People who have been in maintenance for a while. ..

F00LofaT00K

I'm getting used to logging my food daily and it's making weight loss incredibly easy for me but I'm worried about once I reach maintenance. I would prefer not to log in every single day of my life and log my foods. Do you get used to your new way of eating and just keep an eye on the scale, or do you still log food daily? Is it difficult to maintain without continued logging?

DancingMoosie

I don't log any more. I keep an eye on the scale, and also how my clothes are fitting. If the scale goes below a certain number, I add in a high calorie snack or two. If my clothes feel tight, take out the snack or swap it for lower calorie, or go for an extra run. If for some reason I go too far in either direction, and can't correct it right away, I may log for a while to get it back under control. I've been maintaining since August, and haven't had to go back to logging for several months now.

whitebalance

I like logging, so I still do it. I've found it's hard to be content with just staying the same, so I'm trying to set other goals and use MFP to help me work toward them.

Muzzoozal

After I learned to eyeball portions I don't log in all the time, but around crucial times of the year such as holidays I may stop by to help myself plan ahead, keep an eye on weight and remind myself what a healthy portion for me is. It may be good to do on or just before a vacation too. If I plan to eat healthy while having fun it helps.

cwolfman13

Maintaining for almost 8 months. I don't log save for a spot check here and there. While I was losing I learned how to eat...learned portion control and moderation...I know what portions look like on my plate, etc. I don't really do anything different now except I have a few hundred extra calories...it isn't much really.

I weigh myself a few times per week just for data points and I listen to my clothes, etc. Make sure you keep exercising...it is far more important to maintenance than it is to losing weight.

I get my nutrition on and I get my fitness on...I've found maintenance to be pretty easy.

MickeyCastello

I still log. I worked too damn hard to let myself slip even a little bit.

dorothytd

I'm a hybrid. I stay connected here and start the day logging. Usually, I don't finish, but I keep a close eye during the day. If the weight creeps a little, I get more vigilant.

But I'm a big fan of the "staying connected" part - we're never done with being healthier, and support really helps!

NiikouruDesu

I lost 10kg and have maintained my weight for the past 12 months.
I do log my food, but I never limit my calories. I've actually found that eating healthy foods, exercising daily and sleeping a lot, and drinking water constantly throughout the day make me feel good. I have no doubt those habits contribute to maintaining my weight.
i feel like I still have more to learn from logging my food but will stop once i have learnt enough.

JesterMFP

I still log daily and struggle to maintain without it. I have a good idea of portion sizes etc, but it's psychological for me. At the moment, I struggle to eat moderately without the accountability of logging. I've been maintaining for a little over a year now, and I'm hoping that this year I can really work on that side of things.

I think it is a very individual thing. I know there are a lot of people like me who find it difficult to maintain without logging, but there are also a lot who can do it. It's something you can experiment with. I think that as long as you are keeping an eye on things somewhere - whether it's by regularly weighing/measuring yourself or taking note of how tight your clothes are etc, then you can't go too far wrong because you'll notice if the weight starts to creep back on.

I have a good friend who has used MFP successfully in the past. For her, long term calorie counting is just not something she wants to do. When she stops, she maintains for a while but finds the weight slowly comes back on. I think she's just accepted that that's how it works and that she'll need to periodically track her food to get those few extra pounds off. For me, it's less stressful to just keep tracking everything and not gain those few extra lbs.

padams2359

I still log. For those rare days, like last night, when we go out to a nice dinner, I just throw a large amount of calories in and keep moving. I think it is important as you are adding foods into your diet so that you know how they affect your meal plan. Sometimes you find out things are not as bad as you thought, and some are surprisingly high. I do all the cooking, and my wife is still in losing mode, so I need to know what I can, and can't give her.

veredit

I still log. I worked too damn hard to let myself slip even a little bit.

The same here. It was such a long and hard journey, I really want to maintain for ever, and MFP is such a big help.

ingraha

I still log. I worked too damn hard to let myself slip even a little bit.

The same here. It was such a long and hard journey, I really want to maintain for ever, and MFP is such a big help.

This.:happy:

LizDHarris

I've been maintaining for 2 years - and still log most days (even if not everything). I can now 'guess' portion sizes and now naturally look at calorie compromises - either not both!. I worked hard to lose weight and spent a lot on a new wardrobe. I can't afford to put the weight back on and replace my clothes again.

lisab64mfp

This April I will hit 3 years at goal (actually I've been less than goal the whole time). I still weigh and log my food pretty much daily - use guesstimates for foods I don't prepare. I allow myself a break from logging during vacations, holiday dinners, and a select few other days.. Coincidentally I always have a few pounds to lose after vacations and Christmas time.

Gwen_B

I am on maintenance and I cant seem to stop losing weight, I was content 15 pounds ago. So I continue to log so I make sure I eat enough so I don't lose any more weight!!

ahviendha

i dont log when i maintain.

i purposefully eat less bread (half bagels instead of whole, tear out middle of rolls for shrimp poboys)

the difference between maintaining and losing for me is having treats at the end of the day. when i lose, no candy. when im maintaining, i can have chocolate, or a cinnamon roll or something after dinner.

vjohn04

I still log my food. I've been at my goal 'weight' since November 2012.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

This is my third try at maintenance. The first two times I started to gradually gain back the weight I had lost. So now I pretty much plan on logging for the long term. It's been over a year. Honestly it's not something that concerns me-- logging takes all of 5 minutes per day.

kimad

Maintenance was hard for me. I got to eat a bit more, but that got away from me and I gained 10 lbs

This time I am logging all the time, I am signing in everyday (which I do anyways, I have a lot of friends on here), and sticking to a plan.

I need to learn to maintain better -- I did good from Sept - April, then life got fun with lots of vacations and I sucked at it.

I adjusted my goal lower so not at maintenance yet - but this time I will change things up!

ETA: I also just had surgery to fix my tummy, so technically I can't gain weight again or I can throw all that $$$ out of the window. I am sure that will help a lot.

kimad

I still log daily and struggle to maintain without it. I have a good idea of portion sizes etc, but it's psychological for me. At the moment, I struggle to eat moderately without the accountability of logging. I've been maintaining for a little over a year now, and I'm hoping that this year I can really work on that side of things.

I think it is a very individual thing. I know there are a lot of people like me who find it difficult to maintain without logging, but there are also a lot who can do it. It's something you can experiment with. I think that as long as you are keeping an eye on things somewhere - whether it's by regularly weighing/measuring yourself or taking note of how tight your clothes are etc, then you can't go too far wrong because you'll notice if the weight starts to creep back on.

I have a good friend who has used MFP successfully in the past. For her, long term calorie counting is just not something she wants to do. When she stops, she maintains for a while but finds the weight slowly comes back on. I think she's just accepted that that's how it works and that she'll need to periodically track her food to get those few extra pounds off. For me, it's less stressful to just keep tracking everything and not gain those few extra lbs.

Agree.... I need to keep logging.... I give myself a comfort zone though as weighing the same each week forever is just pure insanity! haha!

Rockstar_JILL

I lost all of my weight BEFORE I found MFP...MFP just helped me lose my Christmas gain last year. Then I found awesome friends on here to keep me motivated and such. I did most of it on my own and can still do it on my own, but I need support. I will stay here for support.

47Jacqueline

I still log. I've been a few pounds below mainenance for six months and I don't mind the logging. Probably I could stop, but i have the apps and my computer sot I can do it anytime.

rezn8

I still log everything everyday. Been over 500 days. Main reason is I'm in the progress of reshaping myself so I lift and eat more for some time and then it's back to cardio and cutting down. Been within a 15lb. range now for about 9 months or so. I have gotten very good at making much better choices but still use it as a reminder and to track my macro ratios.

Slrajr

I'm not very consistent with my eating and exercising habits, so I need to keep logging for the time being. I do take a week off here and there though without any problems.

blueskygbcn

I haven't reached my goal yet but I know I need to log for life. I have maintained my 30 lb loss for the last 6 months or so. The way Iook at it is that I can spend 5 minutes a day logging for life to ensure my improved health, or I can fall off the bandwagon which will likely result in many many doctors appointments, blood tests, prescriptions, medical bills, etc. Because that is exactly what will happen to me.

karlschaeffer

I've been on "maintenance" for about 6 months. I log. Logging helps me maintain the discipline of eating healthy foods and portion control. And, I enjoy the social aspects of MFP. The achievements of my MFP friends and success stories are inspiring.

F00LofaT00K

This is my third try at maintenance. The first two times I started to gradually gain back the weight I had lost. So now I pretty much plan on logging for the long term. It's been over a year. Honestly it's not something that concerns me-- logging takes all of 5 minutes per day.

That is a good point. . . I can spare 5 minutes a day.

twixlepennie

I can maintain without keeping a food diary, but I've started back up to track macros. I'll probably do this for a while and then take a break from tracking again. I like to mix things up every few months

970Mikaela1

i dont log very much through the holidays(oct-dec). But then my pants will tell me its time to start again for springtime.

hzliiz

A major reason I've failed to maintain in the past has been because my eyeballs are not to be trusted as a food measuring device. Took me coming back to MFP yet again to accept that once and for all. Logging will continue to be part of my life, I suspect forever. I consider it a small time and energy investment for the returns I get in peace of mind and success in keeping my weight stable.

GoMizzou99

Every time I quit logging I would gain weight slowly...

So - logging for life, literally.