Tips on how to maintain current weight!

abursey1
abursey1 Posts: 36
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Thanks to MFP and everyone on here being so supportive, I managed to reach my weight loss goal of 120lbs!! Now I am struggling with how to maintain my current weight. I reached my goal on Tuesday, so now I am trying to adjust my life to maintaining my current weight. I have no idea how much I should be exercising and how much to be eating...should I slowing ramp up my calories or should I just start eating my new calorie goal? And for 4 months straight, I worked out 7 days a week with Jillian Michaels DVD's and now I am wondering, should I continue to do the DVD's everyday..or every other day? Or would taking my son on a 40-60 minute walk everyday be enough??? I am so lost....losing weight was the easy part for me..now I am struggling to figure out to maintain my current weight!! Any advice anyone could give would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Replies

  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
    I have seen the following suggested for food -- Slowly increase your daily calories in increments 100-200 cals. Stick with that for about a week or two then increase again.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I have maintained my weight with little fluctuations for 5 years. I work out 5 times a week (intense workouts, usually an hour) and I switch them up every 8 weeks or so...I love weight training and am not a slave to cardio like I was when I was losing the weight. I also figured out my maintenance calories and try to stick within them for the most part, although I like to track everything because I am anal, it is second nature to me now and I really don't NEED to track them. I know what to eat after 5 years.

    Time, it takes time. Don't be scared to add additional calories but don't add them all at once either. Ease into the transition. Work out as much as you like! It is up to you what you want to/can do.

    Congrats!
  • shattakeet
    shattakeet Posts: 1
    I would advise that you maintain your diet and see what happens as you decrease your DVD exercise from 7 days a week to perhaps 5 days a week. See what happens to your weight with just that chancge over the couse of 2 or three weeks. If you are still maintaining your weight, you can then look at making other adjustments. The problem with losing weight is that in order to keep it off we must make changes that will become our new lifestyle. So be very careful with sliding back into old habits now that you have reached your goal weight. Fat is infinitely easier to gain back than it is to lose!!!
  • tex43
    tex43 Posts: 229
    I have maintained my weight with little fluctuations for 5 years. I work out 5 times a week (intense workouts, usually an hour) and I switch them up every 8 weeks or so...I love weight training and am not a slave to cardio like I was when I was losing the weight. I also figured out my maintenance calories and try to stick within them for the most part, although I like to track everything because I am anal, it is second nature to me now and I really don't NEED to track them. I know what to eat after 5 years.

    Time, it takes time. Don't be scared to add additional calories but don't add them all at once either. Ease into the transition. Work out as much as you like! It is up to you what you want to/can do.

    Congrats!
    When you say you know what to eat,are you speaking in terms of portion sizes or just healthy/clean food?
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Both. I know how many calories my body needs/likes and I know it definitely likes healthy food! I don't eat any crap, I figure, if I want to cheat a little I will eat some good stuff, like a filet and homemade mashed potatoes! I haven't touched fast food in 5 years, and have absolutely no desire to...I definitely think your body adapts to good changes.
  • NewImprovedCnbethea1
    NewImprovedCnbethea1 Posts: 1,108
    Both. I know how many calories my body needs/likes and I know it definitely likes healthy food! I don't eat any crap, I figure, if I want to cheat a little I will eat some good stuff, like a filet and homemade mashed potatoes! I haven't touched fast food in 5 years, and have absolutely no desire to...I definitely think your body adapts to good changes.
    Congrats on your 5yr success!! Does that include sit down restaurants as well? If you dont mind me askin what was your highest weight?
  • NewImprovedCnbethea1
    NewImprovedCnbethea1 Posts: 1,108
    Congrats on reaching your goal I know that is an awesome moment for you!!!:flowerforyou: You will have to increase your calories to maintain and you want to do that gradually. I have been told you still need to maintain a healthy workout routine as well.
  • tex43
    tex43 Posts: 229
    Both. I know how many calories my body needs/likes and I know it definitely likes healthy food! I don't eat any crap, I figure, if I want to cheat a little I will eat some good stuff, like a filet and homemade mashed potatoes! I haven't touched fast food in 5 years, and have absolutely no desire to...I definitely think your body adapts to good changes.

    I'm with you on the healthy food,or lack of crap,we never eat junk food,and don't crave it,I guess what I meant was,would you say your biggest key to a successful maintenance is whatching your portion sizes or just healthy eating all together?
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I was 127 at my highest weight (after my baby was a year old and after dropping the actual pregnancy pounds). It took me 6 months to get to 105.

    Weight loss and maintenance is a simple mathmatical formula (as we all know ;)) - once you know the formula (for example, for me it is 1500-1600 calories per day), and you've stuck with it for so many months, it comes natural. Yes I do mean portion control but for me (and my husband) we completely changed the way we cooked, the foods we ate, only whole grains, lots of veggies, 2% cheese (and less of it), no butter, etc.. They don't lie when they say it is a lifestyle change. My husband came from an Italian family so was always overweight, then I joined the crew and the weight came on and wouldn't come off until we stopped eating that way. Now we have kids who I cook for and I want to set a good example for them. I just may have the only 7 and 9 year old that when I ask them what they would like me to cook them they say "sauteed spinach with garlic and pine nuts". LOL!! It becomes part of you.

    Yes I do go to restaurants, probably 1-2 times a week, however I don't go to Outback or Chili's. I stick to sushi and mom and pop type places where the ingredients are fresh, I could never go back to that type of eating and I never want to!! I prefer to cook at home anyway, I love knowing exactly what goes into my mouth and the kids!!

    Oops, didn't mean to hiijack the thread I got a little ahead of myself there. LOL!
  • tex43
    tex43 Posts: 229
    I was 127 at my highest weight (after my baby was a year old and after dropping the actual pregnancy pounds). It took me 6 months to get to 105.

    Weight loss and maintenance is a simple mathmatical formula (as we all know ;)) - once you know the formula (for example, for me it is 1500-1600 calories per day), and you've stuck with it for so many months, it comes natural. Yes I do mean portion control but for me (and my husband) we completely changed the way we cooked, the foods we ate, only whole grains, lots of veggies, 2% cheese (and less of it), no butter, etc.. They don't lie when they say it is a lifestyle change. My husband came from an Italian family so was always overweight, then I joined the crew and the weight came on and wouldn't come off until we stopped eating that way. Now we have kids who I cook for and I want to set a good example for them. I just may have the only 7 and 9 year old that when I ask them what they would like me to cook them they say "sauteed spinach with garlic and pine nuts". LOL!! It becomes part of you.

    Yes I do go to restaurants, probably 1-2 times a week, however I don't go to Outback or Chili's. I stick to sushi and mom and pop type places where the ingredients are fresh, I could never go back to that type of eating and I never want to!! I prefer to cook at home anyway, I love knowing exactly what goes into my mouth and the kids!!

    Oops, didn't mean to hiijack the thread I got a little ahead of myself there. LOL!

    Very helpful,thanks a bunch!
  • BiloxiBelle
    BiloxiBelle Posts: 680 Member
    COngrats on reaching your goal! Hopefully you have put on some muscle while doing the Shred & your metabolism should be much better than it was prior to working out...so you should be able to gradually add in 100 calories here & there until you feel what's best for you. I suggest setting new goals. I try to always have a goal...whether it is to increase my endurance, increase the weights I'm able to lift, start a running program, etc. I also continue to weigh myself & take measurements every month just to make sure I'm still on track. I try to catch any weight gain as soon as possible. I allow myself a 2-3 pound fluctation, but when I start creeping too close to a 3-4 pound gain...I go back to hitting the harder workouts, watch the diet a little more closely, etc. Now can also be the time to start "perfecting things" in your diet....keeping sodium below 2400, cut out soda if you drink it, try out new, healthy foods, etc...

    Hopefully throughout your journey you were able to make a lifestyle change. If so, maintenance will be easier than you think. Eat as clean as possible & continue to workout (although maybe not as much) & you should be fine! Other than a brief period after Hurricane Katrina where I gained 9 pounds (which I've since lost), I've been at basically the same weight for over 12 years....You can do it!!!
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