Maintain or Continue Losing? What's your plan?

MJ7910

i have been struggling with this too. i am at maintenance but can't seem to find my maintenance number. so its been up down up down... i was doing around 1700 around the holidays (burn about 200 a day with exercise) and that apparently was too much... now i'm back at 1500. so i know it's gotta be somewhere right in between. 1600 i gained a little too. i'm just trying to find that magical number. i want to fluctuate 3 lb and then that way if i get to the high end, maybe cut just a few calories a week. i don't know though... i really want to continue monitoring well. i've been within 3 lb since thanksgiving so i figure that's pretty good. back on the low end right now.

getfitdiva

I have been maintaining for 6 months now, and I know what you mean. When I first decided to maintain I gained about 4 lbs then osculated for a few months between 2lbs over and 4lbs over. Now I am back to what I weighed when I started working on maintaining.

I workout 6 days a week for 1.5 to 2 hrs per day (3 days lifting weights, 3 days cardio only) and have been doing this for months now. I also eat an average of 2500 cals per day and will always watch what I eat. I eat a little of everything, but I can say I haven't been able to put any cakes, donuts or candies in my mouth, I do eat cookies on occasions. When I look at those sweets mentioned I just see way too many calories without any return (no nutrition) I also foresee sugar highs then crashes. That deters me from them.

I love who I am now and how I feel, and i never want to go back

Thanks for sharing your plan and cal intake. I have learned it's the quality of your calories that count (slowly but for surely!). It makes such a big difference when you are active and how your body reacts.

MJ7910

I have been maintaining for 6 months now, and I know what you mean. When I first decided to maintain I gained about 4 lbs then osculated for a few months between 2lbs over and 4lbs over. Now I am back to what I weighed when I started working on maintaining.

I workout 6 days a week for 1.5 to 2 hrs per day (3 days lifting weights, 3 days cardio only) and have been doing this for months now. I also eat an average of 2500 cals per day and will always watch what I eat. I eat a little of everything, but I can say I haven't been able to put any cakes, donuts or candies in my mouth, I do eat cookies on occasions. When I look at those sweets mentioned I just see way too many calories without any return (no nutrition) I also foresee sugar highs then crashes. That deters me from them.

I love who I am now and how I feel, and i never want to go back

Thanks for sharing your plan and cal intake. I have learned it's the quality of your calories that count (slowly but for surely!). It makes such a big difference when you are active and how your body reacts.

sounds like you have found what works for you. i only have about 30-45 minutes to workout per day so i'm still experimenting with how many calories a day i should actually eat... it's been difficult.

getfitdiva

i have been struggling with this too. i am at maintenance but can't seem to find my maintenance number. so its been up down up down... i was doing around 1700 around the holidays (burn about 200 a day with exercise) and that apparently was too much... now i'm back at 1500. so i know it's gotta be somewhere right in between. 1600 i gained a little too. i'm just trying to find that magical number. i want to fluctuate 3 lb and then that way if i get to the high end, maybe cut just a few calories a week. i don't know though... i really want to continue monitoring well. i've been within 3 lb since thanksgiving so i figure that's pretty good. back on the low end right now.

Yeah I upped my cals to maintenance (1600) for 2 weeks around the holidays and had this stubborn 3-4 lbs I couldn't shake off. It will be trial and error!

DKev

Before switching to maintenance back in June, I lost a couple of extra pounds before switching just to have that cushion as I figured out if the calories MFP had set for me for maintenance would work. or not. Other than the stretch between Christmas and New Year, I have stayed bang on target. (I have a range of the 2 extra pounds I lost to a pound over my goal).

Edited to say that I gained over the holidays simply because I was eating OVER my maintenance calories.

jaeone

The key is to have a weight range, not a set number. So once you get closer to the higher number of your weight range, switch to losing mode again. Well, that's what I do anyway because there is no way I could be the exact same weight everyday.

^^This^^ I too have a "maintenance range" I also go by how my cloths fit. Before I hit my maintenance weight I began to increase my calories by about 100 or so per week so I wouldn't have such a drastic change. Now I don't even count calories very often. I mainly log my food because I like to track my protein, sodium and fat intake for weight training reasons!!

Dont be "scurred" of maintenance!!!

robinogue

I should be in maintenance but frankly I like what I'm doing. I'm used to my routine and it seems to be working for me. I don't want to increase my calories lol that just seems like too much food in a day. I'm just keeping my settings where they are but as of next week I will cut down on my workouts, I don't feel I need 5-6 days a week anymore and I could use that time to do other things that I've slacked on. I think my workouts will be 3-4 days a week and maintaining calories to 1200.

Thanks for all the input it's really helped me to understand things.

dls06

They gain because they go over on their calories. I know because I do the same thing. I been on maintenance for almost a year and as soon as I get sloppy with my diet and logging I start gaining. If you want to keep it off you have to log and keep your calories at the recommended number.

That is what I'm most nervous about. Gaining some back and I know that's why some people continue to lose. I think finding a way to just maintain a range would be optimal, but doesn't always work that way. Although I choose many more healthy options now as my lifestyle I still love to eat out and eat good (bad!).

They don't up your calories enough to cause you to gain and if you do you can just back off. I went from 1200 to 1400 not that much more. Even when I went to 1400 I was still losing which scared me. It slowed and now, if I go over the 1400 over time I notice my pants getting a little tighter, then I make sure I watch.

Loveebbs

I agree with Foxy

I have been doing maintenance for awhile now but I will say that what has helped me is keeping my weight in a range that I'm happy with. I give myself 10 lbs range between 135 lbs to 145 lbs because I know that sometimes I will gain and lose the same pounds over and over. I just for my sake will not let myself go over 145 lbs but at the same time will not lose no more that 135lbs.

I hope that make sense

felice03

i wonder about this as well. I am four pounds away from my initial goal. Although my goal is at the higher side of what I would like to be. I have been contemplating alot lately what my plan of attack should be when I reach it. I have looked at what my maintence would be and I have doubts about being able to eat that much (i have a hard time reaching my 1400 now).

MissFuchsia

When I get to my goal weight I'm going to keep my exercise routine the same but slowly increase my calories. I'm going to hopefully maintain for a few months then I might try to lose a few more lbs. I'