Stop losing weight to eat more at maintenance?

Francl27

I'm not where I want to be yet... I'm still in the high end of a normal BMI, my body fat is 25.5%ish, and ideally I would like to lose another 12 lbs (without counting my recent water weight gain). Heck I could probably lose 15+ lbs really... but I'm in a normal weight and look ok in clothes (ok not sure about those Summer dresses).

But that would mean maintaining at 1850 instead of 1950 (yeah I'm getting older too!)... so maybe 200 more calories than what I'm eating lately in average. It just doesn't seem like much.

At some point is it just chasing superficial pounds? I'm healthy, everything is in the normal range. I don't like my belly and I wouldn't mind losing an inch or two of hips, but that's about it (and the belly is so full of loose skin it's probably hopeless at this point anyway).

Just wondering... I'm not ready to give up yet, heck I'm just ready at this point to eat my 1600 for a year, slipping occasionally, and see where it takes me, but it's been on my mind.

mustgetmuscles1

If you are happy and healthy the rest is just gravy on top. There is nothing wrong with wanting to work on the last bit of vanity weight and there is nothing wrong with taking a break from losing weight. 72 pounds is a great achievement so congrats on that.

If you are burnt out on dieting my advice would be to start eating around maintenance and start some resistance training. Most people see a noticeable change in appearance even without weight change. It allows you to eat more and maintains or increases maintenance calories.

meshashesha2012

maybe this is now less about ctual weight loss and more about body recomposition?

if so look at groups like this one http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

to get ideas on types of workouts and eating patterns to help recomp the last few % of body fat you want to lose.

GingerLolita

I completely understand how you feel! I'm struggling with the same problem at the moment. I'm also at the high end of my BMI, but I'm scared of gaining weight if I just go to maintenance, since some people gain a couple pounds of water weight at first. My weight loss also seems to be stalled at the moment, even though I'm eating a 500-calorie deficit almost daily (but never over maintenance and usually at least a 250-calorie deficit), so I feel like there's no point to this calorie restriction.

At this point, I've adopted a viewpoint where I wouldn't mind losing some weight, but mostly I want to avoid weight gain. I eat between maintenance and a 500-calorie deficit, so I might drop another few pounds, but I don't mind maintaining either.

If all the common measures of health and fitness say you're healthy, there's no reason to keep eating a deficit. I know most people want to get to a low or average healthy BMI, but I know I'll always be at the top of the range because some of us are just meant to be there, and that's okay. If you're happy and healthy, I don't see why you can't move on to maintenance.

SezxyStef

exercise to eat more?????

Perhaps instead of losing weight body recomp is needed.

Francl27

Well I've been lifting the whole time pretty much. I still do it 3x a week... just with dumbbells instead of barbels (I pretty much do the lifting part of ChaLean Extreme). I'm not sure I have the motivation to do more than that though . And I walk 3 miles a day in average. I don't really want to do more because I know I'll never be able to keep up with it long term, it's already been hard because of the cold and I've been skipping some days (like today) and, well, I don't really enjoy exercising (I know, I want my cake and eat it too, but you gotta be realistic when you make a lifetime change lol).

endoftheside

One thing to consider would be that if you got down to your goal weight and really hated the maintenance level of calories, you could slowly bulk up to a higher number while lifting, and then have a higher maintenance level of calories at the same weight as stopping early, due to the additional muscle you add along with the fat while bulking.

Jess732008

You could just maintain for a little while and then start working on those last pounds. Or lose a few then maintain and lose a few more.