Struggling with maintaining.

Bella77007

Could someone give some insight please? I am 38, female,5 ft 1 and 113 pounds, it is a weight that I am happy with, 120 was enough for me but I have lost more whilst trying to ease into maintenance.

I wanted to gradually increase my intake so I went up in steps of 50 per day for two weeks at a time, I had been on 1200 and losing about 1 pound per week on average, MFP suggested I would lose 0.6 per week on that amount but I lost more.

So at the moment I am set at 1350 per day, some weeks I lose 1 pound, some weeks 0.5, it varies but over the past 4 weeks I have lost 3.5 pounds so an average of about 0.8 pounds per week.

I am sedentary, I have health problems that restrict me and there is definitely no way that I am above sedentary level.

I weigh and measure everything I eat and drink so I know it's accurate, some days I might fall under by 20 but not more than that.

So if I am averaging 0.8 per week loss at 1350 what kind of figure am I looking at to actually maintain? MFP says 1410 so I have decided to put it up to at least that but I admit I am terrified of gaining weight, I understand that fluctuations are normal though.

I am just so tired of it all now, I am constantly replacing clothes and we are not well off so it's taking it's toll to be honest, I am in UK size 8 and sometimes even a 6 which I blame on vanity sizing but it doesn't alter the fact that I am spending more than I can afford trying to clothe myself and I really need to find a way to settle my weight, I was 171 at the start and I am so pleased that I lost the weight but now I'm ready to stop and can't figure out how.

mathandcats

A 1lb per week loss is about 500 calories below maintenance. So at 0.8lbs/week I would try adding 300 to 400 calories. Try 1700-1800.

eugenia94102

You will keep losing weight until you up your calorie intake. You have no reason to be terrified of gaining weight, according to your first paragraph there is a wide range of weight in which you would be happy. This is not an exact science and you have to be willing to learn by trial and error. As long as you keep monitoring your food intake and your body weight you will find your energy balance.
Online TDEE calculators are pretty inaccurate ( I input your stats in two and got 1,311 cal in one - IIFYM; and 1,500 cal on another - Mayo Clinic). You know your maintenance is not 1,311 because you are losing weight eating more than that. The next step is to try 1,400 cal/day for at least two weeks and see how your weight reacts, if you are still losing go to 1,500 for a couple of weeks. This is not about daily weight variation, but about your weight over time.
My situation was a bit different than yours (I had a health problem and lost a lot of weight. I could not stop losing even after there was no clinical or metabolic reason) my MD gave me a great tip: up your calorie intake with exactly the same thing every day until you find your energy balance (in my case I used a nutritional shake). Use whatever works for you (say, a banana). It makes the process easier because you can try one banana, one and a half bananas without going crazy trying to find something that fits the calories.
Regarding clothes, as much as I hate to admit it, I bought really cheap and inexpensive pants at Forever21 ($7.90), I started paying a lot of attention to elastane content (anything with 8% or more is awesome, it goes up and down with you), and suspenders (I found them in the boys section of a department store). Luckily it's getting cold so I use suspenders under my sweaters (only with skirts, with pants a trip to the bathroom means getting undressed). I know how to sew, but the prospect of taking-in my wardrobe is daunting... maybe in the winter. Good luck!

Yi5hedr3

Add calories VERY SLOWLY (75/day, for a week at a time). ie: no more than 75 cal increment per week.

sijomial

Bella77007 wrote: »

I really need to find a way to settle my weight, I was 171 at the start and I am so pleased that I lost the weight but now I'm ready to stop and can't figure out how.

The answer is simple - eat more.
Suggestion from mathandcats is a good one.

Bella77007

Thank you for the advice, it really is quite confusing trying to find the right amount to balance things out, I have looked at so many TDEE calculators and they all vary quite a bit so I do think the only thing I can really do now is to go to 1400 then if I still lose increase it again, the idea of using the same thing each day really appeals to me too because I seem to be forever trying to find something to fill the calories and I must admit it gets a bit frustrating.

I have been buying sale items a lot of the time which has helped a lot but it all adds up when you're on a budget, I wish I could sew, it would save me a small fortune, I will keep the elastane in mind too, it's a bit of a minefield really because when I was bigger I didn't pay much attention to clothes, I would just buy the baggiest thing I could find and stayed away from tape measures but now I pay more attention to how I look rather than avoiding it and want to look well fitted.

Putting on a few pounds wouldn't be the end of the world for me but I think my real fear is losing control and ending up obese again, I need to remember that as long as I am paying attention to my food intake that wont happen, thank you again

47Jacqueline

You stated what your problem is above. You're afraid of losing control. As long as you believe you are fighting with yourself, you'll continue to struggle. I'd recommend professional help. The issue is not food.

rankinsect

Also, rather than a goal weight, you should have a goal range. Maybe for you, that is 110-120, since you were happy at 120, or maybe it's 115-125, or whatever that is for you. While you are within this range, you just eat at maintenance as best you can, and track your weight.

Then you set action plans in case you are out of this range - for example, maybe that is increasing your intake by 250 calories if you fall below you minimum weight, by 500 calories if you fall to 5 pounds below your min weight, etc. And you have the same on the maximum - if you're above a threshold, you cut calories by X.

Bella77007

Thanks again everyone, I will continue with raising my intake and monitor to see what happens, 17-1800 does feel like a lot but I think it's quite usual to feel like that after eating at a much lower amount for a long time, I will increase it gradually until I find the number that fits with me and try to pay less attention to what the calculators say, it's right that my own history is the best thing to go by.

I agree about the goal range too, 110-120 would be absolutely fine with me and it gives me some space to experiment too, I can eat more if I go below it and less if I go over it which makes a lot of sense because obviously I know my weight will always fluctuate and I will not weigh the same each week.

I am afraid of losing control but I don't believe I actually will, I am very disciplined and I know I will never go back to my old eating habits, it just feels scary because it seems like such a lot of calories and I don't want to overdo it but I do know that I need to relax and let go a bit.

With that said I am seeing my doctor this week about something else so I will bring this up with her too, I am concerned that she may be a little dismissive, after all my BMI is perfectly healthy and I am not trying to lose more weight or believing that I need to, I could lose another 15 pounds and still be considered a healthy weight but I don't think it would be a good look for me, a chat with her can't do any harm though so I will definitely discuss it at my appointment.

middlehaitch

Another way to work out your maintenance is to add up your last 30 days of calories. Add 3500 calories for each pound you have lost over that time. Divide the total by 30 and that will give you your maintenance calories.
It is really a couple of months of trial and error in all honesty. It takes a while and is a little frustrating, but you will get there.

There is a group called 'Petites in Maintenance' that you may like to join.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/109137-petites-in-maintenance

Cheers, h.

eugenia94102

OP, I strongly encourage you to also discuss with your doctor your limitations to exercise. Maybe she can recommend some type of activity you can safely do (some health limitations change with your weight).
One "muscle" most people who successfully maintain weight loss learn how to exercise is self control. The American Psychological Association has a pamphlet about it "What you need to know about willpower", you may find it helpful. Once again, good luck!