Sustainable maintenance effort vs. original goal weight?

DX2JX2
DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
edited January 2019 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I've been in maintenance for about a year and am just now really starting to learn what kind of effort I can realistically sustain towards the management of my weight. An injury forced me to take some time off exercise for two months and prompted an experiment to see what would happen to my weight if I limited my exercise to a routine that I felt was no imposition on me at all.

Turns out that the target weight I had set for myself (170lbs at 6'2") was a little too aggressive and required more exercise and/or calorie monitoring than I was willing to commit to forever.

I'm finding that I can easily commit to about 4 hours of exercise per week (4 or 5 sessions per week at 45 minutes to an hour each) vs. the 5-6 I've been putting in during my loss phase and first year of maintenance.

For calorie management, I no longer log all of my food but I do still meal prep my lunches. I found that I'm fine to limit my calorie consumption during the day to 35% of my daily total (usually equates to a piece of fruit for breakfast, AM/PM snacks, and a moderate lunch) and then I'm find to eat or drink however much of whatever I want for dinner.

Dessert is still a no-go as a general rule, though I will indulge once in a while with a very reasonable portion.

In terms of perceived hunger, I don't let myself feel deprived or stressed by any means. I will say that I never quite feel 'full' during the day, but neither do I feel like I'm starving. I will occasionally feel very hungry right before lunch or dinner but for the most part it feels very manageable.

Outside of that, I weigh myself daily but only monitor my weekly and monthly averages.

All in all, I've increased my target weight range from 168-173 to 170-175, it might sound like a nothing change but trust me when I say that the perceived effort to stay at this higher range is so much easier than maintaining at my original target. This really does feel like something I can maintain for the rest of my life. A true lifestyle change, if you will.

What have you found? Did you find that your original weight targets didn't quite jibe with what you felt to be sustainable? How did you modify?
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Replies

  • kellycz
    kellycz Posts: 57 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    I know I *should* be committed to losing those 5 lbs again but I’m thinking I’m ok with it.

    If you feel good and find your current weight to be maintainable long term, maybe you’ve found your ideal. I get your concern about gaining all the weight back, but it sounds like you’re too self-aware to let that happen. Good plan to stay the course for now and reevaluate next month.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    These are all great shares and I’d like to add when I’m at work tomorrow at my desktop, too hard to peck away a thoughtful share on an iPhone.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    nowine4me wrote: »
    This is not going to come across right, but here goes.....,,

    ....it’s too hard to maintain 125 — is this story I told myself. I looked and felt great. But the story got louder when I wanted some cake or an extra glass of wine. So, damn the torpedoes — I upped my range to 130-135. It will be so much easier, I told myself.

    Well, I Slowly creeped up from there, and now sit at 140.

    Honestly, The calorie difference to maintain 125 vs. 135 is what? Maybe 10 cals a day, or 15? Not much.

    Moral, if you are too thin, unhappy or unhealthy, by all means - put on a few pounds.

    But don’t tell yourself that it will be soooo much easier to maintain at a few pounds higher. It’s still hard. Just a few calories harder.

    I’m heading back to 125 and will fight like hell to stay there this time. No stories, no drama, just putting in the work and understanding the new reality. Just my two cents.

    Don't you know that adding a pound of muscle adds 50 calories to your RMR. LOL actually about 10 lbs will add 60 calories to your Tdee's. That's what I've read at least. 2 calories a pound for fat and about six calories a pound for muscle mass.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    You crack me up.. I was reading your post..thinking you went up 20 pounds from your goal.... but a few measly pounds and your 6' 2"? lol. I think you're good to go. But.. I do agree with your thinking.. you have to live your life where you feel sane and it isn't constant work.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    A little back story for context; was mild-moderately overweight until age 17, went from ~200 lbs to 170 (6' male), maintained that loss through college and became more active. Probably graduated around 165, gained up to 190 or so within the first few months of joining the workforce in a job that was 80% travel (too much eating out, overweight coworker had stubbornly terrible food habits). I started to make some changes and ultimately found MFP after a few months of losing on my own in May 2012, successfully lost down to a low adult weight of 158 in June 2013 (right before wedding). Over the next few years I maintained decently well but got back up into the 170s. Still within "normal" weight range for my height but I didn't have a ton of muscle and didn't really love the way I looked at either 160 or 170 as a result; so I started getting into lifting in mid 2015. In that time I've gained around ~14 lbs of lean mass and lost ~9 lbs of fat.

    I'm more diligent with logging now than I was when I was just trying to lose. It's become so much of a habit that it doesn't feel intrusive. As far as calories and goal weight, my primary goal has shifted to an ongoing pursuit of improving my physique and getting stronger/more athletic/better at lifting rather than sticking to a scale number. Ideally, I'm cycling between bulks and cuts but have currently be struggling to get properly lean enough to start an efficient bulk.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    I am currently 3lbs heavier than my lowest goal weight, my body really likes to stay at that higher weight. I have to work really hard to go lower, right now I'm working on it but I don't particularly care so my effort is minimal. If I do care at some point I'll work on getting lower again. My happy point is being able to maintain on around 2000 calories, which is what I currently maintain on and not bad for being a shorty and not far off 50 imo.

    50 years of adorableness! Lol
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    You get a lot more calories while gaining up to the higher weight, but once you get there, your maintenance won't be all that much higher unless you're talking about putting on a significant amount of weight.

    this is what I am wondering? shouldn't maintenance calories in theory be the same regardless of what weight you maintain? (ok assuming a 10lbs range, i do remember that more body weight requires more calories to function but does that change dramatically over 10lbs?)
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,152 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    You get a lot more calories while gaining up to the higher weight, but once you get there, your maintenance won't be all that much higher unless you're talking about putting on a significant amount of weight.

    this is what I am wondering? shouldn't maintenance calories in theory be the same regardless of what weight you maintain? (ok assuming a 10lbs range, i do remember that more body weight requires more calories to function but does that change dramatically over 10lbs?)

    BMI 23.2. 155. 1831

    3rd GW: still had more fat - front waist
    BMI 22.5. 150 1806

    To create a 5 lb range for maintenance:
    BMI 22.3. 148 1802
    BMI 22.0 147 1798
    BMI 21.7. 145. 1790

    For me, 10 lbs will be -41 calories daily.
    So yes, basically the same.

    Eye-opening!
  • walktalkdog
    walktalkdog Posts: 102 Member
    Maintenance for me is a real struggle.

    Stats: female, age 61, 5'7", began at 167 pounds November 1, 2017. Goal weight range is 153-155.

    I have reached 154 a few times, but it's very difficult for me to sustain it. I am committed to reaching it and maintaining it; I don't think it's an unrealistic weight. Am constantly retooling and re-evaluating my approach.

    Weekends are challenging for eating within my calorie allottment. I allow myself drinks two nights a week. I have a solid exercise regime.

    I have a deskjob and am post-menopause, which is notorious for making weight loss difficult.

    There is always room for improvement, of course, which is why I'm always looking for helpful tidbits on the message boards.

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »

    50 years of adorableness! Lol

    Are you flirting with me again? :smiley: people will start to talk :wink:
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,136 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »

    50 years of adorableness! Lol

    Are you flirting with me again? :smiley: people will start to talk :wink:

    I was just about to tell you two to get a room or take it to the singles hang out! B):p
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited January 2019
    wow i didn't realize the difference was that much on small changes in actual weight. bleh that's depressing maybe i need to go back to 130 :P

    ohh! this could ne why when i updated my weight the other day i lost 10 calories a day :p i was due to a downgrade :p