What have YOU done to sucessfully maintain?

hiryze

I have lost 50 pounds and decided to switch to maintenance until I have more time to resume strength training (probably in a month). I don't really care to lose any more weight but would like to eventually lose about 4% more in body fat. I have gotten so used to eating 1300-1400 calories a day I am having a hard time eating more without adding junk. I really like the changes I have made in my diet over the last 6 months and don't care to go back to my old habits. So, I was wondering what others do to eat more. Do you maintain your weight-loss diet most meals and eat one bigger meal a day?Do you just eat more of what you were eating before while losing weight? Add more "treats"? What have you done to successfully maintain?

hiryze

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JesterMFP

Hello, I've been maintaining since November, although it's still early days for me yet. I'm still getting my head around maintenance at the moment.

On the whole, I'm doing exactly what I did while losing weight. I'm still exercising the same, and I log my food every day just the same. I find sticking to habits and routines really helps me. I've never found it hard to add a few more calories in here and there. If I'm low for the day, I'll add a slice of bread and butter (or better, buttered toast!), or a piece of fruit, or some chocolate, or some nuts, or whatever... I don't really see food as "good" or "bad" or "junk", so the possibilities are endless! If I'm not hungry and have a lot of calories left over, I usually have a milky drink like ovaltine or horlicks, which add protein and cals, and are fortified with micronutrients too. I don't have any protein powder at the moment, but a protein shake would be a good option too if you're not hungry.

As for treats - I have chocolate most days, and other things like ice cream from time to time. That's no different from when I was losing though. I just try to make sure I reach certain targets for protein, fibre, potassium and iron, and then I'm pretty relaxed about how the rest of my calories are taken up. Like you, I'm reluctant to go back to my old eating habits, which weren't very healthy. At the same time, I love food - all kinds of food - so it's important for me to find a balance.

You might find this group helpful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/169-maintenance

hiryze

Thank you JesterMFP for the great advice. I agree that it came be tough to mentally switch to maintenance mode and to figure out how to do it. I think that for me is much harder than adding extra calories. I'll check out the maintenance group for sure!