Maintainers ~ How do you maintain?

ChrisWag

Just curious.....what "method" do you use to maintain the weight loss? Everyone is diff and I wonder what works for you. I typically follow Atkins for the most part, I have learned that with just calorie counting the "weight" may stay off, but if I am carb heavy then I get "fluffy" even when scale does not move.....

What works for you???

bethdris

I just started to maintain this week, so far Im just keeping to the calories. I can't really exericse, so I have to be very mindful!

SarahofTwins

Started maintaining last week and I still exercise like usual I just make sure to use portion control for my foods. I've enjoyed eating a little more :bigsmile:

LJCannon

:drinker: By Logging In, Tracking Calories and Exercise here, and being mindful of my choices every day.

misterpiano

I just try to stay faithful to the "program". I now am in the habit of logging in my calories every day...on the iPhone it it easy since I always have it with me...and staying in the count. I had reset my calorie goals once I hit my desired weight, which boosted the amounts I am allowed by quite a bit. I have no problem staying within the limits. I lost 55 lbs in 6 months, and for the last three months I have stayed within 2 or 3 pounds of my current weight...up and down a little but within my "target".

shack1157

Plan on starting to maintain in a few weeks. Best I can figure is to keep doing the exercising and add a few more calorie to my meals. I am now going to add Strength Training to firm things up and tone some mucsles. MFP has a guide on calorie intake to go with calorie intake for maintaining. Good luck and stay the course, don't you feel so much better with the extra weight off?

Robin1117

Hi! When I first started losing weight I was sort of on the low-carb eating plan (not really atkins, but just didn't eat much bread, pasta, rice, etc....). But using this program taught me that I didn't need to do that and I slowly started adding healthy carbs back into my diet. I have been maintaining for over a year now and this has been great. I feel like I do not need to deprive myself of any food group, I just need to stay w/in the maintenance calorie level for the week, eat healthy and natural and exercise most days. You can't start relaxing once you enter maintenance, it's a lot of work, but if you lost the weight to begin with, you can stay on the same track while increasing your calories gradually until you reach a comfortable maintaining level.

good luck and congrats!

ChrisWag

I call that the zig zag... I too stay within a 3lb range....if I go up, i behave well and it goes right back down!!

ChrisWag

more than you can even imagine!! Losing weight changed my life in so many ways it's unreal!!!!

lodro

I track calories, I exercise, I stay beneath 100 g carbohydrate/day, except when I'm doing long distance biking.

I ended up at my current weight by restricting calories, mostly, and I intend to stay at or slightly under that weight: I weigh myself regularly.

I do feel you can never let up.

M_lifts

Hi! When I first started losing weight I was sort of on the low-carb eating plan (not really atkins, but just didn't eat much bread, pasta, rice, etc....). But using this program taught me that I didn't need to do that and I slowly started adding healthy carbs back into my diet. I have been maintaining for over a year now and this has been great. I feel like I do not need to deprive myself of any food group, I just need to stay w/in the maintenance calorie level for the week, eat healthy and natural and exercise most days. You can't start relaxing once you enter maintenance, it's a lot of work, but if you lost the weight to begin with, you can stay on the same track while increasing your calories gradually until you reach a comfortable maintaining level.

i give myself a range of 5lbs and if i start gaining i'll reduce my cals to losing 0.5lbs a week. and mostly i zigzag my calories

good luck and congrats!

i agree with robin. i dont deny myself anything. just stay within my calories. i started introducing 'normal' food into my diet and cutting out all low fat/ diet bread etc. and tbh my activity levels got better once i started maintaining.

my goals are now more fitness focussed- i started c25k in may when i was in maintainance and i love jm ripped and shred dvds and go to zumba. so the key is to eat well and exercise.

Oishii

I reduced the stress of maintaining by setting a calorie ceiling, rather than a goal. If I eat to my hunger, within 2450 calories net, I don't seem to gain. I eat pretty much anything (except meat, which isn't about dieting) andmy fluffiness seems to depend purely on exercise.

I didn't log the weekend of my son's birthday and my weight shot up.

ziggy67

I maintain my weight loss by eating foods that are low GI. On the Glycaemic Index chart all foods have a rating between 1-100...and foods under 50 are generally considered to be slow energy release foods which help to sustain my hunger for longer. Foods over 50 on the GI scale tend to induce a sugar rush and a resulting energy slump. As I was previously borderline diabetic I find this way of eating is much healthier for me and has kept my glucose levels under control as well as maintaining my weight loss.
I try to burn a minimum of 500 calories a day through exercise and eat around 1600 calories a day. I've plateaued since June but my previous experience has taught me that if I stick at it I will definitely lose some more weight later rather than sooner.

fteale

I have been maintaining for a week. I don't know if it's working or not. Mostly I am just exercising as normal, and hoping I stay the same weight!

chevy88grl

Well. I've learned what my calorie range is in order to maintain and I stay within that range.

I try and workout 2-3 times a week, but I do have weeks where I don't get to the gym at all.

I've loosened up on myself a lot as I've learned what my body tolerates and doesn't tolerate. I eat whatever I want, but I eat it in moderation.

The key to successful maintenance is learning about YOUR body. What works and doesn't work. Everyone is different in losing weight and everyone is different in maintenance. It takes time and patience to learn what is going work for you, but once you figure it out -- you'll have long term success at this.

Robin1117

Hi! Just wanted to mention there is a maintenance thread you all may want to check out....a group trying to be there for each other through the challenges of maintenance..... Would love new input!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/191617-maintenance-thread

EthanJeremiahsMama

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