Losing Weight to Maintain Weight

VelvetMorning

I have a few events coming up where I'd like to be able to enjoy whatever foods in whatever quantities I please (Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, etc). I'm contemplating losing, say, 5-10 pounds PRIOR to these events just so I can binge my face off. I'm guessing with water weight & massive excessive calories the 5-10 pound lost would add itself back on from feasting. I know everyone gets excitable about "moderation" but this word does not exist to me when faced with sfogliatelle, pasta carbonara, baccala alla romana etc; nor would I have any idea how to calculate the calories beyond massively over anything I'm allowed to ever have with any amount of exercise. My only idea on how to deal with these events - other than excluding myself from them completely and sipping sugar free iced tea in the corner - is to eat ~1,300-1,500 cals a day so I can be ~5-10 pounds lighter by these dates. Might not quite make it by Thanksgiving, but, here's to wishing! FWIW: I am very happy at my CW, not looking to lose actual weight, but compensate with weight loss to keep my CW where it's at during these events!

Does anyone have experience, tips, or thoughts on this (negative and positives welcomed)?

Keiras_Mom

I'm not really understanding your motivation. Even if you had a major blowout with several thousand extra calories, that would not equate 10 pounds. Why not just eat lighter the days preceding the event(s) and then allow yourself freedom on those days?

VelvetMorning

I'm not really understanding your motivation. Even if you had a major blowout with several thousand extra calories, that would not equate 10 pounds. Why not just eat lighter the days preceding the event(s) and then allow yourself freedom on those days?

I'm assuming left overs for the whole following week and 10 pounds is just for the sake of fluidity of the topic. I'm guessing 5 pounds would probably cover me -- but I'd probably shoot for 10 and make it to about 7 to cover me on my horrible water retention. :P I'd love to eat lighter on the previous days, but I'm sedentary and pretty small so my TDEE is 1,500 calories so I need a pretty good amount of time beforehand if I wanna lose the weight in a healthy fashion. I'd probably need to dip below 1,200 if I wanted to give myself wiggle room only a few days beforehand, right? (Please tell me I'm wrong!!! :P )

jaecamp1

I'm not really understanding your motivation. Even if you had a major blowout with several thousand extra calories, that would not equate 10 pounds. Why not just eat lighter the days preceding the event(s) and then allow yourself freedom on those days?

I'm assuming left overs for the whole following week and 10 pounds is just for the sake of fluidity of the topic. I'm guessing 5 pounds would probably cover me -- but I'd probably shoot for 10 and make it to about 7 to cover me on my horrible water retention. :P
[/quote

I was originally thinking this same thing, but it sounds like maybe this is kind of like what you're trying to do just on a larger scale? I would think if you're willing to do all that hard work of losing just to gain it back then its all the same if you want to be back at your current weight. Better than gaining then having to buy bigger pants while you try to lose it after like most people do.

jaecamp1

Sorry I messed up the quote thing so my reply looks like a quote :embarassed:

pkw58

Why not just eat at maintenance and walk more or do an extra work out on the days you are not at a feast or holiday party? I have been a bit under the weather, but am trying to eat at maintenance level and add more exercise in so my body kicks me and tells me to keep moving during the holidays.

But yes, I have done EXACTLY that - but started a full three months ahead of a holiday.. funny thing, once I was on holiday, I kept logging and didn't gain an ounce. wild stuff

gregpack

I do it- I think it works well. I'd rather be ahead than try to play catch up.

However, I still find little motivation to have a "blowout" day, which to me would probably be 3X the calories of a normal day. I've learned a few tricks to still eat till I'm stuffed for one meal and probably not go over my TDEE more than 50%. I do like desserts, so I try to really go light on the other carbs at the table. And I've become kinda picky about food. It's gotta be goood, worth the calories so to speak, or I don't eat it. I also prefer to eat any big meals later in the evening. If I eat a big meal early I'm more likely to eat a large second meal and have a mega calorie day. If I overdo it, I find it's pretty easy to eat at significant deficit the day after and not even feel hungry, so I plan on eating light the following day.

Anyway, do the math. At your size It's unlikely you could eat more than about 5K calories in a day without feeling like complete crap. Thats a surplus of 3500 calories if your TDEE is 1500 . Fast or eat minimally early that day, Eat 1200 a day for ten days before and eat light the day after. You'll likely be able to eat till you pop, and you'll likely be right back at where you started within a couple of days.

I'm with you, I'll be starting a reduced calorie regimen around the 21st for Thanksgiving!

nxd10

The other day someone suggested thinking about holiDAYS and not holiday SEASONS for eating. I think that's a good plan because you can just eat on those great feasty days and then work in the leftovers as MEALS within your calorie budget the rest of the time. Ten pounds is 75000 calories. That's a lot of pasta. You're not going to do that.

I also think doing that is a better way of learning to really enjoy eating when you want to but not stuffing yourself. Just eating so it tastes and feels good and then stopping before you're bloated and have OVEReaten. Then go for a walk in fill in the corners. Then, as I said before, count the calories of the leftovers as food.

I think extra walking and building that into your holiday routine is also a great idea.

fittocycle

I consider myself "in training" now for Thanksgiving. Not because I'll gorge myself but because we'll have company here for a week. It throws off my workouts and eating whenever we have family stay with us. To prepare for it, I'm upping my workouts and trying to eat a clean diet.
Keep in mind that it's a journey. You do the best you can, plan ahead, and don't beat yourself up when those challenging days come. It all works out!:flowerforyou:

GiGiBeans

Yep, I started my cut 2 weeks ago. As a low carber those biscuits, potatoes, pies and wine I plan to have at Thanksgiving are going to blow me right up into a squishy water balloon. By losing a few lbs first I'll still be able to fit into my clothes afterwards.

mike_ny

If you're the host give all the non-healthy leftovers away or what you can. If you're a guest don't take home any or take as little as possible.

I know it goes against some people's ethics, but you can throw away any food you have no intention of eating. I routinely toss pies, cakes, cookies, chips, and items like that left over after parties. I don't need them around for me to to eat them and I already gave other people the option to take them if they wanted them, so into the trash they go.

Then you have one day you overeat which can be made up in preceding and following days and any healthy leftovers become part of your meals. Problem solved..

TavistockToad

you are already at a healthy weight which you have been maintaining for a while, but you want to try and lose an extra 10lbs on top of that?

so, you'll have to have a small deficit and work your bum off for a few weeks before each event? sounds like a lot of work just for one meal? why not just reduce your caloires by 100 for 5 days before each event and then do a really good workout in the morning, whereby you will have an extra 900 cals to work with...

massively restricting yourself to 1300 cals seems like you are setting yourself up to lose LBM and binge instead of enjoying a nice christmas meal (or whatever it is)

carlalovescake

I lose 5 pounds prior to a special event when I know I want to fill my face while maintaining (done this for a year now) ><

I do it at Christmas, and before a holiday away.

Atm I have about a stone to lose before Christmas because I gained some weight while quitting smoking so a double challenge for me! I never weighted at all during quitting because I knew I'd stop eating so much and smoke still instead. Was a shock when I did get on the scale!

It works for me and I can understand why the OP is considering this