Can't maintain efficiently

jminette

Hey guys!
I'm really struggling to maintain. I have been eating 1200 calories (plus little snacks here and there) for almost a year. I'm 5' 3" and 115 pounds give or take. I want to stay this weight, but there are periods where I drop below it to like 112. Somehow, I always get myself to gain it back.

So, a while back I decided to try 1500 a day and I went over my goal weight. This is still pretty low calorie wise.

How do I find my maintenance calorie goals? And why the heck is it so low to maintain?

ndj1979

take the difference between 1200 and 1500 and eat that, which I believe is 1350 a day..

end thread/

curious - if you are maintaining on 1200 what were you eating to lose weight?

jminette

I was still eating 1200 when I started losing weight. I never went below that.

jminette

Doesn't 1350 sound awful low though? I'm only 21 years old. How in the hell will I eat when my metabolism slows with age?

ndj1979

you said you gained on 1500 a day right..?

ndj1979

as far as your metabolism goes…maybe you should of thought of that before eating 1200 a day and starving yourself...

jminette

I didn't starve myself. Thats the number mfp gave me to lose weight. This website is supposed to encourage healthy eating habits.. and I should be able to trust that. You obviously do considering you use it.

walleyclan1

I am only 5 ft and my maintenance is at 1650! Are you being very accurate with logging? Are you doing any exercise?

JesterMFP

Have you tried eating 1500 for a few weeks at a time? Chances are the "weight" gain was normal, due to increasing the amount of food/waste you have in your system, and increased glycogen (and the associated water retention). Just like people lose a chunk of water weight when they start restricting their intake, it's normal to gain a few pounds (not of fat) when you go into maintenance.

Check this out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut

jminette

I try to exercise a few times a week. Its been everyday since I'm on winter break and just sit around. Looking at me I have a fair amount of muscle, biceps and abs.

I thought I was doing everything right til I read what other people maintain on!

jminette

And I by no means struggle to only eat 1200. Like I'm not feeling overly hungry, but I do love me some food.. lol

bajoyba

Have you tried eating 1500 for a few weeks at a time? Chances are the "weight" gain was normal, due to increasing the amount of food/waste you have in your system, and increased glycogen (and the associated water retention). Just like people lose a chunk of water weight when they start restricting their intake, it's normal to gain a few pounds (not of fat) when you go into maintenance.

Check this out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut

That.
It's normal to gain some water weight when you up your calories, but things should even out after a short while.

jminette

Alright. I'm on break from college atm so im pretty damn sedentary.. When I get back to my normal routine, I'll try and up my intake and see if it evens out after some time.

jminette

I wonder if I'm reading her post correctly. Do the stores of glycogen and water make you appear larger as well as weigh more? As someone who's less concerned with the number and more with being comfortable with how I look, am I going to want to take her advice and lose 5 more pounds before I start to maintain? That doesn't sound healthy to me.

Makoce

Do the stores of glycogen and water make you appear larger as well as weigh more?

Id like to know this too

geekyjock76

If you are more concerned with your looks, then body composition is more useful for you. Replenishing lost water and glycogen stores may make you look slightly fuller - but this depends largely on how much total weight you recover until weight finally stabilizes.

You should consistently log and use a digital food scale to weigh everything you eat to ensure the calorie estimates are as accurate as possible. Once your body has recovered enough to become stable, your maintenance intake will be notably higher because people commonly underestimate their intake.

westendcurls

You only need to drop 5 more lbs if your fixated on your scale.

blackcloud13

I just noticed the "plus little snacks here and there". Not sure how much that translates to, and maybe you could swap for something more filling? Out of interest, how high did you go at 1, 500, and how much exercise do you do?

michellekicks

I wrote that post above... about glycogen. What it comes down to, is the low-weight, ripped, depleted "feel" of being at the bottom of a cut actually isn't sustainable. And yes, when the water/glycogen comes back on your body you will not feel as lean as when you are depleted.

You have to get over that or you will fight a battle for the rest of your life and live every day eating at a deficit. Eventually that will not work anymore.

jminette

I'm not fixated on the scale. I don't even weigh myself daily. I just asked if I'd also feel heavier.
People can't handle these questions without being rude.

Plus little snacks here and there meant I would take bites of food if offered. Take a piece of candy if out in a bowl. Handful of cereal if I felt hungry. So basically that just meant I'm not always at 1200 on the dot and there are frequently little things I don't count. But I rarely feel they are over 100 to 200 extra calories a day extra.

jminette

Which in the grand scheme of things isn't much, but maybe it's more than I thought? Idk. I don't want to lose weight. I just want to know I can maintain at a reasonable amount. 115 at my height is nowhere near depleted and cut. That's a mid range bmi that I am happy with and want to maintain.