Maintaining weight but still shrinking.

lc355

Watch strap and belt have both gone up another notch and new jeans that fit are getting looser.
Any idea why? Ive upped my walking and my calories but don't do any other exercise.

mjglantz

Once I hit my goal I didn't do much different but I had started a more vigorous exercise plan about a month before. I think that plus adding strength training saw my body get smaller and I ended up still losing some weight. the way I looked at it, I was doing the right things, had added back some calories and my weight would settle in at a place that was right for me.
You might be eating fewer calories than you think you are if nothing else has changed.

nxd10

After I hit my weight goal I dropped inches for at least 6 months. All that extra space that used to have fat in it contracted as my muscles and skin tightened up. Like after having a baby. And I only lost 40 pounds.

mk2fit

It took me several months to stop shrinking. I, too, had upped my strength training and started running. I finally upped my calorie intake (a little at a time) and my weight has been pretty much steady for a couple months.

robininfl

That's great results, actually! You are getting "denser", more muscle and bone, less fat.

lc355

Thanks everyone
I like the idea of tightening up and becoming denser.

AnnPT77

nxd10 wrote: »

After I hit my weight goal I dropped inches for at least 6 months. All that extra space that used to have fat in it contracted as my muscles and skin tightened up. Like after having a baby. And I only lost 40 pounds.

nxd10, would you be willing to say how old you are? I'm also trying, like OP, to understand how shrinking in maintenance (at the same weight) can/might/will work. I get how it changes via weight training, but am trying to wrap my head around what (if anything) may happen with the loose skin and the - for lack of a better term - quite small areas of very soft, squishy, non-dense remaining fat. Others' experience is interesting as input.

middlehaitch

nxd10 wrote: »

After I hit my weight goal I dropped inches for at least 6 months. All that extra space that used to have fat in it contracted as my muscles and skin tightened up. Like after having a baby. And I only lost 40 pounds.

I was the same as @nxd10 with a 30 lbs loss.
I kept up with my exercise routine that I had done during my weight loss phase, no more, no less, ate the correct maintenance, including exercise, calories, and slowly my body re shaped itself.
I was 54/55 at the time. I have a little wobble, but nothing to be scared of.

Cheers, h.

tabletmfp

I have been in maintenance for a few months after loosing 18 kilos. My weight only fluctuates by one kilo now around 60 kilos which is great. But a few weeks ago I noticed that my boobs had suddenly shrink ed by a huge amount....and this week I notice my jaw line is now refined and a bit boney in a nice kind of way. And this week I went clothes shopping and found ALL the size 10 UK size fitted me, while previously it was some 12 and some 10. It's great to have all these extra changes when I'm not even trying to reduce my weight!

LivingtheLeanDream

I've been in maintenance for almost 3 yrs now and I have to say it was the second year of maintaining where I noticed what you did, just little changes to the body, its like it takes time for the body to adjust and it was a good feeling. I am consistent at daily exercise, always have been since I started my weight loss journey back in 2012.

My only downside to weight loss was that I now have a scrawny/crepey looking neck I suppose getting to the wrong side of 40 contributes to that....

pinkteapot3

First question: Are you losing weight, inches, or both? You might just be toning up and therefore maintaining weight but losing inches.

Maintenance is designed to maintain your weight. If you're losing inches, I don't really have any suggestions other than stopping all that pesky exercise.

If you're still losing weight, you need to eat slightly more than the MFP calculated calories. I kept losing VERY slowly on my maintenance cals. Was only losing 1lb every couple of months - a very slow but steady downward trend, so I tweaked my calorie goal up slightly until it stabilised.

Sued0nim

pinkteapot3 wrote: »

First question: Are you losing weight, inches, or both? You might just be toning up and therefore maintaining weight but losing inches.

Maintenance is designed to maintain your weight. If you're losing inches, I don't really have any suggestions other than stopping all that pesky exercise.

If you're still losing weight, you need to eat slightly more than the MFP calculated calories. I kept losing VERY slowly on my maintenance cals. Was only losing 1lb every couple of months - a very slow but steady downward trend, so I tweaked my calorie goal up slightly until it stabilised.

Why are you conflating inches with scale weight? Different measures surely ...one speaks to mass and pull of gravity the other to composition

Sued0nim

I found it difficult to find maintenance as I kept dropping weight for 3-4 months ...but I did ...yet my body continues to improve in composition because of ongoing progressive resistance

Ignoring water weight fluctuations of course

lorrpb

nxd10 wrote: »

After I hit my weight goal I dropped inches for at least 6 months. All that extra space that used to have fat in it contracted as my muscles and skin tightened up. Like after having a baby. And I only lost 40 pounds.

I like this!!