WHYYYYY!

jakx39

Alright I am currently 217lbs 5,7. I have lost 83 lbs and plan to get to 160- 170lbs and maintain. Now even though I may do a lot of cardio and have gotten really use to it, it is not some thing I want to do everyday. Problem is in order for me to eat good and comfortable without gaining weight I will have to do cardio for the rest of my live! Unless I ate very low caloric food which is something I do not want to do all the time. My calorie maintenance gets painfully low at that weight. I dont see how small women like 130 and under do it, they cant eat anything if it is high in calories. like a donut would literally be a 4th of their calories loll. So I would like to know how you guys maintain while still eating good and if you still remain as active as when you were still trying to lose weight. Except now you wouldnt be in a caloric deficit though.

Hornsby

I didn't do any extra exercise while losing weight that I didn't plan to do forever.

angellll12

I can eat crap and not gain just because I do a little cadio a couple times a week.

envy09

There is no magic formula that will allow you to stop exercising and continue eating as if you do. Human beings are meant to be able to literally run their prey to death, we are not supposed to sit on our butts all day.

Christine_72

You don't need to slog it out in the gym. I despise those cardio classes!!! I recently bought a fitbit and around 20,000 steps a day gives me 800ish calories. Doing laps around my house or the block beats gym classes hands down for me!

jennifershoo

Be more active in your day to day life.
Lift heavy weights.

sijomial

When you say "cardio" do you mean just slogging away in the gym purely to burn calories?

It doesn't have to be that way!
Are there no sports you like? No activities that involve exertion? At 19 would suggest trying everything until you find someone you enjoy.

I'm lucky in that I've always enjoyed every type of exercise but my main "cardio" of choice is cycling. Burns a huge amount of calories but is also enjoyable and challenging. I'm more active and do more exercise now than when I was losing weight.

As quite a few people have also mentioned calorie balance isn't just food and exercise - the often neglected third element is activity. Consciously think of ways to add movement into your routine. Eliminate some of the time spent sitting down, always take the stairs, use the car less.....

One other thing you might consider is allocating your calorie allowance differently. One of the intermittent fasting protocols perhaps? Or simply skipping breakfast so that your other meals are bigger and more satisfying.

I have one very low calorie day a week which gives me a six days with a bigger allowance. Find what works for you.

TavistockToad

jakx39 wrote: »

Alright I am currently 217lbs 5,7. I have lost 83 lbs and plan to get to 160- 170lbs and maintain. Now even though I may do a lot of cardio and have gotten really use to it, it is not some thing I want to do everyday. Problem is in order for me to eat good and comfortable without gaining weight I will have to do cardio for the rest of my live! Unless I ate very low caloric food which is something I do not want to do all the time. My calorie maintenance gets painfully low at that weight. I dont see how small women like 130 and under do it, they cant eat anything if it is high in calories. like a donut would literally be a 4th of their calories loll. So I would like to know how you guys maintain while still eating good and if you still remain as active as when you were still trying to lose weight. Except now you wouldnt be in a caloric deficit though.

I weigh 130lbs, I maintain on about 2200 cals with exercise, plenty of room for a doughnut or 2!

Ty_Floyd

I'm planning on doing the 5/2 diet for maintenance when I get to that point. After getting to my goal weight I'm sure I'll be able to handle two days of extreme calorie restriction per week! And eat what I want the rest of the time, with moderate portion sizes of course.
Or you could just try to find an exercise you enjoy. Cardio at the gym is pretty boring. What about hiking, or rock climbing, or swimming, or joining a netball/volleyball team, or just doing lots of outdoor work. My sister doesn't exercise but she must burn off 500 cal a day doing yard work as she eats like a horse!

RoxieDawn

Will still remain active. I will/have learn to eat less to maintain my weight. If my body does not need the extra calories to keep me alive, then it is not gonna get it otherwise I gain weight. It is as simple as that.

As someone mentioned there is no magic formula. Now for you, what you do is up to "you" and I will include if you choose to not exercise or add activities in your day/week to maintain, then that too is up to you.

You are going to get this same type of response as more people post here..

mymodernbabylon

I'm 5'6" and 145 and I have a maintenance of 2125 calories with 3x weight lifting and 3x30 min jogging.

isulo_kura

Find an exercise or activity you like doing.

Christine_72

Today I burned 1,062 calories just from plain ole walking. And you don't even have to leave the house

bioklutz

I am 100 lbs., 5'0" and 40 years old. I work out about 5 hours/week. I am averaging about 1900 calories a day. I can easily fit a 200-300 calorie treat in every day. I can fit a 400-500 calorie treat in too - but it takes a little more planning because I want to hit my protein goal.

A short stature does not doom you to a low calorie life.

jakx39

wow some great ideas. I will definitely keep this in mind. The restriction of calories for certain days in order to allow you to eat more for the rest of the week never thought of that

magerum

If you want to eat that much you have to burn it. With an hour of planned exercise a day plus an hour or so of other activities I can maintain on 4000 at 5'10" 194. 3500 at 185.

I like to eat so I make sure I can.

magerum

bioklutz wrote: »

I am 100 lbs., 5'0" and 40 years old. I work out about 5 hours/week. I am averaging about 1900 calories a day. I can easily fit a 200-300 calorie treat in every day. I can fit a 400-500 calorie treat in too - but it takes a little more planning because I want to hit my protein goal.

A short stature does not doom you to a low calorie life.

1900 is low calorie. It's all subjective

AllonsYtotheTardis

I know. The thought of actually taking responsibility for my health and taking care of my body for the rest of my life is just so daunting. Can't someone else just do it for me?

Sabine_Stroehm

I run, because I enjoy it. BMR calculators say my BMR is 1259. I burn over 2,000 calories just by walking 10,000 steps a day. I take the stairs. I walk to work. I go for walks with my husband.

I'm 50, female, and 5'6" 135.

You don't have to go to a gym. Just MOVE.

RoxieDawn

Does MFP community really eat really low calories (500 or less) 1 or 2 days a week so you can eat more the rest of the days... When you are maintaining your weight and if you do or do not exercise? (BTW, I actually do IF 18/6 and have been for years and this works great)..

Does this really work week after week after week.. Seems counter productive just to be able to eat more calories the other 5 days a week..

ahoy_m8

gia07 wrote: »

Does this really work week after week after week.. Seems counter productive just to be able to eat more calories the other 5 days a week..

Fwiw, I did for a couple months, not because I wanted to shift calories so much as I had a horrid schedule that kind of eliminated meals for me, against my will. Once I made the switch, I was so much more relaxed and at peace with the horrid schedule days. I also now do IF18/6, just by accident because that's when I enjoy eating.

donna7763

Here's the good news! You've already started training your body to be active. Engaging in cardio activities is so much more important for your overall health than just losing weight. You'll continue to improve your health, your good vibe feeling (endorphin high), sleep better, and keep your weight in check. Find some type of cardio that you truly enjoy. Mix it up from time to time. Then you'll be more likely to stick with it.

bioklutz

magerum wrote: »

bioklutz wrote: »

I am 100 lbs., 5'0" and 40 years old. I work out about 5 hours/week. I am averaging about 1900 calories a day. I can easily fit a 200-300 calorie treat in every day. I can fit a 400-500 calorie treat in too - but it takes a little more planning because I want to hit my protein goal.

A short stature does not doom you to a low calorie life.

1900 is low calorie. It's all subjective

You are right, what is considered high or low is subjective. What I did find interesting though is at 185 lbs. you eat 3500 calories. At that weight you are 1.85 times heavier than me. 1900 x 1.85 = 3515. And 1.94 x 1900 = 3686 (and you eat 4000 @ 194 lbs.). It seems like you gain a lot of calories with the extra 9 lbs

bkelley32148

jakx39 wrote: »

Have you considered adding weights into your plan? The more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn and the better it will be. I track my calories and wear a fitbit to track my steps. if there is a day that I feel the need to eat awfully then I know that I am going to go further, lift more, etc.

nxd10

I don't exercise a lot. I do wear a pedometer, walk an hour a day (10,000 steps) and eat back those calories.

But the key is READING YOUR DIARY and getting rid of the calories you don't care about. I found that by drinking a small glass of milk instead of 16 oz and substituting a low carb tortilla for bread on my lunchtime sandwich, I stopped eating cheese every day. I dropped 500 calories a day. That's how I lost weight.

I eat Ben and Jerry ice cream every day, but eat 1/4 cup and not 1/2 cup serving of the full cup my kids eat. Or I get frozen yogurt and eat a little more.

I eat nuts by the singles-fives and not by the 1/4 cup.

Bottom line: pick the food you like and budget your calories for it. Eat smaller portions of high calorie foods. Drop high calorie foods you don't mind dropping so you can't foods you really love.

It's not hard. Read your diary.

Christine_72

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I run, because I enjoy it. BMR calculators say my BMR is 1259. I burn over 2,000 calories just by walking 10,000 steps a day. I take the stairs. I walk to work. I go for walks with my husband.

I'm 50, female, and 5'6" 135.

You don't have to go to a gym. Just MOVE.

Whhhaaaat?? It took me exactly 23,478 steps yesterday to burn that 1,062 calories. And i'm taller and weigh more than you.

sijomial

gia07 wrote: »

Does MFP community really eat really low calories (500 or less) 1 or 2 days a week so you can eat more the rest of the days... (BTW, I actually do IF 18/6 and have been for years and this works great)..

Does this really work week after week after week.. Seems counter productive just to be able to eat more calories the other 5 days a week..

@gia07 Your post is a bit confusing!
What is the MFP community for instance? We are all individuals.

5:2 is a form of IF for weight loss (5 days at maintenance, 2 days at 500 for women or 600 for men). So a moderate weekly deficit.

Some continue after reaching goal with 5:2 to maintain (5 days fairly large surplus, 2 days low calorie) but I choose to do it as 6:1 (6 days slight surplus, one day low calorie.)

Don't understand your exercise question?

When you are maintaining your weight and if you do or do not exercise?

If you mean can you exercise on a fast day then yes you can (but you don't eat back exercise calories on a fast day).
I exercise a hell of a lot over the course of a week and also did do when I was losing weight, training at maintenance is far easier than training in a constant deficit.

And yes some people find an uneven daily pattern much easier for adherence compared to same every day calorie allowance.

Does this really work week after week after week..

Yes I've been doing 5:2 or 6:1 since August 2012.

FitPhillygirl

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I run, because I enjoy it. BMR calculators say my BMR is 1259. I burn over 2,000 calories just by walking 10,000 steps a day. I take the stairs. I walk to work. I go for walks with my husband.

I'm 50, female, and 5'6" 135.

Just curious as to how you calculated your calorie burn? I used my Polar FT 7 and my FB Charge for my Power walk today. I'm 5'7", 134.4 Lbs. and my Polar HRM said I only burned 405 calories for going a little over 10,000 steps.

00figg

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I run, because I enjoy it. BMR calculators say my BMR is 1259. I burn over 2,000 calories just by walking 10,000 steps a day. I take the stairs. I walk to work. I go for walks with my husband.

I'm 50, female, and 5'6" 135.

You don't have to go to a gym. Just MOVE.

i envy your calorie burn! i am 42; 5'6" and 131 pounds. my fitbit tells me i tend to burn around 600 cals at 15k steps.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

5' 7" and have weighed 152-156 for 15 months eating 2150 calories plus whatever MFP says I burn at the gym. I currently bench press, squat and dead lift half my bodyweight 3-5 times. I am working up to bring able to do my bodyweight, but I don't know how long that will take. I do yoga classes twice a week and a dance class once a week. One day is totally off except walking the dog. Find something you enjoy doing and do it. I hate running so I don't. I hate crowded group exercise classes, so I don't take them.
Congrats on your loss so far and good luck on your journey.

SomeLouisvilleGuy

I find using the fitbit actually helps get me up and doing something, especially if you choose to do some challenges with friends. I find myself now taking the long way around the office after grabbing water from the breakroom or leaving the restroom. That's one way to keep my step counts up.

I also try to get to the gym once or twice a week for either elliptical or strength training. I don't beat myself up if I miss a week or two because I've recently taken up running. I'm recovering from my first 10 mile race from Saturday and doubt I will make it to the gym until next week, or much later this week.

The fitbit approach is working well for me. Might not be for everyone, but it's working for me.

christinev297 wrote: »

You don't need to slog it out in the gym. I despise those cardio classes!!! I recently bought a fitbit and around 20,000 steps a day gives me 800ish calories. Doing laps around my house or the block beats gym classes hands down for me!