Not sure how to 'maintain'
skarzoun2000
Posts: 7 Member
This is the first time that I've watched what i ate- but, in my case, I'm thinking it's a lifestyle change...
I've lost close to 45 lbs and I'm at my goal. I really don't know how to 'maintain' my weight.
I put in a new goal on the site, but I don't know how to eat to get my calories up by 600 cal. I don't want to eat junk to just gain calories, I'd rather eat something healthy and nutrient rich.
I've tried upping the amount that I eat, but I just end up feeling bloated, and I still am losing weight...
Does anyone have any suggestions on a maintenance diet? It would need to be something I can maintain for a long time -- not just a week or two.
I've lost close to 45 lbs and I'm at my goal. I really don't know how to 'maintain' my weight.
I put in a new goal on the site, but I don't know how to eat to get my calories up by 600 cal. I don't want to eat junk to just gain calories, I'd rather eat something healthy and nutrient rich.
I've tried upping the amount that I eat, but I just end up feeling bloated, and I still am losing weight...
Does anyone have any suggestions on a maintenance diet? It would need to be something I can maintain for a long time -- not just a week or two.
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Replies
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I have no suggestions because I'm in the same boat as you. I know I don't intend to gain back my weight and am trying to increase the calories using healthy foods. It's not as easy as it sounds. Experienced maintainers, please respond.0
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Nuts. Whole milk. OMG cheese has a lot of calories! Avocados.
A glass of milk, toast, and butter is 500 calories.0 -
Just start upping the calories slowly by 100 a week you'll adjust to the volume soon enough. Also why not allow yourself a treat to fill your leftover calories0
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Just increase your intake by a 150 cals a week or so...slowly increase to get up to where you "should" be. Nuts and nut butters, milk, avocado, olive oil...There are a lot of really nutrient rich foods that are calorie dense, but I understand that it's hard to eat those "on purpose" after you've been restricting calories for any length of time.0
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No way around it. You have to eat more. Up your calories a hundred a week or so. Enjoy the extra calories you've worked hard for them!0
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Nuts. Whole milk. OMG cheese has a lot of calories! Avocados.
A glass of milk, toast, and butter is 500 calories.
These are all good suggestions. You can also try bigger portion sizes of the things you are already eating. I think this is a common problem. It's hard to get into the mind set of eating more. Maybe try upping your calories slowly, like 200 per week or something so the change is not so drastic.0 -
It is so weird to be figuring out to maintain.....I have never, ever been here before. I just don't want to fall back into my old habits.0
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I eat more fruit and have slightly bigger portions at meal times. I also have a good 'cheat meal' on a weekend . I lost 34 lbs and have been pretty stable for about 6 months now. I too didnt want to fall back into bad habits so I am finding that by allowing myself that one day on a weekend to enjoy a good meal with dessert and wine etc is quite a good way of still controlling what I am eating. I know its not ideal. In an ideal world we wouldn't calorie count - we'd eat what we want and just stop when we're full and maintain that way but I think if anyone has struggled with weight thats quite a tall order!0
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Your food diary isn't public so hard to guess what you are eating....
Good examples of calorie dense and nutrient dense foods already given so would only add that you don't need to eat "diet foods". So if you are eating low fat, "lite" or low calorie versions of foods you can add quite a few calories without any extra volume simply by eating the standard versions.
Remember that once you have hit your macro and micro nutrient needs and have a some calories left some food treats aren't going to hurt you - enjoy them!0 -
I've been in maintenance for several years after losing 135 lbs. I've experimented a bit with my weight trying to figure out what I like and where I'm comfortable. A "happy" weight that has nothing to do with the scale.
But it can be a bit of trial and error to figure all of that out. And everyone here has given you a lot of great advice. Enjoy those calorie and nutrient dense food and indulge a bit to get to that "intake" you need to be in.
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Thank you all for your advice. I do appreciate it. I guess the reasons why I don't want to indulge is I'm afraid of gaining back what I've lost... But love the nuts, cheese, and milk ideas.0
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you can throw away all the tricks you used to eat at a deficit.
when i get to goal weight, for me, that is going to be going back to regular eggs rather than beaters, 2 slices of bread instead of 1, 2 cups of ice cream instead of 1, normal size cereal servings rather than 8 oz milk and 1 serving of cereal, more avocado on my omelets and sandwiches, the list just goes on and on and on0 -
this is what i suspected. as a "maintaner" i find it easy to maintain any weight whether over or under my usual but then again i fear no foods. if u have reached ur goal weight by avoiding certain foos entirely it might be hrd to now reach ur cal goals without that freedom. itmay be tim to examin your relationship with food.Thank you all for your advice. I do appreciate it. I guess the reasons why I don't want to indulge is I'm afraid of gaining back what I've lost... But love the nuts, cheese, and milk ideas.0 -
I have been maintaining for a year. My advice is just eat a little more of what you are eating already. That is what works for me.
For example I used to eat 1 egg with toast and butter at breakfast, now I have 2 eggs.
If I had 150 grams of chicken with my stir fry veg now I have a baked potato with it.
Still keep your diary, at least for now. I still log 4 days out of 7 now just to keep me on track.0 -
this is what i suspected. as a "maintaner" i find it easy to maintain any weight whether over or under my usual but then again i fear no foods. if u have reached ur goal weight by avoiding certain foos entirely it might be hrd to now reach ur cal goals without that freedom. itmay be tim to examin your relationship with food.Thank you all for your advice. I do appreciate it. I guess the reasons why I don't want to indulge is I'm afraid of gaining back what I've lost... But love the nuts, cheese, and milk ideas.
Are you typing on a phone keypad roflmao
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I'm planning on logging everything forever, but that's just because I think it'll work for me, not because I think everybody should.
I am also comfortable with the way I'm eating right now. I will probably eat reduced fat cheese instead of fat-free, stop using fat-free dressings, and allow myself to eat more restaurant meals where I eat what I want. However, since I only have a weekly deficit of about 2300 calories, it probably only means I can eat those meals twice a week instead of every other week. I would want to eat them probably 6 times a week or more, but that's what got me into this mess in the first place.:frown:
I'll always have to be careful.0 -
I've added more butter, coconut oil, avocado, cheese, and ice cream to my diet since trying to maintain. I also switched to higher-fat versions of soy milk and cottage cheese. If I still have calories left at the end of the day, but am not so hungry, I drink some soy milk. A spoonful of nut butter would also work. Extra treats are fun, too, like snickers:)0
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the best thing i can suggest is to just get full fat options of things - cheese, other dairy, milk, and healthy fats like olive oil (add to cooking and salads), avocados, pb and other nuts. a handful of nuts as a mid day snack and some avocado and olice oil in a salad can easily up those calories a few hundred if not more. it is tricky though and totally agree on not wanting to fill calories with junk food all the time. or add sunflower seeds to a salad as well or to yogurt with some honey. best of luck but that is the best thing i got, getting out the habbit of lower fat or diet foods (if that is something you did, if you have always eaten full fat versions then idk what to tell you except eat more of them lol)
as far as upping the calories, this has helped me in recovery with an eating disorder, which i know you are not going through but the concept is similar - eat more without huge weight gain - try 100-150 calories every week or two, that way you do not feel overly full and bloated from the change in eating more food0 -
Maintenance can be easy or difficult for some people. When I was a personal trainer, I found that when people fully contemplated aspects of maintenance before beginning a fat loss intervention, they had less anxiety and transitioned into maintenance more easily. It also helps if you decrease the deficit as you lose weight so that you are eating just below maintenance by the time you are within a few pounds of your goal.
In a nutshell, this is what you'll have to consider:
1. Think of what foods you want to eat during maintenance and increase calories by 100 or so every two weeks. Continue to weigh and log all the food you eat.
2. Think of what type and volume of exercise you want to do during maintenance. Adjust caloric intake if you are decreasing or increasing exercise activity.
Be patient with the above as it may take a few months to get things right. But whatever changes you intend to make, do so early on so that you have less variables to worry about which could affect assessments.0 -
Maintenance can be easy or difficult for some people. When I was a personal trainer, I found that when people fully contemplated aspects of maintenance before beginning a fat loss intervention, they had less anxiety and transitioned into maintenance more easily. It also helps if you decrease the deficit as you lose weight so that you are eating just below maintenance by the time you are within a few pounds of your goal.
In a nutshell, this is what you'll have to consider:
1. Think of what foods you want to eat during maintenance and increase calories by 100 or so every two weeks. Continue to weigh and log all the food you eat.
2. Think of what type and volume of exercise you want to do during maintenance. Adjust caloric intake if you are decreasing or increasing exercise activity.
Be patient with the above as it may take a few months to get things right. But whatever changes you intend to make, do so early on so that you have less variables to worry about which could affect assessments.
this -- it's much less scary if you monitor & feel in control of your increase, and remind yourself that you can adjust as necessary. you've already learned what you need to know about restricting if you find you need to again, so trust that.0 -
I am close to maintenance and have also been considering how to handle it. I do plan to continue to log in MFP daily; it is so easy to do so and I know that I'm the type of person who, once she starts cutting corners she'll soon be back to all the old (bad) habits. As so many of the posts have suggested, I'll try adding calories back in but at a low, progressively higher, rate until I get a better sense of what it takes to maintain my weight. Ten pounds or so ago, I began weighing every day (instead of every week) so as to form the habit of doing so. This way, I'll get a handle on it quicker if the numbers are trending up. If you have trouble eating larger amounts or volumes of food, you can also try adding a scoop of protein powder to your oatmeal or yogurt (or whatever) so as to ingest better nutrients that you might get in cheesecake or ice cream...0
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I lost over 50 lbs 6 years ago. I pretty much just stopped counting my calories and continued to eat like I had but included a few more splurges.
To avoid yo-yo dieting, I weighed myself every day to every couple days. My goal was to never reach 130 lbs. Thus when I got to 127/128 I would try to make more healthy choices and count calories to get back down to the 120-124 range I prefer. By not letting my weight creep up too far, I was never tempted to go to more extreme dieting. I could just make some smaller adjustments and let the few extra lbs slowly come off.
I have mostly stuck around 122-124. I made myself gain to 127/128 when I was trying to get pregnant in hopes maybe it would help me. That was much harder to maintain and I think I did see 130 even one time.
I have eaten some pretty crazy calorie laden meals in the past 6 years and by keeping tabs on my weight, I have been able to make little adjustments. Unless you have some kind of health issues, one day is not going to make you gain 10+ lbs.
I know some people hate the scale but I find by the time my clothing seems tight or I visually realize it, I am on the upper range of what I like so the scale helps me avoid that. And sometimes, I visually think I am and weighing myself makes me realize that I am not as big as I thought so it helps me not get too small.0 -
Thank you, MFP administrators for having this new strand! You guys think of everything!! xoxo
I completely agree about it being tough and scary to maintain my new weight. I have lost 24 lbs. on MFP. I am lighter than I have been since high school. (I am far removed....:) I am so so grateful to this website for helping me attain a dream I never ever thought possible. So the last thing I want is to gain my weight back.
I weigh myself every day. I have done that for years so it's what I do.
I still log every day on MFP, but not everything I eat and always my exercise. I figure I need to start eating and living and not worrying about every calorie. I need to learn what amount of food I can eat without gaining. So far that is going well. As others have said, if I go up a bit, like when we travel and eat more, exercise less, I just get back to normal eating when we return. I try not to sweat it too much because life is about fun and new experiences, not just self-discipline.
I love putting in my exercise and seeing the calories I have "earned." That is what kept me motivated on my weight loss journey. I could eat more because I exercised! I still exercise most days. I feel so much better when I do. Again, something I have done for years.
My hubby and I are both retired and we have a beer or two (or wine) almost daily. At first I was terrified that I would start gaining. But it has not happened! I know the healthy amount for a woman is one glass a day but sometimes I have two. Again, there's that self-discipline vs. a buzz is nice......
My biggest problem is winter. Since I started exercising outside, it is tough to hit the treadmill again. So boring! I check-out exercise DVDs from our library and that is a nice change. (I don't belong to a gym, again the whole indoors thing.) But I still gain weight during the winter months. I always have. I believe it is because we are mammals and our bodies think we should be hibernating all winter, like bears, and we put on an extra layer of fat and weight to keep warm. Okay, I know you think I'm nuts:) I am hoping to combat that this winter by being in FLA! We will take our bikes and ride or run or walk or swim every day! I am anxious to see if that breaks my winter-gain cycle.
I wrote too much, sorry. But it's been kind of cathartic! I so appreciate this website! All of you who post help in ways you will never know! (This is my first post.) When I was discouraged, someone always cheered me. Thank you!
Elaine0 -
Nuts. Whole milk. OMG cheese has a lot of calories! Avocados.
A glass of milk, toast, and butter is 500 calories.
These are all good suggestions. You can also try bigger portion sizes of the things you are already eating. I think this is a common problem. It's hard to get into the mind set of eating more. Maybe try upping your calories slowly, like 200 per week or something so the change is not so drastic.
This 0 -
you can throw away all the tricks you used to eat at a deficit.
when i get to goal weight, for me, that is going to be going back to regular eggs rather than beaters, 2 slices of bread instead of 1, 2 cups of ice cream instead of 1, normal size cereal servings rather than 8 oz milk and 1 serving of cereal, more avocado on my omelets and sandwiches, the list just goes on and on and on
In my opinion - I could be wrong and you could be right - that's how I would regain the weight I've lost. Most people regain because they go back to old habits. I know I would - I ate healthy but too much. I also didn't have a good enough idea of which foods were very calorie dense and which weren't.
I NEED to keep the habits I've learned. What I'm doing to maintain is adding back a little cheese, splurging on some whipped cream, or slowly starting to bake bread again. How to add in my new 200 calories a day? A slice of home-made ciabatta and some brie while relaxing in the evening.0 -
When I started this process to lose 65 pounds, I determined it was not a diet, it was a lifestyle. I have only eaten foods I love, and have learned to love foods, I had not had before. I have a couple more pounds to lose, yet don't see doing anything much different in maintenance. I really enjoy the foods I eat. I will probably enjoy dining out a little more though.0
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i upped my cals for maintenance, however, i still eat at a defecit during the week, and then eat whatever i want on the weekends (still log) and i seem to break even on my averege weekly maintenance amount of cals!0
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i upped my cals for maintenance, however, i still eat at a defecit during the week, and then eat whatever i want on the weekends (still log) and i seem to break even on my averege weekly maintenance amount of cals!
That's what I find myself doing, I still have it as a 1/2 lbs. loss a week so that I can have extra calories to eat on the weekends and don't go over for the week. If I change it to where I can eat 250 more calories a day, then for the week I'd be way over since my family always eats out on Sunday for a big meal.0 -
I too am finding maintaince hard and scary after losing 115 lbs I am scared of gaining the weight back, I have my life back and fo not want to go back0
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i know what you mean. what you should do is give yourself a "red number"... for example, mine is 160. i weigh about 150 right now... if i ever hit 160 pounds, i will go right back into weight loss mode. i give myself a 5-10 pound window of "fluff", anything more, my cals drop down again, until i reach my goal... again... this way, you dont let it get out of control... again!I too am finding maintaince hard and scary after losing 115 lbs I am scared of gaining the weight back, I have my life back and fo not want to go back0
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