Hit My Goal/Struggling to Maintain

martinkristyk

I hit my goal of losing 20 pounds earlier this year (it was a looong journey). I've now been struggling to maintain that weight-- I actually gained back 4 of the 20 and am now working my way back to goal. My highest weight was 139. My goal was 119 and I did hit it, but I'm now struggling to get back that.... I'm stuck around 122ish. (FYI.... I'm 5' 1")

I tried increasing my calories from 1200 to 1400 when I got to maintenance mode, but that's when I gained the weight back. Now, I'm back to sticking to 1200 calories most days (with a few rare exceptions), and I'm working out 5-6 days a week with a mixture of cardio and strength. Each workout is between 30 and 60 minutes.

Does anyone have tips/tricks on how they transitioned from losing to maintaining? It seems to be tough to find that balance of calories and exercise to maintain.

Thanks for any help you can offer....

bms34b

I'm in a similar boat. I lost around 30 pounds and was just under 123 (I'm 5'6") and after tracking maintenance, I found a daily allowance that would keep me stable. That was around 1850 for my muscle mass which is less than it should be. Regardless, it kept me full and where I should be. However, I irresponsibly stopped tracking and let myself go willy nilly, and after spring break, I'm officially up about six pounds. Maintenance is hard.

kdiamond

Months and months of being on 1200-calorie diet can wreck your metabolism. It happened to me for a while a few years ago. You're gonna have to bite the bullet and gain a couple pounds by eating more, and try to figure out your maintenance calories. I can guarantee it is nowhere near 1200, especially with all of the exercising you do. Mine is 1850 without exercise, and I'm 5'4" 110 pounds. Unless you're in a coma, it has to be atleast 1700-1800. Keep doing what you're doing, and gradually add 100 calories or so per week (daily calories) until you stop gaining/losing. It might take a few months to figure it out.