Maintenance Thread Part 3
Replies
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Good morning!
Jess, yes, so glad you found us! Just made me realize we should probably send out posts about the maintenance group every once in awhile. I, for one, tend to forget to even search groups once I found this one....
Your maintenance plan sounds a lot like mine too! Right now I'm in my first week, phase 3 of P90x (day 61). This is my first time on a big program, and I really like it. Although I'm psyched that it should be over next month. I'm itching to get outside at least a few days/week. I also have a "no weighing" mindset and have challenged myself to continue that as a goal this year. So far so good. Yesterday I actually looked at the scale for a few seconds....thinking, thinking....hmmmm..but then said to myself, "what if I see a gain, how will I feel"....and then I walked away. It's amazing how crazy we can get about it. Anyway, I wrote about it last month if you want to check out....http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin1117/view/victory-over-the-scale-185885
I may hop on after I finish P90x, as a benchmark....but still haven't decided yet.
So many people are talking about the "New Rules". I'm thinking of downloading the book to see what it entails. It sounds to me though it's something you have to do at a Gym?? I only do home-stuff...is this possible to do at home? I'm going to be on a quest for something new in a few months so am curious.
Well, I just heard my son's alarm to I had better get him up. I read in an Eating Well headline about Oatmeal this morning so maybe I'll make that for breakfast....it talked about the writer always needing a 2nd breakfast--and that is me too--and Oatmeal can curb that. Hmmm, we shall see, I'll give it a try.
Hope you all have a great day! Robin0 -
hey maintainers! our thread is a little slow these days. hope everyone is doing well.
do you think we should restart this thread on the main forum again? I think we all forget about it here in the group....no new people see it
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what do you think??0 -
I think you might be right Robin - I know I simply forget to check in here. Sorry about that! But speaking for myself, I know it is also because now that I am maintaining, I am (slightly) less obssessed than before, and therefore less likely to be scouring the site for ways to achieve the magic number on the scales. Perhaps we are now a more laid-back bunch of people?! :glasses:0
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Hey fellow maintainers. Long time lurker, first time poster. I been following this thread for quite some time. I lost 110 lbs over the course of a year in 2010. I have been on maintenance (in my dr's opinion) for over a year. I have only come to this realization myself recently. I guess since I have lost weight before but never maintained it, I didn't want to let up this time. In the past few months I am slowly coming to the realization that what I've done has become part of my life and I need not fear my old self. I still count calories; but just to track myself. I would never be able to get close to what maintenance calories should be.
I recently purchased a treadmill and weight machine for my basement and am now going after strenght results knowing that if measurements and clothing size go in the right direction, weight in inmaterial.
I wish the best to all you maintainers because "Weight loss is hard, maintenance is Hell!"
Good Luck,
Pete0 -
Hi Pete! Nice job! Keep up the good work! Whatever it is that you are doing, it is working, which should be a comfort to you. We all fear regaining what we have lost so that is only natural. I also think that it takes along time to readjust our self perceptions so that when we look in the mirror, we see our bodies in an accurate fashion.
Robin, I agree that things have been slow on this thread. I check for updates regularly, but have not actually posted. Not sure what the answer is -- whatever you think is fine with me.
My update is that I am now more than four months into formal maintenance mode, and am still not really at a point where I feel I have the right balance. I have been gradually increasing my daily calories and, looking at the week as an average, tried to eat back a lot of my exercise calories. MFP gives me a base daily calorie budget to maintain my current weight of 1510 calories. I burn between 2000-3000 calories a week but do not use a heart monitor so am unsure of the accuracy of those numbers. I have been trying to eat eat least 1700 calories a day with some over days. But I continue to lose weight. So more adjustments are in order.
I am 5'6" and 58 years old. My start weight was 198 and my initial goal was 155 (but in my heart of hearts it was 145 and I did not want to admit that I had so much to lose). I hit 155 last August and then went for 145, which I got to in Sept. By late October I was at 135 and was really ready to stop. However, I have kept losing (very slowly) even as I increase my calories and my last home scale weigh-in showed me at 123.5. With a BMI below 20, that's too low for my comfort level. I think my range needs to be at least 125-130, if not 128-133.
Because it is hard for me to take in more than 1700 calories a day on what I like to and usually eat, I am going to try to go out to dinner at least once a week and try to "splurge" -- eat some bread, drink a bit of wine and order something a little more caloric than what I usually have. I also am trying to add more protein to my normal meals so if I do a chili I am adding some cooked ground turkey. If I have pork chops I will eat a larger portion. I have increased my salmon portion from 4 oz to 8.
My immediate goal is to gain about 2-3 pounds and then try to keep it stable.
I think my metabolism is so revved up by my exercise that I need to increase my fuel that I give my body. But if I were to get injured or not be able to do my normal routine, I need to be able to scale it back if my metabolism slows down.
Maintenance is a tricky business!
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Here in the States it's a long weekend for many -- President's Day on Monday. The weather should be great so I may do some gardening!0 -
Sorry I haven't checked in for a while. I have been a bit absorbed in the lifting programme I started- but have had a few worries this week. I had increased my calories to 1800 which is slightly above maintenance, but I wasn't comfortable with it so I put them back down to 1700 but was still eating all my calories back so a lot of days I was eating about 2000 +.
The problem is I starting getting REALLY hungry and no idea why, maybe related to the lifting I'm not sure but on some days I was eating 2600 calories or more- clothes starting to feel tighter and alarms bells are going off!
I weigh in on Friday for the first time in 4 weeks so have had to reign myself in seriously now! On the plus side I am feeling myself getting stronger which is a good thing.0 -
Hello, I am new to your group. I joined the MFP website in December 201. Had already lost 46 pounds and was maintaing by trial and error since March 2011. Since losing, my weight has varied anywhere from 121 to 130 and it's been driving me nuts that I am having a hard time keeping it steady. Goal weight was 130 pounds but my body seems to prefer 125 give or take a few. My new goal is to concentrate on strength training. I would like to be able to do a chin-up unassisted and do military style pushups properly. I am addicted to the scale and weight myself a few times a week. Can't imagine being in maintenance without really knowing where I'm headed!0
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Hello all:
I"ve been missing for quite awhile for many of the same reason as others. Maintaining has its ebb and flow and quite often I just need to limit some of my time on the computer. Has anyone else found that using the iphone app also causes you to check in less on the discussion boards? Its that way for me.
Just catching up....I've been up and down since Christmas and am trying to get back into my good logging habits. Fortunately my running and exercise routines stay pretty steady and its the one thing that keeps the lbs from coming back on too quickly, but they do seem to come back on and I need to refocus and lose a few again.
Awhile back there there some comments about not hitting the 'completion' button as we don't want to draw attention to our diaries. So funny, as I had been doing that also. I did look today and there is a setting where you can turn off th posting to the wall when you hit the complete so that no one else will actually see the completion. I don't really know what that complete button really does for you anyway but I did want to let people know you can change that setting.
Robin, you had queried about people being able to find us. I really don't think we're any less visible being in a group. I just did a search on 'maintenance' and our group was listed by virtue of the fact that we had some recent posts. In other words, people will see us searching either in groups or otherwise and we do seem to have new people find us.
I"m coming up on a year on maintenance this month and am happy with where I"m at. I've bumped back down the calories to get back to goal and will forever need to remain diligent but do realize I will continue to go up and down within a range. 5 lbs above goal seems to me to be the trigger for me which forces me to go back to the 1200 cals/day until I get back down.
Is there anyone else but me that wishes messages on this group were pushed to us via email? I sure would be a lot more likely to keep in touch and response to people if I didn't have to remember to come online and specifically check the board. If others feel this way, maybe a future enhancement could be made.
Guess that's about it for now. Thank you to my friends who do such a nice job of encouraging me!
Martha0 -
Hey All! I haven't had much time to check in either: being sick and having my son home this week on vacation.
Martha, most of what you wrote really resonates w/me. Yes, definitely using the apps makes it harder to check in on posts. And you are right, while maintaining we sort of have "figured it out". I am always just so surprised there are not more maintainers like us who have found that thread and contribute. When I was first maintaining I was a wreck, and the gals helped me so much. I thought some new folks might have joined and taken over...not the same 10 of us! Anyway, no worries. I'm glad you were able to find the thread on search--I had thought the "group" topics did not show up on the main forum. Oh, and Martha, you might want to write up a 1 year maintenance review of all you have accomplished! We would love to read; and it's something you can look back on and be proud of......
Kitkat--welcome to the group. And your goals sound great! Have you thought about setting a "maintenance range"? It helps because our weight does vary so much day to day. Depending on the person, setting a 4 or 5 lb range helps keeps us from driving ourselves crazy. I have been on a no-weigh kick lately so am not sure where I am but generally my range is 119-123 and when I am weighing, as long as I'm w/in the range, my peace of mind is ok.
Jo--great update! It seems like you are doing everything right. How is your splurge meal concept going? I would bet you are much happier! I pretty much count on the same thing--at least once a week where I go over and it really helps me feel like I can eat whatever I want still and do not deny myself. And it overcompensates for any low-eating days too. Oh, so is there a reason you don't want to get an HRM to get a more accurate calorie burn on exercise? You know, I waited until a year after joining MFP, so was already in maintenance. I remember sitting there with a spreadsheet trying to calculate. "Hmm, well if I take the MFP estimate and take off 50%, or should it be 30%.... and then only eat 80% of what my diary shows....." I have to say, I do not miss that. The not-knowing drove me crazy. Once I finally decided to buy the HRM I made the decision to trust it (even when the #'s seem wacky....and they still do), my mind has been much more at ease. I would highly recommend it!
Augiedad--welcome! Glad you finally posted and congrats on what you have accomplished so far! Sounds like you have a great home gym. Keep us posted on how your strength goals are coming along.
Maggie--yup! I think we are more laid back now...definitely and thank goodness!
Keiraev--are you doing the New Rules? What do you think of it? I'm trying to decide on something to do next and of course, it seems like everyone is flocking to this program. I'm kind of intrigued!
Well, if you happen to get this far, things are fine with me. I haven't weighed myself since November. I set a goal to stop the madness of the scale. I am on day 77 of P90x and can't believe I have made it this far. I am not sure I look any different--we'll see when I take pics at 90 days. If I see a difference, maybe I'll post a picture. I'm now contemplating doing another full month because I don't feel accomplished on a few things--specifically push ups and pull ups. And I want to get a few weeks of better diet, no celebrations or holidays. I think March might be a good one for that. I assume I'm in range because my fitted jeans still fit. I do wish I could get rid of the muffin-top though....drives me crazy....I'm looking at an ad right now of someone pinching theirs--do you get that ad?? Argh.....I need to get back to Jillian's "no more trouble zones"......I miss her a bit.
Anyway, I'm on borrowed time, I'm sure my family will be waking up any second now. Hope you are all doing well and it's so great to hear more about what you are all up to!0 -
Thank you Robin, for that nice long post. It's always good to read what you have to say.
I seem to be heading off in a slightly different direction now. I have just started the New Rules of Lifting for Women (yes, I've jumped on the bandwagon), so I'm lifting heavy weights. It is very different from what I've been doing for the past few months, but actually that makes it interesting. Gone is the compulsion to leap around manically for hours on end; instead there is maximum effort (i.e. to the point of failure) for a short time. I'm still doing cardio in parallel though, and although one of my reasons is because I believe it is good for the heart and lungs, if I'm honest the main reason is so that I can eat more!
In fact, one of the features of the NROLFW is that you need to eat higher than maintenance, which is really scary. As far as I can work out, you do actually put a bit of weight on in order to build the muscle but lose fat in the long run. It is a difficult balance to get right and as I've only just started I haven't really worked out properly what my body needs. At the moment I'm going over maintenance calories by 100 or so a day (actually, I think I had maintenance set slightly too high but never mind). I'm not convinced that I will be able to build much new muscle at my age, but others have assured me that it is possible, so we will see. It's all interesting stuff. I am utterly convinced about the benefits of doing it, in terms of preventing osteoporosis, maintaining strength and balance as I age, but also that great psychological boost I get from feeling strong.
But although I'm engaged in a new adventure, I really like this maintenance group, and I will certainly be one of those who stays around. It's just so nice to talk to friendly, supportive people who are no longer focused on calories and small changes in weight. One thing I would say about being on maintenance though, is that on its own it isn't quite enough for me: I am a project person, and I like to have something to work towards. So the workout programmes which are progressive and time-limited suited me well (30 day Shred etc), and the NROLFW is about 6 months, I think, so it should see me through the summer! I'm guessing that the same is true for a lot of other people, as in the NROLFW group for example there are tons of women who are clearly not there to lose weight. Maybe people either gravitate towards goal oriented threads, or disappear altogether.
I'm also wondering if it could be a bit off-putting to potential new people when others seem to know each other well already. In fact, most of us don't actually know eqach other that well, so in case anyone new to maintenance is reading this, please don't be put off - we would love to have new people on baord: You can contribute as much or as little as you feel like.0 -
You are saying all the right things to have me join in, Miss Maggie:flowerforyou: , I have been monitoring this thread as I get close to my goal of 132. I had set a goal of being between 132-135 but now consider proportions, energy, and strength are more my goals. I have just begun NROL4W (Do I note a trend here?) so it will be interesting to keep up with others doing the same while maintaining. I will be playing with my calories to see where I can go with them and will be using the scale to keep from getting to far off track.
Thanks, all of you maintainers for support and good info!0 -
You are saying all the right things to have me join in, Miss Maggie:flowerforyou: , I have been monitoring this thread as I get close to my goal of 132. I had set a goal of being between 132-135 but now consider proportions, energy, and strength are more my goals. I have just begun NROL4W (Do I note a trend here?) so it will be interesting to keep up with others doing the same while maintaining. I will be playing with my calories to see where I can go with them and will be using the scale to keep from getting to far off track.
Thanks, all of you maintainers for support and good info!
It worked! Yippee! Welcome Hoosiermomma
I definitely agree that it is less about a number and more about the other things you mention.
It's starting to be more like who isn't doing NROLFW, isn't it? Have you joined the NR group as well?0 -
Good thought Robin. I really should do a summary, if for no other reason than for myself in future years. I'm heading off to work so hope to come back to that in the next couple days.Oh, and Martha, you might want to write up a 1 year maintenance review of all you have accomplished! We would love to read; and it's something you can look back on and be proud of......0 -
Martha! I was thinking of you this morning as I finally decided it was time to update the old calorie/nutrition spreadsheet. I so, so wish they would make these numbers available for download once and for all! I finally got it all in and now am ready to assess what the heck I have been doing over the last few months. I tried to use the numbers on the iphone app but I have the feeling they weren't correct. I guess I am too used to "owning my data".....also, I don't think the reports take into account any incomplete days. I don't have many but I had a few momentary lapses of bad logging...which will not happen again!
It seems my "push" for protein in the last few weeks hasn't budged much. I'm still at about 21%. Depressing!
Just downloaded the "New Rules" and am reading that over to see what it's all about. I'm only about 20% in...but obviously now see how I really need to increase the protein percent.
Am hoping to get the diet very much in order this week. The husband is out of town, which means I don't have to make big major dinners --miss him, but do like the time to get a handle on things.
Welcome Hoosier! Great to hear from you!
Just a quick update now....have a great day!0 -
Robin,
I did give up on my spreadsheet. Had done it for almost a year but when I saw how the iphone app would graph for the week I thought that would be good enough for me and so far am happy with it. What I don't like is that if you you change your calorie goal from week to week, the graphs are alway showing your progress against your current goal, not what it was at the time. Oh well, its fine for me to see the current weeks progress. I"m with you though on thinking they should allow more downloading of the stats.
I am struggling with getting enough protein in also. I have mine set to 20% but I often fall quite short. For some reason, fats doesn't seem to be a problem for me. I really don't go for the fat-free stuff so I"m sure that's part of the issue. I'd still rather eat smaller quantities of the 'good stuff' than to eat dressing, etc that I really don't like. I need to shift some of the 'fats' that I eat to the 'protein' category and I'd be all set!0 -
Is it better to aim low on cals and go consistently over, or aim higher and see if weight goes up? I am consistently going over on cals, in maintenance- but set to lose 0.5 lb per week. I felt like the maintenance cals MFP allowed was a little high for me. Any thoughts.
my range now is a little higher than my lowest, but that wasn't probably realistic for me to maintain. aiming low and going over is somewhat demoralizing, but I don't want to kid myself and then gain it all back!0 -
Is it better to aim low on cals and go consistently over, or aim higher and see if weight goes up? I am consistently going over on cals, in maintenance- but set to lose 0.5 lb per week. I felt like the maintenance cals MFP allowed was a little high for me. Any thoughts.
my range now is a little higher than my lowest, but that wasn't probably realistic for me to maintain. aiming low and going over is somewhat demoralizing, but I don't want to kid myself and then gain it all back!
mpf, I can't remember how tall you are? just thinking about comparing to what I am doing. It seems like your base is pretty low for someone who has been maintaining for a long time like you have. When I first started maintaining I was really reluctant to increase too, and did the same thing--set it to lose 1/2 lbs/week although I did not continue to lose weight. After advice from other gals on this thread I started on a kick to increase every few weeks. It took me awhile, maybe 3 or 4 months, and at maybe 50 calories at a time, but eventually I got up to the 1500-1600 base range w/out gaining weight. Now I move it up and down w/in this range every once in awhile based on how I'm feeling. MFP estimates this range somewhere in between sedentary and lightly active and maintaining (I'm 5'6", around 120 lbs). Anyway, now that I am here, I am a little more comfortable setting it on the lower side rather than the high side. Partially for the reasons you mentioned---the red makes you feel awful psychologically. But also because I"m not as careful at measuring things as I was in the past so I'm guessing if I set it low, it makes room for my lazy-logging. Oh, and just to clarify, this is base. I do eat all my exercise calories (about 250-400/day...).
Martha--I'm with you on the no-low fat eating. I still do 2% milk, 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee....totally subscribe to the "fat does not make you fat" concept.0 -
Hi - thanks Robin. I am 5'7'' and 1/2 in-- now between 126-128, up from 120-124, but all of this is pretty much my lowest adult weight range-- I also do eat the exercise cals! I would not mind maintaining where I am but am just concerned about the trend upward. I was in the 150's and higher through my 20's, uncomfortable with that, slowly lost to the 140's, and then lost weight in the past 1.5 years to get where i am now (started with some stress, but now I've turned it around to a healthier mode - lower carb diet with focus on working out with more diversity). So open to advice. I just don't want to allow myself to justify going up and up with my range. thanks to all for advice.0
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mfp, I"ve been struggling a bit with the exact same question that you are asking. I have reset my calories fairly low as I need to take off a few pounds to get back to goal weight but I am consistently going over by about 300 calories. My body is telling me I think that I just need that at this point. I think its somewhat of a mind game and dependent on each individual. For me, setting it lower but not beating myself up if I go over works OK. If I set it higher, I might find myself still going over....not sure.Is it better to aim low on cals and go consistently over, or aim higher and see if weight goes up? I am consistently going over on cals, in maintenance- but set to lose 0.5 lb per week. I felt like the maintenance cals MFP allowed was a little high for me. Any thoughts.
my range now is a little higher than my lowest, but that wasn't probably realistic for me to maintain. aiming low and going over is somewhat demoralizing, but I don't want to kid myself and then gain it all back!
Once I get back at goal weight I will again raise my daily calorie goals to something that I can try to maintain within and will work toward a weekly average and try to stay within that. right now I went back to the 1200 calorie daily goal but find I am eating 1500-1600 average which is still a bit lower than I would normally maintain on. So my journey these last few pounds may be a bit slow but as long as its not in the upward direction, I"m ok with that.0 -
Everyone, thanks for your encouragement and sharing your experiences on this thing called maintenance.
Robin, I do have a weight range that I strive to stay within. Originally it was 125-130 pounds. Now, it is 123-128 pounds. For whatever reason, my body seems to want to be about 125 pounds give or take a few. 128 is my "scream" weight, meaning if I go over that number on the scale, I cut back my calories until I bring it back down to within the range. I am 5'4" tall and this is in the middle of the weight charts for someone my height.
I began weight training from day one on my weight loss journey. My trainer wanted me to eat at a slight deficit and she wanted to preserve muscle at the same time. It was a slow go and I averaged 1/2 pound loss per week. But, when the fat melted I had toned muscle waiting to be exposed. Currently I lift heavy 3 times/week and also take power sculpting classes (lower weights/high reps) at least twice a week. I strive to average 30 minutes of cardio per day for heart health.
The MFP maintenance calorie allotment was too low for me as I continued to lose weight and was below my range. I have increased my maintenance calories and eaten well over the new allotment a few days last week and have gained at least one pound back. I'm weighing in this afternoon and will have a better idea of the situation. My body fat percentage is 21% and I'm wondering if that is the reason the MFP maintenance calorie allotment was not enough, i.e., my body burns fuel more quickly because of the amount of lean muscle mass.
I've considered NROLW4W but have decided not to do it since I already strength train and am happy with the results I am achieving. I agree that a good number of women who do NROLW4W have weight/fat loss as a secondary goal. They would like to lose the fat but for whatever reason have decided to bulk up before losing the weight. But it is a good starting point for those who are new to strength training and do not have a personal trainer.
Thanks for all you do and I look forward to continue reading this forum/board.0 -
Everyone, thanks for your encouragement and sharing your experiences on this thing called maintenance.
Robin, I do have a weight range that I strive to stay within. Originally it was 125-130 pounds. Now, it is 123-128 pounds. For whatever reason, my body seems to want to be about 125 pounds give or take a few. 128 is my "scream" weight, meaning if I go over that number on the scale, I cut back my calories until I bring it back down to within the range. I am 5'4" tall and this is in the middle of the weight charts for someone my height.
I began weight training from day one on my weight loss journey. My trainer wanted me to eat at a slight deficit and she wanted to preserve muscle at the same time. It was a slow go and I averaged 1/2 pound loss per week. But, when the fat melted I had toned muscle waiting to be exposed. Currently I lift heavy 3 times/week and also take power sculpting classes (lower weights/high reps) at least twice a week. I strive to average 30 minutes of cardio per day for heart health.
The MFP maintenance calorie allotment was too low for me as I continued to lose weight and was below my range. I have increased my maintenance calories and eaten well over the new allotment a few days last week and have gained at least one pound back. I'm weighing in this afternoon and will have a better idea of the situation. My body fat percentage is 21% and I'm wondering if that is the reason the MFP maintenance calorie allotment was not enough, i.e., my body burns fuel more quickly because of the amount of lean muscle mass.
I've considered NROLW4W but have decided not to do it since I already strength train and am happy with the results I am achieving. I agree that a good number of women who do NROLW4W have weight/fat loss as a secondary goal. They would like to lose the fat but for whatever reason have decided to bulk up before losing the weight. But it is a good starting point for those who are new to strength training and do not have a personal trainer.
Thanks for all you do and I look forward to continue reading this forum/board.
Hello Kitkat! I would be curious where you settle for your maintenance calories since we are very similar. I have begun NROL4W and am wanting to maintain and find my muscles! :happy: Just cut the fat cover!
Stats: I always like to see where others are at...
I am 5"5" and 135+ or - a few
50 years
Have lost 26 pounds up to this point
Would like to lose just a few more but not making this my main goal
Am using protein powder to try to reach over 100 grams of protein a day. just not easy for me!
Thanks for your input!0 -
Everyone, thanks for your encouragement and sharing your experiences on this thing called maintenance.
Robin, I do have a weight range that I strive to stay within. Originally it was 125-130 pounds. Now, it is 123-128 pounds. For whatever reason, my body seems to want to be about 125 pounds give or take a few. 128 is my "scream" weight, meaning if I go over that number on the scale, I cut back my calories until I bring it back down to within the range. I am 5'4" tall and this is in the middle of the weight charts for someone my height.
I began weight training from day one on my weight loss journey. My trainer wanted me to eat at a slight deficit and she wanted to preserve muscle at the same time. It was a slow go and I averaged 1/2 pound loss per week. But, when the fat melted I had toned muscle waiting to be exposed. Currently I lift heavy 3 times/week and also take power sculpting classes (lower weights/high reps) at least twice a week. I strive to average 30 minutes of cardio per day for heart health.
The MFP maintenance calorie allotment was too low for me as I continued to lose weight and was below my range. I have increased my maintenance calories and eaten well over the new allotment a few days last week and have gained at least one pound back. I'm weighing in this afternoon and will have a better idea of the situation. My body fat percentage is 21% and I'm wondering if that is the reason the MFP maintenance calorie allotment was not enough, i.e., my body burns fuel more quickly because of the amount of lean muscle mass.
I've considered NROLW4W but have decided not to do it since I already strength train and am happy with the results I am achieving. I agree that a good number of women who do NROLW4W have weight/fat loss as a secondary goal. They would like to lose the fat but for whatever reason have decided to bulk up before losing the weight. But it is a good starting point for those who are new to strength training and do not have a personal trainer.
Thanks for all you do and I look forward to continue reading this forum/board.
Hello Kitkat! I would be curious where you settle for your maintenance calories since we are very similar. I have begun NROL4W and am wanting to maintain and find my muscles! :happy: Just cut the fat cover!
Stats: I always like to see where others are at...
I am 5"5" and 135+ or - a few
50 years
Have lost 26 pounds up to this point
Would like to lose just a few more but not making this my main goal
Am using protein powder to try to reach over 100 grams of protein a day. just not easy for me!
Thanks for your input!
Hello Hoosiermomma! I turn 55 next week and my starting weight was 176 pounds. Last week I was 122. Haven't weighed in yet but hope to have gained back at least one pound. I don't want to lose more weight since it's probably muscle. Have worked too hard for my muscle so I'm trying to eat more calories and find out where I need to be to maintain. MFP put my maintenance calories at 1440 but last week I increased that to 1540. I also went over my calories by more than 3000 last week trying to gain.
You may want to have your body fat percentage measured. The reason I say this is because my New Year's resolution was to reduce my body fat percentage. My trainer measured me with the calipers. When I came in at 21% she told me I didn't need to lower it anymore since I'm not an athlete and am not training for any event.
Hope you are enjoying the NROWL4W! I applaud all of you out there who are doing this program on your own. Lifting is wonderful and I know I feel accomplished after a training session.
Thank God for this website because it has brought me into contact with women who are just like me and have the same goals. It was a very lonely place until I found MFP!0 -
Hi! I am new to maintenance. I'm 5'1, 105lbs and 17% body fat. I lost 50lbs, ended up with anorexia and now I am weight restored and working on figuring out how much I really need to eat - 4 weeks ago I was starving myself on under 500 calories a day and now I am hitting over 2000 every day! I gained 13lbs in 3 weeks recently and it seems that my body has adjusted to the new calories and found a weight to settle at - luckily I think I look good at this weight so I am keen to figure out ways to stay here.
So far the scale has stayed between 104-106lbs for 8 days but I am wondering what kind of wiggle room I should allow myself. My BMI needs to stay above 19, but I am quite tiny and an athletic build so I definitely suit being at the lower end of the healthy weight range. Honestly, I am terrified of going above 106lbs and not being able to bring myself back down, but I guess realistically I should allow myself more than 2lb range to maintain within?
For the record, I am very (exceptionally) active, I don't count exercise calories, I just count my intake which for the past week has been between 2000-2700, most often about 2200.
When you ladies find yourself getting to the higher end of your range, how do you get yourself back into it? Do you cut back your calories by a big amount for a couple of days, or take a week with a slight deficit, or just hope that it will go back down? Any patterns as to why you would go above your range?0 -
Hi! I am new to maintenance. I'm 5'1, 105lbs and 17% body fat. I lost 50lbs, ended up with anorexia and now I am weight restored and working on figuring out how much I really need to eat - 4 weeks ago I was starving myself on under 500 calories a day and now I am hitting over 2000 every day! I gained 13lbs in 3 weeks recently and it seems that my body has adjusted to the new calories and found a weight to settle at - luckily I think I look good at this weight so I am keen to figure out ways to stay here.
So far the scale has stayed between 104-106lbs for 8 days but I am wondering what kind of wiggle room I should allow myself. My BMI needs to stay above 19, but I am quite tiny and an athletic build so I definitely suit being at the lower end of the healthy weight range. Honestly, I am terrified of going above 106lbs and not being able to bring myself back down, but I guess realistically I should allow myself more than 2lb range to maintain within?
For the record, I am very (exceptionally) active, I don't count exercise calories, I just count my intake which for the past week has been between 2000-2700, most often about 2200.
When you ladies find yourself getting to the higher end of your range, how do you get yourself back into it? Do you cut back your calories by a big amount for a couple of days, or take a week with a slight deficit, or just hope that it will go back down? Any patterns as to why you would go above your range?
Welcome to the Maintenance group! I'm a newbie too.
For me, having a 5 pound range works well especially if the trend is upwards. Personally, I don't want to have to deal with having to lose more than 2 or 3 pounds. It is so easy (for me) to continue that upward trajectory so let's just nip it in the bud!
When I need to cut back I change the goals in MFP settings to a 1/2 pound loss per week and use 1440 calories as a base allotment. I also eat back my exercise calories. Having said that, at this point in my journey I am doing a lot of strength training. If I'm gaining but my clothes still fit well I am not going to obsess too much over what the scale says. Or at least I hope I won't obsess. It's hard to get over that number on the scale and overcoming the automatic psychological panic that results with an increase!
Congratulations on overcoming your anexoria. I've heard it's tough to overcome eating disorders but you should be commended for being successful.0 -
Hi! I am new to maintenance. I'm 5'1, 105lbs and 17% body fat. I lost 50lbs, ended up with anorexia and now I am weight restored and working on figuring out how much I really need to eat - 4 weeks ago I was starving myself on under 500 calories a day and now I am hitting over 2000 every day! I gained 13lbs in 3 weeks recently and it seems that my body has adjusted to the new calories and found a weight to settle at - luckily I think I look good at this weight so I am keen to figure out ways to stay here.
So far the scale has stayed between 104-106lbs for 8 days but I am wondering what kind of wiggle room I should allow myself. My BMI needs to stay above 19, but I am quite tiny and an athletic build so I definitely suit being at the lower end of the healthy weight range. Honestly, I am terrified of going above 106lbs and not being able to bring myself back down, but I guess realistically I should allow myself more than 2lb range to maintain within?
For the record, I am very (exceptionally) active, I don't count exercise calories, I just count my intake which for the past week has been between 2000-2700, most often about 2200.
When you ladies find yourself getting to the higher end of your range, how do you get yourself back into it? Do you cut back your calories by a big amount for a couple of days, or take a week with a slight deficit, or just hope that it will go back down? Any patterns as to why you would go above your range?
I allow myself a 5lb range as that's what most people seem to recommend, my weight seems to fluctuate within this comfortably.
I am a tad guilty of freaking out slightly if I find myself at the higher end of the range and I will cut about 200/250 cals off my maintenance allowance for a couple of weeks before putting them up again. At the moment I am doing a lot of lifting so I am still trying to figure things out. I never want to have to eat 1200 calories again so I think the minimum I will ever eat is 1450/1500. I am happiest on about 1700 NET. (plus exercise cals)
I can definitely eat 2000+ on a heavy exercise day)) 0 -
When you ladies find yourself getting to the higher end of your range, how do you get yourself back into it? Do you cut back your calories by a big amount for a couple of days, or take a week with a slight deficit, or just hope that it will go back down? Any patterns as to why you would go above your range?
Hey maintainers! Happy Monday.
In response to this---my range is 4 lbs--119-122--and seems to work well. If I find myself top of range, it's usually because I have gone away on a vacation and eaten a ton, or because of a holiday week. It's never just everyday eating, because I'm pretty steady with my diet under normal conditions. When this does happen I usually do not adjust my calories down --the problem arises because I go over my maintenance calories for a period of time. Usually just eating clean, and within my maintenance calorie range, for a few weeks will get me back to the middle or lower end of the range.
Today is day 87 of P90x!!! So my finish line is on Thursday!! Hard to believe....
I'm thinking when I take pictures, if I show any differences, and if I don't feel to self-conscious about them, I may post them and do a little write up on my thoughts and what I learned....
I have already decided I need another month though. I haven't quite mastered some of the moves specifically pull-ups and push-ups. Just trying to decide this week if I want to start without a break---meaning just keep going starting Friday on another month's schedule. Or wondering if I should take a week in between to breathe and do a few other things. I'm assuming the weather will be nicer next month and I'll want to get outside more, and that's why I only want to sign on for another month vs. do another full round of it......
the other thing I'm trying to decide is if I want to weigh myself when I'm on Day 90 just for bench-marking purposes. I haven't weighed myself in 4 months, as part of a goal, because I feel constant surveillance of weight makes me worry too much unnecessarily. I think I can have 1 weigh in, and I think I'll be ok if I see a gain. I can't possibly be too off track since my clothing fits just fine.....it's just every time I look at that scale all the insecure thoughts about it come back. But of course, I'm curious. Hard to put into writing but you all probably know what I mean.
Obviously none of these are terrible, dire problems, but If any of you have perspective, would love to hear it!
have a great day! Robin0 -
Robin, I NEED the scale. I don't trust my clothes.....too much spandex in those skinny jeans! But as long as you continue to work out and track your calories you shouldn't need to weigh yourself.
Congrats on finishing the P90X program. I've heard it's challenging. Just curious, what are your issues with pull ups and push ups? Never tried to do a pull up and I hear it's harder than a chin-up (which I can't do at all).0 -
Hi everyone,
I've been trying to maintain now for about 2 months but I'm still losing (albeit slowly) I eat my maintenance cals 1740 (I'm 5ft 4 & 3/4 124lbs) plus as many exercise cals as I can fit into my gob. I have discovered that I am quite small framed under all the blubber, so do you think it will naturally even out eventually?0 -
I would also love some maintaining friends, if anyone would like to add me 0
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Hey I just finished transitioning to Maintenance this last Monday. I am a bit scared, because now that I reached my goal weight I allow myself more junk food, which is not a good thing. I need to keep eating clean.
Anyway, I am 5'6 114 and my range is 113-118. I am small framed, but need to build more muscle
I could also use more friends Feel free to add me. 0
This discussion has been closed.