Maintenance Exercise - How much?

jcch00

I am only 2 lbs. away from my final weight loss goal and am starting my maintenance plan. I currently exercise for at least 1 hr. a day 5x a week; 3 days of cardio and 2 days of strength training. Should I continue exercising this much during maintenance or dial it back to only 3-4 days? Obviously, I don't want to begin gaining weight again so I want to be careful. Should I just increase my caloric intake a bit? Suggestions?

SheilaSisco

If you put your settings to maintain it'll give you a new calorie goal... as long as you're hitting close to that in NET calories, it shouldn't matter how much you work out.

Edestiny7

When you change to maintenance on here, it will increase your calories automatically. You should continue exercising, but keep in mind, you will need to eat back all of your exercise calories once you reach your goal, or you will continue to lose weight.

foxxybrown

What you will find is that in order to keep the weight off, you'll probably have to continue to do the things that helped you lose the weight.

annacataldo

just eat your calories and dont worry so much about working out.. working out is to burn calories. if u work out and then burn them off, youll continue losing weight.

chuisle

If you are concerned about maintain cardiovascular activity and tone then you have to keep working out. It would also be a shame if in 6 months you hadn't gained any weight but you found you were still in worse shape than when you started "maintaining" and bad to battle to back to that state. Maintenance for me means that you can be looser on your calories and exercise routine so maybe shoot for 5 times but don't sweat it if two weeks go by and you've only gone 5 or 6 times.

JennLifts

just eat your calories and dont worry so much about working out.. working out is to burn calories. if u work out and then burn them off, youll continue losing weight.

Well.... no. Exercise is to keep you healthy. But as Edesitny said... It's very important that you eat back what you burn.. or you will continue to lose. That being said... if 4 days go by and you're up .5 a pound, don't drop right back down to your old cals. Give it some time to see where your body likes. I really wouldn't suggest giving up exercise. But just like Chuisle said, you don't have to be as strict about it if you don't want to.

robin52077

just eat your calories and dont worry so much about working out.. working out is to burn calories. if u work out and then burn them off, youll continue losing weight.

Well.... no. Exercise is to keep you healthy. But as Edesitny said... It's very important that you eat back what you burn.. or you will continue to lose. That being said... if 4 days go by and you're up .5 a pound, don't drop right back down to your old cals. Give it some time to see where your body likes. I really wouldn't suggest giving up exercise. But just like Chuisle said, you don't have to be as strict about it if you don't want to.

What Jenn said.

And the whole point of exercise isn't "to burn calories" or to lose weight.
It is to strengthen your heart, your lungs, your muscles, your BODY in general.

Do you want to be the frail old lady someday who can't walk upright and is in danger of breaking something every time she falls over ? With a weak heart and weak lungs, pushing around an oxygen tank on your walker?

HELL NO! You want to be the 80 year old that everyone swears is 60, walking tall and strong because you strengthened your core muscles when you were younger, the one jogging to the nursing home to visit your friends who DIDN'T work out.....