Maintenance Question...

Annie5859

I just recently obtained my weight loss goal and am now on maintenance. I am not very good with this maintenance thing so I am hoping to gain a lot of insight from this website. I've lost this weight a few times before... Anyway, I have increased my calories to about 1700 a day. MFP recommends that my daily caloric intake be 2000. I am finding that I almost feel gluttonous because I feel as though I am always eating. Did any of you feel that way? I know 1700 calories isn't that much, but I've been eating between 1300-1500 for the last 6 months. In fact, I still have to eat about 120 more calories today and I really don't even feel hungry. Also, are many of you who are on maintenance eating over 1700 calories daily?

Rompa_87

I'm more or less on a maintenance and need to eat at least 2000 cal a day. Today on my heavy exercise day I need to eat close to 4000 cal!

I know how hard it is to get enough food into you especially as the calorie needs increase. The best way around it is by increasing high healthy fat sources like nuts and oils as they are calorie dense

NikkisNewStart

I've been in maintenance since April. My base is 1810 plus exercise. I do 4 days strength, 1 day cardio but even on my strength days I can hit 500-600 burn... I eat/drink protein bars and shakes to help fill the void. It does get easier once you finally turn off that "weight loss" mode but it takes a while to sink in.

Nuts, peanut butter- all good options... I snack on hard boiled egg whites... and I am usually eating every 2 to 3 hours.

taso42_DELETED

There is some psychological weirdness that occurs when increasing intake. All I can offer, is do it gradually, like around 250 calories at a time. And give it a few weeks each time you change. You'll get used to it. Little changes make a big difference. For example, I started added a little cheese and more yolks to my eggs in the morning. Two tbsp of peanut butter instead of 1 in my oatmeal. Stuff like that...

ChantalGG

Just add olive oil, nuts and you will have not problem getting to your calories daily goal.

TakeOne

I actually went the first 10-12 months of maintenance w/o changing my calorie setting over to maintain. I think I was around 1400 and I just ate a little over on average and had a few days were I tried to get up to 1800 or so. I did lose a little more, but it did eventually balance out. Now I'm officially switched over and my goal is 1640 per day. I don't typically eat it all, especially is I added a WO. But it balances out b/c there are some days were I get right there to the max for the day. It took me a year to figure out how to keep things in balance...and I still say its a continuous journey If you don't feel comforable eating 1700 each day, then don't. But make sure that you do reach that on some days. You'll do GREAT!!

bellinachuchina

I actually went the first 10-12 months of maintenance w/o changing my calorie setting over to maintain. I think I was around 1400 and I just ate a little over on average and had a few days were I tried to get up to 1800 or so. I did lose a little more, but it did eventually balance out. Now I'm officially switched over and my goal is 1640 per day. I don't typically eat it all, especially is I added a WO. But it balances out b/c there are some days were I get right there to the max for the day. It took me a year to figure out how to keep things in balance...and I still say its a continuous journey If you don't feel comforable eating 1700 each day, then don't. But make sure that you do reach that on some days. You'll do GREAT!!

About the same as what I do. If I went from 1200cal to 1700cal right away, I think I would gain. I usually eat around 1400-1700 a day & think of it as zig-zagging maintenance. I have been maintaining my weight loss for more than a year now. One day I might have 1700, the next 1300, then 1400, and so on. I never habitually consume 1700 daily. My TDEE is *supposed* to be 1650 (I'm 5'2"), so that's why I'm vigilant about keeping my calories no more than 11,500cal/week.