What was raising your calories like?
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Dreysander
Posts: 294 Member
So I'm trying to get into maintenance but I'm really scared of raising my calories, worried that I'll put on all the weight again. When you went into maint and raised your calories, did you put on weight? Did it come back off again without having to lower calories again?
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I've been very slowly been adding calories over the last month. I'm eating more than ever and have lost another 1.5 - 2.0 pounds in that time. It's a process to find a good maintenance intake.0
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It was pretty painless for me! With a few lbs to go, I switched from "lose 1lb a week" to "lose 1/2lb a week", changing from 1,240 cals to 1,410. After losing those last few lbs, I then switched to "maintain weight", going from 1,410 to 1,710. Both times, I just increased to what it said. Using the inbetween 1/2lb loss option did stagger the increase slightly. 500 extra cals all at once might have been more daunting.
Some people put on a bit of water weight when they increase which then settles down again. I would say don't sweat a minor increase if it happens - give it a few weeks to settle back down before judging.
For me, the weight loss cals that the system gave me were accurate - I lost at the rate I specified. And the maintenance cals have been accurate too. If you found that the weight loss cals were too high and you ate less than your goal, you might want to do the same with the maintenance cals that it recommends.
If you spread the extra cals over the day, it's not that many. You won't be eating LOADS more. I have 40g of cereal for breakfast instead of 30g. I have 100g (dried weight) of rice/pasta with dinner instead of 75g. Increasing your carb portions a bit will use a decent chunk of the extra. I then have an extra snack during the afternoon compared to when losing, and I can have a glass of wine more often! I just couldn't fit alcohol in on 1,240.
Good luck!0 -
Worried that I'll put on all the weight again.
Multiply how many you pounds you lost by 3500 - are you really going to "accidently" eat that surplus without noticing or making any intervention? Not likely is it!!
When you went into maint and raised your calories, did you put on weight?
Nope - I made sure I wasn't glycogen depleted during my weight loss to maintain exercise performance. If you are raising calories week by week you are reducing not eliminating your deficit and so the rate of loss slows down.
One of the keys to happy maintenance is moving your focus from "right now" to long term. Do not react to short term fluctuations or seek to micro manage your weight.0 -
If I remember correctly, I believe I heard angels sing.0
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Worried that I'll put on all the weight again.
Multiply how many you pounds you lost by 3500 - are you really going to "accidently" eat that surplus without noticing or making any intervention? Not likely is it!!
When you went into maint and raised your calories, did you put on weight?
Nope - I made sure I wasn't glycogen depleted during my weight loss to maintain exercise performance. If you are raising calories week by week you are reducing not eliminating your deficit and so the rate of loss slows down.
One of the keys to happy maintenance is moving your focus from "right now" to long term. Do not react to short term fluctuations or seek to micro manage your weight.
What he said.. Also give your self a weight range instead of a spot on daily or weekly scale weight For example weight range +/- 3 to 5 pounds... This will give you insight as water retention, etc..0 -
I am not afraid of gaining back just like that.
But i did indeed slow my weight loss down first.
Mainly because i have no idea what my maintenance is. First of all the sites and calculators seem to be to low for me. I kept on losing weight when i followed the 1749 it gave me.
According to the data i have collected over time it should be 1860....but did that for some weeks and lost a whole pound!
So up to 1950 now and i will see what happens.
Fluctuations because of the holidays of course but that doesn't bother me. I sit it out till the end of January and see what happens.
When i lose again i will up it with a 100 calories so to 2050 and do that for 4 weeks.
What i have a problem with atm is that i dont eat enough and have to "fix" it with a spoonful of peanut butter etc And my mind tells me that is a waste to do so. Which i totally resist btw and eat that spoonful of peanut butter or ice cream whatever.
I dont use skinny products i dont like ( anymore) So with planning for the next day i try now to shoot for 1700 calories and than i have 250 over for an extra snack. Cookies, ice cream nuts whatever.
I had also a mixture of cheap calorie vegetables mixed with the heavier dense ones. Like a lot of zucchini with another veggie. Now i turn it around. Eat also more potato more pasta etc. So a bit bigger portions.
So afraid to gain back ...nope. I am more trying to beat the habits i was in and adept to the new ones.
Only the transition is a bit harder to wrap my mind around..but i will
ps yes the weight of fluctuations comes back off even with the higher amount of calories.0 -
I put on a pound or so maybe, then it would fluctuate down a couple pounds and back up pretty consistently. Fine by me. I raised by 100 calories per week so I wasn't adding too much at once and seeing a big spike on the scale.0
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Getting to eat more food is amaaaazing! Don't be afraid. I filled in my extra calories with extra fruit, nuts, etc. and the occasional dark chocolate. You won't regain all of your weight You'll get used to the extra food quickly, I'm sure!
My plan was to slowly up my calories, but I just dove right in. Everything was fine!0 -
Gradually increasing calories while working down to target, was annoying and slow. It was more satisfying to change course, to crush the calories for a shorter period, crush the weight to target and even undershoot. Then celebrate and jump-up calories, observe the weight and water gain, then de-celebrate to normal intake. It gave me a powerful sense of control that has persisted for more than a year of maintenance.
Now calories are irrelevant since the only thing I monitor is weight which is controlled by macro ratios. As long as I eat mostly protein and fat then I do not overeat.0 -
im pushing my maintenance calories up even higher right now and im loving it
sometimes i feel bad but i honestly its amazing and i feel good0 -
I went up 250 calories of my 500 calorie deficit until I started to lose at that deficit. I didn't lose anything.
One word of advice: It's easy to add in lots of simple carbs (sugar, white flour, potatoes, etc.) That won't make you fat, but it can make you hold water. So add relatively more of your calories from protein and fat and fewer from bread and cake.0 -
I have NO idea how I'm going to handle maintenance. I burn between 2,900-3,500 calories a day right now, and I'm eating at 1,900-2,000. The idea of even attempting to eat another 1,000 calories a day is just like....mind-blowing. Especially if I'm going to be eating healthy like I am now.
Am I supposed to eat 6 egg beaters for breakfast instead of 3?
A half pound of chicken for lunch instead of a quarter-pound?
A half pound of salmon for dinner instead of 5 ounces?
It's just crazy. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I'm actually scared to do it I have to admit.0 -
lol a sandwich with a thick layer of peanutbutter is good for 500 to 600 calories easily!0
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Yeah I had two days where I ate at maintenanceish but it was all sugary salty crap (friends over, ordered pizza, they brought donuts - yeah). Yesterday was especially bad. It made me gain 3 lbs. Now I'm looking at cutting my cals down to 1200 - 1300 a day again until I lose the water weight. Should I do that or should I eat maintenance calories and see if it comes off?0
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Tricky, indeed, and I can't say that I'm comfortable eating ALL my calories just yet. Try to work up to your calories, and stay close to the macros. I stayed at "losing .5 lbs" through the holidays, though I reached maintenance in early December. Would you feel more at peace if you weigh in once a week? Number on the scale fluctuations can make you feel bad, especially after a sugary and salty day.......Good luck to us!!!0
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@andyphillips899andyphillips899 wrote: »I have NO idea how I'm going to handle maintenance. I burn between 2,900-3,500 calories a day right now, and I'm eating at 1,900-2,000. The idea of even attempting to eat another 1,000 calories a day is just like....mind-blowing. Especially if I'm going to be eating healthy like I am now.
Am I supposed to eat 6 egg beaters for breakfast instead of 3?
A half pound of chicken for lunch instead of a quarter-pound?
A half pound of salmon for dinner instead of 5 ounces?
It's just crazy. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I'm actually scared to do it I have to admit.
You don't just eat protein do you?
Eat whole eggs instead of egg beaters - sling some cheese in an omelette.
Have some potato with your chicken.
Have some rice with your salmon.
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@DreysanderDreysander wrote: »Yeah I had two days where I ate at maintenanceish but it was all sugary salty crap (friends over, ordered pizza, they brought donuts - yeah). Yesterday was especially bad. It made me gain 3 lbs. Now I'm looking at cutting my cals down to 1200 - 1300 a day again until I lose the water weight. Should I do that or should I eat maintenance calories and see if it comes off?
No - do not go to a massive calorie deficit to lose what you yourself identified as temporary weight gain.
You will never be happy maintaining if you react to every jump in weight. The excess water weight will go of its own accord without any intervention unless you plan on eating "sugary salty crap" as you phrase it every day!
Enjoy the company of friends and especially enjoy food without guilt or penance.0 -
It just happened for me, lol. I was hungrier so I put my goal at maintenance while trying to keep a deficit most days. I ended up maintaining for a year that way and I never put on the 4 pounds that people usually gain when they move to maintenance.. but I'm consistently zig zagging my calories and apparently don't gain that much weight if I overeat too much either, so I'm probably technically still at a small deficit.. I guess. Who knows. My body baffles me.0
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Thanks sijomial (you are always such an awesome resource on here btw). Yeah it's a mindset thing. I'll raise my cals to maintenance this week and just see what happens I suppose! It's not like I don't know how to lose weight.0
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BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »lol a sandwich with a thick layer of peanutbutter is good for 500 to 600 calories easily!
Or a big glass of milk or oj and some toast.0
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