For those of you in maintenance...

Asterie
Asterie Posts: 159 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What was your routine/diet for losing the last 15 lbs? Currently I'm doing HIIT for an hour 4-5 times a week and weight lifting for a bit less than 40 minutes 3-4 times a week. I generally keep my net calories around 1400 and try to keep my carbs < 70 net carbs (I've had several refeed days in the past month, though).

I know these things take time and that it'll be a slow process, I just want to know how long it took for you and if you did more/less.

(Sorry if this is in the wrong subtopic; I had no idea where to put it.)

Replies

  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    My last 15 honestly took only a bit more time than every 15 before it. I slowed things down purposely during the end because I was training for a 10-mile race and needed more calories to do it, so decreased my deficit. My routine/diet were pretty much the same, aside from more running (and more eating).

    Part of it might be that I chose a "goal weight" that was really attainable. If I chose to lose 15 pounds now, after 10 months of maintenance, it might be harder.
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  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    Honestly, I recalculated everything - my BMR, my TDEE and realized that I was pretty darned clueless about my TDEE. I got a FitBit Flex and started monitoring my exercise and calories burned in that way. I discovered I was very much UNDEREATING, increased my total calorie intake, and voila! I mad emy goal weight and I'm mainting within a two pound radius of that (up and down).

    My new goal is to lower the body fat % to a more lean structure. :)
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    It was lifting three times a week with a cardio session beforehand during my loss period. Right now, I split my cardio and lifting days to maximize effectiveness. My weight loss didn't stall or slow as I got to my goal weight.

    A bit off topic, but it sounds like you might be overtraining. HIIT and weight training require rest days in between for effectiveness. In that regard, you can think of HIIT like a weight training session.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Your weight loss goal should be 0.5lb per week with the last 10-15lbs. So you can probably eat more than 1400 cals
  • Asterie
    Asterie Posts: 159 Member
    Thanks for all of your responses, everyone!

    It's true, I might be overtraining, but I find that I easily lose track and once I take a rest day I basically take many rest days. My discipline isn't strong enough yet to only take one rest day (it's like stopping at just one chip). So I think instead of decreasing training days, I'll take Tavitock & Bekah's advice and increase my calories. I was initially netting around 1800 calories but I was afraid that my stall was due to that, and so I lowered it (though it may have just been my muscles retaining water).

    As for bouncing up and down, I have no idea if that's how my body will react, too as I don't think I've been at my goal weight since I was 10 (I grew really fast and have basically been the same size since age 10, haha).

    Is a Fitbit Flex very different from a general HRM? I have a Polar FT4 and basically only use it for exercising, but I've heard a lot about the Fitbit, I'm just not entirely sure on what it is.

    Thanks again, everyone! Off to up my calories.

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