Maintaining, but still losing

ekaustin7

I am technically in maintenance, and have been for about 2 months now, but I have lost 5 pounds since then. Since hitting my goal weight I have added 100 calories to my goal on the first of every month until I hit the maintenance number. You may be over your calories one day, but if you look at it as calories eaten per week, or even per month, you're probably still at a defeceit and, therefore, still losing weight. You will just have to be patient and do some experimenting to find out what your real maintenance number is. You have nothing to panic about.

highervibes

I lose a lot more than I "should" according to calculators. My estimated TDEE is 2300 so I eat 1850-1900 to lose a little less than 1lb per week but on average I'm losing 1.5lbs/week so I know my TDEE must be higher. Just slow raise your calories until you maintain but I wouldn't sweat losing a pound here and there figuring it out. It's easy to put it back on :P

(and I'm only 5'6")

heybales

Last 3 weeks before you went into maintenance mode.

How much did you eat daily on average, not net, but gross, total eating levels?

How much did you lose in that same 3 weeks?

(lbs lost x 3500 / 21) + avg eaten daily = real maintenance for your level of activity during that 3 weeks.

Forget MFP recommendations and just manually set your goal to that.
You would not log any exercise that was part of normal routine during that 3 weeks for the purpose of eating back exercise calories. So if you did 3 workouts a week and you still do that, no eat back. If you threw in an extra workout, eat it back.

JenNuma

Bump. I'm close to maint. saving for later.

sklebar

Thanks guys. I ramped up my weight level to what I want it to be at 65kg. and at maintenance on slightly active. I over-ate a little on my calories last week and so far, it has now stabilised at 63 kg. I'm even eating back my exercise calories, so we will see. I think this is the calorie count for me now at 1,920 per day, 5 ft. 10 in., 36 yo female. I'll keep it at that for now. I'm not sweating it anymore and actually quite happy at this calorie count. Eating lots, eating healthier and still feel good.

cmsmj1

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-ltdfle.html

Have a read of that.

I've been eating more and coming back up to 2100 cals and still losing weight - and I expect to.

it is not like turning on a tap..

CoCoRedRider

I have found that this calculator is much more accurate than MFP's settings: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

I've been maintaining for almost 9 months averaging 2600 cal/day. I have a desk job but need to set MFP at the highest activity level and eat exercise calories to maintain (so 2300 + exercise calories). And my stats are similar to yours: female, 38, 6 feet tall, 153-ish pounds.

Oishii

I had the same problem with mfp calories being far too low. Maybe I just over-estimate my calories, but I lose on what I judge to be 2400kcal at only 60kg. I found this hard to accept for a long time, and lost more than I wanted and had to put it back on again.

RoadsterGirlie

I'm glad I'm not the only who experienced this when I hit my goal. I read so many stories about what a tough time people have with those last ten pounds, and with me, that was not the case at all. I hit my initial goal and bam - lost 10 more over a two month period.

I initially upped my calories to around 1700 or 1800 a day, but I guess it wasn't enough since I still lost weight. I've finally found that sweet spot, which is around 2000 to 2200.


In fact, I had read so many of these stories that my own experience frightened me, and I felt like a bit of a freak.

I saw a doctor, got checked out, and she said I was fine. I decided there are "worse" problems to have.

Congrats on making it to goal!

sklebar

Thanks. This made more sense to me. Though I would like to be perhaps two kilos more than I am, I actually do like my weight where it's at, as it allows me to have a cheat meal once every two or three weeks. Other than that, my weight has now stabilised. I am 5 ft. 10 in. and 138 pounds, but I am happy with that. I could do with gaining 5 pounds, but that's okay too.

erikmsp72

Awesome! I am having the same thing happen with me, and part of it is apparently the weather change. Now that it is cooling down for autumn in my area, I find I do in fact need some more calories just to keep my weight even! Who knew?

sklebar

Okay, can't believe I lost a pound in the last week, so upped my calories again today, as it's been about two weeks on my current calorie level of 1,920.

Current stats: 5 ft. 10 in. & 62.5 kg. The lowest I've ever been in my entire life. So I have upped my calories to 2,000 now and will keep you posted again. It's going to be this way, I reckon for some time.

TavistockToad

Okay, can't believe I lost a pound in the last week, so upped my calories again today, as it's been about two weeks on my current calorie level of 1,920.

Current stats: 5 ft. 10 in. & 62.5 kg. The lowest I've ever been in my entire life. So I have upped my calories to 2,000 now and will keep you posted again. It's going to be this way, I reckon for some time.

2000 isn't loads, I maintain on 2000 net and I am smaller than you... An extra 80 cals per day won't really make that much different, I would add a bit more if I was you.

heybales

Okay, can't believe I lost a pound in the last week, so upped my calories again today, as it's been about two weeks on my current calorie level of 1,920.

Current stats: 5 ft. 10 in. & 62.5 kg. The lowest I've ever been in my entire life. So I have upped my calories to 2,000 now and will keep you posted again. It's going to be this way, I reckon for some time.

if you lost 1 lb in 1 week, that would imply a daily deficit on avg of 500 calories.

You'd need to eat about 2400 to offset that, a mere 80 calories ain't going to do nothing, that's the amount of inaccuracy in food labels and probably logging estimates.

Sure you got valid weigh-in days, at least for this week to week review?
Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

If you did a big cardio workout last night, and didn't even enough carbs to replenish by weigh-in, you'd easily lose a lb.
if you ate less sodium than normal yesterday and it was a rest day, you could easily drop a lb.
If last weigh-in you were sore and retaining water and ate higher sodium, and this week not, you could easily drop a lb.

sklebar

Thanks guys, I ramped it up again to 2,170 from 1,920 for now to gain 0.2 kg per week. Hopefully that will help things. I weigh myself every morning at the same time Monday to Friday to check things, as I know my weight fluctuates a bit, so it's back up to 63 kg. and then we will see. Just ate my breakfast and I actually feel really full. I also don't like the idea of eating crap to try and get my weight up. I've tried that twice and felt sick, so I'm ramping up the calories again, still eating healthy and clean, with just a couple of quick release carbs like oatmeal and yogurt and we will see what happens.

TavistockToad

Thanks guys, I ramped it up again to 2,170 from 1,920 for now to gain 0.2 kg per week. Hopefully that will help things. I weigh myself every morning at the same time Monday to Friday to check things, as I know my weight fluctuates a bit, so it's back up to 63 kg. and then we will see. Just ate my breakfast and I actually feel really full. I also don't like the idea of eating crap to try and get my weight up. I've tried that twice and felt sick, so I'm ramping up the calories again, still eating healthy and clean, with just a couple of quick release carbs like oatmeal and yogurt and we will see what happens.

steak, salmon, cheese, peanut butter, avocado, nuts, lamb, full fat greek yoghurt...

as heybales said, you need an extra 500 per day if you are in fact losing on 1920...upping to 2170 is only 150cals which equates to less than half a pound extra.

Sandigesha

Sorry cant bother reading all, but if you didnt know, myfitnesspal doesnt know what is your caloric needs are, it is just a stupid web site(i eat 3200 cal on a cut, its advice was around 2200). You should you it to track your calories etc, and figure out what your needs are. (you said you keep losing weight at 1700? go 2000 for a week, try yourself and find what works for you)

sklebar

I know I could ramp it up even more, but I'm just overwhelmed by the amount of food already. I have noticed a huge difference in the way I look now. I look a bit better, my hair and skin feels better and I have tons of energy, just in the last 48 hours. I never really needed support while I was losing, but really need it with maintaining. Thank you all very much. I'll keep you updated, not only so you guys can tell me off if I'm doing stuff wrong (in the best and caring sense. ), but in case there is someone out there that is going through the same thing. Currently at 2,170 calories per day, 5 ft. 10 in. and 63 kg. today.

TavistockToad

I know I could ramp it up even more, but I'm just overwhelmed by the amount of food already. I have noticed a huge difference in the way I look now. I look a bit better, my hair and skin feels better and I have tons of energy, just in the last 48 hours. I never really needed support while I was losing, but really need it with maintaining. Thank you all very much. I'll keep you updated, not only so you guys can tell me off if I'm doing stuff wrong (in the best and caring sense. ), but in case there is someone out there that is going through the same thing. Currently at 2,170 calories per day, 5 ft. 10 in. and 63 kg. today.

You dont necessarily need to eat MORE food, just food that is more calorie dense. for example, swap all your low/non fat dairy for full fat stuff- you dont have to eat more, but it will increase your cals.

Also, i noticed that between 4-500 cals are used on wine most days - you say you dont want to fill your cals with junk, but alcohol has little nutritional value for your body!

sklebar

Lol, I know. It's the fact my other half is a chef, so wine is big in our household. Anyway, I ramped up my calories to 2,200 and ate a little extra over the weekend and have now gained 1 pound, so I'm sticking on this and will watch and ramp up on a daily basis if I see my weight go down even a little bit. It's gotten to the point where a couple of good friends were a bit worried for my health and I don't really blame them, to be honest.