Maintenance?

jrmartinezb
jrmartinezb Posts: 147 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Now that I’ve reached my GW I am a little worried about maintenance. Looking at my diary I’ve realized that I consistently go over my goal, often going over maintenance on weekends. That is not something I really cared about while losing; worst case scenario I would reach my goal weight a little later. Now at maintenance the story is a little different. I know that If I consistently go a couple hundred pounds over this time, the weight will slowly but surely creep back up.

In your opinion/experience what is the best strategy for maintaining? Aim for something a little below maintenance level (knowing there will be days when you will go over) or just aim for the “real” number and do everything possible to stay on target?

Replies

  • meganrpelican
    meganrpelican Posts: 51 Member
    that is such a pain. i kept mine at wait loss and test things i might eat and hit complete diary. if it tells me a weight higher than what i weigh i choose something different. probably not the most effiecient way but that part where they say if every day were like today you would weigh.... really motivates me. i tried to mantiain without mfp and gained back some weight.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I keep my goal at 250 below maintenance, because during the weekend (Friday through Sunday) I will more likely than not go over my calories, so by being 250 under for four days, that's 1,000 that I could (in theory) go over on the weekend (about 334 calories over/day), and still be at maintenance for the week.

    Works for me. I've maintained a weight of 128-135 for quite a while now.
  • KazSmith68
    KazSmith68 Posts: 85
    I'm also worried about maintaining, I certainly don't want to put weight back on as its given me a much higher calorie goal, should I have just left it at lose half a pound a week even though I really don't want to?
  • BigMech
    BigMech Posts: 472 Member
    I average it out over the week rather trying to nail it down per day.

    I also allow myself a 5lb window, and if I hit either side of the window, I either adjust my intake or exercise to get back to my goal weight. I've been doing this for about 16 months now successfully.
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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I keep my goal at 250 below maintenance, because during the weekend (Friday through Sunday) I will more likely than not go over my calories, so by being 250 under for four days, that's 1,000 that I could (in theory) go over on the weekend (about 334 calories over/day), and still be at maintenance for the week.

    Works for me. I've maintained a weight of 128-135 for quite a while now.

    That's a nice approach and good to know. I'm still about 15 Lbs away, but I've already been thinking about it. I take more of a weekly approach with my weight loss as well, so should be a fairly smooth transition I think.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    If you've been losing while consistently going over your goal, then maybe your goal has been too low. Maybe your maintenance will be higher than you think.

    Nothing is carved in stone. If you go on maintenance and keep losing, up your calories. If you start to gain, taper them back a bit. It will take trial and error to find the right range for you.

    Hell, I've been maintaining over a year and a half, and I'm still tweaking things.
  • tatd_820
    tatd_820 Posts: 573 Member
    Im almost to the maintenance phase and I am worried. I do not want all this hard work to be for nothing. Im still in the zone right now and I dont ever want that to end. My goals are to be Healthy, Fit and Strong, and I am there! Now to maintain =) I think keeping an active lifestyle and not going back to old ways will help us maintain. I personally have changed everything about my eating habbits and thinking about food in general. Good luck!

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