Maintenance (+/-20#)
nowine4me
Posts: 3,985 Member
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.
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
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I’m on that same walk. Hugs3
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I've hit goal multiple times. I stop tracking, and then slowly gain again. I think I need to at least measure my food even if I don't track. Losing was easy for me, maintaining has been hard.9
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Well...I've been at Maintenance for a very long time.
In years where I tried to do it without tracking, I failed. I didn't let it get to 15 pounds, but I could put on 6-8 pretty easily in the beginning few years.
I finally decided that for me the only way is to use my food scale daily, log all my food daily, ALL of it, and to step on the body weight scale a couple times per week. Nothing else seems to work. Otherwise I start letting portions creep larger, I eat little snacks seemingly for no reason, I'll go days living on cheese and crackers and then finally realize I've lost the plot.
I have to be disciplined. You don't give many details, but for me it's really basic. Eat good well balanced home-cooked meals. Don't snack. Use the food scale. Hit the macros. Eat 4-6 servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Get a little exercise most days. Jump on the body weight scale.19 -
Wow I can relate to this thread. I started at my utmost high of 218, lost down to 129 (which is NOT a good look on me, actually), then bounced around but not tracking, etc. between about 145 - 155. I'm now dancing with my GW of 135...and I only "officially" weigh in once a week (record it), but I dance with that darn scale pretty much every day to try to keep myself in check. And I have also come to the realization that I have to continue to weigh/measure food, etc., because when I stop, it creeps in the wrong direction. And the Fitbit, when it's not frustrating me, helps me keep the exercise rhythm going.
So ultimately I have no advice on year 3 of maintenance, but I do wish you the very best and know you are certainly not alone in your goal (and the challenges).5 -
This is such great insight. The bottom line, if I take my foot of the gas for even a few contiguous days it shows.
I think what I’m having the most trouble with is focus. After I hit goal, I want to concentrate more on strength, but then for whatever reason my weight pops up (and it ain’t muscle).
Thanks for chiming in. It’s nice to know I’m not alone and that y’all have my back.11 -
My year 3 has dropped so deep it's speaking Chinese. I've consigned myself to gaining the weight back. I had way less health problems. I'm up 10# in 11 months. Only 162# to go!
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This is such great insight. The bottom line, if I take my foot of the gas for even a few contiguous days it shows.
I think what I’m having the most trouble with is focus. After I hit goal, I want to concentrate more on strength, but then for whatever reason my weight pops up (and it ain’t muscle).
Thanks for chiming in. It’s nice to know I’m not alone and that y’all have my back.
The, "For whatever reason?" is that you haven't dialed in your maintenance calories. It shouldn't take more than three months of diligent tracking... I mean, it still comes down to getting the right amount of food.9 -
I've found that I have to track or the weight comes back. It's not that I don't know what to eat, it's that the occasional treat becomes the daily treat, and it adds up. By tracking, I have to ask myself whether I really want to eat whatever it is, knowing how many calories it has and what the rest of my day looks like in terms of CI-CO. i.e. the other day we went out to dinner at a restaurant that has calories on the menu. I had a choice between the big fat burger at 1200 calories or the Cobb salad at 500. With beer and salad dressing, even the salad wasn't 'diet'. But that's what I ended up with, because I knew the burger would put me way over my daily total. If I wasn't tracking, I wouldn't know or care. On a day when I've done a long run, I'd probably go for the burger, because I'd have the extra calories. Tracking helps me make smarter choices.19
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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.2 -
funny you should mention this. It looks like you are ready to get back on the bus. I have a new belt buckle this week which says ....and that is what I intend to do.
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psychod787 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.
I am - kind of. I plan and cook and pack all my meals, which tally up to my daily allowance of 2,000 cals. But I tend to go off the reservation whenever there’s free food in the break room. Even crappy food. If I stuck to what I cooked, it would be a breeze.18 -
psychod787 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.
I am - kind of. I plan and cook and pack all my meals, which tally up to my daily allowance of 2,000 cals. But I tend to go off the reservation whenever there’s free food in the break room. Even crappy food. If I stuck to what I cooked, it would be a breeze.
Thanks for the rapid response. I am trying to learn what works and does not for people. I have not always been one to learn from others, but being here on this forum is making me realize, that others have much to offer. I hope you get back into the groove. I am actually pulling for you! I have read many of your post and have some extreme respect for you.6 -
Thank you @psychod787 — we’re all in it together. It’s nice to have this particular forum for moral support, since as we all know, there are no trophies, pats on the back or words of encouragement for maintaining from the “outside” world.
“Hey honey, nice job staying at the same weight” isn’t a thing.20 -
Thank you @psychod787 — we’re all in it together. It’s nice to have this particular forum for moral support, since as we all know, there are no trophies, pats on the back or words of encouragement for maintaining from the “outside” world.
“Hey honey, nice job staying at the same weight” isn’t a thing.
haha.
Yeah, being at a healthy weight - I get alot of general snarky comments about it - mostly the ones like, "Well YOU don't have to worry about your weight." or, "It must be nice to be naturally slim."
NO.
No a thousand times. It is hard. The general process has been way harder than I ever thought it would be. I of course can't say that. I just say, "Well, I don't *get* to eat every thing that comes into my head." There's this envy thing - I wish they could see how long it took and how much nuance is involved. But, I don't get atta-girls for being normal.16 -
I’m going into year 5 of maintenance and I can tell you it’s gotten much easier for me now. Through trial and error (lots of errors!) I’ve honed in on what my maintenance calories should be and accepted that they are sadly lower than what the calculations say it should be (I’m hypothyroid) I’ve also gotten really good at eyeballing portion sizes and calorie counts of food and exercise burns. I know what I need to do, I just have to actually do it. Sometimes I get lazy, complacent, and simply want to indulge. I have to remind myself why I will never go back to being obese and sedentary and since it’s for health reasons, that usually brings me back to reality and gets me where I need to be.
For the past month and a half work has been hectic so I’m taking a break from logging and have eaten a lot of fast food (a lot!) simply for convenience. I weighed myself and I am still at my exact goal weight because I’ve been honest and realistic about calculating how much I’ve eaten and how much I’ve burned. But it takes time and dedication to develop those skills and I’ve noticed as I get older it seems to get easier for that little voice in my head to try to convince me that I can ease up in my vigilance but realistically I cannot. I do indulge on special occasions and such but every day is not my birthday or thanksgiving and I shouldn’t eat as though it were. I love to exercise (especially running) so that helps me earn more calories to eat more and even things out (especially on date night once a week).
I weigh myself about once a week or every other week and allow myself up to 3 lb fluctuations +/- if I see any more gain than that then I start weighing foods again and ramp up the exercise a bit.
For what it’s worth, year 3 of maintenance was not an easy one for me because I took a break from logging and then there was a change in activity at my job and I started moving less so I gained 13 lbs. I started logging again and lost the weight. I did exercise regularly but it’s the daily activity calorie burn that was making the difference at that time.
My advice is to find out where your weaknesses are and deal with them systematically. For example I don’t watch much TV anymore because I know it gives me the munchies. And I eat if I’m bored so I try to keep busy. I don’t buy goodies because “out of sight and out of mind”. I’m not sure what to tell you about the office goodies within your reach because I remember when I worked in an office it was so difficult to resist the free goodies they had on a table I constantly had to walk by and those darn pastries were just calling my name! If they weren’t so visible it would be easy to resist them, do they make blinders for people to wear to not see all the yummy baked goods? Lol But I don’t work there anymore so not an issue for me any longer.
Just keep at it and realize you’re probably going to be in it for the long haul and take it one day at a time so as not to get overwhelmed. Time will pass regardless and it’s the small steps you take every day that will add up to the results you will see in the future. Good luck to you on your journey!7 -
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...0
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@monkeefan1974 thank you for your thoughtful response and insight. I’m glad to know that it gets easier as time goes by. It’s funny, but I completely stopped watching TV for the exact same reason. And I know you’re right that overall consistency is key and small indulgences here and there are really no big deal.
It dawned on me that I stopped running after a race on 9/11. I was getting pretty significant pain in my butt and legs. I replaced that time in my day with weight training, but didn't think to adjust my TDEE (and calorie target) according. I’ll make that tweak.
@Hummingbirdgirl22 the difference between 125 and 140 is very evident around my middle. I had the same thought last night and tried on my favorite size 2 jeans that had fit perfectly. Nope, zipper wasn’t budging.
For context, I’m 5-7” and 53 years old (and probably shouldn’t be wearing Rockstar jeans anyway), so a goal range of 120-125 sounds low. But I look at pictures and I looked super healthy and felt fantastic (I carry most my weight in my hips, thighs, legs).
135 is fine too, but really the difference in maintenance calories between to two is minimal. I have been lifting off and on through my journey, but running took precedence. Now that I am taking a break, I’m all-in on building strength. I suspect that ultimately it will pay off in spades regardless of my scale weight. And may help me correct the imbalances causing pain.
It’s great to have such a wonderful tribe to lean on. I suspect many of you are like me and don’t have a ton (if any) actual “real-life” friends who are trying to maintain their weight after a significant loss.
So connections in this forum mean the world to me. Thank you!!
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After nearly 2 years, I’ve accepted that maintenance means repeatedly gaining a bit, then losing a bit.17
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From May thru December of last year I repeatedly lost and gained the same 5 lbs over and over lol. Until in January I finally decided to say "F it" and declared that I was actually in maintenance the entire time
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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!6 -
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.2 -
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?3 -
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.2 -
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.4
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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.1 -
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.0 -
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.4 -
I went from goal of 135, via 132, up to 146 during my first six week attempt at maintenance! It's definitely a work in progress
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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.
If I didn’t eat when I wasn’t hungry, I never would have hit 220.6 -
I've been in maintenance mode for about 5 years. I've managed to keep my weight right around 150 lb (+/- 5 lbs) during that time. What works for me: I eat at a ~500 calorie/day deficit Monday-Thursday, and sometimes Fridays. I log my food intake and exercise calories *rigorously on weekdays*. I usually get a workout in on weeknights, and with my low-calorie breakfasts and lunches (and very little or no snacking), I usually have enough to "pay" for a small dessert or a beer after dinner, while maintaining that deficit goal. I use the deficit calories that I build up during the week to splurge on the weekends. Over the past couple of years, I've stopped rigorously logging on Saturday or Sunday, because I've found I just don't *want* to eat enough food to splurge into a surplus for the week. Typically, my weight will head downwards very slowly over weeks or months. To compensate for the downward drift, I don't worry about calorie-counting over our annual summer vacation (1-2 weeks) or winter break (~2 weeks). My weight tends to jump up a few pounds during those breaks, which offsets my losses from the previous ~6 months. Travel for work, holidays, (or trips to the fair) act as minor blips on the radar, which I have learned to adjust for. By letting myself splurge on the weekends, I don't really feel like I'm "missing out" by rigorously controlling my food intake on weekdays. The diet breaks I take twice a year seem to reset my metabolism a bit, which helps. Anyway, it's been working really well for me for a while now.
TLDR; Weekly Calorie Cycling and Semi-Annual Breaks For The Win In Maintenance!10
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