How does maintaining weight work after diet?

ReallyBigJAWS

As this is my first time really dieting: I'm wondering how it works once you reach a goal? Does it go back to eat "xxxx" calories to maintain weight, like if I was satisfied with my weight I could be eating around 2400 calories and not gain weight, but not lose any, does that change to you have to stay on a very strict meal plan for good afterwards?

If I reach my goal (which is losing enough weight to get rid of some love handles) am I able to go back to eating, say, 2100 calories a day to maintain it? I'm well aware I can't just load up on junkfood afterwards and count that, but as in general eating.

lisab64mfp

You can eat as many calories as you burn. For me if I stay around 2400 cals a day -- I'm good. My diet really hasn't changed since reaching goal (3+ years ago) -- if anything it has gotten better (better/more nutritious choices just more calories).

lisaabenjamin

I wouldn't say you need to be on a "strict" meal plan when you get to your goal weight, but staying in control of your caloric intake is definitely a good idea so it doesn't take control of you again! Continue the good habits you learned during the weight loss phase, e.g. continue to eat a balanced diet, weigh and log your food, exercise regularly, weigh once a week etc, just up your numbers so you are neither gaining nor losing weight. By the time you hit your goal you should understand enough about how it all works to make adjustments if you see your weight creep up and deal with it relatively quickly.

IbiH

Sorry to say it but it's tough! I've been on maintenance for over a year but the past few months I've let myself slide and eaten foods I know I shouldn't. I do log all my food though. Although I've not gained too much I do know that if I carry on I'll be back to where I started.

MFP is for life not just for the weight loss. I try and keep myself in check by refering to; http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators.html

Good luck

KeithChanning

I reached my goal ten months ago, and have remained in range (goal +/- 1kg) since. I record everything as I did to lose the weight, and I weigh daily. Experience tells me that I need to be 150-200 kcals below what MFP recommends. As soon as I see a three- or four-day trend, I adjust my intake and exercise to bring it back.
That's not for everyone, but it's working for me so far.

BoxerBrawler

I just went to maintenance and realized that by the time you reach your goal not only do you know what you should and shouldn't eat but you know about portion control, calories in and calories out and basically what works for you. I am finding it pretty easy so far, I re-caluclated my numbers, upped my calories to an appropriate level. I actually set mine to continue to lose a half a pound per week giving myself some extra wiggle room. My diet, nutrition and activity level didn't change, just more calories.

5pmsomewherenow

Maintaining is about sustaining a healthy lifestyle that will serve you well for many many years. It's not about being on a diet.

It's about moving your body, raising your heart rate, and strengthening your muscles to the tune of between 30 minutes to 60 minutes every day - 7 days a week. Even on "rest" days -- getting in 30 minutes of some kind of exercise. Search out variety and keep it interesting, but DO IT.

It's about eating as healthy as you can - based on the time you have and the money you can spend. You've likely tweaked your macros over the weight-loss journey to find the best options to fuel your body, satiate your hunger, and please you. Search out variety and keep it interesting, but DO IT.

Others have said it, and it's actually pretty simple: if you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. MFP is a great tool (resource) to keep track of calories and the activity burn, as a snapshot of each day. Most maintainers find success living as healthy a lifestyle as they can, and keeping within about a five pound range of a scale target that represents a pleasing, healthy, maintainable, BMI. The truth is that if you get in the right, realistic, groove - maintaining CAN be easy. The horror is that IF you stop doing it, everything falls apart over time.

casy84

Maintaining is like dieting + desert )

themedalist

I wouldn't say you need to be on a "strict" meal plan when you get to your goal weight, but staying in control of your caloric intake is definitely a good idea so it doesn't take control of you again! Continue the good habits you learned during the weight loss phase, e.g. continue to eat a balanced diet, weigh and log your food, exercise regularly, weigh once a week etc, just up your numbers so you are neither gaining nor losing weight. By the time you hit your goal you should understand enough about how it all works to make adjustments if you see your weight creep up and deal with it relatively quickly.

This. People regain the weight that they lost because the return to the habits (usually including excessively large portions) that made them overweight in the first place. There's no reason you can't maintain your now smaller self. Many of us are doing just that!

stratusphr

Have you had WLS?