I reached my goal, but what now?

rcbeck99
rcbeck99 Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I reached my goal of 120 last week and I couldn't be happier. My question is, what now? I'm ok with losing a little more but not too much. My activity level is/was sedentary as I don't have a very physically demanding job (bank teller) and my cals were set at 1200 per MFP. This worked out well for me and I usually ate back my exercise cals every day I exercised. I guess what I want to know is, should I now up my cals and continue to workout as I have? Thanks for any advice! =)

Replies

  • Lee716
    Lee716 Posts: 150 Member
    Don't have any advice, but congratulations on reaching your goal!
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Party, with cake.
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member
    Wish I could help with the question, but I'll help with the party instead. Champagne for everyone! (in moderation of course)
    Congratulations!! :bigsmile:
  • anaju61
    anaju61 Posts: 34 Member
    I think now you have to figure out the calories to maintain your current weight and take it from there. Congrats.
  • stephanie1133
    stephanie1133 Posts: 211
    I'd kind of slowly start adding calories and see where your maintenance level is. You may slowly lose while you are doing this, but you should eventually find where you break even. That's my plan for when I hit goal anyway.
  • EIEIannone
    EIEIannone Posts: 59 Member
    Set a new goal. :) There are always new challenges. You don't have to necessarily lose more weight, but make a new fitness goal or something else that will challenge you.
  • bet3120
    bet3120 Posts: 125
    I think now you have to figure out the calories to maintain your current weight and take it from there. Congrats.

    I agree 100% and a new goal of fitness
  • kaylabdermer
    kaylabdermer Posts: 9
    I would try this out and see what it tells you you need to maintain, then increase your calories slowly (maybe 200 every three days)

    For WOMEN: 655 + (4.35 x Weight in pounds)+(4.7 x Height in inches) - (4.7x Age)= BMR The amount of calories your body burns just from being alive

    FOR MEN: 66+(6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - ( 6.8 age in years)= BMR. that amount of calories you burn just from being alive.

    Step 2: Take that number and multiply by your activity level:

    1.2 Sedentary (little to no exercise)
    1.375 Lightly Active (1-3 days a week)
    1.55 Moderately Active (3-5 days a week)
    1.7 Very Active (6-7 days a week)

    Step 3:

    LOSE weight: Subtract 500
    MAINTAIN weight: keep the number the same
    GAIN weight: Add 500

    The final number is the amount of calories you should eat a day.
  • deejaycee114
    deejaycee114 Posts: 139 Member
    congrats on achieving your goal! i would say, change your settings from losing X lb per week to maintain your weight and keep up with your exercise.
  • Angie_Fritts
    Angie_Fritts Posts: 263 Member
    I think now you have to figure out the calories to maintain your current weight and take it from there. Congrats.

    THIS^^
  • lamilli09
    lamilli09 Posts: 354 Member
    I reached my goal weight a few weeks back. Since then, I've been fiddling with my calories trying to set a good maintenance intake. Also, I set a new fitness goal for myself. (I want to be able to run a 5k.) It's just the little things, I guess.

    Congrats on meeting your goal weight!!
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    I allowed myself to get 5lbs below my goal and then I work at keeping my weight under my goal weight by a few lbs. I found out what my maintenance level was, but left my goal at my weight loss level. I zig zag calories more than I used to and if the lbs creep up I go back to the 1200 for a while. I kept my work out routine, I love the fitness level I obtained and want to keep it. I hit my goal Aug 2011 so I have been successful so far. It has been a lifesaver keeping active on MFP and keeping up with the support system.
  • ShaSimone
    ShaSimone Posts: 270 Member
    Find your maintainence calories and slowly increase your calories consumed to that maintenance number while maintaining the same level of exercise. Once you are to that point you no longer need to eat exercise calories back. Scooby's workshop is a good website to do these calculations.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Set a new goal. :) There are always new challenges. You don't have to necessarily lose more weight, but make a new fitness goal or something else that will challenge you.

    x2

    The trick to keeping it off is that you are never "done". You just enter a new phase when a major goal is reached.
  • rcbeck99
    rcbeck99 Posts: 56 Member
    Thanks everyone for the advice and the congrats. =) And yes, I did celebrate with a little bit of cake!
  • rcbeck99
    rcbeck99 Posts: 56 Member
    I would try this out and see what it tells you you need to maintain, then increase your calories slowly (maybe 200 every three days)

    For WOMEN: 655 + (4.35 x Weight in pounds)+(4.7 x Height in inches) - (4.7x Age)= BMR The amount of calories your body burns just from being alive

    FOR MEN: 66+(6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - ( 6.8 age in years)= BMR. that amount of calories you burn just from being alive.

    Step 2: Take that number and multiply by your activity level:

    1.2 Sedentary (little to no exercise)
    1.375 Lightly Active (1-3 days a week)
    1.55 Moderately Active (3-5 days a week)
    1.7 Very Active (6-7 days a week)

    Step 3:

    LOSE weight: Subtract 500
    MAINTAIN weight: keep the number the same
    GAIN weight: Add 500

    The final number is the amount of calories you should eat a day.

    If all I want to do is maintain, do I eat back the exercise cals or not?
  • kaylabdermer
    kaylabdermer Posts: 9
    Nope - don't eat your exercise calories back, that number INCLUDES the exercise you'll do. Just stick to around that number and you'll be fine.
  • rcbeck99
    rcbeck99 Posts: 56 Member
    Ok thanks!
  • porscheparcher
    porscheparcher Posts: 81
    Congratulations rcbeck! :)

    I suggest making a NEW goal! Do you want to be more toned in a certain area, have better control over eating a certain type of food? Maybe you want to improve your endurance or flatten your tummy. There are so many things! If you want we can talk more about them. I'm here for ya :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Time to add muscle lol... or what i am doing is working on improving athletic perfornance. Or cut more body fat.
  • mair123
    mair123 Posts: 50 Member
    Congratulations on achieving your goal! You should be very proud. Go to your MFP profile and choose the maintain weight option. I would continue to track your calories and keep up the work outs.
  • NataBost
    NataBost Posts: 418 Member
    Set a new goal. :) There are always new challenges. You don't have to necessarily lose more weight, but make a new fitness goal or something else that will challenge you.

    This times1000000x.
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
    vague recollection of a maintenance setting where you set your weekly weight loss goals.....?


    Oh and CONGRATS!!
  • Musically_Blessed
    Musically_Blessed Posts: 33
    On the MFP site under tools they have a calculator that says how many calories your burn doing nothing at all. I would say to maintain the weight to eat those calories, or if you still plan to exercise then to eat back the calories you burned
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    I would try this out and see what it tells you you need to maintain, then increase your calories slowly (maybe 200 every three days)

    For WOMEN: 655 + (4.35 x Weight in pounds)+(4.7 x Height in inches) - (4.7x Age)= BMR The amount of calories your body burns just from being alive

    FOR MEN: 66+(6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - ( 6.8 age in years)= BMR. that amount of calories you burn just from being alive.

    Step 2: Take that number and multiply by your activity level:

    1.2 Sedentary (little to no exercise)
    1.375 Lightly Active (1-3 days a week)
    1.55 Moderately Active (3-5 days a week)
    1.7 Very Active (6-7 days a week)

    Step 3:

    LOSE weight: Subtract 500
    MAINTAIN weight: keep the number the same
    GAIN weight: Add 500

    The final number is the amount of calories you should eat a day.

    Please note this does not work for everyone. This method increases my BMR by 459. My BMR according to all other sources is around 1690 this has me at 2149.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    I would try this out and see what it tells you you need to maintain, then increase your calories slowly (maybe 200 every three days)

    For WOMEN: 655 + (4.35 x Weight in pounds)+(4.7 x Height in inches) - (4.7x Age)= BMR The amount of calories your body burns just from being alive

    FOR MEN: 66+(6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - ( 6.8 age in years)= BMR. that amount of calories you burn just from being alive.

    Step 2: Take that number and multiply by your activity level:

    1.2 Sedentary (little to no exercise)
    1.375 Lightly Active (1-3 days a week)
    1.55 Moderately Active (3-5 days a week)
    1.7 Very Active (6-7 days a week)

    Step 3:

    LOSE weight: Subtract 500
    MAINTAIN weight: keep the number the same
    GAIN weight: Add 500

    The final number is the amount of calories you should eat a day.

    Please note this does not work for everyone. This method increases my BMR by 459. My BMR according to all other sources is around 1690 this has me at 2149.

    Or use the site below to estimate BMR and then start at step 2


    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • lx_moss
    lx_moss Posts: 7 Member
    I found the easiest way to maintain weight loss is to eat normally, I usually don't track when I eat normally. You'll give yourself a five pound window 120-125. Weigh yourself once a week. Once you hit that 125, start counting calories again to bring yourself back down to 120. As time goes on, the time it takes you to get to 125 will be longer and longer. This is because your body is getting used to being at that weight. I think this is a great alternative if you don't feel like you want to track every calorie for the rest of your life :)
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Maintenance.

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