any maintainers out there?

Natashaa1991 · November 2012

Ok so I am finally happy with my weight. I have lost the weight slowly, it took me a while, and I know that the journey is not over for me, keeping the weight off requires hard work too.
I workout (lift) 3 times a week and it's perfect, so i am not planning to change that.
As for food... Right now my goal is 1500 kcal (i have 1 cheat day a week >2000) but i would be really happy if i could eat more everyday, safely!
I try to eat healthy food and around 100g of protein per day. I think that 1800 would make me pretty satisfied

But I am so scared, I can't help feeling guilty when I go over 1500. I have used various maintenance calorie calculators and i got everything from 1500 to 1850, even 2100 on the days when i workout. I went from "normal" to "thin" (not anorexic, i'm 5'8" 112 lbs, or 173 cm 51kg) and I want to stay this way, but can I really relax and eat more or do i have to always restrict myself in order to keep this body?
Somebody suggested slowly upping calorie intake, like +100 kcal every week.
How did you guys manage to eat more without gaining? (btw when I say MORE i don't mean 300 kcal worth of broccoli, i mean cookies and all those "bad" foods that i've been denying myself when i was trying to lose)

Natashaa1991 · November 2012

no one?

honeysprinkles · November 2012

bump
I'm not maintaining, but I think raising 100cal a week sounds like a good idea, that way you can make adjustments as you need them and find out your maintenance amount!
good luck and great job reaching your goals! you look great

Natashaa1991 · November 2012

thanks girlie

xx
ok i'll try to do this. I want me like 200 kcal worth of ice cream or cookies every night after dinner.
is that gonna make me fat?

let's see

amonkey794 · November 2012

look at the EMTWL group on here. I think you will like it

PayneAS · November 2012

I've been maintaining now for 2 months though not quite intentionally. And yep, look at my diary... I eat cookies and all kinds of stuff.

To figure out your maintenance level is kind of a guessing game. If you were losing 0.5 lb/wk eating 1500 calories then raise your intake 250 calories a day. That should be your maintenance level. If you gain... drop it down a little or if you lose, raise it up a little more.

schlange11b · November 2012

I am trying to maintain as well, and am having the same issue. I can't help but cringe every time I see me calories nearing the mark. I have it set to gain a half pound a week right now, and it does seem to help, as I keep it under the "goal", but still eat enough to maintain. Not perfect, but it's working so far.

Edit: To address the second part of your question, as opposed to doing cookies and ice cream, I try to add more healthy fats, and make servings of things just a little bigger. But hey, whatever works for you.

BinaryPulsar · November 2012

I'm maintaining. I am small (5'2", 100 pounds), mid thirties, I'm a dancer and I also lift weights 3 days a week. I started at 1800 and have found that every couple months I up my calories by 100, in order to not lose weight. I'm making the shift to 2000 now. I could go down to 1950 or it could keep going up to 2200. If I were you I would experiment with upping the calories because if you can eat more then why not and trying it out is the only way to know.

jenilla1 · November 2012

I am 5'7" and have been maintaining at 130-135 for a year and a half. When I got to goal I set my maintenance calories, and started gradually eating 100 cals or so more (than my deficit cals) each week until I got to maintenance level. I have had no problems and it has been super easy to maintain. If you find you start creeping up again, just make adjustments. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

barbiecat · November 2012

:flowerforyou: I have maintained my weight for two years by continuing to log food and exercise and eating and exercising just as wisely as I did when I was losing weight. I stay away from any food that doesn't nourish my body.......I don't eat for recreation.....I meet my friends for a walk rather than a meal....I look for every opportunity to be active

:flowerforyou: when I first reached my goal weight I added 50 calories a week until I found what was comfortable.

RoadsterGirlie · November 2012

I've been maintaining at the low end of my BMI (between 18.5 and 19) for about a year now. I eat about 1900 calories a day, and a few more on the weekends. I do exercise 5x a week for an hour with cardio and weights.

I added calories back very slowly (starting out from 1400), but I still continued to drop weight. It finally leveled off after about two months after hitting my original goal.

Natashaa1991 · November 2012

thanks guys!! Even though i know that it's better to get 300 more calories worth of protein or something nutritious, i'd still rather have something junk (yolo, right)
let's hope this maintaining thing is super easy as you all say.
from next week i will start adding 50 calories a week just to be sure.

Mtnshelby · November 2012

I've been maintaining my weight within 10 pounds for almost 19 years. I joined MFP to stop playing games with myself--I binge for days at a time then get back on track way too much. I'm an avid exerciser, so that helps, but I have to stop the stress eating. If anyone is in a similar situation, feel free to contact me.

rainbowbow · November 2012

I'm maintaining.

I upped my calories to around 100+ every week until I found where I started to gain/lose. I maintain around 1700 on non active days and 2,100 on lifting days.

Also, I still eat pretty much eat the same foods I did when I was trying to lose. I might just throw in a skinny cow here or an extra apple or almonds there.

btkkterry · November 2012

I'm 5'8" and just hit my 135 lb goal so I'm maintenance now, im trying to gain a little muscle weight now

any maintainers out there?

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