Interminable question - working in "treats" in maintainence - do you do it? How do you do it?

Packerjohn

DrEnalg wrote: »

I do still eat plenty of salads, fruit, fresh food, and I like my high-protein cereal in the morning, etc. ... so I think I do OK as far as macros are concerned (although I honestly don't spend much time worrying about it).

I'd pay a some attention to macro/mircos. If you're okay in those areas, fill in the calories as you want.

cwolfman13

DrEnalg wrote: »

I'm not technically in maintainence as I still have MFP set at a 0.5 pounds / week loss goal. However, it is a lot more liberal than when I was at 1.5 pounds per week (and I was hitting 1.75 / week besides). In a lot of ways, I'm getting used to what being in maintainence is like right now, I think. It's weird. So, here's what's going on...

I've been finding that with the exercise I do (I run daily) and with my calorie allotment where it is currently, I have a lot of "room" to work in food that's... well, not necessarily that "healthy" or "clean" (but just tastes damned good!!!)

I do still eat plenty of salads, fruit, fresh food, and I like my high-protein cereal in the morning, etc. ... so I think I do OK as far as macros are concerned (although I honestly don't spend much time worrying about it). But, lately, over the last week or so, I've been working in things like.... french fries. And Magnum ice cream bars. And chips here and there. Which is kinda nice... these are tasty treats I'm actually not accustomed to having. But I log them dutifully, I weigh whatever I can, and then... I eat, while staying within my allotment for the day as well. I haven't gone over my allotment for the last 2-3 weeks I've been doing this.

The funny thing is, it doesn't feel right. Like, I'm not supposed to be doing this. Or I'll pay for this somehow down the line. But that doesn't make sense, right? If I'm staying within my calorie allotment, and as long as I'm not grossly nutritionally deficient (e.g., I'm getting a basically balanced diet), and heck, if I exercise regularly as well - then who cares if I eat dessert every night and french fries a few times a week???

Does anyone get where I'm coming from? This isn't really a question about whether I'm literally doing something wrong, because I'm pretty sure (check my diary if you want), I'm doing this right. But it just FEELS wrong.... (although eating my treats feels right).

Anyways, just wanted to share this. I guess I'm just finding this whole being-skinny-but-eating-what-I-want-thing very strange.

i've maintained for over two years and i don't log a thing...I eat very healthfully...tons of veg, fruit, whole grains, legumes and lentils, lean sourced protein, good fats, etc and I exercise regularly...i also like taking my kids out for pizza now and then and i love craft beer and i eat desert most nights, etc...

there's no reason stuff like that can't be a PART of a well balanced and healthy diet...but people tend to apply moralistic labels to their food and whatnot....

ilovesweeties

Totally with you on this. I lost the majority of my weight on a ~750/day deficit, plus exercise calories not eaten back. I do even more exercise now that I am slim, so I was looking at increasing my intake by >1000 kcal/day. The sheer amount of food is difficult for me to get my head (and stomach) around, especially if it is micronutrient rich (which often means not so calorie dense). I could easily meet my maintenance calories by inhaling a sharing bag (or two) of chocolates, but that would be on top of the treats that I already fitted in to my deficit and I know that's not the right thing to do. Learning to have more of ALL the foods, rather than just having more treats is much harder than I bargained for!

ilovesweeties

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

This is one of the reasons why many people decrease their deficit and slow down their weight loss as they get closer to their goal. It's much easier to transition from a 250 calorie deficit than a 750 calorie one. You'll get the hang of it though.

Thanks! I had been stalking the maintenance forum for months and I had read that's what I should be doing. I eased on the deficit in the last three months before goal, but I underestimated the impact my increased exercise was having. I didn't trust the process- I couldn't (and still can't) believe my exercise calories were as much as my FitBit tells me.

I plateaued a little when I first increased my calories which made me fearful of increasing them further before reaching my goal. I didn't admit it at the time, but I didn't believe I would actually lose on a deficit of 250/day. Now though, I have lost 4lbs since reaching goal and would you believe it- MFP and FitBit data tells me I am eating at roughly a 250kcal/day deficit. It's like people in the maintenance forum actually know what they are talking about...

WinoGelato

OP the way that you are feeling, guilty if you indulge, even if within your calorie goal - is one of the biggest issues I have with the whole "You must eat clean if you want to lose weight" mindset. It is totally appropriate, and healthy, to get the majority of your calories from nutrient dense foods, and then work in treats where you can. This is what moderation looks like.

Now, I will say for me, the biggest issue with transitioning into maintenance isn't "what should I eat now" but just losing that buffer. I was used to having that 250 cal/day deficit - a weekly deficit of 1750 cals, to dip into now and again and not have to worry that I was going to see a true gain on the scale. It's part of the reason why I've left my calories a little lower than my true maintenance, and so far it's working fine.

editorgrrl

DrEnalg wrote: »

I'm not technically in maintainence as I still have MFP set at a 0.5 pounds / week loss goal.

I do OK as far as macros are concerned (although I honestly don't spend much time worrying about it). But, lately, over the last week or so, I've been working in things like.... french fries. And Magnum ice cream bars. And chips here and there. Which is kinda nice... these are tasty treats I'm actually not accustomed to having.

But I log them dutifully, I weigh whatever I can, and then... I eat, while staying within my allotment for the day as well.

Ur doing it right. I've been eating this way for 1,000+ days, lost the weight, and kept it off. You've made healthy, sustainable lifestyle changes—setting your deficit appropriately for your size, fitting yummy, portion-controlled treats into your calorie goal, and logging everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly.

You're going to transition to maintenance easily, because the only real change you'll be making is eating 250 calories more each day. You're already eating in a way that you can continue for the rest of your life. Yay, you!

rhtexasgal

Don't sweat it! You are doing fine. I briefly went through that mindset that you are dealing with but I got over it pretty fast once I saw that i could still maintain while having some "not so good for me" foods. Truthfully, it is one of the main reasons why I exercise, so I can LIVE and eat some of those things!