Two questions for those at or near goal weight

sherry9300

1. Did you eat the number of calories that MFP recommended to lose max weight or something higher? If more, how much more?

For the first three months I ate 1200 calories a day. We were doing a biggest loser sort of thing at work and after the final weigh in I upped my cals to 1450 because I was just so sick of "dieting" and was a little more than 10 lbs from my goal weight. I figured doing it slowly and eating more would be the way to go. Imagine my surprise when I continued to lose at a steady rate...mind you, my last ten pounds, which are supposed to be so slow and difficult, came off without starving.

2. Did you eat your exercise calories back or not?

For the first three months I ate back some of them every day, after I upped my calories I tried to eat all of my exercise calories.

3. If you are comfortable saying, how much weight did you lose total?

I lost a total of 32 pounds. Currently trying to get accustomed to maintenance.

spngebobmyhero

1. I ate around the number of calories that MFP suggested for a 1lb weight loss a week. I had good weeks where I would lose more than 1 pound and bad weeks where I would lose nothing. At about 2 pounds from my goal weight, I now have MFP set to only .5 pounds loss a week. I also have a bodymedia fit, so I base my calorie intake on that more than MFP suggestions.

2. I eat most of my exercise calories back, especially if I am hungry. If I'm not hungry and I have calories left after exercise, I don't eat. I have learned to listen to my body after this year.

3. I have lost 38 pounds so far. I started at 200 and I am now around 162 (maybe 163 today!).

Anyaaaa11

For those of you who are at are near goal weight...

1. Did you eat the number of calories that MFP recommended to lose max weight or something higher? If more, how much more?

2. Did you eat your exercise calories back or not?

3. If you are comfortable saying, how much weight did you lose total?

At first I ate what MFP told me to eat.. I looked into it more and the sedentary, moderately active thing threw it all off. I'm sedentary for the most part but work out 5x a week so I put very active in and set to lose a pound a week. I ate over 100 calories more and still lost a pound each week. Confusing I know. So it was within 100 cals I guess. & I normally burn 100-300 and eat all the calories back. So far I've lost almost 10lbs in 3 months and have about 5 more.

victoria4321

I usually ate over what MFP said to eat very often when I started. Later on after losing maybe 10lbs I upped my calories.

I always eat the exercise calories back when I'm hungry.

Total I lost 33lbs from last year June I believe to January. I maintained around 135lbs for a few months and recently I'm trying to get down to 125 pretty much for vanity reasons only. Overall, I lost 36lbs I think to date.

Pebble321

For those of you who are at are near goal weight...

1. Did you eat the number of calories that MFP recommended to lose max weight or something higher? If more, how much more?

2. Did you eat your exercise calories back or not?

3. If you are comfortable saying, how much weight did you lose total?

Ok - I know that's 3 questions - sorry!

No offiense, but I would really love to hear only from those who are at or near goal weight - I am interested in the experience of those who actually made it all the way to goal (or really close).

Thanks!

I was pretty much at my goal weight, but have gone back up a few kg, so I'm paying attention to the numbers again (aiming to lose very slowly now, really aiming to get into good long term maintenance habits).

To answer your questions:

1. I started at about 1660 net cals/day (setting of "lose 1/2 pound per week"). This changed around a bit, but never went below around 1400 net calories a day - this is the extreme edge for me in terms of staying sane and not horrendously grumpy.

2. I always ate my exercise cals. The numbers above are net calories, so that means total cals/day would have been anywhere from 1500 - 2400 depending on how much exercise I did. Frankly, I don't see the point in not eating them - this is not a race to me, it's my life and I want to stay healthy and happy while I lose weight. Why deprive myself when I am losing weight eating them??

3. I lost about 22 kg (nearly 50 pounds) though I've put back on about 3kg. My weight loss averaged out about about 1kg (2.2 pounds) every 10 days though it was never as simple as dropping 1kg every 10 days, my weight goes up and down like everybody else.

skullik

1. Did you eat the number of calories that MFP recommended to lose max weight or something higher? If more, how much more?
At the beginning I ate the MFP recommended 1350 calories for a 1 lb / week loss. After loosing about 20 lbs I went up to 1700 as the 1350 just felt too low.

2. Did you eat your exercise calories back or not?
always! That is how I motivate myself to work out!

3. If you are comfortable saying, how much weight did you lose total?

I lost 25 lbs, I am now toning and working on my maintenance strategy.