Trying to maintain but struggling

Laoch_Cailin

Hiya, I'm Laura from Ireland. All together I've lost over 3 stone (42lb). I lost the majority of that weight with weight watchers propoints.

The problem now is that I am finding it so hard to maintain my lose. If I eat my maintainence as set by MFP I gain quickly (I did this for 1 month and gained 5lb). The only calories I seem to maintain at is 1400 calories which is mad when I look at what others are able to eat.

I'm really looking for some advice. I'll try anything as I want this to last me for my life. 1400 cals is just not liveable, it leaves me lethargic, hungry and just unhappy. I have been exercising and then netting 1400 but it just doesn't seem liveable for life. This last week my food has been bad!! So I want to nip this in the bud NOW.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Some information about me:
I'm 31 year old female.
I'm 5ft 8
Exercise - although not always consistent (walk, run and do 30 day shred)
I've no access to a gym and have 2 very young kids, I'm a stay at home mom.

Many thanks
Laura x

cmriverside

Well, we don't really have a lot of info about you......if you stay with your maintenance calories for a month and still are gaining, then maybe your weight is too low.

1400 calories for a 31 year old 5'8" woman is way too low. How much do you weigh?

Laoch_Cailin

Ohh sorry forgot to add that in there..I'm 149lb at the minute and around an Irish size 10/12. So definately not under weight. But don't want to get any thinner or bigger lol. My waiste is 31 inches (29 at the smallest part).

geekyjock76

How quickly did you adjust your calories from a deficit to maintenance? You should do it quite slowly so your metabolic rate, as well as hormones that regulate it, have time to normalize. Dieting over time slows down the metabolic rate - so if you eat too much too soon, you'll gain excess since you're feeding your body too many calories for your metabolism to handle until it balances itself.

UpEarly

Yes... more information please.

I'm 40, female, 5'9" and 138 lbs and am currently maintaining on an average of 2450 calories a day. Describe a typical workout. When you say 'non consistently' what do you mean? Do you use anything like a FitBit, BodyMedia or heart rate monitor? Do you weigh your food to make sure portions are accurate?

cmriverside

Yeah, I agree with geekyjock. Stay at those maintenance calories for a month, or ease up to them from your 1400. Trying to go from 1400 to your maintenance all at once will cause a temporary gain. Stay with it. But raise your cals by 200 this week, then two weeks from now raise it by another 200 etc, until you are at maintenance.

Laoch_Cailin

Yes... more information please.

I'm 40, female, 5'9" and 138 lbs and am currently maintaining on an average of 2450 calories a day. Describe a typical workout. When you say 'non consistently' what do you mean? Do you use anything like a FitBit, BodyMedia or heart rate monitor? Do you weigh your food to make sure portions are accurate?

I don't always get a chance to workout, so I do what I can when I can. I generally do a 30day shred every night when the kids go to bed. If my husband is home in time I'll go for a 5k run or a walk.

I weigh all my food and try and eat well.

Perhaps I shouldn't have just upped them to maintainence...

Laoch_Cailin

How quickly did you adjust your calories from a deficit to maintenance? You should do it quite slowly so your metabolic rate, as well as hormones that regulate it, have time to normalize. Dieting over time slows down the metabolic rate - so if you eat too much too soon, you'll gain excess since you're feeding your body too many calories for your metabolism to handle until it balances itself.

Thanks, makes sense. Slow upping of the cals makes sense

Laoch_Cailin

Yeah, I agree with geekyjock. Stay at those maintenance calories for a month, or ease up to them from your 1400. Trying to go from 1400 to your maintenance all at once will cause a temporary gain. Stay with it. But raise your cals by 200 this week, then two weeks from now raise it by another 200 etc, until you are at maintenance.

Thank you, i'll give that a go.

rose313

I feel your pain, I maintain at 1500.

TavistockToad

I don't have any extra advice other than up the cals slowly every couple of weeks, and add some more strength training, the more muscle u ave the more u can eat!

hpsnickers1

Two words: Primal Blueprint!!

I maintain my weight by tracking the quantity and quality of my carbohydrates. I eat high-fat. I hit my weight goal of 120lbs (the lowest I saw as an adult) and was sick of counting calories and logging and weighing foods.

As long as I keep an eye on my carbs, eat real food and get PLENTY of healthy fats (coconut oil, butter, olive and avocado oil, eggs, animal meats, etc.) I maintain. I have to eat a hell of a lot of fat to maintain my weight. I try and get more than 100g a day. If I don't then my weight will drop below 110lbs. Protein is satiating and fat is filling. I no longer have to eat every 2-3 hours. I can go all day without eating and actually get more energetic as the day goes on (rather than weak, shaky and drained).

Think about it. Protein (amino acids) and fat (fatty acids) are used for more than just energy (also for repair and maintenance). A calorie is a unit of energy ONLY. So you might be eating 1400 CALORIES (energy) but the majority of protein and fat isn't going towards that so in reality you getting far less calories (energy). Since you are getting less ENERGY (calories) your body is doing what it can to hold onto that ENERGY (calories) by storing as much as it can from the ENERGY (calories) you eat.

And carbohydrates are an energy source (fill up glycogen stores - energy) and nothing more. Sure the brain needs glucose but the body is perfectly able of making glucose from dietary protein and the brain actually runs more efficiently on a combo of glucose/ketones.

(When I went Primal, I backed off of exercise - I follow PB Fitness. I lost 4-5" off my natural waist within a month. I have seen 108lbs (I lost fat and water, not muscle. My body didn't like 108lbs, though - I hover around 110lbs). I was 136lbs at puberty. Back in 2009 I was almost 140lbs.

(My mom was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland!! Had to throw that in there).

My average calorie intake is probably around 1600 but I'm not sure. Some days are higher and some days are lower. Some days I pig out, some days I eat light. It depends on how active I am. I pigged out this weekend (well, since Thursday and quite a bit of it was carby stuff like ice cream and dried fruits/chocolate in trail mix). The scale is up 5lbs. I don't care. I'm not hungry today, haven't eaten - although I put coconut oil in my coffee for energy. And the majority of that is fluid and will be gone overnight. The rest by Friday.

My energy levels increased immediately and tenfold when I went Primal.

Jamesecj

Are you currenly residing in Ireland or are you living in the US?... This may be a good time to consider your healthy protein to carb to fat ratios. That really does make a difference.

Laoch_Cailin

I don't have any extra advice other than up the cals slowly every couple of weeks, and add some more strength training, the more muscle u ave the more u can eat!

Yip I've read that loads. Once I come back from holiday, and get my daughter back to school, I'm gonna look into some kettlebell classes. Would love to start weights but no gym till I save a bit of cash!

Laoch_Cailin

hp - interesting post. I'll have to research that a bit, but makes sense reading. thanks.

Laoch_Cailin

Are you currenly residing in Ireland or are you living in the US?... This may be a good time to consider your healthy protein to carb to fat ratios. That really does make a difference.

No I still live in Ireland. Never been to the US.

I think I'm gonna rethink my food intake and increase cals by 200 per week. Think exercise will have to be more consistent too.

DrMAvDPhD

Not sure where you are getting your numbers. I flipped through the last few weeks of your diary and you aren't tracking your food at all about 50% of the time, and when you do you are in the 1800-2200 range. How confident are you that you didn't go to that, or way over that, on days you didn't track?

Before trying to live your entire life on 1400 calories, I would do TDEE for a month or two and track every single thing every single day.

Edit (posted too soon): I would also monitor sodium. I can easily gain 3-4 lb of water weight in a single day if I eat a lot of sodium or drink alcohol, so maybe you didn't really gain at all.

Laoch_Cailin

Not sure where you are getting your numbers. I flipped through the last few weeks of your diary and you aren't tracking your food at all about 50% of the time, and when you do you are in the 1800-2200 range. How confident are you that you didn't go to that, or way over that, on days you didn't track?

Before trying to live your entire life on 1400 calories, I would do TDEE for a month or two and track every single thing every single day.

Those numbers are from a few weeks ago for about a month. I've been off track for a week or so (thought I typed that, hard to concentrate with lack of sleep and a sick baby at the minute). You are right though, my numbers recently are terrible. I don't want to allow myself to keep going this way so I'm trying to find a livable solution.

DrMAvDPhD

Not sure where you are getting your numbers. I flipped through the last few weeks of your diary and you aren't tracking your food at all about 50% of the time, and when you do you are in the 1800-2200 range. How confident are you that you didn't go to that, or way over that, on days you didn't track?

Before trying to live your entire life on 1400 calories, I would do TDEE for a month or two and track every single thing every single day.

Those numbers are from a few weeks ago for about a month. I've been off track for a week or so (thought I typed that, hard to concentrate with lack of sleep and a sick baby at the minute). You are right though, my numbers recently are terrible. I don't want to allow myself to keep going this way so I'm trying to find a livable solution.

I don't think your numbers are terrible at all. I am guessing that 1800-2000 is at least what you should be for maintenance. I am 5'5" 135# and maintaining on 2000-2200. That is why I can't see you needing to only eat 1400 to maintain, and think maybe you are way over eating on days you don't track.

Laoch_Cailin

You are probably right. Maybe I'd be better making myself track and stay on track for a month and see what happens. Just scared more weight will creep on and it'll be harder to lose again, if you know what I mean. Thanks for commenting. Much appreciated. Kinda nice to know people are at the same place.

Jamesecj

Are you currenly residing in Ireland or are you living in the US?... This may be a good time to consider your healthy protein to carb to fat ratios. That really does make a difference.

No I still live in Ireland. Never been to the US.

I think I'm gonna rethink my food intake and increase cals by 200 per week. Think exercise will have to be more consistent too.

Okie dokie, I was just wondering because I was gonna suggest something that's only available in the U.S . However, excercise should help too