What they don't tell you about maintaining your weight?

girlgroves

So, I've lost 57lbs over the last 16 months and have just started to try to up my calories to maintain my current weight. I've read lots of tips on this part of the message boards, but I'd also like to know what's in store as I move to keeping the weight off - forever!

There's a thread with a similar title in the success stories category - I thought it could be useful to people new to maintenance to gather the insights of those successfully maintaining in one place. Let us know what to watch out for!

louann_jude

I am not there yet but will be soon. So I am following for tips.

Orphia

I switched to maintenance in April.

I'm finding I've gone under my goal range because I'm so in love with exercise I keep earning too many calories to eat back.

I haven't quite been able to get my head around switching to "gain weight" or eating over my calorie limit just yet.

I'm just eating back all my exercise calories to test whether my Fitbit is accurate or not, as I've only ever eaten back 50-75% of them and lost at my weight loss goal rate.

sijomial

"They" don't seem to tell you it's fun - and it is.

There's satisfaction in achieving something difficult (weight loss), more confidence, more energy, more food, you exercise better, clothes fit better, less pain, you look better.

What to look out for - thinking you are done.
I set new goals and I remain vigilant but not obsessive. For me that's a weight range (not a single number), watching weight trends (casually) with daily weighing and an upper intervention weight. Enjoying my food without gluttony.

Think you also need an acceptance that life isn't perfect and there will be some bumps along the way that you have to deal with. Some flexibility plus a conscious and controlled reaction to events is required.

girlgroves

Orphia wrote: »

I'm finding I've gone under my goal range because I'm so in love with exercise I keep earning too many calories to eat back.

I haven't quite been able to get my head around switching to "gain weight" or eating over my calorie limit just yet.

I'm finding exactly the same - I'm also slightly afraid of increasing my calories too quickly/too much in case I gain back lbs.

girlgroves

sijomial wrote: »

"They" don't seem to tell you it's fun - and it is.

That's good to know for a start ☺

Thanks for the tips - I feel borderline obsessive already and that's not a good place to be - moderation I guess.

RoxieDawn

Need to use a weight range in stead of a spot on weight each time you get on the scale (i.e. +/- 4 or 5 pounds), especially for women.

Frustrating at first to find the right numbers, and when you do, thinking this will be the magic number forever think again.

This is not a new statement and is always given to those struggling to lose the weight, maintaining your healthy new life and your new body is continuous journey. Enjoy the journey, if you do not you will struggle, so do embrace bumps, embrace you may get off the path from time to time, you have all the tools now to get right back on the horse.

IF exercise and love doing it (like I do) you will always be setting goals in this area.

LivingtheLeanDream

Maintenance rocks I've been at maintenance 3+ yrs and it just gets easier and easier

Eating intuitively has become a habit. I don't even have to log my meals any more, its become instinct to eat the right amount for me and maintain my weight. (I average approx 2100-2300 calories - not bad for being a petite 5ft 2" and 47.)

I still weigh myself frequently - imo thats the top tip so if anything started to change any gain could be nipped in the bud.

I am always setting myself new fitness goals - I love being active.

Enjoy maintenance

BoxerBrawler

I've done the weight loss thing for so long that I can't seem to switch over to maintenance mode. There are days where I eat at maintenance but like others have said I love exercise and clean eating so much that I always fall short of my target.

LivingtheLeanDream

cushman5279 wrote: »

I've done the weight loss thing for so long that I can't seem to switch over to maintenance mode. There are days where I eat at maintenance but like others have said I love exercise and clean eating so much that I always fall short of my target.

If you keep falling short of your target you are going to keep losing weight....

zyxst

That there's no cushion for overeating one day. Gotta compensate for it the rest of the week/next few days.

kommodevaran

It takes time to build confidence, if you've struggled with weight for a long time. Losing weight is hard, but we know how that works and we know we can do it; it also provides instant gratification - you notice weight dropping off week after week, and people around you cheer you on. Nobody is going to praise you for keeping weight off. Maintenance is just doing the same over and over and and not seeing any change. But this can feel wonderful, normal, imagine living and eating just like the normal weight people do all the time.

I reached goal weight in October 2014, but it felt so strange and I wasn't sure about anything, I feared I would regain, like I've always had before. I set a weight range, and started to weigh myself every day. This is truly helpful - I follow the trend, and I can pick up any gain long before it's become a big deal. I don't fear the scale when I step on it every day - I know that a day to day jump can't be fat. The realisation that I know how to lose weight, and that small amounts will take less time to come off than large amounts, made me relax a bit. I still need to be vigilant, but also to be flexible. Someone in here suggested going on "micro-diets" and I recognized that was exactly what I was aiming for - letting myself reach the top of my range and then be stricter for a while to get my weight down again. It's important to use the full range when you've set a range - weight will go up AND down. These days, I'm having "full" days, and my weight is lower than in a long while without me doing anything special.

April 9th 2016, I finally felt that I was "truly" maintaining - it occurred to me that I didn't worry about regaining anymore. All I have to do, is eating and moving in a way that makes me maintain my weight. That isn't hard. I just have to do it.

tlobatomfp

girlgroves, I think if you eat right you are going to do just fine maintaining your weight. Just me, I eat a lot of complex carbs. I rarely eat potatoes of any sort (fries, chips, hash-browns), sugar, and or regular milk. This has helped me tremendously. Good luck and congrats on the weight loss.

BikeTourer

For people who embraced a lifestyle change, it is not uncommon to drop below goal before you stabilize. I lost 10 lbs in maintenance before I allowed myself to be comfortable with eating all my exercise calories back. It took that long to convince myself that my food logging and my Fitbit were accurate enough that I should do that. Also listen to the queues your body gives theere are days where my body says more even though I don't have remaining calories and others when it says I have ton leftover and I'm not hungry. Most long term maintainers listen better and know the difference between thirsty hungry, true hunger and emotional hungry (bored, stressed...)

saragd012

I didnt realize how much I would struggle with stopping the weight loss when I was ready for maintenance. I realized at some point that I was eating below my goals because I was worried about putting the weight back on, so now I go by weekly averages (the calories I dont eat during the week carry over to my weekend). The flexibility is so much less stressful for me, and I've maintained my weight within 2-3 pounds for the last 6 months.

kgirlhart

@girlgroves Thanks for posting this thread. I'm 6 pounds from maintenance and since I plan on having a 5 pound range, I am only 1 pound over my "high" maintenance number. I have been really anxious about switching to maintenance and upping my calories. I'm nervous that I will gain weight when I switch and I'm nervous that I will keep losing. It is nice to hear from people who are in maintenance. Thank you to all the maintainers who have responded. Your replies are really helpful.

Owlfan88

kgirlhart wrote: »

@girlgroves Thanks for posting this thread. I'm 6 pounds from maintenance and since I plan on having a 5 pound range, I am only 1 pound over my "high" maintenance number. I have been really anxious about switching to maintenance and upping my calories. I'm nervous that I will gain weight when I switch and I'm nervous that I will keep losing. It is nice to hear from people who are in maintenance. Thank you to all the maintainers who have responded. Your replies are really helpful.

If you are worried about both gaining and losing in maintenance, might I suggest losing only down to the middle of your range. Then slowly upping your calories. Good luck!

kgirlhart

That's a great idea @Owlfan88. I am at 140.4 this morning and my range is 135-140. I think I will switch when I'm in the middle.

BlondeTheHardWay

I lost a lot years ago and got to where weight was not an issue for me. Being much lighter I just had the drive to exercise more and get out and do more things. I kept a diary and just recently FOUND that diary! I felt really jazzed finding it too! I had forgotten just HOW I accomplished my weight loss! Now I'm going by my old diary!!! I even had notes on what type of exercise I did every day. That diary means a lot to me.

badgeraway

I'm a Weight Watchers veteran and adapted pretty easily to the MFP system of calculating calories, as compared to the WW method of calculating points. I've been in maintenance mode for two weeks after achieving my initial goal weight three months into the MFP protocol. Its important to reward yourself for goals achieved, and establishing an acceptable range in lieu of an arbitrary number is a smart step in that direction. I'm going to enjoy the summer at this weight and then partner with my trainer in the fall, targeting my high-school weight. Its easier to ride the waves of loss and gain if one embraces the reality that we've signed up for a lifestyle change, and lifetime monitoring. Relax and remove the senses of immediacy and urgency from your goal quest.

TheRootofGroot

Came off of my cut in early June and since then have slowly been scaling my calories back up to maintenance, that's the trick, it is called "reverse dieting" and is the best way to maintain your weight.

If you're on a big deficit that you've sustained for an extended period of time, your metabolism has likely slowed to compensate for the shortage of calories, so if you suddenly jump right back up to your calculated maintenance you're at risk for putting back on a chunk of the weight you've worked hard on losing out on.

If the end of your cut had your daily goal at say 1500 calories a day then I suggest that once you've reach your body goals you proceed to add from 75 calories to 150 a week up until you reach your maintenance.