What did you add?

Machka9

When you went to maintenance, what did you add to your diet?

I'm still about 1.5 kg from maintenance, but getting close! I understand that I should add about 100 calories for the first couple weeks, and another 100 calories for the next couple weeks, and so on ... but I'm debating what to add.

I've got my current diet down to a science now and part of me is thinking that I don't really want to add anything, except on odd occasions like if I go out or something. And part of me is thinking that it might be nice to add a bit ... but what?


On the day you went to maintenance, or your first week of maintenance, what did you add to your diet?

cyronius

I didn't add anything as such. My approach to loss was more about moderation than elimination. So I had smaller portions or enjoyed certain foods less often, rather than avoiding things altogether.

So maintenance is simply a case of letting myself enjoy slightly larger portions again (though not back to the bad old days)

riffraff2112

Just added the cals, nothing specific. Hadn't really taken anything away, was just eating less.

Machka9

I've been eating less too, not eliminating anything from my diet. But right now, in losing mode, I'm full when I finish lunch and dinner. I don't really want more. So I'm thinking that if I'm going to add more calories it might have to be a small snack somewhere.

arditarose

I just upped my portions a bit. Especially the avocado serving.

heybales

More of the same.

If exercise has been part of your weight loss routine - you start eating more and you'll find your workouts will become even better, burning even more.

That will make you hungrier.

Plus as your hormones get a chance to rebalance and come back to normal, probably hunger there.

The only problem will be how much did your system slow down and how fast will it speed up and will it match your rate of increase and ultimate eating level. It could take months or longer to get up to your potential if you've had extreme deficit and bit to lose.

Do expect to gain good water weight at first, same big water weight drop when you started a diet.
But those extra carbs with attached water in your muscle hungry for it will help any workouts and increase metabolism just being there.

sijomial

I didn't exclude anything when I was losing weight. I lost my weight eating in the 5:2 eating pattern and initially I just ate more on the five normal eating days. Later I swapped one of my fast days for a normal eating day instead as I found I wasn't making great choices to hit the high calorie count five days a week needed to hit my weekly goal.
I've also maintained without fasting days and without food logging. I like experimenting!

As I enjoy snacking that's often where the extra calories came from and I don't really want to go back to large portion sizes.

Machka9

heybales wrote: »

More of the same.

If exercise has been part of your weight loss routine - you start eating more and you'll find your workouts will become even better, burning even more.

That will make you hungrier.

Plus as your hormones get a chance to rebalance and come back to normal, probably hunger there.

The only problem will be how much did your system slow down and how fast will it speed up and will it match your rate of increase and ultimate eating level. It could take months or longer to get up to your potential if you've had extreme deficit and bit to lose.

Do expect to gain good water weight at first, same big water weight drop when you started a diet.
But those extra carbs with attached water in your muscle hungry for it will help any workouts and increase metabolism just being there.

I have lost 25 kg since mid-February 2015 ... aiming for about 27 kg.

I have been exercising quite a lot the whole time ... every day!

I was not at an extreme deficit ... about 1300 cals if I didn't exercise, but since I exercise every day, I usually eat a minimum of 1500 cal each day. I eat 1/2 to 3/4 of my exercise calories most days ... and all my exercise calories the day before and day after a big effort. For example, the other weekend I cycled a century (100 miles in one day), on the Friday and Sunday I ate all my calories.

I also took a 1-month diet break back in June while I reassessed my goals ... I had reached my first goal and was debating about going further. During that diet break, I ate what I wanted, and didn't log. But I kept exercising as usual.

I have been somewhat more hungry in recent weeks than I was the rest of the time.

However, the only time of day when I feel like I might want more to eat is about 4 pm. So ... I might add 100 cal worth of cashews or something then.

LivingtheLeanDream

an extra little cheeky snack i.e chocolate....and I added more to the size of each of my meals

Machka9

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

I was at a 250 calorie deficit (or so I thought) when I hit maintenance. I increased 150 calories the first week and then increased the last 100 calories the next week. I stayed there for three weeks to let my body settle and see where I was. I had to increase by 100 twice more, waiting 3 weeks each time, to quit losing weight. By then I was 6 pounds under goal. My goal was high, so I just stayed there.

As far as what to do with the calories? My 100 calorie snacks became 200 calorie snacks and my portions increased for my breakfast and dinner.

That's interesting ... I think I've got about a 250 cal deficit too. But I'm not sure.

xKoalaBearx

I am also reverse dieting... I first added protein (chicken/fish)... then ice cream ... now pretty much anything I want as long as I hit my protein requirement for the day (90-110 g/day).

I'm up 700-800 calories per day from when I was losing and still maintaining my weight. Trying to see how far up I can go without gaining.

rainbow198

During weight loss mode my deficit wasn't extreme, but adding in extra peanut butter, cashews, ice cream (mmm!) and sometimes a slightly larger portion of food helped me to up my calories.

Not to mention I eat more during the weekend and a little less during the week so that helps with balancing out my calories for the week.

cwolfman13

slightly larger servings...i only had to add in 500 calories, so that's pretty easy to do with a little extra this or that...it's a handful of calories.

BurnWithBarn2015

Trying to find maintenance level atm. So slowly adding calories till the weight loss comes to a stop.

I have a bit bigger portions of some things...not everything because i had them already big enough ( like my dinner)
But breakfast for example.

But the main changes are that i went from some skinny products to normal ones. Like skimmed milk = whole or 2% again.
From using a olive spray for cooking i use now in some meals butter for some again.
From a skinny dressing back to a normal dressing. Not all because i love the Bolthouse dressings so will keep using them. From skinny ice cream to.....wait i dont eat skinny ice creams lol.....from one scoop of ice cream to a double portion.

I didn't change much when i was cutting back on calories except portions the amounts. So going back to more calories again isn't that hard.
And days that i really have something like ...ooops i have a bit more left over than i thought...a spoon of peanut butter or a snack does the trick

heybales

Machka9 wrote: »

heybales wrote: »

More of the same.

If exercise has been part of your weight loss routine - you start eating more and you'll find your workouts will become even better, burning even more.

That will make you hungrier.

Plus as your hormones get a chance to rebalance and come back to normal, probably hunger there.

The only problem will be how much did your system slow down and how fast will it speed up and will it match your rate of increase and ultimate eating level. It could take months or longer to get up to your potential if you've had extreme deficit and bit to lose.

Do expect to gain good water weight at first, same big water weight drop when you started a diet.
But those extra carbs with attached water in your muscle hungry for it will help any workouts and increase metabolism just being there.

I have lost 25 kg since mid-February 2015 ... aiming for about 27 kg.

I have been exercising quite a lot the whole time ... every day!

I was not at an extreme deficit ... about 1300 cals if I didn't exercise, but since I exercise every day, I usually eat a minimum of 1500 cal each day. I eat 1/2 to 3/4 of my exercise calories most days ... and all my exercise calories the day before and day after a big effort. For example, the other weekend I cycled a century (100 miles in one day), on the Friday and Sunday I ate all my calories.

I also took a 1-month diet break back in June while I reassessed my goals ... I had reached my first goal and was debating about going further. During that diet break, I ate what I wanted, and didn't log. But I kept exercising as usual.

I have been somewhat more hungry in recent weeks than I was the rest of the time.

However, the only time of day when I feel like I might want more to eat is about 4 pm. So ... I might add 100 cal worth of cashews or something then.

Well, eating levels is not the same as potential deficit level.

Eating 1500 but burning around 3000 would mean an extreme 50% potential deficit. Though the body won't like that so it'll slow down and make it not so great.

So it sounds like you likely avoided that with your break and smaller deficit.

Machka9

When I went on the diet to lose weight, my lunch remained exactly the same and my dinner remained quite similar although possibly a slightly smaller portion. So I have no plans to add to them, I'm quite happy with them the way they are now.

What I did change was going from consuming what I know now was about 500 cal in cashews or almonds in an afternoon to eating a kiwi fruit (about 60 cal), and putting away half a block of chocolate after work (300-500 cal) to eating cottage cheese and cucumber slices (100 cal). Those two things were probably my most significant changes. Now, I actually prefer the cottage cheese and cucumber slices, and I don't miss the nuts much.


Over the last few months, since my diet break, my weight loss has slowed from 1 kg/week to 0.5 kg/week. That's probably because I deliberately increased my calorie intake a little bit ... I wanted to slow things down a little.

And as for deficit, I figure I burn about 400 cal/day on a weekday in exercise ... so my 1300 cal + 400 cal = 1700 cal, and I usually eat about 1500 cal. I guess if I'm losing 0.5 kg/week (approx. 1 lb/week), using the 3500 cal = 1 lb thing, that's a deficit of 500 cal/day ... so presumably, I could increase my calories to 2000 cal/day (my current 1500 cal + the 500 cal deficit).

Great ... but what to add that adds up to 500 cal? I don't really crave anything and most of the time I feel quite satisfied. I actually like what I've been eating.

heybales

Wine with dinner mostly?
A dessert normally skipped, some dark chocolate?
Some higher fat item that is currently low fat version?
Real creamer/sugar in coffee?
Tasty almonds?

Think in terms of things that could be dropped in case the activity level dropped for some reason for say a week.

Think also in terms of perhaps fueling or aiding recovery of a workout better than currently, by some meal timing if not done already, or more in the snacks pre/post workout.

With that little to lose, indeed 250 deficit would be better. Purposely slow by wise decision is better than body forcing it on you out of need.

Many people notice feeling warmer when they eat more (which is to be expected), and that body's willingness to crank up heat to stay warm usually has you feeling more hungry. Rather than just putting on more clothes because of being cold. Perhaps entering that season now.

I'll bet you figure out a way, you'll start feeling hungry a bit, hunger can be fooled both directions for several reasons.

Machka9

Wine with dinner mostly? -- never, well almost never. I drink alcohol about twice a year ... don't like it very much.
A dessert normally skipped, some dark chocolate? -- I always have dessert.
Some higher fat item that is currently low fat version? -- maybe ... maybe real cheese.
Real creamer/sugar in coffee? -- absolutely not. I've drunk my coffee and tea black since I was about 15, and do not like the taste of cream or sugar in either.
Tasty almonds? -- and cashews, in limited quantities. Digestively they aren't so brilliant for me.

heybales wrote: »

Many people notice feeling warmer when they eat more (which is to be expected), and that body's willingness to crank up heat to stay warm usually has you feeling more hungry. Rather than just putting on more clothes because of being cold. Perhaps entering that season now.

It'll be summer in about a week ... and I have hot flashes. The few times I actually feel cool are nice.


But you're right ... I'm sure I'll figure it out. As I mentioned earlier, about the only time I'm hungry these days is about 4 pm. I could do a small quantity of cashews then, or maybe a cookie or something.

Meanwhile I am still curious how others have done it.

samlovesthesnow

Advent calendar chocolate!

kristen6350

Booze. Or should I say more booze. I couldn't ever fit more than 1 glass or wine or beer (without sacrificing food) into my losing day, so now I'm maintaining I can fit 1 more in...

Or just higher calorie things. Maybe more for a snack, chocolate, etc.

dawnmcneil10

Peanut butter, avacados and nuts were regular adds for me, I ate them throughout the weight loss process but now I know I have room for just a bit more. I also find the seasonal items fill the extra calories too, we've just gone through pumpkin season and I do love my pumpkin scones/muffins and now my treat is egg nog lattes.