Maintenance

magerum

Hi everyone,

I've been using MFP since May 9th, 2011. Here's a quick run down, then my question.

On April 27th I went to the docotors and weighed 337 lbs at 5'10" (32 years old). Long story short I decided to change my life. On May 1st I quit smoking cigarettes (a pack a day for 18 years) and began eating better and excerising. For 7 months I ate 1200-1400 calories a day (aided by MFP to track nutrients etc) and excercising daily. All cardio, no free weights which I used to lift heavy weight (315lbs bench etc) as I didn't want the bulk anymore.

7 months later and 140lbs lighter, around Thanksgiving, I decided to try and start moving towards maintenance calories. I adjusted up to 1500 for a week, 1800 for a couple weeks (spinkled with a 3000 calorie Thanksgiving and Christmas), 2200 for the last two weeks, and this week I'm trying 2300. I do roughly 800 calories worth of excercise daily on top of a desk job.

I find that the more I eat the hungrier I am! I am seriously afraid of putting weight back on. I have spiked a few times during this adjustment up from 1200-1400 range, which I'm attributing to metabolism adjustment and water retention associated with sodium intake, but it has always come back down within a couple days. I think I may still be losing weight at 2200 calories, the MFP math says I should be.

Now that I'm done rambling here's my question (I wonder if anyone read this far? lol) I'm finding the more I eat the more I want to eat! Is this normal after such a drastic recovery? This is the most confusing time for me. I know how to over eat, I know how to eat just enough to survive and recover, but maintenance is scaring me!

I guess I'm just looking for maintenance advice. I'm down to 192lbs and a 32 inch waist. I think I wouldn't mind dropping to 185 but as long as I stay under 200 I'm happy.

Thanks in advance!