How to maintain my weight??
michaelraine
Posts: 17
I am finally where I want to be,well I was until I started losing more weight. I workout every day for an hour. I have my calorie intake set at 1,340. But once I workout my net goes down. It is so hard for me to believe that I should be eating back my calories burned. If I eat the 1,340 plus the calories I burn while exercising I would be eating 1,748. My net is always really low cause I never eat those calories back cause I feel like a would be a fatty. It took me almost a year to get to my happy weight and of course when your losing they say you do not want to eat those workout calories back. I am having a hard time getting my hard head to understand that I need to eat those calories back and take in a certain amount. =(So, should I be eating those calories back every day? I feel like if I do though I will be putting the weight right back on,but I guess if I do not eat them I will continue to lose. The maintaining part seems harder for me then the losing. Hard to understand how I can eat so many more calories and stay at my happy weight.
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Replies
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The only way to find out is to do it. If you're this hesitant about it, why don't you try increasing your calories slowly to give your body some time to adjust. You may see a slight gain as your body retains some water due to the increased calories, but that will taper off quickly. Try adding 100 calories a week and see what happens.0
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I agree. It is hard to maintain. I'm not sure about the not eating back the exercise calories. 1340 calories is a low calorie diet to begin with. You probably had it set there in order to lose weight. Why would you continue to eat in deficit if you're looking to maintain? Obviously, everyone is different, so there is no absolute answer. One problem I encountered is that I lost my weight through calorie reduction and a lot of walking. That calorie reduction not only makes you shed fat, but some of that is calorie burning muscle. I think the trick is to get that muscle back.
I also made the mistake of not logging my intake. I even promised myself that I would be logging for life while I was in losing mode. I broke my promise. I won't let that happen again.0 -
Maintain can be hard because you don't get any reinforcement like when you do when you are losing weight.
I would say, increase your calories slowly. If you know your exercise burns 400, how about eat 200 of it. try it for two weeks. two weeks is a good gauge. If you "ARE" over eating, then you might have gained 0.3kgs over 2 weeks which is probably not even significant (could be water).
But if you keep losing, then you definitely know you have to eat more.0 -
I am a 5'2 woman and 1380 is the recommended number of calories for me to eat in order to lose half a pound a week, and that's with eating back all of my excersize calories, which I do.
What I'm saying is that you should probably be eating a lot more than 1340 calories if you want to maintain. Have you calibrated your goals on MFP?0 -
I sure did. I put in that I wanted to maintain my weight. When it ask about your activity I selected sedentary. I have a office job. I do workout every day. Did I select the wrong daily activity level for me? If so then I am not eating enough to maintain my weight and for sure not eating enough with working out every day. Thank you all for helping me figure this out.0
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I am at maintenance as well and work out everyday or almost everyday. I have my recommended calories set to 1700. I eat back my exercise calories. I have been maintaining for 4-5 months this way. I do strength training 3 days a week, cardio on other days and yoga/pilates at least 3 days. I cut way back on cardio since I started strength training and have been very happy with my results.0
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I'm gonna say you're no eating enough. You lose when you eat a a deficit. If I were sedentary and maintain at 60 kg, I should be eating around 1800 cals. So you definitely need to up your cals. And eat those exercise cals back, too. Right now you eat 1370 cals minus the exercise cals. That's less than the recommended 1200 cals you need to have at least if you lay in a come. Try it, up your cals by 100, then in two weeks 100 more...Until you find the right number where your weight doesn't budge.0
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Transitioning to maintenance is hard.... I ended up losing an additional 9 pounds (in 4 months) before trusting that I could eat more calories. I love the advice about slowly upping your calories but if you do decide to jump right up to eating what you burn plus your exercise calories -- be careful (ie watch the scale). Especially if you are using MFP or the piece of equipment to get your calories burned number cuz they overestimate the burn alot. I did an experiment last Sunday (didn't want to get on elliptical - doing the experiment got me on there). During my 48 minute workout the elliptical said I burned 507, MFP said 480, my heart rate monitor said 394, and my BodyMedia Fit (BMF) said 194. Based on my experience (3+ years w/BMF), I believe it is the more accurate number - huge difference.0
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I am a 5'2 woman and 1380 is the recommended number of calories for me to eat in order to lose half a pound a week, and that's with eating back all of my excersize calories, which I do.
What I'm saying is that you should probably be eating a lot more than 1340 calories if you want to maintain. Have you calibrated your goals on MFP?
I thought this at first, too, but if you check their previous posts you can get the OP's stats. His TDEE isn't going to be much more than 1400 + exercise calories.0 -
I am finally where I want to be,well I was until I started losing more weight. I workout every day for an hour. I have my calorie intake set at 1,340. But once I workout my net goes down. It is so hard for me to believe that I should be eating back my calories burned. If I eat the 1,340 plus the calories I burn while exercising I would be eating 1,748. My net is always really low cause I never eat those calories back cause I feel like a would be a fatty. It took me almost a year to get to my happy weight and of course when your losing they say you do not want to eat those workout calories back. I am having a hard time getting my hard head to understand that I need to eat those calories back and take in a certain amount. =(So, should I be eating those calories back every day? I feel like if I do though I will be putting the weight right back on,but I guess if I do not eat them I will continue to lose. The maintaining part seems harder for me then the losing. Hard to understand how I can eat so many more calories and stay at my happy weight.
I'm in maintenance now, exercise six days a week (3 heavy lifting, 3 running) and my base calories are 1990. I eat back only half of my exercise calories for weight lifting (woo hoo, that's a whole 50-75 extra calories) and all my running exercise calories (thought I might spread the calories over the week), and I'm still slowly losing weight. Besides this, I am 52 years old.
If you are trying to maintain, you need to allow MFP to reset your maintenance calories for you, and then from there it's all trial and error.0 -
I sure did. I put in that I wanted to maintain my weight. When it ask about your activity I selected sedentary. I have a office job. I do workout every day. Did I select the wrong daily activity level for me? If so then I am not eating enough to maintain my weight and for sure not eating enough with working out every day. Thank you all for helping me figure this out.0
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You seem so anxious you really aren't thinking straight! Weight loss, maintenance or gain is all about calorie balance - it's no more complex than that.
Yes you should account for your exercise calories whether losing, maintaining or gaining otherwise you won't find that balance.
You can't magically put all the weight you lost back on unless you eat at a surplus over an extended period of time.
It sounds like the TDEE method would be less stressful for you, eating the same amount of calories every day. There are a load of calculators you can find on the web or alternatively walk up your calories week by week until you find your maintenance calories by trail and error.
If you have been eating 1,340 and losing a pound a week your maintenance calories are likely to be around 1,840.0 -
I did let MFP set my calories. I have it set to maintain and sedentary. I have a office job. I assume THOUGH I need to change the sedentary level?0
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Thank you! Yes I am very anxious. I have worked so hard to get where I am at and always want to make sure I keep my eating under control.0
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I did let MFP set my calories. I have it set to maintain and sedentary. I have a office job. I assume THOUGH I need to change the sedentary level?
That's why I think just a simple TDEE set calorie amount every day irrespective of exercise logging would be much more simple and less stressful for you.0 -
I did let MFP set my calories. I have it set to maintain and sedentary. I have a office job. I assume THOUGH I need to change the sedentary level?
Everybody is different, though, and you will find your maintenance calories through trial and error. You may lose a bit more, gain a bit more, but you will be able to figure it out. I found while trying to find maintenance calories it helped me to weigh teach day.0 -
I think maintenance is easier and more rewarding that weight loss mode. The extra calories make me happy. I eat more and exercise less in maintenance than when I was in weight loss mode three years ago. It's a much more relaxed state.
How can I help you?0 -
I agree with sijomial about using TDEE method instead of MFP way.
I use the TDEE method to maintain my weight because I prefer to have a consistent total to shoot for every day. The TDEE method gives you a daily calorie goal that accounts for your exercise / activity level, so you don't eat back exercise calories. Use an online calculator to find out your TDEE. Make sure you enter your activity level honestly (i.e. don't put in sedentary if you are exercising 3-5 times a week), and see how much you can eat!
I am 5 ft 4, weigh 50 kg, running 4 times a week, squash once a week, strength once or twice a week and I am eating over 1900 cals a day. With this method, you have to adjust your TDEE up or down if your exercise / activity level changes significantly.0 -
you may have got your metabolism fired up, so you do need more calories to maintain. 5 or 10 lbs either way wont matter that much. just keep it healthy0
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I wish I could feel like you. I am scared to gain the weight back. I workout every day still because it makes me feel good. I get scares to eat more. I feel that when I do I will gain. I know I will not gain all the weight back overnight. I have a hard time knowing how many calories to eat and all to maintain. It took me almost a year to get to my happy weight, so I am having a hard time switching to maintenance mode and realizing it is okay.0
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I wish I could feel like you. I am scared to gain the weight back. I workout every day still because it makes me feel good. I get scares to eat more. I feel that when I do I will gain. I know I will not gain all the weight back overnight. I have a hard time knowing how many calories to eat and all to maintain. It took me almost a year to get to my happy weight, so I am having a hard time switching to maintenance mode and realizing it is okay.
Look, if I can do it so can you. I was born fat, stayed fat, up until about twelve years ago when I lost a total of 70 pounds. I gained 30 back over a five year period, which is what brought me here. This is the first time in my life I have been trying to maintain a healthy weight. I am no longer overweight.
I weight lift 3 times a week, run 4 to 6 miles 2-3 times a week, and I eat upwards of 2,100 calories and I'm still slowly losing weight, and I am 52 years old.
Well, for me, this MFP method is clearly not working so I am going to have to figure out what my TDEE is and start eating around the same amount of calories each day. Maintenance is not easy,there's a lot of trial and error, but the only place fear will take you is deeper into fear, and that can eventually backfire on you.
Let go, eat the right amount of calories, keep up your exercise routine if you have one, and keep a close watch on your weight trends. For me, this means weighing every day until my weight no longer keeps going down and I feel comfortable with my weight range.0 -
You have to eat your maintenance calories, otherwise you will continue losing weight.
Look, if I can do it so can you. I was born fat, stayed fat, up until about twelve years ago when I lost a total of 70 pounds. I gained 30 back over a five year period, which is what brought me here. This is the first time in my life I have been trying to maintain a healthy weight. I am no longer overweight.
I weight lift 3 times a week, run 4 to 6 miles 2-3 times a week, and I eat upwards of 2,100 calories and I'm still slowly losing weight, and I am 52 years old.
Well, for me, this MFP method is clearly not working so I am going to have to figure out what my TDEE is and start eating around the same amount of calories each day. Maintenance is not easy,there's a lot of trial and error, but the only place fear will take you is deeper into fear, and that can eventually backfire on you.
Let go, eat the right amount of calories, keep up your exercise routine if you have one, and keep a close watch on your weight trends. For me, this means weighing every day until my weight no longer keeps going down and I feel comfortable with my weight range.
Thank you! I need to relax and eat within my calorie goal. I do have a exercise schedule. I do cardio an hour a day. I need to remind myself I got over weight in the first place because I was not food aware and I ate what I wanted when I wanted and however much I wanted. I do not do that now and I am aware of everything I eat and always think if it's healthy and if the portion is a good size. Thanks for the words of advice!0 -
Maintaining is a different beast, especially because you're generally going to go up and down within a target range, rather than sitting at one specific weight.
But it is important to do the calculations and trust the math. Adjust slowly if you need to, but understand that, while it's warm and squishy, your body is a machine like many others and, barring a medical condition, will need a certain amount of fuel to maintain a given condition.0 -
Relatively maintaining a certain weight range can be easy or hard depending on how you went about the weight loss process.
For example, people who designed their fat loss strategies to closely mirror how they eat and exercise in maintenance have an easier transition. Additionally, those who increased calories as they lost weight demonstrate a more positive mental state and healthier relationship with food and exercise compared to persons who waited to up calories at goal weight. Also, continuing to weigh and measure food and drink intake helps ensure proper tracking.
I do agree with others: Consuming 1350 calories while exercising an hour everyday is awfully low at goal weight. Are you still losing? If so, how many lbs per week? Should be no greater than 0.5 lb loss. If your weight hasn't changed much, you likely are eating more than you think.0 -
You can eat those calories back. Really. Calories aren't bad - they're the energy that keeps you able to move and think and live. You just need to balance what comes in and what goes out.
Put your toe in the water. Start eating back your exercise calories and see how that goes for a month. You may be pleasantly surprised.0 -
I am finally where I want to be,well I was until I started losing more weight. I workout every day for an hour. I have my calorie intake set at 1,340. But once I workout my net goes down. It is so hard for me to believe that I should be eating back my calories burned. If I eat the 1,340 plus the calories I burn while exercising I would be eating 1,748. My net is always really low cause I never eat those calories back cause I feel like a would be a fatty. It took me almost a year to get to my happy weight and of course when your losing they say you do not want to eat those workout calories back. I am having a hard time getting my hard head to understand that I need to eat those calories back and take in a certain amount. =(So, should I be eating those calories back every day? I feel like if I do though I will be putting the weight right back on,but I guess if I do not eat them I will continue to lose. The maintaining part seems harder for me then the losing. Hard to understand how I can eat so many more calories and stay at my happy weight.
Maintenance is terrifying!!! Suddenly you go from a very simple principle of eating to a set amount every day with exercise calories being eaten almost as a reward for the hard work you put into it, knowing that you will lose weight. Then suddenly you're told to eat a heap more calories and all your exercise calories and there's suddenly no buffer of a calorie deficit to fall back on.
Trust me, I felt the same when I reached this stage.
Whilst I can assure you that you wont gain weight from eating 1340 cals PLUS your exercise calories, only you will learn this through trying it.
I would say to start slowly - 1340 sounds very low as it is, so maybe up this by 100cals a week to see what happens. As an example my stats are...107lb and 5'3", I'm generally quite active and I eat nearly 2000 calories a day and I do not gain weight. I LOVE eating my calories back and you will reach this point too! My starting point for calories each day (if I were to lay in bed all day) is 1460 calories.
Just dip your toe in the water and be brave...you will find the happy medium when you get there - and trust me - you will love all the extra food that comes with it!0 -
Maintaining is a different beast, especially because you're generally going to go up and down within a target range, rather than sitting at one specific weight.
But it is important to do the calculations and trust the math. Adjust slowly if you need to, but understand that, while it's warm and squishy, your body is a machine like many others and, barring a medical condition, will need a certain amount of fuel to maintain a given condition.0 -
Maintenance is terrifying!!! Suddenly you go from a very simple principle of eating to a set amount every day with exercise calories being eaten almost as a reward for the hard work you put into it, knowing that you will lose weight. Then suddenly you're told to eat a heap more calories and all your exercise calories and there's suddenly no buffer of a calorie deficit to fall back on.
Trust me, I felt the same when I reached this stage.
Whilst I can assure you that you wont gain weight from eating 1340 cals PLUS your exercise calories, only you will learn this through trying it.
I would say to start slowly - 1340 sounds very low as it is, so maybe up this by 100cals a week to see what happens. As an example my stats are...107lb and 5'3", I'm generally quite active and I eat nearly 2000 calories a day and I do not gain weight. I LOVE eating my calories back and you will reach this point too! My starting point for calories each day (if I were to lay in bed all day) is 1460 calories.
Just dip your toe in the water and be brave...you will find the happy medium when you get there - and trust me - you will love all the extra food that comes with it!0 -
In due time I guess I will get where I need to be. Thanks to everyone who has given their advice!0
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So well said.
I upped my calorie intake to 1500, but if I am to eat back my calories burned I will be eating around 1800 calories a day. I know I need to eat more because I am starting to feel bad. Weak and tired.0
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