how to maintain weight?

awliyo31

Somebody please explain to me "how to maintain my current weight". In the past months I have worked so hard to lose 30 lbs, and now that I am in shape I don't go to gym more often. No more diet. But I am worried that I will gain weight again. So how can I be myself and not gain weight. I want to be normal not in diet for the rest of my life.

socioseguro

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat#latest

arditarose

socioseguro wrote: »

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat#latest

This is great if you're looking to change your physique.

If you literally want to maintain your weight, either figure out your TDEE (total daily expenditure: the amount of calories you eat per day to maintain) by using an online calculate, or set this app to maintain your weight. Log your food and see if you are coming in at goal.

dmt4641

If I am reading your post correctly, it sounds like you stopped working out and "dieting" once you hit maintenance. Most people that successfully maintain continue to exercise and watch what they eat, the calories are just a bit higher than when losing. So just continue logging but eat at your maintenance calories and continue some form of exercise for health and fitness. If you want to recomp, make sure you are lifting heavy weights and eating adequate protein.

TimothyFish

You maintain by eating exactly the same number of calories that you burn. But don't let the word "exactly" scare you. Realistically, weight will fluctuate some. When it goes a couple of pounds too high, cut calories. A couple pounds too low, increase calories. Continuing to exercise about an hour a day also seems to help. There are various thoughts on why that is true, but it appears to be true.

cwolfman13

you eat to a maintenance level of calories...set your goal on MFP to maintenance and start there...it's all math.

I eat very healthfully just as I did while losing weight...but instead of 2500 calories I eat 3000 calories to maintain as I was losing about 1 Lb per week on average on 2500 calories...that meant I had a 500 calorie deficit so all I had to do was add in 500 more calories...

it's all just 5th grade math.

Beyond that, you still do the same things you did while losing...you still eat healthfully...you still exercise regularly...you still monitor your weight regularly to see if you need to make adjustments, etc.

While you were losing, you should have been developing healthy habits along the way...you take those into perpetuity...you don't stop living a healthful lifestyle just because you've hit some arbitrary number on the scale....you haven't arrived at the finish line or anything. Failure to adopt healthy habits and carry them over into maintenance means that you are highly likely to put the weight back on...being healthy and fit and maintaining a healthy weight are all bi-products of living a healthful lifestyle...there has to be a new "normal"

ghajekx1

Do you want to "be yourself" as you are now-or as you were? You can't have it both ways. KEEP the activity level up!

mattyc772014

Rededicate yourself. Plan out your next goal. Don't let all your hard work go to waste. You have done an excellent job getting to where you are today. Consider goals such as recomposition, bulk/cut, new exercise program. The forum has some great threads for all this to research. Look to yourself and find your path. Lots of luck!

tlp8rb

Before I started my current weight loss program (yes, I've been here before and more than once), I wasn't eating a whole lot more than I do now, but I certainly wasn't as active as I am now. You have to move it to lose it (or keep it off). This time around, I got myself a fitness band, set some goals, and do everything in my power to meet those goals. That means xxxxx of steps each day, xx hours of activity, and most importantly 8 hours of sleep every night. I am surprised at how quickly the steps add up. I'm in my 70s, and a day of vacuuming, raking leaves, running the mower, fixing meals, doing laundry, cleaning a room or two, and walking both dogs does the trick.

Detroitcity86

I understand what u mean, i feel the same way, i don't wanna get obsessed with calorie intake & focusing on my weight ALL the time lol. It's all a learning process tho, u'll be fine

nxd10

You don't 'diet', but you are mindful of your food and exercise. Forever. The goal isn't to lose weight, it's to keep it off. Forever.

So I'm not at a deficit and I love to eat, but I eat differently than I did while I was gaining weight (before MFP). I have smaller servings. I pay attention and stop eating when I'm full. I try to hit my 10,000 steps every day. I eat treats as treats and not much of them. And I do still log my food. But I like logging. Most of the time it tells me I have plenty of calories left to eat when I'm hungry.

The best way to use MFP is to use the time you're at a deficit to learn to eat well and change your life to something that you can maintain forever.

hekla90

I do this a little differently than others. I eat at calories to lose 0.5 lbs a week sinve that's pretty close to maintaining anyways and then if I splurge a bit on a vacation or go out to eat or have a couple drinks it's no big deal. I've been maintaining that way since about June or so.

ExRelaySprinter

hekla90 wrote: »

I do this a little differently than others. I eat at calories to lose 0.5 lbs a week sinve that's pretty close to maintaining anyways and then if I splurge a bit on a vacation or go out to eat or have a couple drinks it's no big deal. I've been maintaining that way since about June or so.

That must suck!
Are you very small or something?

hekla90

ExRelaySprinter wrote: »

hekla90 wrote: »

I do this a little differently than others. I eat at calories to lose 0.5 lbs a week sinve that's pretty close to maintaining anyways and then if I splurge a bit on a vacation or go out to eat or have a couple drinks it's no big deal. I've been maintaining that way since about June or so.

That must suck!
Are you very small or something?

To lose at that rate I eat 1600-1900 calories because I'm active. It doesn't suck at all and day to day it would be difficult to eat more than that. Then on days I go out or I go visit my family k probably eat 2500-3000 calories. I usually see them every couple weeks for 3-4 days.

ExRelaySprinter

hekla90 wrote: »

ExRelaySprinter wrote: »

hekla90 wrote: »

I do this a little differently than others. I eat at calories to lose 0.5 lbs a week sinve that's pretty close to maintaining anyways and then if I splurge a bit on a vacation or go out to eat or have a couple drinks it's no big deal. I've been maintaining that way since about June or so.

That must suck!
Are you very small or something?

To lose at that rate I eat 1600-1900 calories because I'm active. It doesn't suck at all and day to day it would be difficult to eat more than that. Then on days I go out or I go visit my family k probably eat 2500-3000 calories. I usually see them every couple weeks for 3-4 days.

Oh i see.
I just presumed it would be under 1500 cals.

hekla90

ExRelaySprinter wrote: »

hekla90 wrote: »

ExRelaySprinter wrote: »

hekla90 wrote: »

I do this a little differently than others. I eat at calories to lose 0.5 lbs a week sinve that's pretty close to maintaining anyways and then if I splurge a bit on a vacation or go out to eat or have a couple drinks it's no big deal. I've been maintaining that way since about June or so.

That must suck!
Are you very small or something?

To lose at that rate I eat 1600-1900 calories because I'm active. It doesn't suck at all and day to day it would be difficult to eat more than that. Then on days I go out or I go visit my family k probably eat 2500-3000 calories. I usually see them every couple weeks for 3-4 days.

Oh i see.
I just presumed it would be under 1500 cals.

I know it's a little different than most but long term it's more sustainable for me. I don't like to log when I'm around my family because my mom makes such delicious food from scratch I like to just eat it without worrying (: I guess it's less maintaining and just losing and gaining the same few pounds over and over lol. But I've stayed within 2+ and 2- lbs so for me it's working.

47Jacqueline

Be realistic. Make new goals. Stop thinking of what you did as a diet and start to think like the "normal" person you say you want to be. Move on. Live the rest of your life.