Need for overshoot

Jthanmyfitnesspal
Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
edited November 2024 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hey folks

I'm getting close to my goal weight and I'm trying to decide on a strategy to keep it off. Perhaps I should overshoot by several pounds? I should say that my goal is still more than 10lbs above the 1960s suggestion for my height, so there is plenty of healthy fat left to play with.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Your strategy to keep it off should basically be to continue what you're doing and consume a handful more calories.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    A suggestion would be to calculated calories for your goal weight and start eating that amount. Your rate of loss will slow, but you should land softly at goal weight.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Why don't you go with a current weight that falls within your healthy BMI range. Some of this stuff has changed a bit since the 1960s! Mostly, settle on a weight you feel comfortable at. It can be a lot harder than you think to convince those last 5-10 lbs to go, so it's not necessarily a great idea, LOL. If you go too low, it won't help with keeping it off.
    My suggestion for successful maintenance is to set a weight range of about +/- 5 pounds from your "ideal" number. When you get to the top of that range, resume eating at a deficit of 250-500 cals until you get back to mid range. Realize that you probably won't magically keep the weight off once you reach maintenance, it takes constant vigilance and adjustment for many of us. Having a plan such as the one I just described is very helpful so you don't let things get out of hand. You can do it!
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I'm trying to figure out what is a good weight range and how to best to stay within it.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Look it up on a BMI chart, that's a good starting point. You stay within it by figuring out your maintenance calories on MFP and log the same way as when you were losing. .
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    The BMI formula based on height and weight alone recommends I get substantially lighter than I am now. The formula based on height vs. waist is a bit more favorable.
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    Time for body recomposition :smile:

    You've got to your goal, (or will soon), but that goal was set some time ago and it's tough to keep doing something if you don't have a goal. Now What! is the feeling, right?! I'd say you need a new goal, but don't feel lost. It's really hard to know what goal you should be going for when you've just reached one.

    The other measure of your body is how it looks, what kind of body fat (%) do you have and muscle and where. Maybe you want a 'runners' body or a bodybuilding body or in between. Maybe you want to increase your strength? One of these might be a good place to start.
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