Scared to maintain

melbrowder

Hello....First a great big thanks to all at MFP, and these discussion boards. I have finally made, my goal weight!

I am now scared, to go to maintain, as every time i eat a few more calories, 100-200 a day more, I gain 2-3 lbs, so I go back to 1200, for a few days, until I get to my goal again. I can't do this for the rest of my life, so now what?.

I burn, according to Fitbit, 1700, calories a day, and only maintain, at eating 1200. I don't lose to gain, surly with a 500 deficit, a day i would keep losing.

I am very new to this, and only just understand losing.

I don't think i could even eat 1700 a day.

I am 5ft 3in, and weight 8.5 stone. This is what i want to be.

Any help at all would be appreciated , I have spent a long time trying to look at maintenance discussions but still don't understand....is the 177 i show calories out, on Fitbit, my TDEE?
Also if I stick to 1200, but have mainly sugar that day, i put on weight!...I thought the sugar content did not matter unless you exceeded, your calorie intake...

Thanking any one in advance,
Melanie

jim180155

Increasing your intake by 500 calories, even though it is a return to maintenance, can cause a small but sudden weight increase. It's probably nothing to worry about. You can take two different approaches:

1. Eat 1700 calories. Gain a few pounds. Wait. Don't get upset. Keep eating 1700 calories. Give it a couple weeks. Your weight should have leveled out and on any particular day you are just as likely to weigh a pound or two less as you are a pound or two more.

2. Ease into it. Reestablish yourself at 1200 calories. When you hit your target weight, increase only to 1450 calories. You'll still be at a 250 calorie diet. Give your body a couple weeks to adjust, and then add back the other 250 calories so you're now eating 1700. You should find your weight to be reasonably stable, give or take a few pound daily fluctuation.

melbrowder

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your reply, and will be doing this....

cwolfman13

You need to realize that you don't weigh exactly XXX Lbs...nobody does. Maintenance is a range and within that range you track the trends.

Just ease into it..bump it up 200 or so calories per day for a week, etc. Realize that with more food there is also going to be more inherent wast...also more water and fluid retention and glycogen storage. All of these things have weight. You need to disconnect this idea that weight = fat.

Not also that your body will adjust...adding calories back can be a shock to the system...your metabolism has downshifted somewhat while dieting and it's going to take a bit of time to shift back up.

_Waffle_

With your height your BMR is about 1,200 calories. I seriously doubt that you're burning an extra 500 calories a day just walking around so 1700 calories is probably too much food for you. I'd be willing to bet that your TDEE is under 1500. Your TDEE can be higher depending on your activity levels. If you want to eat more then move more. That's all there is to it.

If you see food as something necessary to live and not as an emotional fix then it's not a big deal to have lower calorie needs. If you want to eat more then you'll have to provide a reason for that extra intake.

A higher carb diet will cause a slight water weight increase. This is normal. It will subside if you eat less carbs but it won't keep going up forever. It is calories in vs calories out.

KANGOOJUMPS

giddy up and get exercising.

melbrowder

Sorry, I should have said, with exercise, my output is around 1700 a day, I do 30 active minutes a day, 7 days a week by power walking, and pilates, for strength and posture, 3 times a week. I did not eat back calories, was on 1200 a day, started May 11th, 10, stone 11, now 8 stone 5. I know its not a huge amount, to want to lose, but it is my own personal journey, all done with MFP, and Fitbit, and I feel much better for it.

LivingtheLeanDream

The 1700 on your fitbit is your TDEE. you can eat at that and maintain ☺ the more you move the more you get to eat.
If you're worried add 100 per week and acclimatise your body to the extra cals.
Any so called gain to begin with is your glycogen stores being replenished, it's not actual gain.
Give your body time to adjust to maintenance cals.
Well done on reaching goal ☺

LivingtheLeanDream

Ps you ate at 1200 for 6 months to lose a lot of weight, it will take your body some time getting used to getting more food. Add 100 cals every week til you're at 1700.
Weigh in once a week and don't stress about fluctuations on the scale.
You'll know by how your clothes are fitting that all is well ☺

Your BMR has to be higher than 1200. Im same height and do similar activities my BMR is 1450 and my TDEE is between 2100 and 2400 according to both fitbit and mfp.

LivingtheLeanDream

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