve needed! After 1 1/2 years in maintenance, I saw my weight creep up since the summer. I attribute a lot of it to stress, but agree that I need to simplify my food. Back to the basics for me. Simplicity and automaticity. I’ll be playing this vlog daily! Thank you-

    Reply ·
  25. Karen Cole

    I have been waiting for this. It was soooooo helpful. There are several of us from Heartland House that have been Marco Poloing and this has been the topic for quite some time. We have been doing BLE for 4 and a half years… This came at the perfect time.

    Reply ·
  26. Constance Beidel

    Susan , Thank you. This vlog was VERY helpful.
    I dread the thought of going on maintenance for many reason. You addressed the worse issue that comes to my mind.
    I will be heading into maintenance in just 30 more pounds . I know that might sound far away to some, but the last 14 months of releasing 105 lbs, went very fast for me. The one thing I was stressing over (already) is staying at one weight for the rest of my life. A very daunting task that I doubted possible. And my brain would be whispering “you are failing again!”
    Although I plan to stay on program, I worried about the ups and downs in weight through maintenance,
    Just knowing there are many reasons this fluxing process happens, shows it’s not always in our control or caused by our bad choices.

    Reply ·
  27. John Etcheverry

    Thank you this is great! I just literally started the 14 day program today, so I know what to expect in the future too, which is helpful.

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Welcome, John! We are honored to support you in your journey. 🧡

      Reply ·
  28. Victoria Miller

    Super, super helpful! I’ve been thinking about needing this exact vlog for some time now. Thank you Susan, much appreciated ❣️❣️

    Reply ·
  29. Laura Shaw

    Thank you Susan! It’s like you did this vlog just for me! I am in week eight of maintenance. I know that I will be referring to this vlog again when I need it in the future. You are amazing! If you ever want a vlog topic, how about addressing ways to heal our mitochondria in the cells. I am sure many bright line eaters who are past menopause like me would love to learn more about this subject. Thank you again. Love and hugs!

    Reply ·
  30. Renee Berger

    Amazing vlog this week Susan. Everyone should listen to it whether or not you’re on maintenance. Shows how many ways our bodies are affected by our lifestyles, and what and how we eat. Thank you for this

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Thanks for watching and for contributing to the conversation, Renee! 🧡

      Reply ·
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