question to those who are maintaining

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  • Anya06
    Anya06 Posts: 95
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    I have been maintaining since June, so 5-6 mths, and its trial and error and honestly harder sometimes than losing. Right here is why I always suggest the TDEE method when you get closer to your goal weight and maintenance. It builds your base up and you eat more bc activity like exercise is included so you are not guessing everyday. I'm sorry but 1300-1400 is very low for maintenance then to not eat more with exercise?? I maintain around 1900-2100 and have 1 day a week where I allow an overage.

    No i try not to go over on exercise days (5-6 a week) either as i am petrified to put weight on.i know its stupid but i panic if I go over 1600 to a point where I will b down all day blaming myself for eating.my thinking is that i am currently exercising and eating under 1400 cals and not losing (which i wudnt want to anyway) so if i was to eat more I then would end up putting weight on....its prob wrong thinking but does that make sense?
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
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    Ease up to the new calorie goal over a few weeks.

    Increase your caloric intake by about 150 to 200 calories/day and do that new level for a week.
    Repeat.

    Use the scale as your guide and mentor.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    You look beautiful! I agree with others about slowly increasing your calories. You will continue to lose rapidly if you eat that low amount. I'm maintaining also.
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
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    I'm maintaining at 2600 + currently.
  • KittieLea
    KittieLea Posts: 1,156 Member
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    I reached my goal in March! Since I have made goal, I really just eat when I'm hungry, and I have continued to do strength training 5 days a week and cardio 2-3 days a week. I focus on eating clean instead of a set number since I truly believe that not all calories are created equal. Some days I eat 1500, some days I eat 2000.
    I also pretty much threw out the idea of weighing myself. I go by how my clothes fit, and how my ab definition is. If my abs are looking good, I'm on the right track. If not, it's a sign I need to clean up my eating.
    Good luck and congrats on making your goal!
  • Micklord
    Micklord Posts: 2
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    Very long thread, so if this is a repeat, sorry.

    If you have plateau'ed for a month or so and you have been tracking your intake accurately and religiously, then you know FOR A FACT what your BMR+TDEE is - that is the answer. That is better than any calculated estimate.

    For every 500 calories/day you subtract from that number, you will lose one pound per week. Simple as that.

    But the key is to be honest with your tracking and track EVERYTHING!
  • slimfitnessmoms
    slimfitnessmoms Posts: 206 Member
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    I have been maintaining at 1700 calories. :smile:
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    I'm maintaining around 2000-2200 calories. Eat more. If you are afraid to jump up so quick, start by increasing by 100 calories every week. Add high protein, low sugar snacks into your current diet. Keep increasing until you stop losing.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    start by finding out where exactly you are right now, track everything for a couple weeks (or at least one if you really dont want to) so you know where you are and only then can you make a real plan.

    I eat this much a day
    I average this much burn per day
    I eat this much protein
    I eat this much fat
    I eat this much carbs
    I do this much cardio
    I lift weights this much time and these many plates
    I tend to want to eat bad after __________
    I tend to punk out on my workouts when ___________
    I know my strengths are ________ and that usually means I do/do not want to do them
    I know my weaknesses are ___________ and that usually means I suck in those areas as well as __________

    So...........

    Here's my plan for the NEXT 30 DAYS! Woohoo

    _________fill_____________
    _________out_____________
    _________your____________
    _________plan____________

    Stick it to the wall, your blog and your workplace desktop.

    OWN THAT!

    After 30 days, assess what you did then start making goals to level up in each of those areas - but not ALL THE AREAS! We have all the time in the world now- great perfect time for exploring the world of fitness without the pressure to lose weight and taste great.

    good luck darlin :flowerforyou:
  • jojo4cats
    jojo4cats Posts: 61 Member
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    I ended up getting a BodyMedia armband for the very same reason and hoping it will ease my mind.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
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    I can totally relate to what you're saying and am actually glad I'm not the only one feeling this way. I'm pretty much at goal (5'10" and about 150 lbs). However, I'm terrified of upping my calories to maintenance levels for fear of gaining everything back. I don't have a scale at home because I was/am afraid that I'd become obsessed with it, but I may need to get one just to make sure I'm maintaining when I do start upping my calories.
  • DPernet
    DPernet Posts: 481 Member
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    if you put on weight, eat less,

    if you lose weight eat more

    You want to find that spot where you stay the same. Might take a bit of trial and error :drinker:
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    I'm maintaining very well on about 1500 calories a day plus calories burned during exercise. I've been doing this for about three years now. But I'll add, my metabolism is not good. I run a few times a week, but not doing any heavy lifting right now. You'll find that the women who eat a lot to maintain or lose weight are usually the ones who lift heavy weights. If I start serious lifting again, I'll definitely increase my caloric intake by a couple hundred calories.

    135lbs, 5'6", 29f
  • flabulous4
    flabulous4 Posts: 599 Member
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    I've been maintaining for a few months now. I fluctuate between 115 and 119 pounds (I'm short, 5' 2.5"). I did find it hard at first to stop thinking so much about what I ate or drank...but to be honest I didn't log food except for the first couple of months on here to get the idea of it.
    I'd suggest that it is trial and error. When I started maintaining I also started running longer distances, so that complicated things too. However, it also gave me a different focus as I was training for a half marathon! Sometimes having something else to think about is good. Now I eat pretty much what I like...but I've noticed that I can't eat as much as I used to and my food choices are different.
    Good luck!
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
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    I had been maintaining since high school??? I weigh the same since then, except for pregnancies and postpartum before the weight came off. I got on MFP to lose my post baby belly. I started with 1200 calories and exercising (I always eat my exercise calories). I upped my calories when my body leaned out to MFP calculated maintenance calories, but I started losing weight. I guess it could had been normal fluctuation, but the number was too low for me to see on the scale. I upped it again by 150 calories to 1600 (+ exercise calories) and am maintaining. I think my maintenance is actually higher than 1600 because I am always over that, but I don't worry about it since it hasn't affected my weight/physique. Even if it did, I can always cut calories again. It's not permanent until I let it be. So take it easy and slowly up your calories. I am 5'3" and 108lbs, eating at least 1600 a day with most days closer to 1800-2000 total calories.
  • sazzydee1
    sazzydee1 Posts: 55
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    I know what you mean. I have been maintaining for just four weeks and, like you, I was scared initially of putting weight back on. I lost very easily at 1280 per day (20 lbs) since June and am now on 1770. I am 5 ft 7 in and weigh 136. However, I have lost a pound over the last four weeks so need to increase my daily calorie allowance. It is a bit of trial and error as some days you are more active than others but I still eat back exercise calories. I had a weekend away with friends, ate a curry on Friday night, Chinese on Saturday night and still haven't put any on! Makes me wonder sometimes why I weigh everything out when I'm at home!!!
  • 70davis
    70davis Posts: 348 Member
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    Bump
  • rogerbosch
    rogerbosch Posts: 343 Member
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    Maintaining is more of an art than losing. It's also an everyday evaluation of your calories/weight. When I was trying to lose 10 kilos I ate 1600 cals, to maintain I've noticed that I can eat almost twice that!

    But as someone here said: if you notice the scale is up, eat less. If you notice it's down, eat more.
  • Anya06
    Anya06 Posts: 95
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    thanks everyone...I shall work very hard on allowing myself eat more :) I love food so really I dont understand why thats an issue for me to eat more lol I also need to set myself none scale goals...so my first one is to be able to do a 10k under 55min by xmas...I think its quite achievable as I already do 7k in around 40min.I also want a more toned bum so will work on that....anyone there with similar goals add me...we can work together ;)

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