I've reached my goal weight, but it's hard to maintain

MissBabyJane

53kg, 165cm tall -18 years old girl. I've finally reached my goal weight, and now I'm trying to maintain it. Usually I avoid all of the sweets (except fruits), but few days I kinda let myself eat stuff like cake (I haven't eaten in ages), cookies and others (not much in amount, but various sweets). I feel so guilty and scared that I will star gaining weight again, but I also have cravings - I haven't eaten these stuff in MONTHS. And now with the holidays coming, there is so many stuff to eat and I find it so hard to not let myself go. How do you deal with that? Please, I need some advices...

geekyjock76

If you know what your actual maintenance calories are, then set a goal to eat x calories at the end of 7 days and incorporate exercise to keep energy balance in check towards that weekly goal. Also, be realistic in that you'll have a maintenance range rather than staying at a single number being your goal weight.

ElizabethFuller

I haven't reached my goal yet but I have a very sweet tooth, without treats I feel deprived, if I feel deprived I'll fall off the wagon! This has been the normal pattern of my weight loss efforts in the past, but I have now discovered cardio exercise!! Yay! I can run 5K in about 35 minutes and this gives me an extra 400 calories...I can have pizza or an ice cream sundae or cake and stay in a calorie deficit (my diary is open, feel free to look at the dreadful things I eat ) I can't tell what your exercise programme is but cardio has been the magic bullet for me - don't panic, you can do this!

soldiergrl_101

I eat pretty much everything that I want its just now i am more cogniscent about what I am putting into my body and so that helps me to make better choices around my bad decisions. So like yesterday, I wanted this really large high fatty cupcake (600cals). To make up for it I choose to eat more fruits and veggies for the remainder of the day rather than processed foods. I usually have a chocolate bar once a week or so, I just make sure that it doesnt push me over my macros in anyway.

I you want this to be a lifestyle change you need to figure out what it will take for you to keep the body you want while still allowing yourself to eat the foods you love (in moderation). I mean if you tell your self (I can never have soda/ice cream/carbs/ect... again) it will never become a change you can maintain forever

padams2359

As you can see from my signature scale, finding my Maintanance, and stop lose has been the issue. Dont let fear run your life the way that the weight did. Just keep logging, and eat the way you have been doing. I feel like it was easier to lose than to maintain. l knew what i had to do while dieting, maintaining weight, and continuing to lose body fat is a harder process.

As for the poster above with the sweet tooth, Fiber One bars and 90 cal brownies and coffee cakes have been my go to for sweetls and candy bar cravings. They have two fold advantages. LOL.

Eleonora91

If you are mantaining having a piece of cake or any food you haven't had won't make you automatically gain. Depriving your body of those foods has lead you to a loss, but you need a significant excess of calories - possibly constantly in time - to gain the weight back. Having cake once in a while means normal eating so I don't think you're going to gain, you don't even need to watch your calories if you don't want to, just remember what made you GAIN weight in the first place and try to avoid it. I have your same height and my goal weight now is 67 kg - yes we're all different - and I know that, first of all, if I gain a couple of kg I can always easily lose them again, because I exactly know what to do. Plus, I don't feel the pressure to lose weight, and I know what it takes for me to gain it back. I will keep exercising and eat without exceeding and I'm sure it'll work.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I have a huge sweet tooth. I do If It Fits Your Macros, which means that first I focus on getting enough protein (1 gram per pound of LBM because I lift weights) and then enough fat (.35 grams per pound of body weight). Whatever's left can be carbs, including baked goods. I do try to hit my fiber goal as well but I think of it more as a weekly thing. Some days I have tons of veggies and go way over, and some days I'm under. My discretionary calories usually includes ice cream and we have either scones or muffins around for breakfast.

I've been maintaining for a year this way. I do have a weight range where I'm comfortable, like geekyjock said. As long as I'm in the 123-126 range I'm good, because I know that that's how much my weight normally fluctuates. At one point I experimented with raising my calories just to see if I could maintain on more and I gained back roughly a pound, so I just ate less for a bit and it was gone again. The great thing about calorie counting is that it gives you a lot more control.

I have found maintenance to be a lot more of a challenge than I expected. I think it's normal to have an adjustment period. But if you are craving sweet things, my advice is to have them and just control the portions. Because this is your life, and cake is going to happen occasionally.

csuhar

Also, be realistic in that you'll have a maintenance range rather than staying at a single number being your goal weight.

This is the absolute key to succeeding in maintenance. Especially with how your weight can vary day to day based on hydration, food in the stomach, and things like that, you'll need to accept you'll be going up and down. Personally, as long as I'm within 2.5 pounds above or below my target, I don't sweat it at all. And I don't make big adjustments to diet or exercise until my average weight is consistently beyond 5 pounds above or below. So I basically give myself a 10 pound range where, as long as I'm consistently in the middle, I don't worry about cutting things.

That being the case, I find that exercise, combined with the "If It Fits Your Macros" approach keeps my weight in check and my soul happy. For a while, I even had the ability to have a chocolate bar every day. Some days I may eat more than my TDEE, but I also end up eating below it on others (rarely consciously for either scenario). As long as your average consumption is close to your average burn, you'll be okay.


ETA: One other factor to keep in the back of your mind is where your goal came from. In my case, I'm above what the BMI chart says I should weigh. But, after sitting down with a doctor, measuring my bodyfat, and factoring in my frame size and the fact I need muscle (and its associated weight) in order to do my job, the conclusion was that I'm where I should be, even if the BMI chart disagrees. Because all those other aspects were included, my goal weight went up to a level that is easier for me to maintain.

Ideabaker

Bump for more responses!

jackielou867

I found a poster that says if you crave something bad for you, like sugar, you may be lacking in some nutrient or other, that you can get from something healthy. I used to have the hugest sweet tooth, but the cleaner my diet gets, the less I crave carbs and sugar, and so the cleaner my diet gets, it is a not so vicious circle :-)

I have maintained in the 60-62 range for a few weeks now, I do exactly what I did to lose weight, except I have increased the calories to maintenance.

Joanne_Moniz

53kg, 165cm tall -18 years old girl. I've finally reached my goal weight, and now I'm trying to maintain it. Usually I avoid all of the sweets (except fruits), but few days I kinda let myself eat stuff like cake (I haven't eaten in ages), cookies and others (not much in amount, but various sweets). I feel so guilty and scared that I will star gaining weight again, but I also have cravings - I haven't eaten these stuff in MONTHS. And now with the holidays coming, there is so many stuff to eat and I find it so hard to not let myself go. How do you deal with that? Please, I need some advices...

Joanne_Moniz

Sugar is proven to be addictive. It is the sugar you will need to keep under control. Keep it at 10 percent of your calories.

That is how you lost the weight. Whether you know it or not, you reduced your sugar in your diet. Keep up that great work and you will maintain!!! 10 percent of your calories!!!!!!


Joanne Moniz
The Skinny on Obesity Group

arrseegee

Hi,

You're trying to maintain a BMI of 19.5, which could be a little too low for you. If you absolutely want to weigh this much no matter what then you're just going to have to be very vigilant about counting calories and keeping track of your weight. If you want things to be a little easier then perhaps reconsider whether it is worth trying to maintain that weight.

MissBabyJane

Thank you so much to all of you!

Topsking2010

Sugar is proven to be addictive. It is the sugar you will need to keep under control. Keep it at 10 percent of your calories.

That is how you lost the weight. Whether you know it or not, you reduced your sugar in your diet. Keep up that great work and you will maintain!!! 10 percent of your calories!!!!!!


Joanne Moniz
The Skinny on Obesity Group

Well Said!!!

nelinelineli

Log religiously and keep an eye on the scale. Make sure that at the end of the week you've evened up on calories. After few weeks of logging what I've been eating at maintenance (Cakes, 2k calorie dinners and all) I've got to the conclusion that I need to maintain a 2-300 calorie deficit on weekdays to account for my crazy weekend outings. Just take a deep breath, observe your behaviour for a few weeks and adjust accordingly. And don't panic, nothing huge is going to happen. But log, log, log. EVERYTHING. Your diary and your scale are your biggest allies.

MissBabyJane

Thanks again. I'm logging everything. Even if I've eaten 1 candy. ahahah And the weird thing is that I have to eat 1200 calorie acording to MFP, and even with all the sweets, I haven't go over my calorie amount for the day, only yesterday but like with 34 calories or something. Which I'm sure it's not big deal. The only thing I'm going over sometimes is Sugar or Protein and on very rare days fat (that happens when I eat some kind of nuts)

dianeb613

I maintain within 1 lb up or down and still don't deprive myself of foods or treats I want. I am actually only .6 over my goal weight but it shows 1 lb. above.

geekyjock76

I find it bizarre that MFP would tell you that your maintenance calories was just 1200 considering that's the absolute minimum net intake recommended by the site to reduce fat. At your stats, TDEE calculators will put you at 1500 when completely sedentary.

Joanne_Moniz

Also, be realistic in that you'll have a maintenance range rather than staying at a single number being your goal weight.

This is the absolute key to succeeding in maintenance. Especially with how your weight can vary day to day based on hydration, food in the stomach, and things like that, you'll need to accept you'll be going up and down. Personally, as long as I'm within 2.5 pounds above or below my target, I don't sweat it at all. And I don't make big adjustments to diet or exercise until my average weight is consistently beyond 5 pounds above or below. So I basically give myself a 10 pound range where, as long as I'm consistently in the middle, I don't worry about cutting things.

That being the case, I find that exercise, combined with the "If It Fits Your Macros" approach keeps my weight in check and my soul happy. For a while, I even had the ability to have a chocolate bar every day. Some days I may eat more than my TDEE, but I also end up eating below it on others (rarely consciously for either scenario). As long as your average consumption is close to your average burn, you'll be okay.


ETA: One other factor to keep in the back of your mind is where your goal came from. In my case, I'm above what the BMI chart says I should weigh. But, after sitting down with a doctor, measuring my bodyfat, and factoring in my frame size and the fact I need muscle (and its associated weight) in order to do my job, the conclusion was that I'm where I should be, even if the BMI chart disagrees. Because all those other aspects were included, my goal weight went up to a level that is easier for me to maintain.

Joanne_Moniz

think the approach "if it fits in the macros" is the best approach!! That is if the macros are set right... which I find from most people, they did not know what they should be set at