your opinion about maintainers in your group...

Do you find it motivating to have a maintainer in your group or do you find it annoying to see that they can eat differently, etc etc.... Does it make a difference if they are maintaining a big loss? just wondering if I should stick to "maintenance only groups" or integrate into losing groups, as well.

Thu. May 22, 1:05pm

I like to think of maintainers as mentors and role models. They have been there, done it, and succeeded. As long as you are willing to answer questions and provide support, you are always welcome in any group!

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 2:10 PM

I belong to a group where we are all different. one that is maintaining/wouldnt mind losing 5 lbs, one that is trying to lose 10 lbs, one that is trying to lose 40-50 and one that is trying to lose over 100.
It is a great mix and we are all trying to eat heathfully and be active every day so we have that in common.

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 2:23 PM

I like the motivation of knowing that someone has made it and is maintaining - on the flip side it's good for the maintainer to be reminded how hard it is to lose!

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 2:48 PM

As a maintainer, it is no easier maintaining as it is losing, you have to adjust your eating & exercising so you can stay where you are, but continue to watch what you are eating so you don't gain. I think you should stick because they too still need the motivation & support

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 3:32 PM

Maintaining SUCKS!! It is SOOOOO hard. It's really tough because my goal is...no goal...stay the same? What kind of a challenge is that? I have to constantly reinvent myself, I STILL have to exercise a ton, and I STILL have to count calories (under 1600). Losing is WAY easier. Plus, I live in constant fear of gaining weight back! GARH!

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 4:59 PM

As some one who is still losing, I like have a maintainer in my group as a reminder that I'm never really going to be done and the maintaining is still a challenge. I think it helps not set me up for disappointment when I get to my goal weight.

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 5:28 PM

What's more annoying to me than maintainers are the people who don't have weight problems, but are just trying to be "healthy". They don't have experience with weight loss but are very quick to tell you that they have the solution and that if you just changed to non-processed foods, etc that you would be able to do it. No support, not working towards the same thing. Can't relate. It's really too bad when there are others in the group who you really enjoy.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 3:00 PM

You know 3:00 there is actually a lot of evidence to support that eating whole foods really helps with weight loss! Processing food causes it to lose a lot of the nutrient value that your body needs. The more processed foods in your diet the more your body craves more and more food b/c it's looking for the nutrient value, and thus the harder it is to control your eating.

I'm not trying to tell you what to do but it's definitely worth opening your mind to consider what is working for others - whether it's to lose or to maintain a healthy body weight.

:)

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 4:38 PM

It's not so much a matter of what kinds of foods they are recommending--they could be recommending that you eat like Jesus, or eat a grapefruit everyday. The point is, that the people I'm talking about are not coming from a weight loss standpoint. The best support and advice comes from those that are going through what you are, or have in the past.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 5:01 PM

4:38 again...

5:01 - I get that point! For a long time I was the only person in my family who ever had a weight issue ... it was very hard to be surrounded by people who seemed to be able to eat and do whatever they wanted without any weight consequences.

It's one of the reasons I enjoy the WW meetings I go to. We can all talk, share, & laugh at ourselves and each other and we really GET IT when we talk about the struggles of eating right. People who are maintaining a weight loss are very different than someone who has never had to fight the battle, I completely agree with you there!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 5:44 PM

I understand what you're saying. Even though I'm now able to share clothes with my "skinny" friends, they will never really understand what's it's like to be overweight and how hard it is to lose that weight.

However, I like that PeerTrainer is here to support people on all their health/fitness quests, whether that's to lose 50 lbs, eliminate processed foods, or train for a triathon.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 7:52 PM

A true maintainer is really inspiring... much more than someone who's still eating junk food.

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 1:31 AM

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