Anyone at the maintaining stage??

nixickle

Hi all!

I have just 1/4 of a pound until I reach my GOAL!! :-D I've been increasing my calorie intake slowly over the last 2 weeks, which caused me to lose weight quicker?!? Go figure!! Im just wondering if anyone else is at or near the maintaining stage? I'd love to here how long you've been maintaining for and how your managing? I'm quite anxious about moving into this stage and I'm worried I'm about to lose too much!! And then I'm worried I'm going to put it all back on again!! So I'd really love to hear any stories relating to this. Please also feel free to add me, you can never have too much support!!

Many thanks

nixickle

Bump! I can't be alone with this :-( seriously I'd love to hear any maintaining stories...please give me hope!!

mudya

bump

keiraev

You are not alone I lost 4lb by bumping my cals up to Maintenace when I only had 2lb to go!

I don't want to lose any more weight either but scared of increasing above what MFP says is my maintenance goal.

carrie_eggo

I've been on maintenance for a couple of weeks now. So far, so good! I think during the next couple of weeks I may have to decrease my calories again to make up for the horrible weekend eating I'll be doing over the holidays. Right now I'm at 1760 calories a day. Add me if you want to!

LorinaLynn

Maintaining almost two months now.

Some fluctuation on the scale, but my measurements and how my clothes fit has been the same.

khethil

I'm running into the same anxiousness you described; not havin too much luck with it either (blogged it yesterday). I think that eating less has just become a habit. I hope you find your way though - good luck!

cthoma70

yes me. I have been at maintain for two days and I'm scared to death, sooooo many calories to eat!!!

Elleinnz

Have a look at this group - there are quite a few people on here that is on maintenance - and a few people like myself that just don't like starving while we are losing weight ;-)

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/17-women-eating-2-000-calories-per-day

JaniseCookston

I've been maintaining since October. After I reached my goal weight, I pretty much stopped tracking my food intake with MFP. Not because I started going crazy and eating whatever I wanted, but because I had been doing it for 6 months and knew basically how much I should eat and now that I am maintaining i don't have to count every little calorie. For the first month of maintaining I actually lost an additional 3 pounds, which was fine with me, I like to have that room to play with over the holidays. Over the last month I have fluctuated weekly between my goal weight and three pounds below. Still not tracking, just eating right and not stressing about it.

Meggles63

I took a deep breath and just upped my cals. to 2000 this morning (more or less my maintenance) - very curious to see how it goes!

Scorpioangel

I have been at my maintaing weight for about 6 months now or maybe more and haven't had any problems with it at all. My body likes different foods and doesn't crave the junk I used to crave (well sometimes but not like it used to be). I work out just as hard and watch what I eat and it's working out well I never slipped back towards the old me once. I also like to set new goals for myself like running a half marathon, Warrior Dash, etc.

MissFit0101

I just hit maintenance and strangely when I started eating closer to maintenance I was losing weight faster too LOL.

somigliana

Hi all!

I have just 1/4 of a pound until I reach my GOAL!! :-D I've been increasing my calorie intake slowly over the last 2 weeks, which caused me to lose weight quicker?!? Go figure!! Im just wondering if anyone else is at or near the maintaining stage? I'd love to here how long you've been maintaining for and how your managing? I'm quite anxious about moving into this stage and I'm worried I'm about to lose too much!! And then I'm worried I'm going to put it all back on again!! So I'd really love to hear any stories relating to this. Please also feel free to add me, you can never have too much support!!

Many thanks

Congrats!
I had the same experience: increased cals and lost weight more quickly as I approached goal (overshot it by a few pounds, in the end). It settled down eventually... It took me a while to figure out what my maintenance calories were, and I've managed to maintain since August 2010 now. One of the things I had to do was adjust my base activity level from sedentary to lightly active (plus eat exercise calories) to maintain.

In 2005, I lost a lot of weight and put it all back on because I went back to bad habits and didn't keep track after reaching goal. I've found that continuing to log my meals and exercise on MFP has been a huge factor in helping me maintain the new lifestyle. A few years down the track, eating properly and exercise has become the norm rather than feeling like a chore, so I'm hoping it's going to stick for life this time around.

bbkohn

bump. I'm 1lb away from my goal and I'm starting to get anxious. I've tried increasing my cals slowly but I'm having trouble getting myself to eat that much

99clmsntgr

I've been in maintenance for about a month now. When I started increasing my calorie intake, the weight continued to come off. When I got to my maintenance calories I lost 7.5 pounds the first two weeks (believe me, I had a "wtf?!" moment of two on the scale, too). It helps that I run 3-4 times a week, still drink a crap load of water.

What I struggle with is trying to find ways to get my calorie intake at or near my allotment without completely blowing away my sodium intake.

amerr

How tall are you? Because our goals look almost identical. I started at 135 and am now at 119 and have been maintaining since October. I've actually been lazy with my logging, but having logged for so long I'm doing better knowing how much to eat without having to log everything. I fluctuate up a pound or two, but it always goes back down in a few days.

I keep wanting to start a good exercise routine because I lost my weight mostly by calorie counting. I'd like to start getting stronger through exercise, but I'm obviously not motivated enough because I'm not making the time to exercise.

jamja

I reached my goal October 2010 but then decided set a new goal. So I have been maintaining my current weight since June 2011. Would love supporters working though the same challenges. Feel free to add me for support and motivation!!

jamja

I actually joined MFP to learn to track calories to stop the ups and downs. Up until then I was a pro at losing weight but was riding a roller coaster of maintenance. It was a great move for me.

cheshirequeen

I've been maintaining, between 1-3 pounds, for the last 8 months. I think it gets easier personally. you are used to what you want/need to do. You know how you get if you don't exercise or eat right. Tonight I ate something sugary and thought I was going to be sick, but ive always loved salty anyways, haha. if i know im not going to eat a lot, i try not to exercise too much so i dont have that excess of calories.

sandiki

I am pretty close, though, I would be ok with my current weight... its a mental thing wanting it to be lower for me at least. Friend me if ya'd like. Would like to have that kind of support too.

BenKnowsFitness

Congrats on a job well done. I am in maintenance mode (kind of). I hit a plateau of around September. I was losing a 2 pounds a week then slowed down to ½ pound per week. I have just a few more pounds to goal but it is going to take me a while. Here’s what I do. If I have a week where the numbers on the scales are not working for me, I step up the exercise and watch the food intake. That’s it. Thanksgiving (even with reasonable intake) was looking very bad (one day was up 6 lbs) but it all came back off in a few days (salt maybe). Best of luck to you.

kittycarson

This is my first week on maintenance and have the same concerns...Anyone have any advice...please forward it. Maybe we need to start a "Maintenance" group???? I have lots of questions....i.e...I have had a cheat meal once a week until I met my goal....Do I do that on maintenance...surely not, right????

Meggles63

I actually have another question, that perhaps one of you can assist me with. MFP is way low on maintenance! I've been eating at 1600, 1800 and now 2000 net. I have figured my TDEE at 2100 give or take, and have set my calorie goal at 2000. However, since that's figured at a very active level, it seems to me that to maintain, I would not eat back any exercise calories, as that level was included in my figures? I'm getting myself way confused (which is only too easy, lol). Thanks!

BenKnowsFitness

If your exercise routine is consistent then I would recommend the following: Use MFP to track you food. Adjust your intake periodically to keep the scales where you want them.