Still Losing While Eating Maintenance Calories

basschick

OK, so this week I haven't done very well with my eating. Suddenly I've been hungry *all* the time and have been craving high carb foods. I've gone a little over, stayed right at, or have been just under the 1540 calories that I'm supposed to eat. Despite that, I've seen the scale go down and down this week and I finished the week weighing 3 lbs. less than I did last week. I also lost 1/4 inch around my waist and 1/4 inch around my belly. What's going on? Is it possible for my metabolism to be speeding up at my age (42)? Has anyone else experienced this? I guess I'll listen to my body and feed it more. I just hope I don't go overboard and start a cycle of gaining that's hard to stop.

iluminadaonix

Make sure you keep exercising.. I once was eating my calories and not exercising and I loss muscle. I was able to see it in my body. If you do exercise regularly", maybe increase slightly your calories intake, like 100 calories

MissMaggie3

Yes, I certainly have experienced that intense hunger and continued weight loss. I seem to get it particularly when doing more strength training than usual, but I'm also experimenting with my calorie intake to find the level where I will stay within a range of 2/3 pounds either way. MFP isn't going to get the maintenance level right for everybody, as we all have individual variations in terms of metabolic rate etc. The only sure-fire way to find your maintenance calories more precisely, as far as I know, is through a BoddyBug or Body Media device. I agree with the previous poster about the importance of exercise.

llkilgore

I haven't experience the intense hunger but did continue to lose weight after going on maintenance - a full 10 pounds, from my "realistic" goal weight to my "fantasy" goal weight. I'm trying to stabilize now and have been bouncing up and down in a range of 3 or 4 pounds. I know I could easily mess things up if I stopped running and started stuffing my face with doughnuts and Little Debbie snack cakes again, but with my new healthy lifestyle I'm having a difficult time putting a floor on my weight, not a ceiling.

In hindsight I should have expected MFP to underestimate my maintenance calorie level because of my near total lack of a dieting history prior to January of this year. I ate pretty much anything I wanted as a young adult and didn't start packing on the fat until I was on the approach to menopause. So it would make sense that my metabolic rate would be on the high side relative to a woman my age who has been fighting the fight for decades.

epoint

I haven't experience the intense hunger but did continue to lose weight after going on maintenance - a full 10 pounds, from my "realistic" goal weight to my "fantasy" goal weight. I'm trying to stabilize now and have been bouncing up and down in a range of 3 or 4 pounds. I know I could easily mess things up if I stopped running and started stuffing my face with doughnuts and Little Debbie snack cakes again, but with my new healthy lifestyle I'm having a difficult time putting a floor on my weight, not a ceiling.

In hindsight I should have expected MFP to underestimate my maintenance calorie level because of my near total lack of a dieting history prior to January of this year. I ate pretty much anything I wanted as a young adult and didn't start packing on the fat until I was on the approach to menopause. So it would make sense that my metabolic rate would be on the high side relative to a woman my age who has been fighting the fight for decades.

Ditto on almost all of this. I could have written this post.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Yes I'm experiencing this right now. My goal weight is at 56 kgs (125 lbs) & right now I weigh 53.6 (118 lbs). Also I lost some inches on my waist but that is expected because I'm doing serious heavy weight lifting exercises & right now my goal is to reach 17% body fat. Currently my body fat is at 21%

TavistockToad

OK, so this week I haven't done very well with my eating. Suddenly I've been hungry *all* the time and have been craving high carb foods. I've gone a little over, stayed right at, or have been just under the 1540 calories that I'm supposed to eat. Despite that, I've seen the scale go down and down this week and I finished the week weighing 3 lbs. less than I did last week. I also lost 1/4 inch around my waist and 1/4 inch around my belly. What's going on? Is it possible for my metabolism to be speeding up at my age (42)? Has anyone else experienced this? I guess I'll listen to my body and feed it more. I just hope I don't go overboard and start a cycle of gaining that's hard to stop.

i found that MFP underestimated my maintenance cals. it says i should be eating 1600, but i actually eat around 2000/2100 (which is netting 1800 after exercise)

I also went through a stage of losing inches not weight, which i didnt mind, but if you are still losing weight i would up the cals. if you have the chance to eat more then why not!

RaeN81

I lose on maintenance calories which is kind of nice because I often go long periods without logging so I know that I can always go back to logging maintenance and return to my goal weight if I've put on a couple over time (I typically weigh once a week or once every couple of weeks).

epoint

:snicker: When I pulled up my jeans after coming out of the bathroom a few minutes ago (TMI, I know!), I couldn't find the zipper pull and had a momentary panic that it had broken. Then I realized that I had pulled down my jeans WITHOUT UNZIPPING THEM. Yes, I've lost more weight since starting maintenance, and I really must go buy some new jeans!

llkilgore

:snicker: When I pulled up my jeans after coming out of the bathroom a few minutes ago (TMI, I know!), I couldn't find the zipper pull and had a momentary panic that it had broken. Then I realized that I had pulled down my jeans WITHOUT UNZIPPING THEM. Yes, I've lost more weight since starting maintenance, and I really must go buy some new jeans!

I can do that too with size 4 jeans. Kind'a scary.

basschick

:snicker: When I pulled up my jeans after coming out of the bathroom a few minutes ago (TMI, I know!), I couldn't find the zipper pull and had a momentary panic that it had broken. Then I realized that I had pulled down my jeans WITHOUT UNZIPPING THEM. Yes, I've lost more weight since starting maintenance, and I really must go buy some new jeans!

Yes, a few of the pairs of pants I bought when I hit my goal weight are getting kind of baggy on me too. I figured a size 6 was about as low as I could possibly go but I'm a getting close to needing a 4 now.

ladybg81

I was the same way the first 2 times I did maintenance!!! Third times a charm for me apparently. I find that when I eat more than normal I lose. I am going to tell you what I have determined and this is strickly what I have observed for myself. I lost until my body decided it was done. Like I said, I tried maintenance 3 times and each time continued to lose. Maybe your body is just not done. I know that might sound silly, but it is exactly what happened for me. I was happy when I got back into my prepregnancy size 6's. Then I lost to a 4. Now, I'm a 2. Never thought I'd see the day. If you are happy with where you are, maybe try upping your calories by 100 per week until you stop losing. MFP could be off a little.

ladybg81

:snicker: When I pulled up my jeans after coming out of the bathroom a few minutes ago (TMI, I know!), I couldn't find the zipper pull and had a momentary panic that it had broken. Then I realized that I had pulled down my jeans WITHOUT UNZIPPING THEM. Yes, I've lost more weight since starting maintenance, and I really must go buy some new jeans!

I can do that too with size 4 jeans. Kind'a scary.

Me too!!! I just ordered my first pair of 2 extra long because I got tired of baggy butt!

flyawaybyebye

This is me, too. I'm actually very low at the moment (BMI = 17), but don't really want to up my calories too far. It's frustrating!

epoint

Hmm. I just noticed something interesting. After weighing this morning and finding myself a lb lower than I've been at all (131, when my supposed maintenance weight is 135), I decided to actually log my calories for yesterday and see where I stand. I stopped logging when I reached maintenance because I felt pretty confident that I had changed my eating habits enough that I wouldn't overeat. It turns out that yesterday I netted less than 1400 calories, and it was a fairly typical day for me. I don't obsess over what I eat these days, but I try to keep junk food to a minimum. I didn't know that I was eating so few calories, though. Probably the Christmas holidays will take care of it for the time being, lol, but in the long run I think I need to pay a little more attention fo actually eating enough calories.

TavistockToad

This is me, too. I'm actually very low at the moment (BMI = 17), but don't really want to up my calories too far. It's frustrating!

can i ask why you dont want to up your calories any more?

i love maintenance because of how much i get to eat!!

flyawaybyebye

This is me, too. I'm actually very low at the moment (BMI = 17), but don't really want to up my calories too far. It's frustrating!

can i ask why you dont want to up your calories any more?

i love maintenance because of how much i get to eat!!

Well, I don't believe eating a lot of calories is compatible with good long-term health. The only proven way to extend your life and extend your health into your golden years is to limit calorie intake. If you read The China Study or any books about longevity, you'll find that people live longer, healthier lives on fewer calories, and those who eat more, die younger and spend more of their old age being sick. So, ideally, I'd prefer to be able to eat in the 1200 calorie range for life, but I averaged 1400 last week, and still lost...

keiraev

This happened to me this week, I ate more than I usually do, sometimes 2000 calories (NET!) , but averaged 1600 which is only a tiny bit under maintenance.

I hadn't weighed myself for 2 weeks but in that 2 weeks I lost nearly 3lb and am now 2lb under goal at 118!

I don't know whether to increase my calories or not? My maintenance is 1660 supposedly now.

I don't think 118 is sustainable for me in the long run but am happy to have a range between 118 -122, does that sound realistic?

Then I can afford to put on a few lbs over Xmas etc and not get too stressed about it.

flyawaybyebye

This happened to me this week, I ate more than I usually do, sometimes 2000 calories (NET!) , but averaged 1600 which is only a tiny bit under maintenance.

I hadn't weighed myself for 2 weeks but in that 2 weeks I lost nearly 3lb and am now 2lb under goal at 118!

I don't know whether to increase my calories or not? My maintenance is 1660 supposedly now.

I don't think 118 is sustainable for me in the long run but am happy to have a range between 118 -122, does that sound realistic?

Then I can afford to put on a few lbs over Xmas etc and not get too stressed about it.

That depends... how tall are you? And what is your wrist size like? Can you touch your first finger and thumb to one another when you wrap them around your wrist? Can you overlap them?

keiraev

This happened to me this week, I ate more than I usually do, sometimes 2000 calories (NET!) , but averaged 1600 which is only a tiny bit under maintenance.

I hadn't weighed myself for 2 weeks but in that 2 weeks I lost nearly 3lb and am now 2lb under goal at 118!

I don't know whether to increase my calories or not? My maintenance is 1660 supposedly now.

I don't think 118 is sustainable for me in the long run but am happy to have a range between 118 -122, does that sound realistic?

Then I can afford to put on a few lbs over Xmas etc and not get too stressed about it.

That depends... how tall are you? And what is your wrist size like? Can you touch your first finger and thumb to one another when you wrap them around your wrist? Can you overlap them?

Almost but they don't quite meet. I'm more like a medium build.

MissMaggie3

This happened to me this week, I ate more than I usually do, sometimes 2000 calories (NET!) , but averaged 1600 which is only a tiny bit under maintenance.

I hadn't weighed myself for 2 weeks but in that 2 weeks I lost nearly 3lb and am now 2lb under goal at 118!

I don't know whether to increase my calories or not? My maintenance is 1660 supposedly now.

I don't think 118 is sustainable for me in the long run but am happy to have a range between 118 -122, does that sound realistic?

Then I can afford to put on a few lbs over Xmas etc and not get too stressed about it.

I'm finding that the MFP estimate of my maintenance calories is too low; I've still been losing, so I'm increasing my calories each week until I stabilize. I'm only going up by 50 calories a week, but I'm now 150 higher than what MFP says. They can only estimate, and each person's metabolism is going to be a bit different. For example, if you fidget a lot, you may have a higher metabolic rate. So in your case I'd say it would be worth doing the same - i.e. gradually increase your calories each week until you hit the spot.

MissMaggie3

This is me, too. I'm actually very low at the moment (BMI = 17), but don't really want to up my calories too far. It's frustrating!

can i ask why you dont want to up your calories any more?

i love maintenance because of how much i get to eat!!

Well, I don't believe eating a lot of calories is compatible with good long-term health. The only proven way to extend your life and extend your health into your golden years is to limit calorie intake. If you read The China Study or any books about longevity, you'll find that people live longer, healthier lives on fewer calories, and those who eat more, die younger and spend more of their old age being sick. So, ideally, I'd prefer to be able to eat in the 1200 calorie range for life, but I averaged 1400 last week, and still lost...

Yes, I've heard about that research - it's interesting. But won't it be net rather than actual calories - if you are exercising a lot but staying at a low intake won't you just disappear eventually??!!

flyawaybyebye

This is me, too. I'm actually very low at the moment (BMI = 17), but don't really want to up my calories too far. It's frustrating!

can i ask why you dont want to up your calories any more?

i love maintenance because of how much i get to eat!!

Well, I don't believe eating a lot of calories is compatible with good long-term health. The only proven way to extend your life and extend your health into your golden years is to limit calorie intake. If you read The China Study or any books about longevity, you'll find that people live longer, healthier lives on fewer calories, and those who eat more, die younger and spend more of their old age being sick. So, ideally, I'd prefer to be able to eat in the 1200 calorie range for life, but I averaged 1400 last week, and still lost...

Yes, I've heard about that research - it's interesting. But won't it be net rather than actual calories - if you are exercising a lot but staying at a low intake won't you just disappear eventually??!!

Another aspect of the lives of centarians (those who lived to 100 years old) that is studied by The China Study and other research is that, while they incorporated a certain amount of activity into their lives, they didn't exercise in the way we typically think of it today. So, while you would obviously need to increase caloric intake if you were training for an Ironman Triathalon or something akin to that, the centarians didn't do that. Their exercise came mostly from farming and/or walking. It is preferable from a biological standpoint, for the health of the cells (according to my understanding of the research) to exercise less and consume less, than to exercise vigorously and consume more. So, if you have to choose, the better option is to exercise a little less vigorously and eat fewer calories. Speeding up the metabolism (which happens both with vigorous exercise and with increased calorie intake) also speeds up the rate at which we age and the wear and tear on our bodies. From a longevity standpoint, it appears that, the slower the metabolism, the better.

MissMaggie3

Hmm. Thanks for replying - interesting again. I get what you're saying, although I would have to add (as someone who has done a bit) that farming - in the non-mechanized way - can be extremely demanding physically. Were they absolutely certain there was no genetic element? I remember seeing a documentary about long-lived people which found they shared a certain gene. Sorry, I'm not being critical, I'm genuinly interested. I can see I'm going to have to stop getting you to give me the answers and go and do some research myself! I do want to live as long as possible, as long as I am not dependent or in pain, so these are important issues. At the moment I can see pluses and minuses of eating less and exercising less; for example, training with weights is now known to be excellent in preventing osteoporosis, which is not a nice thing to have in old age.

flyawaybyebye

Maggie, I'd highly recommend reading The Anti-Aging Plan (on my booklist right now), or The Longevity Diet (read about a year ago), both by Dr. Roy Walford, or The China Study. All three have great information about calorie restriction as a life-extention and health-extension plan. Also, there is something called the CR Society that you can join to get more information. I haven't found their forum to be overly helpful at this point, because much of the "good" information is only available to paid members, but there are a few useful gems there. The other book that is usually highly recommended (but I haven't actually read yet) is called Beyond the 100-Year Diet. These are all great places to start looking for answers to those questions. As far as a genetic component, well, I'm sure there are some genetic components to it as well. But genetically matched mice, where one was fed ad libitum (whatever it wanted to eat), and the other was calorie restricted, had dramatically different lifespans and health. I believe they've done similar research with human twins, but obviously longevity studies with humans have several challenges - one being the length they'd have to be! In any event, it seems more likely to be a combination of genetics and lifestyle that influence longevity, and it makes more sense to try to isolate the lifestyle changes we can easily control and change them, than to isolate the genes that are much harder to change!

MissMaggie3

Thanks so much for all that Annabelle; I'll definitely look into it further. Not sure how much difference it would make at my age though, lol!

flyawaybyebye

Thanks so much for all that Annabelle; I'll definitely look into it further. Not sure how much difference it would make at my age though, lol!

They say the younger you start, the better, but I am guessing that later is better than never!

keiraev

Upped my calories to 1650 this week, which is pretty much my full maintenance. Have gone over quite a bit since the weekend so definitely won't have lost this time, I don't mind if I gain a pound to be honest as long as that's all it is!