Maintenance

Maintenance is a very important word in the eating well/exercising world, and while it always means the same thing, it can be used in various contexts, which brings me to todays post.


I can't remember if I read it in a magazine or on another blog, but there was talk about how you need to choose a workout/healthy eating regime that you will be able to maintain for the long run.


For example, if you choose to limit your calories to 1200/day, the moment you increase your calories (or stop maintaining), you may gain weight.


Similarly, if you do a ton of working out, the moment you dial it back, you're going to lose some results.


So when planning a routine/lifestyle, you should think about it for the long run, not the short run.  You want to make changes that you can keep up with, even when life gets in the way.


I have someone I know who is in amazing shape.  She's lost a bunch of weight, significantly revamped her eating habits, and works out numerous times in one day.  She looks amazing and seems to be very happy.  Personally, I think it's a bit much and can't help but wonder how long she'll be able to maintain such an extreme routine.  What happens when life/work gets in the way and she needs to cut it down to one workout a day?  My guess is that she'll experience changes she isn't going to like.


Which brings me back to MAINTENANCE.  Make sure that what you're doing is something you can sustain.  Have realistic goals and commit for the long run.


Thoughts?