let's hear it for maintainenance

yorkieII

thank you all for sharing .. very helpful!!

CoderGal

I use to dance 9 times a week and stopped and started going back to school. I went through a bad breakup and was on my way to gaining 30lbs in less then a year, avoiding pictures like the plague. I have 0 pics of me at my largest. It wasn't good weight, it was sedentary, blob squish weight. I was thin my whole life. In fact, I was 90lbs in grade 10 (danced 9 times a week plus other activities). Mom wouldn't let me buy my favorite clothes because I looked sickly thin and pump food into me, I just couldn't gain weight. I use to win eating contests with friends from school and was ironically accused of being anorexic (I'm the skinny leg one):


So I gained all this weight, and my resting heart rate spiked to 110. I felt like crap. So then I came here without knowing anything and set myself up to lose 1lb a week (not knowing if that was allot) and it gave me 1200 calories. I felt starving but got use to it. I have a tendency of looking into things so looked into the math required to lose weight. Eventually I set my calories to netting 1700 calories and I still lost a lb a week and felt a whole lot better (and my hair stopped appearing on the shower walls). If you're taller, or not very over weight, I highly recommend a smaller deficit to keep as much nutrition as possible. You well still lose, probably faster then you think if you stick to it. This is me on my way to my goal:


I lost 30lbs being mostly sedentary. By the time I lost all the weight I didn't have much muscle mass since I did it all with dieting.


I started exercising and eating more and maintained for about 7 months. This is me a month after the first pics after I started hiking:


As of late, I was still disappointing that I lost all my muscle mass, so for the past few months I've purposely gained 10lbs (since you cannot gain muscle on a calorie deficit) . I also took up a weight routine since hiking on cliffs during this weather is kind of unreasonable. I have a bad back, arthritis, and a frigged up heart so it's a lot more pathetic compared to what most people can do, but I've been feeling pretty good about it! Now, of course I've gained fat with this, but I intend on losing it in a few months. Sorry for such a large pic, it's the only one I have that's recent (taken yesterday):

DVMcGhie

Interested in reading all the info on this post. Thanks for the question. Maintenance is critical and I too fear losing the 10 lbs I planned to lose initially on this program. I'm just sooo surprised it works to journal what you eat. I run marathons and regularly go to the gym but never thought to limit my food intake. Now I see the difference but don't know how long I can sustain the eating journals.

LisaDunn01

Maintenance has everything to do with LIFESTYLE. For example, part of my life is exercising 3 times a week for an hour each time no matter what. I stopped dieting and just made better choices that stay with me to this day. For example, I don't eat sugar, breads, pastas, grains, etc. I eat WHOLE FOODS: protein, vegetables, fruit, nuts and good fats. My only "vice" is having organic half-and-half in my organic coffee. Other than that, I stay away from dairy products. Sometimes I eat more protein, sometimes less. Sometimes I eat more of my foods raw and sometimes I need more cooked foods (especially when it gets cold outside). Sometimes I eat a lot in a day and other days I'm not as hungry. As a result, I stay between 110-113 pounds and wear a size 2.... All at age 47! (My top weight was 145 pounds. I'm 5'3.5".) I just feed my body correctly and exercise and it does the rest!

cmdoiy

Bump! Someday I'll get here.

npca06

bump

ab_shutterbug

I've been maintaining for the past year -hovering at about 37-40 pounds loss. I would still like to lose about 10 more #. Trying to lose that last bit will require more exercise and less food, so I have to accept that and make it happen! Wish me luck.
:drinker:

NomiS6

Went into maintenance mode when working away starting mid-September last year. Had no scales for weighing food or myself but just tried to keep all portions small, had no control over the food either as the chief would do his own thing even though I was his Captain. When I left my ship and arrived home on New Year’s Eve I had only put on 6 lbs., so very happy.

MrTwilightZone

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition.
-I'm Rod Serling Thank You

msteresao

bump

jimmacdonald

It has been a year since we hit our goal, 65 lbs of weight loss.

Great year, I was able to ride two bike centuries (100 miles in a day) in Sept and Oct. During training I gain back 15 lbs of miuscle.
When your riding 150 miles a week on a bike you get to eat more calories.

Our first Maintainenance Thanksgiving, Christmas and Winter ( no outdoor biking) has added 10 lbs). O how easy it is to go back to bad habbits, and a see food diet.

We are both back on MFP logging, I find after 35 years of being together if I gain, she gains. We both have to log and remind each other it is a life change and dont want to go back to fat.

I want to lose 15 or 20 before spring. In spring I want to find the under 200 lbs mark again. Goal this year is 195.

Can't wait till spring, to hit the bike again. Goal is three centuries all under 6.5 hours. That takes alot of time on bike, lots of miles per week training.

I found that 1500 cal is what I need to maintain with our exercise. What a shock that was.

Remember it is a life change not a diet. You will never get to eat like you use to if you want to fit into skinny jeans.

Good luck in your life happyness.

Cheers
Jim

hippie_spirit

bump for later

Gerald_King

Bump for later

CalJur

Maintaining! Can't rest on your *kitten* or laurels.

giggitygoo

Bumping to read later.

I'm supposed to be maintaining but what that actually translates to is losing and then gaining back about 5 pounds.

Ely82010

In maintenance for 2 years. Lost some more weight at the beginning of 2011 but I put it back because It was too low. I didn't have much to lose so I don't know if that made any difference.

I am now between 100.5 and 102.5 lb (I am barely 5 feet and small boned). I do strength training 2 to 3 times a week, Pilates twice a week, Yoga an Ballet once a week, and very light cardio (walking, Arc fitness, stationary rowing, treadmill, etc.). I workout 5 times a week, and most of the time I take the weekends off. So far, this schedule is working for me.

My daily calories, as determined by MFP, are 1210, and I do eat now most of my exercise calories and sometimes I go over, specially when I don't exercise. My macros are 40/35/25, but I try to keep my carbs around or below 150.

Edit to add that I still log every day and faithfully complete my food and exercise diaries every day. OCD I guess!

khlesnick

This is a great thread! I got down to my goal weight of 140 lbs (I'm a little over 5'7) about a year ago. Then I finished a triathlon and gave myself a week break.... and gained it all back so fast (Up to 154!). Now I'm on my way down again and this time I'll be sticking with it. The goal is to get a little below 140 so fluctuations don't push me over and just focus on staying fit! Keeping up with Triathlons, and constantly pushing myself to new goals and longer distances. Building muscle and staying fit will be the goal, and weight maintenance should come wiht it easily.

kge0891

bump!

runningfataway

I lost 95 pounds in 20 months and have been maintaining for 16 months. This is my 3rd MFP anniversary.

I'm 5'6", I weigh between 145 and 149 and I'm about to turn 61.

I track what I eat every day faithfully as I eat it. I either run, swim, bike or elliptical every day for at least an hour.

How you maintain has a lot to do with how you gained weight in the first place. I can only speak for myself - I started gaining weight when I was in high school and I spent the next forty years at an unhealthy and obese BMI. There were some significant weight loss diets in there where I got down to where I am now and there were equal weight gains which took me back.

I'm not that careful about my exact calories but I keep to between 1800 - 2200. I weigh myself daily but I only record it once a week. It fluctuates within this four pound range. When I'm at the top of it, I'm extra careful about what I eat and I try to say "no" more often.

I'd love to lose another five pounds - I did this summer when I was in training for a sprint triathalon. I figure I'll probably lose it again next summer when I go back into training.

Maintenance is harder than losing because:

1. You exercise all the same self-restraint that you do when losing and it doesn't get much easier to do;

2. You don't get any of the thrills of losing - no lower numbers, no smaller clothes, no excited compliments. You and everybody else get used to the way you look. Life becomes normal.

3. There is skin sagging somewhere on your body.

4. Life has the same hard/sad/devastating moments that it always has. You can't comfort eat your way through them anymore so you have to find new strengths.

On the other hand,

1. You never look in the mirror, see a photo, catch a glimpse of your reflection and have that automatic cringe response. Lots and lots of times, you have a "looking good!" response.

2. You feel great physically. Your doctor loves you. You can read every article on "how to eat healthily" and think, "Yup. Got that one." You have bursts of joy when you run/bike/swim or just move. You don't get out of breath unless you want to get out of breath. You start taking up activities that never even crossed your mind before just to see if you'd enjoy them.

3. You have deep down pride in yourself. You're living life the way it is meant to be lived. You start applying what you learned about yourself to your other problems. You start owning your life.

To have those last three, I'll log every bite I eat and work out every day for the rest of my life. With a song in my heart.

Jeanne

Jeanne, I love you too.

JosieJo2000

I find maintenance really tricky. I have yo-yoed before, but have made some life changes (completely revamped my diet and exercise most days) and I haven't put any on for awhile. Ironically, sometimes I find that I start to lose too much weight. I'm scared of putting weight back on so I still eat like I had to when I was losing, it's hard to up the calories again. If I drop below my current weight (115lbs / 52kg 5'2" or 158cm small frame) I start to look old and a bit fugly so it's a difficult balancing act.

Lyra89

I've been maintaining in the same 5-10lb range for two years now!

What I have learned:

I can have a bad day here and there & treats in moderation and I wont gain.
I must eat lots of fruit & veg and drink lots of water to keep myself feeling good.
I must do at LEAST 30 minutes of activity each day...even if it is just a walk.
My original goal weight (120lbs) is too thin for my body type/my frame...I weigh the same as my slim 14 year old sister, who is built the exact same way as me, and I'm 23! (125lbs - 135lbs depending on the month) So I gave up that number-chase!
I never make myself feel guilty if I eat a take away or lots of chocolate or whatever and I never 'restrict' food the following day.
I am sure to follow a balanced diet: broccoli is good for the body, but cookies are good for the soul
OH, and lots of sleep...also, keep stress to a minimum. Yoga works wonders for this.

Lyra89

Bumping to read later.

I'm supposed to be maintaining but what that actually translates to is losing and then gaining back about 5 pounds.

That IS maintenance...nobody weighs the same number every day (normal people who aren't trying to 'lose weight') as long as your weight balances out within a 10lb range over a long period of time, you're fine. Water weight/hormonal fluctuations/constipation/muscle etc etc...SO many things to consider when talking about 'weight'.

sijomial

I'm only 4 weeks into maintenance so good to read some of the success stories on this thread. My weight is now back to where it was in my twenties. I've spent a lot of the last 30 years being fat and fit but I'm really enjoying being slimmer and fit.

Just finished slowly increasing my calories up to a net of 2000/day and really enjoying the wider food choices! Also seeing benefits in the gym now my calories aren't restricted.

I'm still following the 5:2 diet (2 days at 600 cals) partly for the health benefits and partly to support my wife who isn't at goal yet.

My targets have changed from losing weight to reducing body fat and increasing strength - trying to get down from current 22.5 to 19% fat. Switched some cardio to weights but still training for a century bicycle ride in the summer.

neandermagnon

I'm maintaining my weight. I'm still working on improving my body composition though. I'm currently at 22% body fat, aiming for 20% or maybe I'll go down to 18%, see how it goes. I'd also like to put on 5lb of lean body mass. In order to do this I'm alternating between bulking and cutting phases, while doing weightlifting.

Exactly where my weight ends up will depend on how much lean body mass I can gain, so I could end up weighing the same as I do now, or less, or slightly more. My ideal would be to be in the "overweight" category of BMI with 20% or less body fat Just because I hate BMI charts so would like to be living proof of them not applying to everyone (I already have a high lean body mass for my height and I'm not that experienced at lifting as there are women who can lift far, far more than me)

mmddwechanged

Bump

aliciab307

bump!

JenNuma

Bump

3foldchord

I am still eating under my TDEE but am maintaining the past 3 weeks. Now, I am in maintenance for my weight, so I am not upset about not losing... So, I am wondering if it's just a case of TDEE not being exact for everyone.. Maybe my actual TDEE really is less than the calculators?
Or have I messed up how my body works and it decided to work on less.

kcallas88

bump

Timshel_

Great thread. Can't wait to get back to maintenance!