FINDING MY COMFORT ZONE

1961dublin

Hi all. Its so good to read all your posts. I have experimented with maintenance for a few months and I kept loosing a bit every week, but I think I have finally reached a stage where my weight is steady or at least does not fluctuate much. For the last 3 weeks I have added in a big meal on saturday nights. I do not count calories on this day, apart from sticking to 600 calories for breakfast and lunch in total. This has done the trick. The other 6 days I am careful with logging. The saturday night meal contains a few glasses of wine and usually a Chinese take away. I have 3 light days a week of 650 calories and 3 days of 1600 max. I dont feel deprived and I feel in control. I plan to stay around 60 kilos. What do you guys think of this plan? Do you think its excessive in any way, or too full of deprivation? I would like to compare it to what others need to do to maintain!!

crb426

If you're trying to maintain I would think 6 days of 1600 calories max along with your saturday night would be just fine for maintenance. What is your maintenance calorie goal?

vivmom2014

3 days of eating 650 calories per day would not fly for me. At all.

I'm maintaining on somewhere in the neighborhood of 1900-2400 per day. Currently not logging. 5'8", 139 lbs.

1961dublin

Thanks crb and viv. I dont think I can stretch to 6 days of 1600 plus a free day on saturdays, as Im sure I would put on weight. I am only 5 ft 4 and I weigh around 133 lbs. Apart from housework I hate regular exercise, and I am 54 years old. I lost my 18 kilos very slowly. All considered, I think this is a realistic plan for me in maintenance. I have tried to eat more but I put on weight straight away!!

Abm4n

I am maintaining now with five days with a calorie budget of 1,600 per day and two days of supposedly "unrestricted" eating (but actually eating on around 1,800-2,000 calories). 1,600 calories may not sound a lot but it includes a lot of fat and I do feel satisfied and have heaps of energy for social exercise.

It is a kind of 5:2 intermittent diet but rather than limiting my calories to around 600 calories on fasting days I just eat one large unrestricted meal instead. My main goal is never to deprive myself in any way and never to feel hungry. "Empty stomach" feeling is OK but not "hungry". So I allow myself some indulgences such as chocolate cake with cream from time to time and a bit of chocolate every day. Seems to be working fine and I am keeping my BMI in the healthy range. OK so it's just scraping in, but it is still within target weight range.

LivingtheLeanDream

The point of eating really low a few days a week is so you eat higher the other days....1600 would not be considered higher.
I would suggest you eat say 900/1200 cals on your 'fasting' days and 1800-2000 the rest.
It's about an overall weekly calorie total which keeps us maintaining.
Aim for a total of say 12500 per week if your sedentary.
I aim for 14000 cals per week as I'm active. I'm 5ft 2 / 132lbs/ maintaining 2 years this way

BurnWithBarn2015

I am searching too. And still losing...very slowly it seems. Didn't lose anything the last week and a half..so we wait it out with this "system

6 days a week around 1850 calories and 1 day a week ( my rest day) anywhere between 1200 and 1800.
I "bank/save" calories i didn't eat the other days and the 1200 is a basic number and everything i didn't eat the other days i add to it to a max of 1800 calories...for now.

I dont eat my exercise calories back. Because i try TDEE.
But probably end up around 2100 well i hope

For now its a waiting game...upping calories ...waiting...upping calories and waiting lol for almost 3 months now.

I will get there.

btw

Female
5.5"
50 years young
145 lbs atm.
And exercise around 2100 calories NET a week

1961dublin

Thanks guys for all your replies. Very helpful!! Happy, Im pretty sure you are right. Its probably water weight. I reduce the calories as soon as I see an increase, but you are right, I should wait 3 weeks. But , Burn ....unlike you I dont exercise much so I guess I can eat less. And Ruth 12000 calories per week sounds like a lot . Its about 50% more than I currently eat!! Abm I guess you are active too??

nxd10

3 days of 650? Why? This sounds way too complicated. Why don't you just have weekly goals you meet and try to listen to your body with a little extra guidance from MFP?