Maintenance!

joyfuljoy65
joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have decided to go for a month of maintenance due to personal circumstances - I will then go for the 5lb left (hopefully not more!) to my goal when it is finished. My calorie level was 1410 before maintenance; its 1900 now.

What's the problem I hear you ask - well it's simple - I cannot eat all the calories on maintenance!

I have been doing it for 5 days and finding I have to eat a couple of cookies, or extra carbs to even get within 300 calories of it. That seems to go against the grain of weight management and I am just not that hungry!

Has anyone any tips for managing this? After all, when I do lose the last few pounds this is going to be my recommended calorie level for a looooong time.

Replies

  • joyfuljoy65
    joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
    Oh!

    I posted the above before jumping out of my bed for the Monday morning weigh in - and I have lost 2lb this week on maintenance. Is that cos I am eating more and my metabolism is fired up? I am very confused now.
  • Bearbrat
    Bearbrat Posts: 230
    Can't see your diary so I don't really know what kinds of food you're eating. When I need to up my calories or not reaching my goal, I go for higher calorie foods like avacados, nuts, peanut butter or any of the nut butters, full or at least low fat milk, cottage cheese, full fat cheese, things like that. Congratulations on reaching your goal and good luck with maintenance :smile:
  • purplepiggy1
    purplepiggy1 Posts: 66
    Like mentioned above, I have found the incorporation of nut butters, cheese and for me thicker breads helps a lot. Also make sure you eat snacks 3-4 times a day. I seem to now focus more on hitting calories rather than macros as such otherwise it would drive me crazy.
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    If you need more calories at the end of the day and it's just a couple hundred you could do a protein smoothie. I wouldn't do this at any other time of the day though. Because for me if I make one then I won't be hungry for hours and hours and they usually aren't as many calories as a real meal. I don't see the harm they could do if they are your last calorie intake though, except you may feel too full. But, it's worth a shot, one banana, one scoop protein powder, a couple tablespoons of peanut butter and some sweetener no-cal or in your case sugar might be best since you are trying to take in calories.
  • joyfuljoy65
    joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
    "If i am not mistaken you said you want to take a month off... then come back and lose the last 5lbs? If you only have 5lbs... you think it will even show on you if you lose it? If i only had 5lbs to lose, i wouldn't care... you can gain or lose 5lbs in a day..."

    I know its anal - but the BMI chart at the docs is the goal here......... to at last get that man off my back is the best goal ever :p
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    You have the same problem as me then. An appetite that has been severely reduced. I don't see the problem with eating cookies to hit the last few, sounds like a beautiful dilemma to me.
  • sarahslim100
    sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
    I did that too. Had a break then actively tried to lose the last 5 kgs. It took a while to hit a good maintenance level but now im not needing to log. I upped from 1200 to 1350. Eating more avocado now. And cheese. And slightly larger portion sizes of wholewheat pasta. I just make sure i eat all the colours of the rainbow in my veg to continue getting the right amount.

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