Transitioning into maintenance mode

camiller07

Hello-
I have been using MFP since the begining of the year (as a new year's resolution to get rid of the awfulness I did to my body during college) and am very near my goal. I know I need to start transitioning into eating more, but am finding it difficult. I've been doing around 1600 cals for so long now that I find it difficult to eat any more than that in a day. For the last couple of days, I've been trying to consciously increase my calorie intake while eating healthy foods, but I'm just too full.

My concern is that I will start start slipping in bad foods (the pizza, beer, etc) in order to get to my calorie goals for the day, and then starting that slippery slope backwards.

Any help from people who are planning/have already made the switch to maintenance mode would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

MissCheese

Firstly congrats on almost reaching goal!

Try adding a few extra snacks during the day if eating bigger meals is making you feel full. I hate it when people su.ggest nuts but a snack of nuts mid morning or afternoon will add quite a few calories.

This is what I plan on doing when I reach my goal, which is just a couple of pounds away. I aleady started increasing slightly each week and am currently eating around 1,400 cals a day.

I'm not going to stop eating my healthy meals but I may switch from one cal spray back to olive oil when cooking

kylesmommy89

For me, it has been pretty easy maintaining! Since I have made this change and am very conscious about what I eat and how it affects my body, if I find that I've gained a little or my clothes fit a little tight, I just work out hard for a week or so and watch what I'm eating a little more closely. I feel like it's not the end of the world if I go a little crazy one weekend and gain a pound or two, because I now have the knowledge and skills to change it and I am confident in that. As long as you are keeping fitness a priority in your life, you will be fine!

camiller07

Thanks for your responses! I have learned so much about eating healthy over the last six months, so I'm not sure why I think I'll just lose all that knowledge and go crazy when I start maintaining lol.

JesterMFP

I haven't made that transition yet, and I'm a little way from getting to my goal. I wonder though, if the problem is feeling full, could you concentrate on getting more calorie-dense foods in? Things like nuts, seeds, avocados, dark chocolate, adding olive oil to salads or cooking with oil. Do you currently eat reduced fat products that you could switch with full-fat alternatives (milk, butter, cheese)? You can also drink your calories, which won't fill you up as much - things like milk, fruit juice or almond milk for example.

I've found in the past that the more I reduce my calories, the more my hunger seems to adapt to that change. When I increase my calories, my hunger tends to increase too, I've heard other people say the same. It may be that you just need to keep persevering with the higher level of calories, and in time, your appetite will catch up and you won't feel over-full any more.

Like I say, I haven't experienced this yet myself but when I get to my goal, I plan to keep logging for quite a while afterwards. I hope that with still logging all my foods, I won't have the option to slip into former over-eating habits because I'll still be holding myself accountable. I can understand you being scared of undoing all your hard work, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Just take it gradually, and I'm sure you can find the right balance of the foods you like, and the foods that you want to eat for your health, without ruining what you've already achieved.