Feeling Trapped at Maintenance

24

Replies

  • MicheleWE
    MicheleWE Posts: 179 Member
    I don't know if this is true for everyone, but my MFP friends were having a discussion about being able to eat in a calorie range without gaining or losing weight. Some of them had a range of up to 400 calories. I have found this to be true for myself as well. So, don't be afraid to test the waters, just go slow and see how it works out.

    Did you "diet" for a long time? The dieting life style can wreak havoc on your metabolism but it is possible to repair it. There is a great group on MFP called Eat More 2 Weigh Less. I encourage you to check it out.
  • poohpoohpeapod
    poohpoohpeapod Posts: 776 Member
    Most hospitals have a metabolism vo2 test, it costs around 25.00 and will tell you what your bmr is. The amount of calories you burn at rest. You sit very still and breathe into a tube for a few minutes. This way you know for sure. All ofthese calculators are estimates. I was being estimated at 1500 something, in reality my bmr was 1890.
  • essjay76
    essjay76 Posts: 465 Member
    The FItBit is a nice little gadget to help you with maintenance.

    1400 sounds about right if you're sedentary and at 5'2". But then again, the FitBit, calculators, etc. are all estimates. The metabolism test you take at hospitals might be a good bet if you're worried about your calorie needs.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    I saw that you are 21 and 5'2" and you say that your presumed maintenance level is 1463 calories.

    Did you actually state your current weight? If so, I've overlooked it.

    What activity factor are you using? Did you choose sedentary or lightly active?
  • SrJoben
    SrJoben Posts: 484 Member
    I saw that you are 21 and 5'2" and you say that your presumed maintenance level is 1463 calories.

    Did you actually state your current weight? If so, I've overlooked it.

    What activity factor are you using? Did you choose sedentary or lightly active?

    The data she's given us so far, sedentary maint calories, age, sex and height, if correct, suggest she's about 95 pounds. (43 kilos)

    So apparently she's absolutely tiny.
  • michable
    michable Posts: 312 Member
    I agree with what other people here have said about experimenting a bit to find out what your true maintenance calories are. 1400 cals is not much food. Maybe you could try to eat more protein so you feel more satisfied.

    A couple of other thoughts: find something you love doing exercise-wise, so that part is not such a chore for you. You sound like you really don't enjoy your time at the gym. Maybe you could spend your time better doing a different activity - are there are any sports you could try? I play squash, as well as run (outside, not on a treadmill). I never go to the gym.

    I don't know what your weight is, but my final thought is that maybe your current weight is too low to be sustainable in the long term. I wanted to be skinny when I was in my early 20's. I was sure I would be happy then, and my life would be great. I dieted down to about 46 kgs (I'm 5 ft 4), but found that this low weight was really hard for me to maintain. I had no energy, was hungry all the time, obsessed with food and petrified of putting on weight. And I wasn't happy. I still get some bad feelings when I think back to that stage of my life.

    That may not be your situation at all.

    Good luck!
  • ljmilld41
    ljmilld41 Posts: 3 Member
    I just read your post, and having recently switched to maintenance, I have to agree with you. I'm older by far and have to cook for a husband who likes higher fat food and a fussy daughter. Some days I don't feel like doing a third menu items for me. In addition they bring in chips and candy and cookies and pie and all that other garbage. It's winter, it's cold, it's easy to eat the garbage. I try and work out at least 3 days a week, more when I can do it. Recently my daughter has been ill, and I'm a stress eater, so I've really fallen off the wagon. I'm suppose to maintain around 1450 but it's been more like 1800 this week. I've seen my weight creep up a little. I'm aware of it, and I know that as the warmer weather returns, that so will my resolve to keep the weight reasonable. Every situation is different and I think you just have to do what feels right for you. Give yourself some flexibility, say 5 pounds. When you hit that mark, switch back to fewer calories or more exercise until you feel ready to maintain again.
  • Aes37850
    Aes37850 Posts: 48
    I know I'm 5" taller, but I wanted to put my 2 cents in! Haha. I'm so happy for you accomplishing goals! And the ladies on the first page of posts had great advice. I calculated my TDEE for my weight now at "light exercise" with the calculator a previous poster said was good, at 195lbs 2343. And my goal weight of 145: 2043. So it looks like, at least for me at 5'7 and 23 years old, it will only differ about 300 calories. I do use a fitbit flex to track my movements throughout the day. When I am truly lightly active it varies from 2300-2450 cals a day. When I'm lazing around the house and don't exercise at all or move much (winter, I blame it hehe jk!) it's about 2000-2100 calories. I know there are some differences, but definitely play with your calories. Like someone else already stated "You won't gain it all back right away!" playing with 100 cals is very good advice. I hope something on here helps you! Definitely check out the calculator another lady posted!

    Good luck!
  • sola24
    sola24 Posts: 334 Member
    I am just 5ft and MFP gives me 1450 calories as maintenance.. But I continue to lose on that number.. Its not just me, most people find MFP maintenance calories too low.. try eating more and see if you weight stays stable.. dont be scared to tweak.. figure out whats best for you.. we petite girls need to train our metabolism so that we can eat a normal amount of calories and yet maintain our weight :)
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I vote 100% to get a fitbit or nike fuel band and start knowing how many calories you burn just working and living. The other thing is that if you make sure you stand for a total of 60 minutes a day and walk at least 20 minutes, you will find it easier to maintain. You don't have to become an hour a day gym person to be in great shape. 10 to 30 minutes of stretching, yoga, pilates or barre helps tremendously. Practice good posture. The added benefit of exercise is you sleep better. If you sleep better, weight maintenance is easier.

    When you add back calories to eat, try to eat them in protein. If you are exercising, your muscles need protein. I think calories within the macros that work for you (most people do 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat, I do 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat) is very important. For me, carbs just make me hungry the more I eat of them. Cut out sugar and empty carbs, I am never hungry.

    Seriously, if you just burn an extra 100 calories a day walking, that is 36,500 calories a year - or about 10 pounds you have avoided gaining by exercising or just simply moving more!
  • themorethebetter
    themorethebetter Posts: 8
    I have also reached a goal weight and am aiming to maintain!
    I suggest very strongly to you to eat more protein and start lifting heavy. Even just 20 min 3x a week. I have found that doing this strangely boosts how many calories I can eat. It may work for you!
  • HanaNikki
    HanaNikki Posts: 22
    Have you ever considered to stop counting calories? That's what I did when I reached my goal weight. I had learned so much about food, that I just kept eating healthy, listened to my body and checked my weight regularly. I worked out whenever I felt like it and did what I enjoy. I maintained for over a year that way and just recently gained a few pounds due to stress. That's why I'm back here to lose it again. Since I know how to do it, losing weight isn't anything I fear.
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
    Some great advice above for making sure your numbers are right.

    Assuming they are, I look at my calories over a week's time. I'm able to be super-strict on weekdays when I'm at work without feeling deprived, and that frees up enough calories that I can enjoy my weekends with family and friends, and still be at maintenance over the course of the week.

    Part of this journey is figuring out something that works that you can maintain for the rest of your life. I think that's harder than the losing part!
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member

    P.S. I am 5'10" and I only get 1450 to maintain. Which is why I really want those easy calories.

    That seems way too little.

    ???

    I'm a little shorter than you (5'9"ish) and my maintenance is around 2,000 calories/day. And I am barely active.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    To those of you, I Weigh 106
  • PolacaFL
    PolacaFL Posts: 213 Member
    I can't wait to be in maintenance :love:
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    I'm 21, 5'2 obviously female.
    I sit at a desk all day everyday other than walking my dog 30 minutes a day.
    Twice to three times a week I might hike or go to the gym for an hour.

    It's never linear. Though. Some weeks I might not move an inch some weeks I might walk 50 mile total.
    So that's why I have it set to sedentary.

    Right now I'm at 1400 cals so not even at full maintenance yet and I've already stopped losing.

    If you're walking your dog for 30 minutes a day/7 days a week, then you're exercising every day. That's not including the extra gym time you throw in 2-3 times a week. I entered your info in a TDEE calculator and based on moderate exercise (3-5 days), it gives you a calorie number of 2,019. If I bump down the exercise to light exercise (1-3 days), it still gives you a calorie number of 1,791. But, you're walking 7 days a week + the extra exercise, so I really think you could go with the moderate exercise number.

    I'd up your calories-what's the worse that could happen? It's not like you're going to gain 20lbs in a week or two, trying a higher number :) And for me, TDEE was spot on-and I'm now eating almost 500 more calories a day over what MFP gave me for maintenance and I'm loving it :bigsmile:
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    What about the days I dont do anything but sit like a lazy *kitten*?
    I dont always walk her every day for 30 minutes, theres some weeks that I literally do nothing.

    Since TDEE doesnt have you eat back exercise calories, Im not so sure if its right for me.

    I might just try upping my calories slowly.
  • jenillawafer
    jenillawafer Posts: 426 Member
    That's interesting. I'm 5' maintaining at 1750 calories. I go to the gym 4 x per week for about an hour a pop. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you might want to try and re-calculate your TDEE.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    Maintenance can be hard at first. It's a different mind set than losing.
    Try to not fixate on the scales or think of your weight as a static number.....your maintenance weight is a range. In your case 106 lbs + or - maybe 2-3 lbs. If you go outside of the range, either eat more or eat less but as long as you stay within that range, you're fine.
    Also, when you first go on maintenance, expect a small weight gain as your body readjusts and replenishes some needed glycogen levels. After the small weight gain, you will stabilize to what is your true weight.
    MFP's maintenance amount was low for me, as it seems to be for many people. You are going to have to experiment a little to find what works for you. Give each "experiment" a month to see how it truly works for you. Don't weigh yourself every day; maybe weekly or monthly.
    Perhaps don't worry about each day's individual calorie limit but on what your weekly daily average of calories is. In this way, you can eat more "normally", as in more on a hungry day and less on a less hungry day. We're not equally hungry every day.
    Can you average your usual weekly exercise? Just count the minimum of what you do. Use this amount as your regular exercise base. Is it enough to boost you to "lightly active"? If so, do so.

    You will have to experiment with which method works best for you. Remember that you want this to work for a healthy lifetime so it has to come naturally. so you want to weigh & measure food for a lifetime? Do you want to keep logging exercise and eating back the calories for a lifetime? How do you want to maintain your weight for a lifetime? You need these answers to find your way.
    If you prefer to stay at "sedetary" and log each exercise event, MFP may be the way for you to go.
    If you prefer to add your minimum exercise to your week and not log exercise, TDEE may be the way to go.

    For what it's worth, I've tried both and find the TDEE method a more natural way to eat. It allows me to eat more on my hungry days and less when I'm not so hungry. I don't have to log my exercise for calories (I still log it to ensure that I am doing enough to warrant my TDEE level and because its fun to log), each day's calories is alike so I don't feel as if I'm overeating on some days (exercise days) and slightly peckish on others (non-exercise days). TDEE means that, as long as I keep aware of what I'm eating, I can eat each day as it unfolds (more when I'm hungry, not so much on other days). It's a more natural rhythm.
    That said, it may not work for you. Only you can know that.

    You've made it this far. Maintenance is tricky and your mind set will need to change away from "losing". Remember that maintenance weight is a range, not a number.

Categories