I'm going into weight Maintenance and I'm nervous..

imjolly
imjolly Posts: 176 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Is anyone else going into weight maintenance and a little nervous you'll gain weight?

I just changed my profile and went from 1200 to 1640 calories a day. It seems like a big jump in calories. Also, I'm only able to walk for another 3 weeks vs my usually exercises (due to recovery) so that makes me nervous also.

I guess I'll try this and see where it go, hopefully not up.

Replies

  • amielou42
    amielou42 Posts: 36 Member
    Hi, I had the same feeling when I went into maintenance. Can I share my thoughts?

    1. If you gain weight, don't worry. My husband says all the time "if you've been loosing weight for the last year and gain some now, you know how to loose it again!". Haha, he's a smarty pants. It's a new lifestyle and a new season, trial and error are okay.
    2. You won't gain a pound overnight! (and if you did, it's probably water or you didn't poop yet ;-) )
    3. It's also trial and error with your calories. If you think 1640 is too high, keep it lower. Maybe make 100 calorie jumps and wait a week or so? It also depends on your activity level.

    I hope this helps. When I went into "maintenance" I was really worried about gaining it all back. It took me a year to loose the weight, so I guess it would take a while to gain it all. And you know, so far I've not gained! I jump between 136-137.5, depending on food the day before, exercise and "time of the month".

    Take good care, and be graceful to yourself too. I wish you all the sucess!
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
    I would suggest you "coast" in maintenance by increasing your calories 100-200 calories a day for a week or two at a time instead of going up all at once.

    Keep an eye on the scale (or tape measure if you prefer) to see how you're responding to the increase. After each week or two, if you see the scale moving down, continue to add calories...if you see it stabilizing, stay on course...if it is creeping up, recheck your measuring and exercising before dropping down again.

    If you go by the scale, I find weighing in everyday gets me used to seeing how my body weight fluctuates with varying meals and types of exercise; I also have a "range weight" of 5 pounds--if I find myself going over that +/- 2 pounds for 2 days or more, I make adjustments in my food & exercise to bring it back into balance.

    I've been in maintenance for 1 year now and have used this process with success. Congrats and good luck. Enjoy your success.
  • imjolly
    imjolly Posts: 176 Member
    Thank you for the advise amielou42 and boatsie77.

    It did take a long time to lose this weight and I like your suggestions of easing into maintenance, I think I'll be more accepting of it.

    I feel much better about this. : )
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    Is anyone else going into weight maintenance and a little nervous you'll gain weight?

    I just changed my profile and went from 1200 to 1640 calories a day. It seems like a big jump in calories. Also, I'm only able to walk for another 3 weeks vs my usually exercises (due to recovery) so that makes me nervous also.

    I guess I'll try this and see where it go, hopefully not up.
    I've been on maintenance almost two years. It's a challenge to stay engaged with it for such a long time. I initially missed the achievement of weight goals. It felt really good to see the pounds drop and there was a letdown initially. Now I mostly fight boredom. Fight on.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I also agree about gliding in. In fact, I upped by 250 and maintained and just stopped there.

    You'll love the new calories. I only walk too. I've had no trouble maintaining. You can do it.

    And congratulations!
  • imjolly
    imjolly Posts: 176 Member
    Thanks all for the responses and congratulations. I feel great, probably better than I have felt most my life.

    I will fight on and thanks for the encouragement.
  • Junebuggyzy
    Junebuggyzy Posts: 345 Member
    Question: Do you have to be in maintenance for the rest of your life?

    I haven't reached my goal yet, but I have gotten close to my goal, then gained it all back a few times. I would like to learn about maintenance in advance, so I can stay healthy and fit this time.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    You have to be prepared for a small weight gain normally up to 5lb, while your body restores your glycogen levels. It's completely normal and happens to everyone, and it will make no difference to your appearance. Try not to get hung up on it.

    You should also up your calories slowly, I think you'll find it easier.

    Someone else mentioned getting bored. If you feel like this, try and set new fitness goals. "I want to run x miles", or "I want to lift x weight". It will keep you motivated. I'm not there yet, but I understand the transition from loss to maintenance can be hard, as you no longer have a goal to work towards.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It does seem that a lot of people get nervous about maintenance - I guess a lot of us have lost then gained in the past.

    But really there's only three outcomes:
    1/ You eat slightly over maintenance for a while and gain some weight back. Not really a problem as you you clearly know how to lose weight and just have to adjust your calories slightly downwards.
    2/ You eat slightly under maintenance. Not really a problem - you add a few more calories and get to eat a little more nice food.
    3/ After a bit of trial and error you find the calorie amount that keeps you in a reasonable range either side of your goal weight to allow for normal flucuations. Bingo!
    You have to be prepared for a small weight gain normally up to 5lb, while your body restores your glycogen levels. It's completely normal and happens to everyone,
    Not everyone gets the glycogen weight bounce as not everyone is glycogen depleted - I certainly made sure that wasn't the case when I was losing weight. Most likely to get the bounce if you had a big deficit all the way to maintenance and your weight loss diet (low carb for example) is very different to your maintenance diet.

    Definately agree about setting new goals. Maintenance isn't the end, just a new start.
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
    Question: Do you have to be in maintenance for the rest of your life?

    I haven't reached my goal yet, but I have gotten close to my goal, then gained it all back a few times. I would like to learn about maintenance in advance, so I can stay healthy and fit this time.

    I too had gained back a substantial amount of weight a few years ago when I "finished" my diet.

    This time I not only accepted the process as a lifestyle change, I also am addressing the reasons I used food as my drug of choice to swallow my emotions and keep from feeling and processing those emotions.

    The mechanics of dropping weigh are pretty simple and straight forward, but it only treats "the symptoms" and not the causes of obesity.

    Taking time during your weight loss to summon up the courage to face the fear and emotions, and process through them in a healthy way, is the only way we 'addicts' can maintain the losses long-term. If we do not address the 'cause' then keeping the loss will be a lifelong struggle that will likely result in packing back on the pounds again, and again.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    When I am maintaining, I give myself a weight window. Generally my weight fluctuates between 127-129lbs, so if I go over that weight for more than a week I know I am eating too much.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    I would suggest you "coast" in maintenance by increasing your calories 100-200 calories a day for a week or two at a time instead of going up all at once.

    Keep an eye on the scale (or tape measure if you prefer) to see how you're responding to the increase. After each week or two, if you see the scale moving down, continue to add calories...if you see it stabilizing, stay on course...if it is creeping up, recheck your measuring and exercising before dropping down again.

    If you go by the scale, I find weighing in everyday gets me used to seeing how my body weight fluctuates with varying meals and types of exercise; I also have a "range weight" of 5 pounds--if I find myself going over that +/- 2 pounds for 2 days or more, I make adjustments in my food & exercise to bring it back into balance.

    I've been in maintenance for 1 year now and have used this process with success. Congrats and good luck. Enjoy your success.

    A weight "range" is a good idea, as is increasing your calories slowly. Also know that you've been in a deficit and have been depleting your glycogen levels and the water the glycogen is stored in, about five pounds of it actually. (Think of how everyone says that our consumption between Christmas and New Years is just water weight. It is, plus glycogen.) Only when you're not depleting it anymore, that five pounds is back to stay.
  • schaskes
    schaskes Posts: 103 Member
    I've been on maintenance for about a year, and my weight was creeping up, so I am losing the 5 pounds and resetting my maintenance strategy. My biggest suggestion is to keep logging accurately. The "eyeballing" and "between logging" snacks got out of hand for me. That way if you do gain weight, you have a chance at figuring out why. Good luck, and feel free to add me if you need more friends.:happy:
  • ABsolute85
    ABsolute85 Posts: 156
    You'll develop good habits logging your food. When you go into maintenance mode, it shouldn't be an issue if you continue to log and stay true to logging everything. It's a marathon, not a race...
  • AdelaideNat
    AdelaideNat Posts: 89 Member
    I would suggest you "coast" in maintenance by increasing your calories 100-200 calories a day for a week or two at a time instead of going up all at once.

    Keep an eye on the scale (or tape measure if you prefer) to see how you're responding to the increase. After each week or two, if you see the scale moving down, continue to add calories...if you see it stabilizing, stay on course...if it is creeping up, recheck your measuring and exercising before dropping down again.

    If you go by the scale, I find weighing in everyday gets me used to seeing how my body weight fluctuates with varying meals and types of exercise; I also have a "range weight" of 5 pounds--if I find myself going over that +/- 2 pounds for 2 days or more, I make adjustments in my food & exercise to bring it back into balance.

    I've been in maintenance for 1 year now and have used this process with success. Congrats and good luck. Enjoy your success.

    Will be switching to maintenance mode shortly & was wondering how to go about it...sounds like a reasonable plan to me, thank you :smile:
  • AdelaideNat
    AdelaideNat Posts: 89 Member
    You'll develop good habits logging your food. When you go into maintenance mode, it shouldn't be an issue if you continue to log and stay true to logging everything. It's a marathon, not a race...

    You are indeed correct ! Logging made me aware of exactly "what & how much" I ingested on a daily basis. Doing so also allowed me to make some little changes and some more dramatic changes to my diet and exercise routine, keeping it interesting ! It IS a marathon, a lifestyle change for the better !
  • zombiewithtea
    zombiewithtea Posts: 73
    I just eat at a slight deficit throughout the week and then the weekends or nights out aren't a big deal.

    I also stopped 5lbs under my goal weight to account for glycogen.

    I will tell you that going over (sometimes way over) isn't that big of a deal. It rarely is, but you can't do it all day every day. :)
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Keep an eye on the TREND of the scales (not indivdual figures) and accept you'll put some water weight etc back on.

    I've got to start going up 1000 to maitenance in a week or two, then another 250 on top of that or so to go for a 'lean bulk'.
    I'm going up by 250 a week. Might go up by a bit more first week, but at the same time start logging more accurately - I easily don't log a couple of hundred a day on some days.
  • HauteLlama
    HauteLlama Posts: 21 Member
    Just remember to acknowledge the habits that made you gain weight in the first place. Then focus on the good things: Eat all your vegetables, get a piece of fruit or a cup of tea if you want something sweet, make sure you are drinking all your water. Stick with your healthy habits and make sure the new calories you are adding in are healthy too. Don't think of them as some kind of free calories, think of them as a way for more nutrition. x
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Question: Do you have to be in maintenance for the rest of your life?

    I haven't reached my goal yet, but I have gotten close to my goal, then gained it all back a few times. I would like to learn about maintenance in advance, so I can stay healthy and fit this time.

    Maintenance MEANS staying out the same weight. So if you want to stay at your goal weight, YES. You are finding a level where, on average, your calorie input and output are the same. You will wobble a bit - 3-5 pounds seems normal. But over the weeks and months you have a stable weight and have balanced your energy output and input.

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