Maintenance fail.

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  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
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    I've been maintaining since August 2011.... I let myself have a ten pound range, 5 lbs under maintenance to 5 lbs over maintenance weight.... which helps. I was under most of last fall when I was running alot, but have been closer to maintenance over the holidays and since I hurt my foot a few weeks ago.

    I try to focus on exercise and running and what I can control versus a number on the scale which I can't really control. I can control working out for over 30 minutes a day 6 days a week. I can control what I eat, how much I sleep, etc. That is what I am choosing to focus on.
  • kitkat4141
    kitkat4141 Posts: 379 Member
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    You have have to reset your goals to 0 pounds and MFP will give you a new base calorie allotment.

    I have maintained for eleven months. I kept losing the first two weeks in maintenance while trying to tweak my calories. (I didn't know about MFP until December, 2011 and it has taken all the guess work out of the equation!) I have a five pound range that I am comfortable with 125-130. Once I go over my "scream" weight (130) I go back to the losing weight mode of 1200 calories plus my exercise calories. I weigh myself several times a week just to see where the trajectory is headed. And I continue to exercise for good health.

    I find it's difficult to stay motivated so I set physical strength and body composition goals. For one year I have been working towards doing one unassisted chin-up. I'm only half way there but I keep trying! LOL The past few months I've been working on reducing my body fat percentage. There are all kinds of things you can aspire to once you reach goal. The key is to keep aspiring.
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
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    I am not sure if I have any advice for you. There are some great tips here already. I lost 100 pounds then I tried to maintain for a year through intuitive eating, basically not logging calories but trying to watch my intake. I gained back 20 pounds over a year so I am here trying to lose that weight again. I did feel myself slipping like you describe. It was that constant internal dialog that made it so hard. I would tell myself that it was alright to have a treat just one time because I knew how to lose weight and I could just start my diet again if I gained anything.
    A year later, I am finally getting back on track. I am scared of my ability to maintain this time once I hit my goal again. I know it is a life long struggle for some of us, especially those who have been overweight our whole lives, like myself. I just wanted to say that I do understand and I will be watching this thread for some help as well. :flowerforyou:
  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
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    Having a range is a good idea in maintenance- mine is 117 to 122 so 5lb.. Over Xmas I was towards the higher end but now I'm back in the middle.

    I gained 1.5 lb the first week I maintained and freaked out- then over the following few weeks I lost 4lb! Your body takes a while to adjust. Also what MFP suggests might not be the case. I still lose weight on 1600 like it suggests and maintain on 1700/1800 plus exercise cals.

    It also really helps to have new goals- ive cut down on all the huge amounts of cardio i used to do when losing weight in favour of a lifting programme so I can improve my overall physique without losing any more weight as such.

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