"JANE! Stop this crazy thing !" How do I stop?

Biscuiteater1

I've been on the plan for 90 days and have been doing better than I ever expected. To date, I have officially lost 42 pounds. I've had a few minor plateaus but for the most part my weight loss has been steady. I'm 8 pounds from reaching my goal and I do not want to go past that point. I guess my question is ..How do I stop and maintain? I am hovering around 1500 calories a day now with fair to moderate exercise 2-4 times a week. Thanks in advance for any input. Karl

nsblue

Im sure someone has a scientific way to figure it out...but in my opinion....if one is going to continue with the exercise regime u have...one must increase cals. test it and add 100 cal at a time n watch your scale... before long you and your body will know how many cals to eat in maintainance

kwseneca

First off CONGRATS!
When you and your healthcare professional think you are at a healthy weight that you want to maintain, things get a lot easier.

Just eat more than you were when you were dieting. Maybe 1900-2000 calories a day to maintain. Stay active. Eat lots of good fats. If you feel healthy, I think it is officially time to up your calorie goal. Jealous!

SJ46

Your maintenance calories can be found by determining your TDEE as explained in this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
Just remember that when using your TDEE for maintenance you do not eat your exercise calories like MFP suggests.

Mokey41

It's nice to have a little cushion when you get to goal because most people can't hold right on a specific weight. I allow myself a 5 lb swing (2.5 above or below) before I get concerned. My method was to get to goal and then start adding a few calories back and just play around until I hit a place that I maintain at.