Pre-Maintenance

Junebuggyzy
Junebuggyzy Posts: 345 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
This is a thread for all of us that have never done maintenance before, and want to prepare so we can be ready for maintenance. Many of us have yo-yo dieted. We have lost the weight, then gained it all back, only to repeat the cycle.

Let's figure this out together! I only have 12 more pounds to lose until I go into maintenance. This time I want to be prepared. I never tried to maintain my weight. I have always lost the weight and thought I was "done dieting." This time I don't want to think of it as a "diet". This time I want to learn to keep eating healthy and exercising like I have been doing the last two months.

What's your story? Are you tired of the yo-yo cycle?
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Replies

  • jec228
    jec228 Posts: 67 Member
    This is so perfect for me! I have gained and lost the same 10 lbs more times than I can count over the past 3 years. I understand that I am fortunate I can stop my fluctuation at 10 lbs, but also really want to learn how to maintain. Why do I spend 6 months beign so dilligent only to let it slip away with summer BBQ's, concerts, tailgating, and so on...

    I have truly made exercise a lifestyle and have stuck with it consistently through every fluctuation. My treats tend to become more and more frequent the closer I get to my goal weight and the pounds slowly come back on every single time. I do think of this as a lifestyle but have found myself gravitating to the maintenence boards more than anything else.

    any suggestions or feedback would be wonderful!
  • billhilly1968
    billhilly1968 Posts: 75 Member
    I have 8-10 lbs. that I want to lose before going into maintaince. I want to ensure that I do not gain anything back once I stop losing. How can I speed up my metabolism and start losing again? How can I do ensure that I will not gain anything back once I add 200 calories in the maintainence phase? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
    I've lost the weight twice in my life, this is my third time. I will get to my goal weight and over the course of 5 or 6 years, it slowly creeps back on. This time is going to be the last time, I will watch the scale more closely, and if I gain 5 lbs, then I will eat at a deficit till I lose it. Because of my age, this is the longest it's taken me to lose the weight, and I don't want to do this again.
  • cedarkins
    cedarkins Posts: 27 Member
    One of my friends said she does well to maintain weight by eating about 1800 calories a day with the exception of two meals, a dessert, and two drinks each week. She indulges just here a there with these "exceptions" but it's balanced with the set calories most other days. I kinda like that idea. I asked her why she just didn't eat like 2200 a day and forgo the "exceptions" and her response was that she tended to add a little extra here and there each day with smaller indulgences, which at the end of the week put her much higher than she wanted to be with your intake. I thought this was interesting and wanted to share.
  • idojpdx
    idojpdx Posts: 83 Member
    I lost 60+ pounds and maintained it for about 12 years by continuing to log everything I ate, exercising most days, and sticking to a net calorie intake that I calculated based on my weight and gender. Something like this: http://www.builtlean.com/2010/03/14/how-to-calculate-your-calorie-burn/

    I actually weighed daily, and if I saw an increase of more than a couple of pounds, I went back on a lower calorie plan until I lost it. It seems obsessive, but it's what I had to do to maintain. Once it becomes part of your life, it's not a big deal to do it. And this was all before online food and exercise diaries, which make it much easier.

    For example, at my current weight, height, and age, a woman will burn 1416 calories/day just by living and breathing. If I add in moderate exercise five times a week, I can take in 2124 calories/day and maintain my weight.
  • LH85DC
    LH85DC Posts: 231 Member
    I have 8-10 lbs. that I want to lose before going into maintaince. I want to ensure that I do not gain anything back once I stop losing. How can I speed up my metabolism and start losing again? How can I do ensure that I will not gain anything back once I add 200 calories in the maintainence phase? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

    As someone who has been in maintenance for just a few months, I'd say to make sure that you have realistic expectations. It is highly likely that you will gain back a couple of pounds when you go into maintenance- because your body will replenish its glycogen stores. DON'T PANIC! This is normal.

    A lot of people lose a few extra pounds before going into maintenance just for that reason- so say you want your maintenance weight to be 130. You could consider losing a few extra pounds down to 127 before going into maintenance, knowing that you're going to rebound back up to 130. No problem!

    My other tip would be to expect your weight to fluctuate. Most people have a 3-5 lb band that their weight fluctuates in. As long as they're within that band, then they know they are maintaining. If they go over or under that band then they can eat less or more to fix the fluctuation. For me, that band is 126-129. If I weigh in at 130, I would double check to make sure I'm not overeating. If I go under 126 then I make sure that I'm eating enough to account for my exercise.

    Good luck with maintenance! Enjoy the extra food! :drinker: :flowerforyou:
  • jec228
    jec228 Posts: 67 Member
    this is all great! I also wonder when I will know what I want my goal weight to be. I have a few different numbers in my head but think I will only truly know it when I am there. In the meantime I will just focus on 5 lb goals at a time... at what point should I slowly begin to increase my daily calories?

    I have seen a lot of people on here still have a deficit during the week to allow for the extra calories on the weekends. I can totally see myself doing this method as well. I am pretty structured Mon-Fri and tend to splurge a bit more on Saturday or Sunday...
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
    I have 8-10 lbs. that I want to lose before going into maintaince. I want to ensure that I do not gain anything back once I stop losing. How can I speed up my metabolism and start losing again? How can I do ensure that I will not gain anything back once I add 200 calories in the maintainence phase? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

    As someone who has been in maintenance for just a few months, I'd say to make sure that you have realistic expectations. It is highly likely that you will gain back a couple of pounds when you go into maintenance- because your body will replenish its glycogen stores. DON'T PANIC! This is normal.

    A lot of people lose a few extra pounds before going into maintenance just for that reason- so say you want your maintenance weight to be 130. You could consider losing a few extra pounds down to 127 before going into maintenance, knowing that you're going to rebound back up to 130. No problem!

    My other tip would be to expect your weight to fluctuate. Most people have a 3-5 lb band that their weight fluctuates in. As long as they're within that band, then they know they are maintaining. If they go over or under that band then they can eat less or more to fix the fluctuation. For me, that band is 126-129. If I weigh in at 130, I would double check to make sure I'm not overeating. If I go under 126 then I make sure that I'm eating enough to account for my exercise.

    Good luck with maintenance! Enjoy the extra food! :drinker: :flowerforyou:

    This is excellent advise. I find myself within 10 lbs of my goal weight [again] and appreciate your feedback :)
  • Junebuggyzy
    Junebuggyzy Posts: 345 Member
    You have some great ideas here! Keep it going, and we all should figure it out.

    What is really scary for me is how fast I gained it back. I got down to 140 in September of 2013. In five months I gained 22 pounds to get up to the 162 I started here with. I am seeing a diet doctor now, and she wants me to lose 10 more pounds than my goal weight. Maybe that is so I can have some leeway, like you said, LH8.

    I have a confession to make. Out of all the ups and downs I have had, this is the first time I have ever counted calories and exercise. I like it. I am obsessed with it now.

    But I tend to get totally involved in in things. Then I lose interest and move onto the next thing I am totally involved in. I just hope I stay focused on this.
  • Junebuggyzy
    Junebuggyzy Posts: 345 Member
    Idoj, I tried looking at that site you mentioned and I couldn't figure it out for the life of me!
  • jessie285
    jessie285 Posts: 3 Member
    Love this post and the ideas! Being 10lbs away from entering maintenance this was a very great read as I just started thinking today that I have no clue what to do when I get there!
  • idojpdx
    idojpdx Posts: 83 Member
    Idoj, I tried looking at that site you mentioned and I couldn't figure it out for the life of me!

    LOL! Sorry. I hate math, too. Here's the important part (BMR is basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body needs to maintain vital functions at rest, or before any exercise is figured in.):

    BMR for Men: = 66 + (6.23 X weight in pounds) + (12.7 X height in inches) – (6.8 X age)

    BMR for Women: = 655 + (4.35 X weight in pounds) + (4.7 X height in inches) – (4.7 X age)

    Activity Multiplier:
    Little or No Exercise, Desk Job: 1.2 x BMR
    Light Exercise, Sports 1 to 3 Times Per Week: 1.375 x BMR
    Moderate Exercise, Sports 3 to 5 Times Per Week 1x BMR
    Heavy Exercise, Sports 6 to 7 Times Per Week: 1.725 x BMR

    I'd be happy to figure your maintenance calorie needs for you, if you give me goal weight, height, age, and the amount of exercise you plan to do.
  • idojpdx
    idojpdx Posts: 83 Member
    this is all great! I also wonder when I will know what I want my goal weight to be. I have a few different numbers in my head but think I will only truly know it when I am there. In the meantime I will just focus on 5 lb goals at a time... at what point should I slowly begin to increase my daily calories?

    I have seen a lot of people on here still have a deficit during the week to allow for the extra calories on the weekends. I can totally see myself doing this method as well. I am pretty structured Mon-Fri and tend to splurge a bit more on Saturday or Sunday...

    I was once advised by a doctor to shoot for a goal weight that I'm confident I can maintain. I'm 5'4" with a medium frame, and I've been as low as 132 (size 4 for me), but it was extremely hard--miserable really--to keep up with. I find I do really well at about 145-150. When I'm working out I tend to build muscle well, and my body seems to love that weight. The amount of food I can eat to maintain it is satisfying, and it's a doable amount of exercise for my lifestyle. People say I look good and healthy at that weight, and a size 6 isn't such a bad thing to shop for. ;) (I really go more by clothing size more than the number on the scale.)

    I have done the calorie-deficit thing during the week to splurge on the weekend. Weight Watchers will sort of allow you to do that, or used to anyway. It worked fine for me, as long as I continued to be honest about my intake even on weekends.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    I've maintained my 50 pound loss for almost 2 years.

    My strong suggestion is to develop a plan for maintenance, just as you had a plan to lose weight. My maintenance plan has been tested and tweaked and it's a good fit for me. It's just not possible for me to regain the 50 pounds that I've lost if I stick with my plan.

    I wrote a blog post on the importance of having a mainteance plan, if you want to take a look:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/themedalist/view/what-s-your-maintenance-plan-624676

    Best Wishes!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I am 2lbs from maintenance and it's my first time here....Yah.

    I have my plan and feel it is sustainable...

    in 2-3 weeks when I hit goal I will start increasing my calories to my TDEE (which I know based on my own intake, weight loss etc)

    So 4 weeks after I hit goal weight I will be at maintenance...I will keep track here on MFP...logging, weighing, continue with my workouts etc and watch the scale.

    If it continues to go down I will up my calories...if it goes up I will lower my calories...

    Fail to plan...plan to fail.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    This is so perfect for me! I have gained and lost the same 10 lbs more times than I can count over the past 3 years. I understand that I am fortunate I can stop my fluctuation at 10 lbs, but also really want to learn how to maintain. Why do I spend 6 months beign so dilligent only to let it slip away with summer BBQ's, concerts, tailgating, and so on...

    I have truly made exercise a lifestyle and have stuck with it consistently through every fluctuation. My treats tend to become more and more frequent the closer I get to my goal weight and the pounds slowly come back on every single time. I do think of this as a lifestyle but have found myself gravitating to the maintenence boards more than anything else.

    any suggestions or feedback would be wonderful!

    As a female; around your menstrual cycle you can gain upwards of 10lbs... If your not actually changing pants size and it's just 10lbs odds are it's water weight from what i just mentioned.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    This is a thread for all of us that have never done maintenance before, and want to prepare so we can be ready for maintenance. Many of us have yo-yo dieted. We have lost the weight, then gained it all back, only to repeat the cycle.

    Let's figure this out together! I only have 12 more pounds to lose until I go into maintenance. This time I want to be prepared. I never tried to maintain my weight. I have always lost the weight and thought I was "done dieting." This time I don't want to think of it as a "diet". This time I want to learn to keep eating healthy and exercising like I have been doing the last two months.

    What's your story? Are you tired of the yo-yo cycle?

    Personally maintenance last summer was easy for me. I reduced my cardio to 1 day a week if that... and then just kept lifting weights on a daily basis. The longest break I took was 4 days away from the gym.

    There is no real secret just monitor what you eat, don't drink everyday. Realize there are way better things you can do then sit on a patio and drink (seriously seems like everyone loves doing this... I see no point to it, like what I waste of time)

    Umm ... if your going to indulge upon things make it the best of's only ... what i mean by this if your going to have chocolate, have only the BEST chocolate, the finest wines and the oldest scotch. Why I suggest this ... cause it's so dam costly you can't afford to maintain it. ;)
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I usually gain my weight back after a couple of years. I think diet and get down and then old habits creep back in, I get complacent. I now know this is how I need to eat for the rest of my life! not just get down to my goal and then get lazy. I have had my weight off and been in maintenance this year and maintenance is the hard part because you have to be focused at all times and log which is a pain but works.
  • idojpdx
    idojpdx Posts: 83 Member
    This is a thread for all of us that have never done maintenance before, and want to prepare so we can be ready for maintenance. Many of us have yo-yo dieted. We have lost the weight, then gained it all back, only to repeat the cycle.

    Let's figure this out together! I only have 12 more pounds to lose until I go into maintenance. This time I want to be prepared. I never tried to maintain my weight. I have always lost the weight and thought I was "done dieting." This time I don't want to think of it as a "diet". This time I want to learn to keep eating healthy and exercising like I have been doing the last two months.

    What's your story? Are you tired of the yo-yo cycle?

    Personally maintenance last summer was easy for me. I reduced my cardio to 1 day a week if that... and then just kept lifting weights on a daily basis. The longest break I took was 4 days away from the gym.

    There is no real secret just monitor what you eat, don't drink everyday. Realize there are way better things you can do then sit on a patio and drink (seriously seems like everyone loves doing this... I see no point to it, like what I waste of time)

    Umm ... if your going to indulge upon things make it the best of's only ... what i mean by this if your going to have chocolate, have only the BEST chocolate, the finest wines and the oldest scotch. Why I suggest this ... cause it's so dam costly you can't afford to maintain it. ;)

    I guess everybody is different when it comes to maintenance. When I reduce cardio, the weight starts creeping right back, despite smart eating. I absolutely must exercise to maintain, even if it's just brisk walking for 30 minutes most days.
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
    This is great! Bumping for when I hope to be in maintenance - in 6-9 mos from now *sigh*
  • Junebuggyzy
    Junebuggyzy Posts: 345 Member
    So many great ideas! I read the blog post about a maintenance plan. That really sounds like a great idea. I am formulating my maintenance plan now. As so many of you have said, I too have lost weight, then gained it all back. No more! For the first time in my life, I am going to have a maintenance plan. Part of it will be logging onto this site and recording my weight. I don't want to go up on my calories if possible. My diet doctor said I should get about 10 pounds lower than my goal weight. I will continue to check in with her once a month for at least a couple of months after I get to my goal.

    Maintenance tactics so far:
    Logging into this site and recording weight
  • missabeez
    missabeez Posts: 280 Member
    This is great! Bumping for when I hope to be in maintenance - in 6-9 mos from now *sigh*

    Same here. The last 3 months went by pretty fast, so it will go by before we know it!
  • dettiot
    dettiot Posts: 180 Member
    I'm not too far away from maintenance, either, so this thread was very welcome! Thanks for all the great ideas!
  • albionjen
    albionjen Posts: 86 Member
    Great thread:smile:

    I'm about 1kg from my goal. I'm still debating whether to lose another 2kg, since I still have a bit of belly fat. But to be honest I'm happy with my body, so I think I'll switch to maintaining for a few months at least. I'm UK size 10 (us 6) and I don't really want to be any smaller! I'm only 5"3 in case that helps :laugh:

    My plan is that once I reach my goal weight I will add 100kcal every couple of weeks until I stop losing. At the moment I'm only losing slowly, so I expect it will be another month before I start upping calories. I will carry on logging but I might try having a break from that if I am doing well with maintaining.

    I have lost weight before, but my current weight is my lowest ever since about age 15. This is the first time I've ever really had a plan for keeping a healthy weight. Although in the past I've stayed at a stable (but heavier) weight for months or years at a time just by regular weighing and keeping an eye on portion size. Hopefully it won't be too hard, fingers crossed.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    Weigh yourself every day. I say this because.. I again..am losing the weight I lost a few months ago. As you so correctly stated…most of us gain the weight back.

    The reason I have regained is each and every time I avoided the scale and reality.

    While weighing everyday can be bad while losing weight can be counter productive. It is the key to keeping it off.
  • positive714
    positive714 Posts: 16
    I have about five pounds left to go before I reach my goal weight and let me be the first to say, these last "vanity pounds" are killer to get off!

    My only question or concern, is there anything I should be doing now to prep myself for maintenance or should I wait until I hit my goal weight before upping the calories? I want to make the transition into maintenance as smooth and natural for my body as possible so that the weight will STAY OFF!

    Also, just wanted to say that this thread has been super helpful, hopeful and filled with positive love! It's wonderful :flowerforyou:
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    Weigh yourself every day. I say this because.. I again..am losing the weight I lost a few months ago. As you so correctly stated…most of us gain the weight back.

    The reason I have regained is each and every time I avoided the scale and reality.

    While weighing everyday can be bad while losing weight can be counter productive. It is the key to keeping it off.

    So True!
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    My first time I thought I was at maintenance was that I was done. I stopped my exercise though I was more mindful of my food. I did fine with my weight, but I did not see any improvements. My second year has been the idea/ goal that if I can lose the weight with dedication and gradual progress, why not approach physical fitness in the same way? Becoming fit and strong is like the next frontier in my new life. All my friends think I am a fitness freak, though if you could see me you would laugh/snort. All I have to be is just a little better than I was yesterday and I will get by.
  • Junebuggyzy
    Junebuggyzy Posts: 345 Member
    You guys are doing fantastic, so close to your goals! I am 5'1, and all my clothes are falling off of me. I tried on a Size 12 in jeans. I thought they fit, but when I got home they were way too baggy. I can't believe I can probably fit into a Size 10. I haven't been that small in years. My goal is a Size 8 and a Medium top. Right now I am still in XL in tops.

    I only have 12 more pounds to go to get to my first goal. That might be enough weight loss for me, I will have to see. I am 142 now and my goal is 130.

    I like that we are giving each other tips on what to do for maintenance.

    I was a compulsive weigher. Every day. I put the scale away and only pulled it out once a week. That didn't last. When I got heavy I didn't weight myself at all. Now I am back to weighing every day again. Doesn't that seem a bit obsessive?
  • stacydegregorio
    stacydegregorio Posts: 1
    Hi, I've saved & bookmarked your maintenance plan. I'm down almost 35 lbs & plan on going into maintenance when I lose approx 10 more lbs. I agree a plan is what got me here & a plan is needed to STAY fit. My biggest question, and anyone can answer is how many calories are needed on maintenance?? I'm at 1200 / day while losing. I exercise 4x week for between 200 - 420 calories burned each time (depending what I'm doing). I RARELY go above the 1200 calories even with exercising so my net is good each day. i'm feeling good. More energy, etc. I just really need to know what the daily requirement is on maintenance? TY TY in advance! If it helps I'm 52 and 5' tall. My goal weight will be to stay around 125 but not over 129.

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