Maintaining as a break from weight loss?

Sedna_51

Hi all! I hope this is the correct forum- if not, please let me know and I'll be happy to remove this post. I was wondering if anyone has had success by varying periods of weight loss with periods of weight maintenance. I have been very gradually losing weight for almost two years (this is my 700th day of MFP logging!) and have lost about 25 pounds in that time. I have a couple of chronic health issues that can make things a little more difficult for me (kidney transplant, anemia, depression), so I'm quite happy with gradual loss. However, I've been stuck at a plateau for quite a few months now. After a lot of trial, error, and frustration, I've decided to eat at maintenance for my current weight for 2-3 months (until June or July 1, depending on how I feel), then getting back into a (small!) deficit. Has anyone else on here tried something similar? How did it work for you? Any hints or tips?
Thanks all!

SideSteel

Sedna_51 wrote: »

Hi all! I hope this is the correct forum- if not, please let me know and I'll be happy to remove this post. I was wondering if anyone has had success by varying periods of weight loss with periods of weight maintenance. I have been very gradually losing weight for almost two years (this is my 700th day of MFP logging!) and have lost about 25 pounds in that time. I have a couple of chronic health issues that can make things a little more difficult for me (kidney transplant, anemia, depression), so I'm quite happy with gradual loss. However, I've been stuck at a plateau for quite a few months now. After a lot of trial, error, and frustration, I've decided to eat at maintenance for my current weight for 2-3 months (until June or July 1, depending on how I feel), then getting back into a (small!) deficit. Has anyone else on here tried something similar? How did it work for you? Any hints or tips?
Thanks all!

First of all I think it's a great idea to incorporate diet breaks periodically, the duration depending on a number of individual factors but generally speaking anywhere from 2 days to a couple of weeks.

A secondary question though that is worth your consideration is this -- if you're maintaining weight for months (by being at a plateau) are you not eating at maintenance already?

Since the definition of maintenance is the energy intake at which you maintain weight, I would argue that you are. Now that being said, maintenance is a moving target -- but it is worth consideration.

RHSheetz

If you are going to increase your calories, do it gradually and see how your body responds. Remember, as you lose weight, the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight decreases. I had this issue and was stuck at about the same weight (fluctuating up and down but averaged out to the same), until I dropped some calories and added a little more activity and now I am moving down again.

Sedna_51

SideSteel wrote: »

A secondary question though that is worth your consideration is this -- if you're maintaining weight for months (by being at a plateau) are you not eating at maintenance already?

Since the definition of maintenance is the energy intake at which you maintain weight, I would argue that you are. Now that being said, maintenance is a moving target -- but it is worth consideration.

That is an excellent point, thank you! Related: I try to track my intake very closely, but it is quite possible that as I progressed with my weight loss I became somewhat sloppy. In addition, I tend to keep a low deficit (~250 calories) which also makes poor tracking a more likely culprit in failing to lose, right? I have been eating at MFP's definition of maintenance for the past two weeks & tracking via weekly weigh-ins; if my weight fluctuates more than 1-2 pounds from my current start point I'm planning to reduce my intake slightly.
My other goal here during a maintenance period is to work (yet again) on improving my exercise habits, which is an area where I continue to have considerable trouble (asthma, yay). I'm going to focus on sharpening my logging as well during this period.

Thank you for your thoughts!

nxd10

I think it's a fantastic idea. If you're getting tired of a deficit or you just want to take a vacation, keep logging at maintenance to keep your loss. Then go back to it.

4ever420

Last summer I decided to maintain for a while and then eventually drop a few more pounds. I found though that I got used to the extra calories, and it's been difficult to make myself go back to a deficit. I found that I lost my weight loss momentum and kind of wish now that I had just kept losing the last few pounds.

Everyone is different though so you may very well not have any problem switching back to a deficit after maintaining.

Christine_72

Why not try eating your goal weight maintenance calories?

sijomial

I think diet breaks are a very good idea (mentally and physically). I lost two thirds of my weight in six months and last third in a series of three or four pound steps with extended periods in between.

It's good practice for maintaining and teaches you that you have complete control over your weight. Takes away the anxiety that some people seem to have about a small gain might lead to "gaining it all back".

By the way exercise at maintenance is so much easier and rewarding than exercise in a deficit.