let's hear it for maintainenance

themedalist

What a great thread! I reached my goal in July, my 1 year anniversary of joining MFP. I've found maintenance pretty easy. I eat roughly 2000 calories a day and walk 3-4 miles a day according to my Fitbit. Because I NEVER want to lose 45 pounds again, the deal I've struck with myself is I weigh in every morning and whenever the scale is 2 pounds higher than my usual weight I start logging my food and being a bit more diligent with what I'm eating. It's only happened a few times since July.

Kicking my sugar habit was one of the best decisions I've made. I don't think I could maintain my weight if I still craved sugar.

Congrats everyone!

Breadbar

Bump

iris2811

bump

TigerEyes1969

Bumping to refer to you as I deal with small struggles on my weight loss journey. :devil:

70davis

Bump

kevin3344

I've been maintaining for a while, well since joining MFP, and my secret weapon has definitely been eating as clean as possible and running. I ran track in high school, gave it up for a while and started running again several years ago. It definitely helps keep the weight off. I also try and vary my workouts. This year I've completed a marathon, 2-half-marathons, an 8k, the Warrior Dash, Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, Ripped In 30, and also a few TRX classes sprinkled in there...anything to challenge myself.

I'm 45, 5'11" 170lbs. Calories are set at 2,100.

shmunster

Been maintaining for 9 months now, it's hard, so much more temptation because you've got those extra calories to play with but I am determined to keep it off, decemer I've been slipping but I still keep logging away and weighing in each week and keeping myself accountable

I've also had a couple of Injuries that have set me back each time I get really into a particular type of exercise but I just keep walking and let the rest sort itself out

Jennifer_Lynn_1982

Great thread!! I literally just hit goal yesterday and have now set my profile to maintenance...honestly, I'm a bit scared...thank you for the tips, if any of you are looking for maintenance friends, please feel free to add.

I'm 30, from Vancouver, 5'5, SW 156.8, CW 134.6

thx_1138

I was at goal 10 mo. ago and have lost another 12lbs since then.

uwdawg07

I hit my first goal of 120-121, and I've been maintaining, even though I want to be losing. haha

But I'm 5'3" and maintaining on 1500-1600 calories a day. I exercise a lot and will be upping my calories to 1800 or so, so we'll see what happens with my weight.

Great thread!

ggaspard

I have been on maintenance for 2 months now. I really feel I need variety to keep it up. Constantly looking for new food and exercise choices. I am 5'5" 135 eating at about 1700 calories a day.

_namaste_

Love this thread!

lamarnnem

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

Great post.

mttlng

My puppy's name is Waffles

vjohn04

Love this thread. I see that a few of you didn't like the very low calorie restrictive diet (I'm assuming 1200). I'm 5'2 174lbs my goal is to lose 44lbs. Any tips or suggestions? How much was your calorie intake when you were losing? I'm strongly considering increasing my calories to 1500.

I lost at 1200 NET, easy. Each person is so different.

I now eat 1900-1960 to maintain.

I'm 5' 8.5" and around 142.

vjohn04

My puppy's name is Waffles

LOL!!!!

That's a GREAT name!

smittybuilt19

Very useful thread folks. Will have to refer to this in the coming months when I reach GW. Congratulations all!

BluthLover

Love this thread. I see that a few of you didn't like the very low calorie restrictive diet (I'm assuming 1200). I'm 5'2 174lbs my goal is to lose 44lbs. Any tips or suggestions? How much was your calorie intake when you were losing? I'm strongly considering increasing my calories to 1500.

I lost at 1200 NET, easy. Each person is so different.

I now eat 1900-1960 to maintain.

I'm 5' 8.5" and around 142.

VJ- I'm 5'3 and 135 currently. I'm trying to lose but basically maintain at 1800 calories gross. I've never gone below 1600 gross calories per day. I also splurge on weekends usually at least once. I workout 6 days a week.

lieselLalor

Bump.

steffiejayne

Bump.