Questions about shifting to maintenance/recomp

macchiatto

So when I first shifted to maintenance/recomp last March/April, it didn't go terribly but wasn't great either. I spent most of the past 7 months 1-5 lbs above my goal range. I'm now back solidly in goal range and want to stay there!

So. New tentative plan for maintenance/hopefully recomp:
* Increase daily calories by 50/week until I hit my "sweet spot" for maintaining.
* After maybe a month, experiment with bumping up carbs (thinking I'll probably end up somewhere in a range of 50-80 gm/day for the long haul). Focus on adding veggies and a few fruits (loosely following the Wahls Protocol for MS; might get up to 6 cups/day of veggies and fruits from the categories she recommends).
* Weigh in at least once a week so I can make course corrections asap if I go above goal range again.
* Do strength training 3x/wk.
* Start running 3x/wk again (DH and I are hoping to finally run a 5K together now that his health is better). This one is less of a priority than strength though, so I'll decrease, drop it, or swap it out for swimming if it's not working out for whatever reason.

Thoughts or suggestions? I've weighed in within maintenance goal range every day pretty consistently the past 2 weeks so today I just bumped up my calories by 50.

macchiatto

My weight tracker graph for reference:

kpk54

I've been maintaining for a couple of years and basically did what you are planning except the increasing of carbs and that is only because my carbs were already higher. I just slowly upped my calories.

Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have struggled so much in 2015. With that in mind, I will suggest that as you add some of the "sweeter/starchier stuff" pay attention to the impact it may have on you so far as increased hunger or cravings. Experiment with them, as you mentioned.

Recomp, can't offer a suggestion there.

macchiatto

Thanks so much, @kpk54! Appreciate your feedback!

mandycat223

Here's a slightly offbeat maintenance tip I ran across somewhere in my miscellaneous reading habits.

-->Define what constitutes an emergency. Weight is up, jeans don't fit, feel like your own worst enemy, whatever your specific marker is.

-->Bring out your stash of emergency supplies, things that will help mentally when things aren't going according to plan. Suggested items were things like special coffees and teas, favorite books and movies (preferably funny ones; this is no time for Terms of Endearment), inspirational posters, luxury spa products. Shoot, throw in a teddy bear and a fuzzy blanket. But keep the box/basket/bag of goodies set aside so that the contents are special when you need something special that isn't a box of Godiva chocolates.

Writing this reminds me that my own emergency supply box was dismantled the last time we moved and I need to assemble a new one.

macchiatto

What a great idea, @mandycat1223! I haven't heard of that but I can see how it could be helpful!

I thought about signing up for a DietBet Maintainer challenge now (12m) but the weight I'd have to maintain doesn't give me quite enough wiggle room (you have to stay within +2% to -4% of your original weigh-in) since I'm really, really hoping to add some muscle.

jenngerpeacox

I too think I'm ready for maintenance/recomp but have no idea where to start. Have no idea what my body fat is right now, but just have a couple problem areas I'm wanting to tone up and lose a little flab. I've lost 24 lbs in 3 1/2 months, so afraid since I lost it quick that it will be all too easy for it to come back on. Going to take this slowly. Add calories at first. Already started adding some weights into my workouts. Hubby says there is no way I will lose my gut which is now pretty tiny, but I take that as a challenge

jenngerpeacox

And again my comment is cut...any changes here on our are an extra added bonus, any suggestions for beginning?

cstehansen

jenngerpeacox wrote: »

And again my comment is cut...any changes here on our are an extra added bonus, any suggestions for beginning?

Adding the weights is a good idea. I lost weight doing LC on my own without knowing anything about keto or LCHF. I discovered keto near goal weight which ended up making me overshoot my goal a bit.

Anyway, I think going keto in combination with the weight training is why, over the next couple of months, my weight stayed relatively flat, but my BF% dropped from about 18-19% down to 13.6%.

Also, I would recommend varying/rotating your workouts every 6-8 weeks in order to work your muscles slightly different.

KarlynKeto

I have been doing maintenance since September, and I was doing great just adding a bit more calories to my existing eating plan, and initially I may have pushed the carb limit at times by 20-30 grams a few days a week. That was working then I pushed up the carbs again and reduced my IF. Officially I moved out of Keto, as I wanted to add in legume/beans, a bit more fruit, the occasional low carb no-sugar-added dessert, and a slice of beets once in a while. I also wanted to just eyeball my portions. I kept up with my exercise of running and hiking most days. I scaled back my intermittent fasting window from 14-16 hours to 12-14. Well, I gained 5 pounds in a month. Likely it's mostly water weight, but I feel compelled to dial it back and start with the basics of weighing food, cutting out the new carb rich foods I added, and upping the IF window back to 16 hours. (I love this thread, the suggestions and peoples experience are great to read.)

KnitOrMiss

jenngerpeacox wrote: »

I too think I'm ready for maintenance/recomp but have no idea where to start. Have no idea what my body fat is right now, but just have a couple problem areas I'm wanting to tone up and lose a little flab. I've lost 24 lbs in 3 1/2 months, so afraid since I lost it quick that it will be all too easy for it to come back on. Going to take this slowly. Add calories at first. Already started adding some weights into my workouts. Hubby says there is no way I will lose my gut which is now pretty tiny, but I take that as a challenge

@jenngerpeacox - Remember, too, that what is commonly referred to as gut may be the essential body fat that the female body will always hold naturally (unless you go to unhealthy measures or extremes to get rid of it). Females in good whole health with balanced hormones, etc., will naturally have a small "pooch" of skin and stored essential body fat above their hip line. This is a sign of whole body balanced health. A woman's body will not maintain a "flat stomach" without insanely excessive workouts and the like. And for a woman not doing compound weight training, getting to the point of the unnaturally flat stomach without doing major back and core strengthening can actually damage her back significantly. So please be sure to start with realistic expectations. Celebrities like Jillian Michaels (random example off the top of my head), who have a flat and muscular stomach now at their current levels of dietary intake and exercise protocols, would, LIKE THE REST OF US, redevelop that natural pooch of stored body fat, should they ever stop performing and eating at the levels they currently do, which admittedly are somewhat unrealistic for most of us.

That all being said, the reason that women have this natural amount of stored fat is in case of famine, this body fat can ensure that women are able to carry on the species. It is a biological imperative, and requires excessive work to "rid" yourself of something that genetics have GIFTED YOU in order to ensure your ability to survive.

And please, understand that I don't mean this rudely towards Jillian Michaels, you, or any other human being anywhere. Just in this day and age of supermodels and fitness ... gurus, unrealistic expectations abound, and sometimes it's hard to know what we should hold as our mental goals... Good luck no matter what you decide.

jenngerpeacox

@cstehansen - thank you for the suggestion, will try and rotate workouts. Already keto, but planning on adding some carbs back over time.
@KarlynKeto - I too want to add back beans and things in moderation eventually. I do miss certain things.
@KnitOrMiss - thank you for your advice, I do appreciate it. I know my stomach will never be flat, just really want to tone up some. I know I need to be realistic, thank you for the reminders, didn't know that about the pooch being a survival thing. Glad to have MFP's to keep me on track, focused, and giving me needed support and advice❤️

macchiatto

@jenngerpeacox good to see another person in my "boat." Your amount of weight loss and time frame is similar to what I did last year from Nov - mid March. Like you can see from my chart, some of it came back on but I'm thankful that at least I didn't get more than 5 lbs above my goal range.

A few weeks in and so far maintenance is going well. Being able to add an extra 100 cals/day so far (1450 + exercise cals) feels amazing right now! And I've been really on track with my workouts. Redoing C25K (jumped in halfway through since my running's just been really sporadic for a while now) and planning to run a 5K with DH. I don't want to increase my strength too much while amping up my running. I think I'll keep doing my physical therapy strength training routine a few more weeks before I restart You Are Your Own Gym. I'm hoping to make good progress with that this time.

I've decided I'd also love to be able to do at least 10 full push-ups and one full pull-up. My upper body and core strength have always been so sad but the other day I did five "halfway" push-ups (full pushup position; I can get about halfway down and get myself back up. If I lower myself more than halfway, I can't manage to push myself back to position. :P But it's definite progress for me!!)

macchiatto

@knitormiss those are such great points. I heard people were criticizing Lady Gaga's stomach at the Super Bowl halftime show?? I actually thought it was nice to see that she had that healthy little pooch (and not much of one at all, really; maybe 1/10 the size of my post-twins pooch ).

SuperCarLori

macchiatto wrote: »

@knitormiss those are such great points. I heard people were criticizing Lady Gaga's stomach at the Super Bowl halftime show?? I actually thought it was nice to see that she had that healthy little pooch (and not much of one at all, really; maybe 1/10 the size of my post-twins pooch ).

I just googled images of her during that performance. Are people crazy??? She looks GREAT. Smh....

macchiatto

SuperCarLori wrote: »

macchiatto wrote: »

@knitormiss those are such great points. I heard people were criticizing Lady Gaga's stomach at the Super Bowl halftime show?? I actually thought it was nice to see that she had that healthy little pooch (and not much of one at all, really; maybe 1/10 the size of my post-twins pooch ).

I just googled images of her during that performance. Are people crazy??? She looks GREAT. Smh....

I know!! They are crazy.
She had a good response to it though:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/lady-gaga-body-shamers-respond-super-bowl-half-time-performance-a7569981.html

Sunny_Bunny_

Seriously! If I wore shorts that hit right at that exact point on my belly I'd have looked more like an exploded can of biscuits! Lol
If those shorts had either been lower or higher on her abdomen they wouldn't have pushed against her very proportionate flesh to cause a tiny little roll.

swezeytba

macchiatto wrote: »

@knitormiss those are such great points. I heard people were criticizing Lady Gaga's stomach at the Super Bowl halftime show?? I actually thought it was nice to see that she had that healthy little pooch (and not much of one at all, really; maybe 1/10 the size of my post-twins pooch ).

I agree.....When I saw it I thought she looked great and it was nice to see someone who looked more normal (I realize she is still on the thin side of normal...lol) rather than so scary thin like most celebrities are lately.

cstehansen

Speaking as a guy who is no Lady Gaga fan, I have to say I suspect those who were doing the shaming probably would not look as good as she did in that outfit. This is the TMZ generation where people feel the only way to make themselves relevant is to try to knock others down.

This seems to be a good place to put one of my favorite all time quotes. It is from MLK Jr. who said:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

KnitOrMiss

cstehansen wrote: »

Speaking as a guy who is no Lady Gaga fan, I have to say I suspect those who were doing the shaming probably would not look as good as she did in that outfit. This is the TMZ generation where people feel the only way to make themselves relevant is to try to knock others down.

This seems to be a good place to put one of my favorite all time quotes. It is from MLK Jr. who said:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

@cstehansen - "TMZ Generation." Bwah ha ha ha! I generally call that "Generation Butthurt," but it's the same ideal. I'm stealing your term.

And yup, she looks incredible, and the line on the clothing caused the appearance of a roll, because it y'all note, she has ab definition, but also the protective layer of essential body fat, though perhaps less slightly than average...

kpk54

I thought she looked great and was thrilled to see a pop star sufficiently attired, not grinding or twerking on the stage and without need for wardrobe malfunctions in her performance.