Lose-Maintain-Lose - 2 Phase Loss Plan

kaetra

Now that I've reached the halfway mark, I'm considering moving to maintenance for 4 to 6 weeks and then going back to losing a pound a week.

Maybe it will help keep the plateaus away? I'm also thinking it might help me slowly learn how to eat at actual maintenance levels so when I do get to my goal the maintenance lifestyle isn't such a big shock.

Has anyone else done this? Opinions?

shaycat

I did not do that, but it sounds like a good idea. I switched to maintain when I it my goal and ended up losing 14 more pounds.
Then I took a "break" from tracking my food and ended up heavier than I wanted. I am now trying to figure out how to eat right to maintain, if you can figure that out now it would be very helpful to you.

kaetra

Wow, 14 more pounds on maintenance? Hope that happens to me :laugh:

I feel like I need a break from the loss-levels, but I definitely don't want to gain anything. I think you're right, learning how to do maintenance now will help me in the long run. And I'm not in any huge rush since my overall health as improved so much. Heck I still have plenty of time until shorts weather.

I just hope a maintenance break doesn't turn into a gaining break. I'll have to watch it, and keep up my logging dedication.

ishallnotwant

This is a good idea, because it can help your metabolism to kind of get fired up again, possibly making it a bit easier for you to lose the weight when you start again...

shakybabe

I kind of accidently ended up doing that, as with bad weather I have been unable to exercise and been wanting comfort food rather than sticking to the salad and fruit and strictly no carbs and no more than 1200 which i had been on.

I have checking my weight to make sure I haven't gained too much and only been going up and down by same few pounds. I'm thinking of restarting seriously when it gets a bit warmer.

kaetra

I kind of accidently ended up doing that, as with bad weather I have been unable to exercise and been wanting comfort food rather than sticking to the salad and fruit and strictly no carbs and no more than 1200 which i had been on.

I have checking my weight to make sure I haven't gained too much and only been going up and down by same few pounds. I'm thinking of restarting seriously when it gets a bit warmer.

Yeah, winter is definitely a factor and 1200 calories is really hard to keep with for extended periods of time!

jasonga

I think it's a good idea. It will convince your body that food is plentiful, and it doesn't have to try and store any extra for emergencies.

I've also heard the idea that you should only "diet" for 12 weeks at a time, then go onto maintenance for a week to trick you body in the same way. No idea if it helps or not, but just thought I'd mention it.

shaycat

I just switched mine back to maintain. I get scared seeing that many calories since I did do so well eating 1200, my problem was I never looked at net so I think I was probably netting under 1000 calories a day. So when I started eating again my metabolism was so slowed that everything stuck to me.
So my new goal is to NET at least 1400 calories a day and take one cheat day. I am hoping this will make those binge days a thing of the past. I never had a problem with that before and it is scary.

kaetra

I think it's a good idea. It will convince your body that food is plentiful, and it doesn't have to try and store any extra for emergencies.

I've also heard the idea that you should only "diet" for 12 weeks at a time, then go onto maintenance for a week to trick you body in the same way. No idea if it helps or not, but just thought I'd mention it.

That is great to know! Thanks! I surely don't want my body to get used to 1200 calories and assume that's all it's getting for the rest of time.

kaetra

I just switched mine back to maintain. I get scared seeing that many calories since I did do so well eating 1200, my problem was I never looked at net so I think I was probably netting under 1000 calories a day. So when I started eating again my metabolism was so slowed that everything stuck to me.
So my new goal is to NET at least 1400 calories a day and take one cheat day. I am hoping this will make those binge days a thing of the past. I never had a problem with that before and it is scary.

That's what I'mafraid is going to happen to me too. I think I'll do 1/2 pound loss levels for a couple weeks to ease back into the maintenance period break.

rachel1496

Not purposely but over the last 2 months everything diet and fitness related took a back seat. I just seriously restarted and dropped 3lbs this week, before the break I was struggling to break 1lb a week.

therealangd

Maybe it will help keep the plateaus away? I'm also thinking it might help me slowly learn how to eat at actual maintenance levels so when I do get to my goal the maintenance lifestyle isn't such a big shock.

My opinion is that if you choose to take this route, eat the maintenance calories at the weight you want to be at. Not the weight you are now.

kaetra

I thought about that too. The thing is though, I don't want to have a deficit. I think any deficit would undo my strategy because I would still be in deficit.

Maintenance for my goal weight would put me in loss mode. And since I'm a bit older, very small and have a desk job, my goal weight maintenance is extremely low - only 1500!

shaycat

At maintain for my weight is 1700 and I workout everyday, so I am trying to NET at least 1600, but it is hard.
So start with maintaining your current weight for a little while and see how you do with that. You can always adjust.

kaetra

OK here I go! Starting today. My maintenance is 1590 calories, wow that's low. I guess I'll being working (out) for my food from now until eternity... hehe