Almost at maintenance

SarahR2412

Hi I’m 96lbs down with 4 lbs to go and then it’s all about maintenance, would appreciate tips please on both calories and exercises. I am currently eating and used to eating 1200 cals per day and burning approx 300-500 per day. Yes I know I’ve been eating quite low but got so used to it that I’ve not been hungry. I need to app my cals but don’t know how much by? Help please

sijomial

Your rate of loss is one guide to your maintenance calories but if you have been severely under eating for a long period of time then you are going to have to experiment.

Suggest you start walking up your calories right now if you are still losing quickly. You can manually adjust your goal.

You haven't given many clues about yourself for people to give you tips. I could suggest you enter a Century ride on a bicycle but if you can't ride a bike that would be pointless!
Maintenance is for life so enjoyment is a huge factor, few people would stick to an "optimal" exercise routine long term if they hated it.

SarahR2412

I’m 5ft5inches and down from 17 stone to 10.3st. I love to walk and am trying to jog, after four kids running is kept to a minimum distance. I currently have no health issues other than gallstones to which I’m waiting to have my gallbladder out. I intend to keep up with the walking and jogging and need to start up some toning. I need to increase my cals definitely and I know it will be trial and error and that I’m gathering I’ll have to increase gradually?

Elise4270

I think a good start is adding 100 calories/day until you see your weight plateau. Good luck and Congratulations on the weight loss!

lorrpb

Congrats on your huge loss. Put your stats into MFP, set to maintenance, and see what it gives you. Then eat according to what it gives you, not what you "think" is healthy and ok.

kristen8000

I'm in the same predictament - but I only under ate (1200 at 5'11) for 2 months. Still my brain and stomach were happy there and I find it hard to "add food" or even change the things I eat. You get used to eating a certain way and it takes time to adjust.

Add calories slowly. Work out your maintanace calories (mine are 1800 without exercise). Try and add 100 calories a day (that can mean changing one snack to something more "caloric") for a week, then try and add 100 daily the next week until you are around what MFP says your maintainance should be. It will be an adjustment and it should be taken slowly. I know I can't just eat 1200 one day and 1800 the next.

Now, you may lose a bit more in the process so it might be worth starting now.

TavistockToad

sarahrhod2412 wrote: »

Hi I’m 96lbs down with 4 lbs to go and then it’s all about maintenance, would appreciate tips please on both calories and exercises. I am currently eating and used to eating 1200 cals per day and burning approx 300-500 per day. Yes I know I’ve been eating quite low but got so used to it that I’ve not been hungry. I need to app my cals but don’t know how much by? Help please

you can work out your maintenance based on your rate of loss at 1200 cals, and then tweak from there.

if you have been losing 0.5lb per week then maintenance is roughly 1450 cals, if you have been losing 1lb per week then its 1700.

for comparison i am the same height as you and a few pounds lighter and i maintain on net 1900 cals.

SarahR2412

Thanks for the advise everyone. I stayed the same this week when I weighed which is good but at 1200 per day so I’m guessing my body is either getting ready to maintain and or I’ve not ate enough to actually lose anything cause of my exercise and not eating the cals back after exercise

misnomer1

sarahrhod2412 wrote: »

Thanks for the advise everyone. I stayed the same this week when I weighed which is good but at 1200 per day so I’m guessing my body is either getting ready to maintain and or I’ve not ate enough to actually lose anything cause of my exercise and not eating the cals back after exercise

Weight loss isn't so predictable. Go back 2 months, count total net calories eaten since then and total weight lost since then. And from those 2 numbers you can get a rough estimate of your NEAT maintenance.

kjurassic

Sarah, this is something you're going to have to experiment with. When I ate at the maintenance calories that MFP gave me, I started gaining. You'll just have to take your time and experiment. Try upping 100 calories a day to start if you still are losing, up it another 100, etc. You'll find your "sweet spot!"