Maintenance Thread Part 3
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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
