Worrying About Maintaining...

randombumblings

Hello, so one day I decided to go on diet because at 18 years old, and at 5 foot 5 I felt very insecure in my own body. I was weighing about 60kg, or around 132 lbs, to even up to 62kg, or around 137 lbs, sometimes. So through counting every calorie I ate and measuring my food and restricting my calorie intake to about less than 1,000 calories a day I lost weight and am currently at around 50kg or 110 lbs. I really want to maintain my weight or stay within a range of 110lbs to about 120 lbs and never go back to being over 130lbs.
Before I started my diet I was very sedentary, I rarely did any exercise and just woke up, drove to high school, and came back home and usually took a nap. My eating habits were terrible too. I usually ate lunch at school, usually consisting of pasta and fries or a sandwich and some snacks, and came back home and ate a snack which was usually a ramen or a lot of unhealthy snacks like chips and chocolate and bread. And then after my snack I would take a nap, wake up and eat dinner which was either a typical korean meal of rice and side dishes or something fast food like chipotle. And then after dinner I would eat dessert which was either fruit, more unhealthy snacks or all the ice cream I could fit into my stomach or a combination of snacks and ice cream.
So I was wondering, if I don't go back to these terrible eating habits and eat anything I want like pizza and hamburgers and ice cream all in moderation would I be able to maintain my current weight?
I also started college which requires me to walk all over campus and according to my phone pedometer it says I average about 6,500 steps a day in a week and I also go to the gym like maybe twice a week for like 30mins-1hour and do some cardio and some leg curls and chest presses with the machines. (Not a lot.. still a beginner)
I really don't want to count calories again, it stresses me out too much and takes too much of my time..
So to reiterate, if I don't go back to my terrible eating habits from before could I eat anything I want in moderation and still maintain my weight?

kommodevaran

You should aim for a healthy weight, a healthy diet and regular exercise, but also aim for a healthy relationship with food and exercise because you like it, and understand that weight naturally fluctuates from day to day, but a stable weight stays within a few pounds' range.

sijomial

Having some "anything I want" in moderation in the context of an overall healthy diet and lifestyle isn't a "terrible eating habit".

Especially at maintenance you should be able to meet all the requirements of a healthy diet and still have a little room let over for food eaten primarily for enjoyment. And just because you are eating something for fun or a treat doesn't mean it's devoid of nutrition or benefit. That benefit might simply be enjoying life or a social occasion!

Would challenge the idea of unhealthy food - does it actually harm you in context of your overall diet?
If you saw a starving person would you tell them they couldn't have xxxx food because it's unhealthy?
Unhealthy diets - sure. Unhealthy lifestyle - sure. Unhealthy foods - I disagree.


"Could I eat anything I want in moderation and still maintain my weight?" YES!



(BTW - I don't log my food, I maintain my weight happily, I eat or drink what I consider a treat every day. I'm fit, healthy and happy.)

randombumblings

Yeah, if I think about it, I think I had a problem with snacking. I would snack all the time. Just sit down and watch TV while eating a big bag of potato chips and popcorn and then while doing HW also snack and eat just a lot of junk food. So I want to believe that if I control my portions, eat in moderation and control my snacking I can maintain my weight.

lorrpb

I theory, you're correct. The challenge comes that often when you go back to eating junk, it is harder to maintain satiety and nutrition, which often leads to overeat in the quantity. Junk food like chips and candy (salty and sweet) are triggers that cause many people to want to keep eating them.