Maintenence Calories

Jackie_Snape80

I'm no longer trying to lose weight, but my food diary says that I need to eat more than 1,200 a day or I WILL keep losing. However my maintenance just at the sedentary setting is 1,800! :O

I am currently going to therapy and support groups to get over an eating disorder, and it's a struggle to let myself get to 1,200 every day. I keep mentally setting 1,200 as my maximum with1,300 tops. I know this is not good, but it's very difficult to get even to that point.

What I'm worried about is my actual maintenance level... Is eating 1,800, or even 1,500, really NOT going to cause me to gain weight? I'm more frightened(terrified!) of gaining back a single pound then losing more weight(that I don't need to lose)

Anyone have any similar issues, experiences, or tips? I'm trying to get the logical part of my brain to overcome this emotional fear and thought process... Please? :S

Amy_B

From what I have heard from others about maintenance is to only add a few more calories at a time. Add 100-200 calories each week until you get to MFP's maintenance goal for you. If you just right into 1800, you might see a gain.

Jorra

I agree with Amy, it would be much easier for you to add a little more calories at a time. I know I couldn't eat 1800 right off the bat if I tried! Your body needs time to get used to more food. Just remember that it's not the numbers that matter as much as being healthy.

Altiv

As said before, you can add slowly 100-200 cals to your daily intake untill you reach your goal. I've been on maintenance mode since January, with a daily intake of 1800-2000 cals (but I also do exercise 5 times a week), I haven't gained not a single pound since then, so you can stay calm, upping your intake to what mfp recommends will not make you gain any weight

girlruns

:flowerforyou: Definitely ease into it. Not because you will gain at maintenance, but just to get used to eating more. Add 100-200 for a week or two, then bump it up again. I did it that way and actually lost a few more pounds on my way up to my maintenance number. But now with workouts I'm eating about 2200-2500 calories a day, which would have seen like a huge number 6 months ago. Now I'm used to it and I'm not gaining. Trust the numbers. And good luck trying to work on the ED.

Jackie_Snape80

I have been eating more calories, very slowly. I was eating around 400 at one point(not a great time for me) and I've finally wiggled my way up to the bare minimum of food suggested. It's getting past the lowest recommended amount that's the difficult part for me. I know it's mental, and it's up to me in the end. But, I'm still hoping for some more opinions/reasons why I need to eat....scary for me! XD

Cam_

When I went to maintenance, I just changed my settings to sedentary and then immediately started eating 500 cal more per day. For me, this just meant an extra sandwich at lunch and maybe an extra cup of rice and slightly more meat at supper.
After about a week of this, I was pretty much staying at the same weight. Of course, everybody is different and I see that some people switch over gradually. It's a bit daunting at first since you've been used to just aiming at losing weight for so long and then suddenly, you have to try and balance. You figure it all out pretty quickly by how your body reacts. For me, I had no worries about gaining a bit back since my next stage was to bulk up a bit with muscle so an extra pound or so was not an issue.

I'm actually back into weight loss mode again just to drop 3 pounds (slight love handle adjustment) so now I am set to lose this at 1/2 a pound per week. Really, this is just all the fine-tuning stage of it all. You'll figure it out.:glasses:

oh (after thought) - and to put it in to perspective - I'm a 200-lb 6'7" guy so your calories may vary.

ACook42

Well, you need to eat to give your body nutrients to survive. I know you may find this hard to except but you got where you are and you can stop worrying soooo much. Add a few calories at a time, if you feel anxious make those calories in a veggie form, or a fruit.
For your issues, start really small, add 25 more each day for a week and see how you feel. If you continue to workout, I wouldn't worry too much. If this helps let me know because I have a feeling I would be scared as well. Once it comes off you do not want it back on.
So start tomorrow with an additional 25 calories and 50 more the next day, 75 the next and so on.