Now What? Maintain/Frustrated

trejon

I thought losing the weight was tough but these three weeks of working to maintain have been the worse:sad: . 175 lbs at 6'0 ft was my goal and I did that. However now one day I might weigh two pounds less and another five pounds more - today I was 173.4. I know that most of this is water weight and hormones however it is frustrating. Looking for some friends that share in this struggle with me. Also any advice on staying SANE until my body figures this all out - how long will that take? Will the rest of my life be a battle against weight gain? Does not seem fun! However I do love my new body (ok improved).

FabulousFifty

bumping...not there yet, but getting close....I am interested in the responses you get. Hang in there and congrats on reaching that goal. I betchya your body will stabilize in a couple of weeks. I am thinking consistancy in your calorie intake and exercise routine will pay off for you soon. Good job.....:flowerforyou:

SylvieJacques

HI,

I understand exactly what you mean. I am also trying maintain and so far so good. I still have to watch very closely what I eat but in a way it's not a bad thing. I have been maintaining for 2 months and I'm ok with the way things go, but noticed the same thing on the scale as you. I was told that my objective should be to stay +/- 5 lbs at the most and I'm in that range. I find out that when I exercise more regularly the scale doesn't move as much.

So if you would like, please add me as a friend and we can motivate each other in those bumpy days

BiloxiBelle

I was told that my objective should be to stay +/- 5 lbs at the most and I'm in that range. I find out that when I exercise more regularly the scale doesn't move as much.

I have been holding steady at this weight for over a year. I agree w/the above post regarding staying w/in a 5 pound range or so. I actually allow myself about 6 pounds. Right now I'm just back from vacation & am at the highest weight I "allow" myself. So, these next 2 weeks coming up will be super strict w/clean eating & not missing a single workout. That's usually enough to get me back into a "safer" weight for me & then I allow myself a treat here & there & to relax a bit.

One thing that has made it easy to maintain is to change my workout programs every few months & to continuously set new goals. Add in the Couch to 5K program, learn to use kettlebells, add in HIIT training, increase weight for strength work, etc...About every 3 months or so I'm doing almost completely new workouts. Once I hit goal weight, I then tried to really focus on my eating. I have been trying/adding in new, healthy foods & slowly basically got rid of all "bad" foods in my diet (except Coffeemate! I LOVE my morning Coffeemate) I don't work out as hard/long as I did when I was trying to lose weight, but I still workout 6 days a week, eat as clean as possible, etc.

Congrats on your weight loss!! I'm sure you will be fine w/keeping it off :flowerforyou:

trejon

Thank so much for the information. Really thought I would get more hits on this topic but most are still working to lose and fail to understand where I am coming from. Thanks you guys for the information. Good luck in your continued success

Yurippe

Did you weigh in daily as you lost the weight? Fluctuations are 100% normal. Tons of factors to consider: TOM, sodium intake, bowel movements, etc. What you are explaining being frustrated about is never going to change. It's just the way your body works. I would recommend putting away the scale if these fluctuations bother you and rely on how your clothes are fitting or grab a measureing tape and track your maintenence that way.

BiloxiBelle

I actually don't really fluctuate at all on a daily basis. If my weight drops or goes up, it is 100% due to something I have done...slacking on workouts, eating oreos 2 days in a row, etc. But for the most part, day in & day out, I weigh exactly the same...even during TOM. Maybe b/c I don't stray far from my set calorie/fat/sodium/carb/protein/fiber goals every day & always burn about the same amount of calories? My food/exercise log looks basically the same every single day (not necessarily same exact food, but same nutrition breakdown). Wonder if I am lucky or just weird? :huh:

DJackson230

I am almost to my goal and I love the info that was just shared... I like the 5lb +/- window... I am thinking that I will set my weight loss goal to lose 1/2 lb a week... This will allow me a slight increase in calories and I can lower the intensity and frequency of my workouts... I may not lose but I think it will help me to maintain... Gotta get there first though...

trejon

I set my intake to 130 calories under the number to maintain. I feel more comfortable with these numbers. Weighing each day is something that I love doing. I am going to continue to log my food so that I can see what I put into my bpdy and monitor it. Now that I know this change is a common thing and others are in the same boat can handle it and will. Thanks so much for all the information.:laugh:

trejon

I can have 2000 calories a day and I can only get about 1800 in unless I eat something bad. Sure as heck do not want to start adding bad. Any tips?