Sanity check: Is my plan realistic?

JeromeBarry1

Present weight 188 lb. Goal weight 160 lb. Height 5'10".

I've been losing weight at a reasonable rate, in my opinion, since January. I understand that issues around maintaining will be both similar to and different from the issues of losing. To lose, I only needed to be in a calorie deficit and I have been comfortable getting between 1600 and 1700 calories of food each day. Over the past couple of months my weight loss seemed to slow quite a bit. However, last week I changed up the timing of my cardio. Instead of doing it in the morning, I did it in the evening. That seemed to break through the slowness of losing weight and last week before Saturday I lost 3 lb. My weekend most recent is not reflective of my habits as I was on a doctor-ordered liquid diet.

I expect to continue losing weight, but when I reach 160 I don't want to have to suddenly raise my calories in by 25% to eat at maintenance. That is too much for me to change in a brief time for me to think I'm doing it in a sustainable way.

Therefore, I plan to raise my calories in steps of 100 beginning now and staying at that level until another 10 lb have been lost, then raising my calories another step of 100.

That is, I plan my meals and eat until I get my calories over 1600, and I don't stress about it as long as they stay under 1700. Doing that, I've lost most of the 84 lb I've lost this year.

Now that my weight is in the 180's, I intend to raise my calories to the 1700-1800 range. That should slow but not reverse my weight loss, and that's ok.

My plan is that when I get 10 lb below here, at about 178, I'll again raise my calories to the 1800-1900 range.

Following that, months perhaps, when I get to 168, I'll raise the calories again to the range of 1900-2000. Then if I get to 160 very slowly, finally raise the target to 2130 and start eating back some of my exercise calories.

What say you, oh wise Community? I want to give myself time to experiment and adjust intake calories in small steps over multiple weeks. Does that plan look sensible?

kommodevaran

Very sensible. You got this!

trigden1991

I see nothing wrong with this at all.

Just remember that as you get lighter, your maintenance will be lower so adding in 100 cals will have a bigger impact on your deficit.

sijomial

Yep, like your plan.

Doing that, I've lost most of the 84 lb I've lost this year.

Well done!

Keladelphia

Sounds like a great way to transition to maintenance to me. Congrats on the awesome loss so far!

JeromeBarry1

Update:

It's not been going well. In one month of trying to get between 1700-1800 calories per day, I've had several days in which I just ate too much. I've gained a few pounds. I got to the end of my day today and decided that instead of eating more just to get calories, I'd stop because I was finished. I think I'll step back into the 1600-1700 target range and see if I can resume weight loss.

middlehaitch

I liked your initial idea.

Have you thought of putting it into practice but going by a weekly goal instead of a daily goal?
It would give you more fluidity and maybe help avoid the hicup that has just happened.

The other thought is to, over a few weeks, move your calories to your goal weight maintenance and lose the rest of your weight from there. It may be a bit slower, depending on what your deficit is now, but would make moving into maintenance easier.

Cheers, h.
ETA: don't forget the blip in the scale because of water, food in the gut etc. Pay it no mind.
You have been here a good while and have your head screwed on right.

lorrpb

Sounds sensible. The closer you get to goal, the smaller deficit, smaller weekly loss, you should be aiming for. Then, by the time you get to goal, transitioning to maintenance won't even be a thing because you'll already be almost there. Great job!
PS As I've gotten close to my maintenance range I find that I fluctuate a lot more and for a lot longer. Be patient and don't let it stress you out. Stick with your plan and you will get there.