Maintenance

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I want to try something different for maintenance.......

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pelleld
pelleld Posts: 363 Member
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...and I'm wondering is anyone else has done it? I've been maintaining for about 1 1/2 years and I'm just looking to try out something different. I exercise 5 days per week and eat back those calories. On weekends I don't exercise so I get fewer calories. Weekends feel like they should be times when you get a little extra, not less, so I thought I'd try something new.

I'd like to not eat my exercise calories on the day I earn them and bank them instead for the weekend. I'm thinking that as long as my weekly total equals my maintenance calories that I should be OK. But I'm wondering if anyone else has done it this way.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • mpf1
    mpf1 Posts: 1,437 Member
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    Makes sense to me! I keep thinking about how to make maintenance more effective and interesting! I've been thinking about LeanGains.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    I know that would be fine--I take an average of my calories and eat them throughout the week--so have big swings w/some days over, some under, and it works fine.

    I'm the same--definitely eating more on the weekends, but then not as much during the week. I do exercise every day though, but doing lighter stuff on weekends, like yoga and stretching, nothing too serious....

    I think you'll do well w/this method....
  • 4ahealthybmi
    4ahealthybmi Posts: 18 Member
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    Congrats on getting close to two years of maintenance! That is a real achievement!

    What you're talking about sounds like a form of calorie cycling, and I've heard of people having good results with it, as long as they can drop down to the lower levels as planned.

    http://www.ehow.com/way_5578997_calorie-cycling-weight-loss.html

    I personally have to be careful not to get used to eating more, because my body then expects that much food all the time.

    But if it works for you, then go for it!
  • gimpygramma
    gimpygramma Posts: 383 Member
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    One of my MFP friends does this and has been successful in maintaining her weight for some time now.
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
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    Do you know your TDEE number? That should be your AVERAGE total calories burned per day based on your average weight and activity level. If you use the TDEE method, you don't eat back exercise calories and you have the flexibility of moving the calories around to give yourself room for special days or weekends.

    I like this calculator:

    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
  • veganashley
    veganashley Posts: 70 Member
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    I sometimes end up doing this if I go out to eat on the weekend and go over my calories. It works out fine for me. Although I agree with the comment above about making sure my body doesn't come to "expect" extra calories all the time.

    I think I am personally happier when I stay right around my TDEE and keep it fairly consistent (it sucks being hungry on lower calorie days!), but in terms of maintaining, I don't think it makes a difference to zig zag calories.
  • pelleld
    pelleld Posts: 363 Member
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    Do you know your TDEE number? That should be your AVERAGE total calories burned per day based on your average weight and activity level. If you use the TDEE method, you don't eat back exercise calories and you have the flexibility of moving the calories around to give yourself room for special days or weekends.

    I like this calculator:

    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

    Using the calculator above and selecting moderately active, my TDEE is 2136. That seems high to me. Am I really supposed to average that many calories per day? And I could maintain on that?
  • 4ahealthybmi
    4ahealthybmi Posts: 18 Member
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    I have had trouble with all of those formulae that estimate my caloric needs. All of them are off, some by a lot. :-(

    Being the geek I am, I actually estimate my TDEE with a Google spreadsheet based on my calories eaten and what the scale is doing. PM me if you want the link that describes how I do that.
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
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    Do you know your TDEE number? That should be your AVERAGE total calories burned per day based on your average weight and activity level. If you use the TDEE method, you don't eat back exercise calories and you have the flexibility of moving the calories around to give yourself room for special days or weekends.

    I like this calculator:

    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

    Using the calculator above and selecting moderately active, my TDEE is 2136. That seems high to me. Am I really supposed to average that many calories per day? And I could maintain on that?

    Since you've been maintaining for a year and a half, you probably have a pretty good pattern.

    If you don't feel comfortable with the calculator's number, I think I would take your total calories eaten over the last two weeks and divide by 14 to get an average daily calorie figure. It would interesting to see how close it is to the calculator's number! :)
  • quietHiker
    quietHiker Posts: 1,442 Member
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    I know that would be fine--I take an average of my calories and eat them throughout the week--so have big swings w/some days over, some under, and it works fine.

    I'm the same--definitely eating more on the weekends, but then not as much during the week. I do exercise every day though, but doing lighter stuff on weekends, like yoga and stretching, nothing too serious....

    I think you'll do well w/this method....

    ^^^I got this same exact advice from Robin too, She's a great maintenance friend :) Bank and use on the weekend. I do that too :)

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