How the heck do I maintain!?

JBHawaii

As I approach my goal weight, I'm suddenly confused as to how to start eating. I've been losing a considerable amount of weight for extended period of time now and I know that I'm going to have to add calories back to my diet. What worries me the most is overshooting the mark and suddenly destroying so much of the hard work I've put in.

Basically I'm completely confused. I would really love some input from some people who have been in this position and maybe you could tell me what pitfalls you encountered what trials you had and what worked for you.

So far my basic plan is to increase the carbs in my diet increase the starches and begin to eat meals more often. I'm thinking about getting five meals a day keeping my carbs mostly concentrated during the morning and restricting carbs at night so that I have enough energy during the day and possibly being able to burn whatever fat I may put on during the night. Alternatively I was considering eating the majority of my carbohydrates before and after my workouts and keeping carbs low for the remainder of the day...

So if you have any experience I would really love to hear it!

gregpack

I just went back to maintenance pretty quickly but using similar macro ratios. You will gain a few pounds as your glycogen stores(and the water that accompanies it) are replaced and that can be a bit alarming, but it will level off. I have read of several on here that ramped up slowly to maintenance over a month's time and reported good results.

I'm a night eater. I tend to eat lower calorie meals during the day and save my carbs for night. As long as I don't eat too many calories over the day It does not seem to cause an adverse effect. Perhaps you could argue that excessive meal size when your glycogen stores are full would contribute to body fat, but if your tanks are only partially full there's a place for that energy to be stored that is not around your midsection.

JBHawaii

Gotta do it... Bump!

Elen_Sia

I am sorta in Maintenance mode with a twofold goal: gain more muscle and shed another percentage of body fat.

My macros are 40 (Carbs), 30 (Fats) and 30 (Protein). After almost two months of experimenting with the numbers, I have found that what works best for me is to consume a net of 1500 calories every day. Like you, I eat most of my carbs during the day while dinner has more protein.

I lift weights for an hour on odd days and bike outside for 40 minutes on even days.

I think you'll need to experiment with your numbers for a month or two. Don't be alarmed if your weight goes up and/or down. Set a weight range that you are comfortable with. Focus more on body measurements and how your clothes feel.

Hope this helps.

wild_wild_life

I started trying to maintain a couple of months ago by slowly increasing my calories each week until I stopped losing. This took a LONG time as my weight continued to go down slowly during this process even though I was eating what I thought was a lot (1800-2000 per day) for a 120 lb person. I'm now down to 115 without even trying to lose the last 5 lbs. Am making a concerted effort not to go lower.

Use a TDEE calculator online to get your maintenance or figure out your own maintenance based on your intake and rate of loss.

I have found this more challenging than losing weight in a lot of ways but with a little trial and error you will get there. I still log religiously as like you I'm afraid I'll gain it back if I let my guard down.

Hope this helps.

myofibril

1) set a goal range rather than goal weight (this will stop you going nuts due to normal weight fluctuations)
2) Raise calories by about 200 - 250 per week until your weight plateaus somewhere within this range
3) Have a happy and enjoyable life

Seriously that's it. Initially, your weight might spike due to glycogen and water storage but don't freak out as it will settle back down with time (which is why having a goal range will save your sanity.)

One successful strategy you could use is to eat say 300 under your TDEE Monday to Friday meaning you can eat a total of 1,500 calories above your TDEE over the weekend. That way you can enjoy social occasions without stressing.

Oishii

I kept losing weight when I tried using mfp's maintenance calories, and after ages of trying to work out an exact number, I went for a net calorie ceiling of 2450kcal, which I didn't force myself to reach if I wasn't hungry.

My attempts at not logging and adapted logging, didn't work out too well and I gained 3kg in one month!

As I let my weight go back down a bit, I'm starting to notice at what weight certain changes take place, eg when my collar bones become more noticeable, better than when I hadn't already lost the weight. That's the great thing: you know you know how to lose any weight you gain anyway!

Good luck with it :flowerforyou:

alli_baba

So far my basic plan is to increase the carbs in my diet increase the starches and begin to eat meals more often. I'm thinking about getting five meals a day keeping my carbs mostly concentrated during the morning and restricting carbs at night so that I have enough energy during the day and possibly being able to burn whatever fat I may put on during the night. Alternatively I was considering eating the majority of my carbohydrates before and after my workouts and keeping carbs low for the remainder of the day...

I don't think it needs to be this complicated. As other posters noted, it is more important to focus on gradually upping your calories.

I did read in your profile that you follow a strict Paleo diet and it sounds like you are introducing starchy carbs back into your diet. You may gain back weight from this (many people I know that have done low-carb diets and shifted back to higher carb intakes gained weight). However, I think if you introduce them gradually, it shouldn't be that much of problem.

Good luck!

JoolieW68

Like you, I was terrified to change my calorie goals to 'maintain' since it added 600 calories to my day. That lasted about 30 seconds and I changed it to 'lose 1/2 pound' per week and leave it there most of the time.

I hit my goal of 100lbs lost at the end of Feb, and have lost the additional weight since then. I just kept up the same exercise and eating healthy, and if I feel like going a little over my calories one day, I will. I figure my body will eventually decide where it is 'done' and I won't lose anymore.

But the key is to keep up the healthy eating and exercise.....cuz if I stop that I will ride this circus train again and I do not want that.