Maintenance calories?

ashlee954

Hi guys. So, I started my journey wanting to get to 138 lbs (was 147). I am now at 138 but want a one pound buffer (I'm obsessing I know). I was eating 1200 cals + my exercise cals which set my weekly goal at 1.4 lbs/wk. I changed my settings to lose just 1 lb per week for this past week. Next week if I weigh in at my desired 137 should I start maintenance cals or change my settings to lose 0.5 lbs/wk for a week and then do maintenance cals? I am wondering if jumping up my cals too quickly at once will have a negative effect? Advice? Thanks in advance!!!

xarrium

I am wondering if jumping up my cals too quickly at once will have a negative effect? Advice? Thanks in advance!!!

Not at all! I've lost 1 lb on maintainance calories because I haven't yet found a way to eat all my maintanance cals without resorting to high-cal/high-fat stuff, so I've been under my goal pretty consistently. As long as you aren't eating crappy food and you're staying under your goal you should still lose a little weight, but it'll be slow.

Good luck on your next weigh in!!

stormieweather

Try increasing your calories slowly, like 50 or 100 per week until you reach maintenance. That way your body has time to become accustomed to the additional calories.

riveraphx

I think maybe you should lower your goal slowly then go into the maintenance calories like you said. I would switch from 1 lb. to .5 lbs/week. I would do it for about two weeks and then stick to your maintenance calories. Just remember to continue to log your calories religiously and continue with your gym routine, because I have reached my goal and let my counting go by the wayside only to return to MFP having gained everything back and having to start over again.

raelbee

I recently achieved my goal weight of 118 and thought I would add calories back in slowly (100 a week) - but I just lost 2.6 pounds this week doing that, which is a lot at my current weight.

I agree with Xarrium....Unless you want to continue actively losing, up those calories once you hit your goal weight. After spending months trying to eat 1200 a day, it's difficult hitting maintenece calories, so you'll probably be under anyways.

Good luck and CONGRATS!!

erickirb

Try increasing your calories slowly, like 50 or 100 per week until you reach maintenance. That way your body has time to become accustomed to the additional calories.

This is the way to do it add a 100 or so calories/day stay with that for a couple of weeks then go up another 100 for a couple of weeks. It may take you about 2 months to get up to maintenance cals doing it this way so you could start now and you should lose that "buffer" pound by the time you actually get to maintenance.