Maintenance (+/-20#)

nowine4me
nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
edited September 2018 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
This is how it rolls for me. Starting weight 220#, goal weight 135#. Just finished second full year of “maintenance “...if you can call it that.

So far this year.....
Jan-Mar: stayed at 135 (GW)
April - hit UGW 125
June - 130, must be retaining water
July - 135, must be food stuck up in there
August- 140, must be putting on muscle
Today - 144. Oh, must be eating too much

Now, back to the grind. Please tell me this get easier in year 3, because year 3 was certainly NOT a walk in the park.
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Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    I’m on that same walk. Hugs
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    edited September 2018
    nowine4me wrote: »
    This is how it rolls for me. Starting weight 220#, goal weight 135#. Just finished second full year of “maintenance “...if you can call it that.

    So far this year.....
    Jan-Mar: stayed at 135 (GW)
    April - hit UGW 125
    June - 130, must be retaining water
    July - 135, must be food stuck up in there
    August- 140, must be putting on muscle
    Today - 144. Oh, must be eating too much

    Now, back to the grind. Please tell me this get easier in year 3, because year 3 was certainly NOT a walk in the park.

    I hate to ask, because I am only a year in. Are you weighing and measuring food. I am sorry for asking, but I am just curious. Honestly, I am scared Kitten-less of maintanace.
  • Hummingbirdgirl22
    Hummingbirdgirl22 Posts: 1 Member
    I’m curious if you can tell a big difference btw 125 and 144? Because it sounds like some of it COULD be muscle maybe. I’m also trying to find my way in maintenance. I started at 161lbs, and kept changing GWs (first 145, then 140, then 135, then 130 and now I’m around 127 with an eye on 125lbs- I do NOT want to go lower than 125 -my lowest before my son was 135lbs in my late 20s but it didn’t look quite as good at 41, so I kept rolling downward) but what I don’t like it you can’t control where you lose... so sometimes I feel disproportionate. Like right now my thighs are bugging me 🙄but I’ve been reading on theses boards a lot (I have read a lot of your posts and find you very insightful and inspiring!), and a few people have talked about how even if they got to an UGW they found it to hard maintain and would gain back some purposely... this has been a worry of mine as well because I am a foodie and I do enjoy my treats. With this in mind, do u want to shoot for 125 again or 135? It makes me wonder if 125 isn’t really realistic for me to maintain if I get there...
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    I'm in year 5, it got easier for me after year 2, as long as I keep an eye on snacking I maintain just fine. In my second year at maintenance I was trying the reverse diet approach, ended up gaining around 5lbs so that didn't work. Finding my true average TDEE was probably the best approach for me, knowing that I need to average no more than 1900 calories and stick to that means I maintain pretty effortlessly.

    I have a range like so many, mostly prefer +/-3lbs because I'm only 5ft 2, but recent hormone fluctuations as I approach menopause/peri menopause mean my fluctuations are wilder so now give myself up to 5lbs leeway.

    I don't log my food any more, I eat the same kinds of things or should I say I average the same calories for each meal. As I said, its the snacking that is the only thing that could cause gain, so I need to stop myself from having that extra packet of Tayto Cheese n Onion crisps or that Frys Chocolate Cream!

    I'm the same way. I don't really have a problem over-eating at meal times but I will just grab stuff from the pantry and fridge all day long if I could. So If I just limit my number of snacks per day I have no problem with maintaining my weight without logging my food. Thank god because I hate logging my food.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    I'm in year 5, it got easier for me after year 2, as long as I keep an eye on snacking I maintain just fine. In my second year at maintenance I was trying the reverse diet approach, ended up gaining around 5lbs so that didn't work. Finding my true average TDEE was probably the best approach for me, knowing that I need to average no more than 1900 calories and stick to that means I maintain pretty effortlessly.

    I have a range like so many, mostly prefer +/-3lbs because I'm only 5ft 2, but recent hormone fluctuations as I approach menopause/peri menopause mean my fluctuations are wilder so now give myself up to 5lbs leeway.

    I don't log my food any more, I eat the same kinds of things or should I say I average the same calories for each meal. As I said, its the snacking that is the only thing that could cause gain, so I need to stop myself from having that extra packet of Tayto Cheese n Onion crisps or that Frys Chocolate Cream!

    I'm the same way. I don't really have a problem over-eating at meal times but I will just grab stuff from the pantry and fridge all day long if I could. So If I just limit my number of snacks per day I have no problem with maintaining my weight without logging my food. Thank god because I hate logging my food.

    Same here. I'm just about two years into maintenance, and snacking is my biggest problem. I don't log, but step on the scale every morning. That's how i know whether it's a fluctuation or a steady gain. I haven't found cure for snacking. I eat way too much nuts, and then to add to it, i feel that i have to have all other things too, chocolate, honey, dried fruit, frozen fruit, ice cream or gelato, hummus and chips, there's just too much around. And i don't think i can or want to eliminate all of it from my house, so i try to moderate. More often than not i fail to do so, but i offset the extra calories from rich snacks by riding. My average bike ride burns 840 or so to 1500-1600 depends how many miles i go. And even commute to work, when i can, easily earns me 350-400 calories. And that's according to fitbit, so heart rate is at play. Because the numbers from my riding app are at least double that. So the big question is, how does one limits number and quantity of snacks, what's the secret formula?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    icemom011 wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    I'm in year 5, it got easier for me after year 2, as long as I keep an eye on snacking I maintain just fine. In my second year at maintenance I was trying the reverse diet approach, ended up gaining around 5lbs so that didn't work. Finding my true average TDEE was probably the best approach for me, knowing that I need to average no more than 1900 calories and stick to that means I maintain pretty effortlessly.

    I have a range like so many, mostly prefer +/-3lbs because I'm only 5ft 2, but recent hormone fluctuations as I approach menopause/peri menopause mean my fluctuations are wilder so now give myself up to 5lbs leeway.

    I don't log my food any more, I eat the same kinds of things or should I say I average the same calories for each meal. As I said, its the snacking that is the only thing that could cause gain, so I need to stop myself from having that extra packet of Tayto Cheese n Onion crisps or that Frys Chocolate Cream!

    I'm the same way. I don't really have a problem over-eating at meal times but I will just grab stuff from the pantry and fridge all day long if I could. So If I just limit my number of snacks per day I have no problem with maintaining my weight without logging my food. Thank god because I hate logging my food.

    Same here. I'm just about two years into maintenance, and snacking is my biggest problem. I don't log, but step on the scale every morning. That's how i know whether it's a fluctuation or a steady gain. I haven't found cure for snacking. I eat way too much nuts, and then to add to it, i feel that i have to have all other things too, chocolate, honey, dried fruit, frozen fruit, ice cream or gelato, hummus and chips, there's just too much around. And i don't think i can or want to eliminate all of it from my house, so i try to moderate. More often than not i fail to do so, but i offset the extra calories from rich snacks by riding. My average bike ride burns 840 or so to 1500-1600 depends how many miles i go. And even commute to work, when i can, easily earns me 350-400 calories. And that's according to fitbit, so heart rate is at play. Because the numbers from my riding app are at least double that. So the big question is, how does one limits number and quantity of snacks, what's the secret formula?

    I would say that if you don't log food but you're still maintaining then why worry about the snacks?

    I simply do better when I have two largish meals and one smaller one...some people like to graze, sounds like that is just your preference.
  • AEC50
    AEC50 Posts: 124 Member
    I'm loving this thread. I've been "in maintenance" (aka nearish my goal) for a year and after a vacation and job change this summer, I've been treating myself daily and I'm no good at moderation so the treats are huge. I'm trying to be more aware of what I am eating and why - seems like when I was losing, it was almost easier because there was a pay-off and an end goal. Maintenance is just....forever.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    edited October 2018
    I did that in year 6 (only 10 pounds, but same thing). Logging did not help - I've been meticulous. I'm supposedly on a deficit.

    For me I needed more exercise (yes I really need to move that hour a day and hit that cardio for 30 minutes). I also need carbs lower than 40%. That's not low carbs, it means upping my protein. My doctor put my on the Whole30 diet in May for reasons other than weight loss - it's basically paleo. Haven't changed my calories at all and 10 pounds fell off. When I looked back at my logs that was inadvertently what I was doing when I first lost weight - dropped milk, cheese, and bread to get that 500 calorie deficit. That dropped my carbs and upped my protein. Over the years my calories stayed the same but my macros changed. And, btw, every time I eat grains the next day I gain a few pounds. It's water.

    I'm back at my target weight, but actually have a new target of dropping another 10 pounds (or putting on a lot more muscle and getting leaner).

    Anyway, if your calories look good, try the macros and exercise.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited October 2018
    icemom011 wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    I'm in year 5, it got easier for me after year 2, as long as I keep an eye on snacking I maintain just fine. In my second year at maintenance I was trying the reverse diet approach, ended up gaining around 5lbs so that didn't work. Finding my true average TDEE was probably the best approach for me, knowing that I need to average no more than 1900 calories and stick to that means I maintain pretty effortlessly.

    I have a range like so many, mostly prefer +/-3lbs because I'm only 5ft 2, but recent hormone fluctuations as I approach menopause/peri menopause mean my fluctuations are wilder so now give myself up to 5lbs leeway.

    I don't log my food any more, I eat the same kinds of things or should I say I average the same calories for each meal. As I said, its the snacking that is the only thing that could cause gain, so I need to stop myself from having that extra packet of Tayto Cheese n Onion crisps or that Frys Chocolate Cream!

    I'm the same way. I don't really have a problem over-eating at meal times but I will just grab stuff from the pantry and fridge all day long if I could. So If I just limit my number of snacks per day I have no problem with maintaining my weight without logging my food. Thank god because I hate logging my food.

    Same here. I'm just about two years into maintenance, and snacking is my biggest problem. I don't log, but step on the scale every morning. That's how i know whether it's a fluctuation or a steady gain. I haven't found cure for snacking. I eat way too much nuts, and then to add to it, i feel that i have to have all other things too, chocolate, honey, dried fruit, frozen fruit, ice cream or gelato, hummus and chips, there's just too much around. And i don't think i can or want to eliminate all of it from my house, so i try to moderate. More often than not i fail to do so, but i offset the extra calories from rich snacks by riding. My average bike ride burns 840 or so to 1500-1600 depends how many miles i go. And even commute to work, when i can, easily earns me 350-400 calories. And that's according to fitbit, so heart rate is at play. Because the numbers from my riding app are at least double that. So the big question is, how does one limits number and quantity of snacks, what's the secret formula?

    If you’re maintaining your weight is it really a problem? I prefer eating bigger meals for lunch and dinner so I limit myself to one afternoon snack and I try to keep it around 200 calories or so. I also let my hunger be my guide. Some days I don’t eat my snack if I’m not hungry, or some days if I’m really hungry I might have 2 snacks, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. It’s Been working for me.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    icemom011 wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
    I'm in year 5, it got easier for me after year 2, as long as I keep an eye on snacking I maintain just fine. In my second year at maintenance I was trying the reverse diet approach, ended up gaining around 5lbs so that didn't work. Finding my true average TDEE was probably the best approach for me, knowing that I need to average no more than 1900 calories and stick to that means I maintain pretty effortlessly.

    I have a range like so many, mostly prefer +/-3lbs because I'm only 5ft 2, but recent hormone fluctuations as I approach menopause/peri menopause mean my fluctuations are wilder so now give myself up to 5lbs leeway.

    I don't log my food any more, I eat the same kinds of things or should I say I average the same calories for each meal. As I said, its the snacking that is the only thing that could cause gain, so I need to stop myself from having that extra packet of Tayto Cheese n Onion crisps or that Frys Chocolate Cream!

    I'm the same way. I don't really have a problem over-eating at meal times but I will just grab stuff from the pantry and fridge all day long if I could. So If I just limit my number of snacks per day I have no problem with maintaining my weight without logging my food. Thank god because I hate logging my food.

    Same here. I'm just about two years into maintenance, and snacking is my biggest problem. I don't log, but step on the scale every morning. That's how i know whether it's a fluctuation or a steady gain. I haven't found cure for snacking. I eat way too much nuts, and then to add to it, i feel that i have to have all other things too, chocolate, honey, dried fruit, frozen fruit, ice cream or gelato, hummus and chips, there's just too much around. And i don't think i can or want to eliminate all of it from my house, so i try to moderate. More often than not i fail to do so, but i offset the extra calories from rich snacks by riding. My average bike ride burns 840 or so to 1500-1600 depends how many miles i go. And even commute to work, when i can, easily earns me 350-400 calories. And that's according to fitbit, so heart rate is at play. Because the numbers from my riding app are at least double that. So the big question is, how does one limits number and quantity of snacks, what's the secret formula?

    If you’re maintaining your weight is it really a problem? I prefer eating bigger meals for lunch and dinner so I limit myself to one afternoon snack and I try to keep it around 200 calories or so. I also let my hunger be my guide. Some days I don’t eat my snack if I’m not hungry, or some days if I’m really hungry I might have 2 snacks, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. It’s Been working for me.

    I guess my problem with snacking is that i want it regardless whether I'm hungry or not. I feel that i can and i should have it. That's not always the case, and often i go overboard and sample too many good snacks.

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