How do *you* determine when/if to change intake?

DeguelloTex

OK, so I've been trying to maintain for about a month now. I'm starting with a ± 4 pound range (≈1.75% of my body weight). In 36 days I've been slightly past the very top (sodium bomb of a meal), slightly past the very bottom (today), and just about everywhere in between.

What's a realistic range for someone 220-225?

How far out of range, and for how long, do you go before you bump calories up or down?

Unknown

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galprincess

I'm +5 today

BigGuy47

If I get +5lbs out of range and it stays for several days I'll make adjustments.

Tracking your weight using Trendweight or an app like Libra can be helpful with visualizing the fluctuations. Seeing the weight trend can be helpful when determining when to tweak calorie intake.

RaspberryTickleChicken

asflatasapancake wrote: »

That's a good question. I've seen my scale move as much as 10 pounds the day after a "sodium bomb meal". After 1 week of eating in a human way again, the scale usually moves back. For me, I would expect that if I consistently weighed 5 pounds heavier than my goal weight after 1 month, I would adjust my calories. Otherwise, it could be normal fluctuations.

+1

Key is consistently at X weight for a period of time

Weight flux is also highly individualized - I typically flux 1-2 lbs max ... if its a week of heavy FODMAP foods which I'm sensitive to then 2-3 lbs. But within 24-48 hrs it usually goes away.

I do also have a 'caution' weight that I pay particular attention to if I ever get AND stay there for more than my standard 2-3 days.

SO maybe set a 'caution' weight for yourself and make a mental note how long your body typically takes to process the weight flux so that you have a baseline of if its your individual norm or something which needs action.

P.S. Congrats on reaching goal & best of luck to you!

DeguelloTex

BigGuy47 wrote: »

If I get +5lbs out of range and it stays for several days I'll make adjustments.

Tracking your weight using Trendweight or an app like Libra can be helpful with visualizing the fluctuations. Seeing the weight trend can be helpful when determining when to tweak calorie intake.

Oh, I graph the hell out of my weights. Linear, as well as 7-, 14-, and 21-day moving averages are all trending down for about three weeks (even including the 4.5 pound gain at the Tex-Mex restaurant). The 7 and 14 day averages are below my starting maintenance weight. The 21 day is still fractionally above.

It sound like maybe ±4 pounds might be an unrealistically narrow a range.

DuckReconMajor

BigGuy47 wrote: »

If I get +5lbs out of range and it stays for several days I'll make adjustments.

Tracking your weight using Trendweight or an app like Libra can be helpful with visualizing the fluctuations. Seeing the weight trend can be helpful when determining when to tweak calorie intake.

This was going to be my plan. If I read it correctly once you get to your goal TrendWeight will help you keep the trend in a 5lb range centered on your goal weight.

DeguelloTex

I bumped the range to ±5 pounds. It feels a little like cheating, but I'll get over it.

DuckReconMajor

Honestly as long as you are staying centered on your goal weight your variance can be whatever you want it to be. All you want to look out for is an upward trend that doesn't stop.

Francl27

I don't really have a 'range'. I just weigh myself every day the two weeks following my period, as it's when I shed water weight, then I compare the lowest to the lowest of the previous month, and adjust accordingly... even if it's just 1 extra pound, I go back to a deficit of 300 or so for a month (knowing there are days I will eat more anyway). It's worked for the last year.

To be fair, I've been maintaining a bit higher than I would like, so going under too much has never been a concern (and probably never will be, tbh, I like eating too much).

DeguelloTex

DuckReconMajor wrote: »

Honestly as long as you are staying centered on your goal weight your variance can be whatever you want it to be. All you want to look out for is an upward trend that doesn't stop.

Well, I don't want a downward one that doesn't stop, either.

DuckReconMajor

True. Forgive my lose-centricity, I generally try to keep both sides in mind.

terar21

I don't have a range really now that I think about it. I guess I just have a rule if an "odd weight" sticks more a few days, I should probably think about making an adjustment. If I see something for a week, that's my "well crap" point.

I typically see the scale fluctuate 4 pounds for me (current-1 or current+3 pounds usually)...if I recall correctly, you have more than a foot on me so at least double that fluctuation would probably be appropriate imo (+-5 definitely makes sense to me).

And I do still weigh daily. Because I really don't care about sodium right now, it's probably not best for me to judge based off one weigh in per week. I also pay closer attention to the weight dips because, for me, dips aren't usually water related and typically mean I got too loose with my intake and started short changing myself.

californiagirl2012

It is really different for each person. Some of us have more muscle mass than others even who are our same height and gender. We all have different genetics, and yet we have within our power to change our destiny in spite of what appear to be genetic limitations. So the reason this matters is that it changes your body fat percentage equation, which can help you determine the weight range a little better.

But on the maintenance RANGE, many will find it can be around -+ 5 to 8 pounds. At this stage of the game the focus on a specific weight can be a form of "goal hijacking". What was your original intent? For most of us it was health, quality of life, and/or our own best body shape, not a number. The number was merely a tool to help you achieve your goal. Once you are maintaining, you are actually at your goal. Most of us find we are IN THE RANGE when our clothes still fit, when they get a little tight (especially around the waist) then we know we are certainly at the upper end and IT's TIME to do a few slight deficit days again to bring it back down. Then as we live in this zone for awhile and are aware of food intake over time, we kinda learn how to head the "tight pants around the waist" off at the pass before it happens. That's the sweet spot. And it's super cool when you don't need the body weight scale anymore as it can be a sort of silly thief of happiness sometimes. Your body weight can fluctuate several pounds in a given day when just the liver organ does it's thing. Seeing people get mad at themselves (and not realizing that the body is just doing what it needs to do) is a little sad.

DeguelloTex

californiagirl2012 wrote: »

It is really different for each person. Some of us have more muscle mass than others. We all have different genetics, and yet we have within our power to change our destiny in spite of what appear to be genetic limitations.

But on the maintenance RANGE, many will find it can be around -+ 5 to 8 pounds. At this stage of the game the focus on a specific weight can be a form of "goal hijacking". What was your original intent? For most of us it was health, quality of life, and/or our own best body shape, not a number. The number was merely a tool to help you achieve your goal. Once you are maintaining, you are actually at your goal. Most of us find we are IN THE RANGE when our clothes still fit, when they get a little tight (especially around the waist) then we know we are certainly at the upper end and IT's TIME to do a few slight deficit days again to bring it back down. Then as we live in this zone for awhile and are aware of food intake over time, we kinda learn how to head the "tight pants around the waist" off at the pass before it happens. That's the sweet spot. And it's super cool when you don't need the body weight scale anymore as it can be a sort of silly thief of happiness sometimes. Your body weight can fluctuate several pounds in a given day when just the liver organ does it's thing. Seeing people get mad at themselves (and not realizing that the body is just doing what it needs to do) is a little sad.

Yes, I know it's different for each person. That's why I asked other persons.

My original intent was to lose 112.4 pounds and avoid potential blood pressure issues. I've accomplished both of those.

No, once I'm maintaining to my satisfaction, I won't be at my goal. I'll be ready to bulk.

I'm aware that my weight fluctuates day-to-day and within a day. I'm not worried about fluctuations. I'm trying to get a handle on a reasonable metric by which to judge whether my weight has varied too far from where I started maintaining. Also, at this point, I'm not worried about gaining too much, I'm more concerned with losing too much. My weight shows a downward trend for basically all of July, so I'm starting to entertain the possibility of adding some more calories, but I'm not quite sure that the data supports doing so, yet.

DeguelloTex

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

I'm not much help. Over the last year, I've generally maintained at the low end of my range. My original goal was 160 with a range of 158-163. I discovered that I was uncomfortable being over 160 at all, so I changed my range to 155-160. Then I mostly stayed around 155 before unintentionally losing more and before I knew it, I was maintaining closer to 153. My range is now 150-155. I've been here about 6 months. I seem to like the idea of a five pound range, but hate the actuality of being anywhere near the top, so in effect, I'm self-limited to a 2-3 pound range. Stupid mental games. I went on vacation at the end of May. After sodium weight loss, I was up to 154 (I was 151 before vacation). I ate at a slight deficit for a month, gave up and decided I was happy with 152. Vacation again this week. I'm riding in the car now, adjusting my goals for a 500 calorie deficit because I know I'm going to be 155 again and I'd rather be 151 (and the slight deficit just seemed like water torture to me. I think this time, I'm going for get it off quick!). <shrug>. I guess it's whatever makes you happy.

Yeah, I kind of have this idea of accepting a range, I just don't want to approach the boundaries of that range... which narrows the range that seems acceptable. Rinse and repeat until I'm looking at a range that's so narrow as to be unrealistic or so broad as to be useless.

Even so, my spreadsheet and my activity band both indicate that my TDEE is getting higher and I'm still eating the same amount. I think that when/if I break past the bottom of the range and stay there for long enough that my weekly average weight is also past the bottom, I'll add in some more calories.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

5 pounds is my range. I only weight once a week in order to stop myself from fretting over daily weight fluctuations.