How long do you think you can keep up with your Maintaince?

Spiderkeys
Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm gonna try for the rest of my life, i'm exactly in the middle of the 'ideal' weight range for me (59kg to 79kg), I'm 70kg, and couldn't wish for a better weight, but according to MFP I can only eat 2,200 calories a day to maintain my weight, for a medium active guy like me, always feeling hungry and cold, having to remember every little bite or crumb that I've consumed, so I can log it, going to bed hungry, then repeating the process again the next day.

I read some have been maintaining for years, well done, I hope I can do it too...
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Replies

  • SymphonynSonata
    SymphonynSonata Posts: 533 Member
    You might have to incorporate some new and diverse foods into your diet that don't leave you feeling hungry. You can do this! You got there! :)
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Your maintenance calories may be higher than you think!
    Add some more calories slowly-like 100 each week and see how your body responds.
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    Add in more leafy greens, mushrooms, and vegetables. You don't have to like them all, but add much more of the ones you do like. Also, leave out the things that wind up on your plate that you don't really love. My husband orders his beans without cheese at Mexican resturants because he noticed one day that he doesn't love it, and it is really high calorie. I used to eat a big pile of rice or grain with every meal just because I thought I was supposed to. Also, find a low calorie salad dressing that you love and keep that particular salad around. Adding more of the low cal foods that you like, should leave you with more calories to play with.
  • groomchick
    groomchick Posts: 610 Member
    17 years & counting!! A few minor blips but nothing like things used to be! It's a constant teeter totter!
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Also, if you find you are gaining weight after doing the excellent suggestions above, you might want to increase your exercise level. As we get older, our metabolism slows and a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise has been shown to let us eat more, stay healthier longer, maintain flexibility and brain cognitivity.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Agreed that your true maintenance calories might be higher than you think. MFP certainly underestimates mine. Calculators just give you an estimate, to find your true level (which won't be one exact number anyway) you need to go by your results. If you're hungry and cold all the time, it may well be that you're still undereating. Try eating say 100 more calories a day for a couple of weeks and see what happens with your weight. After an initial water weight fluctuation, you might find it stabilises at a higher intake.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    For my lifetime I imagine as I have never been overweight.
    It is more my fitness level that will be the hard work.
  • Spiderkeys
    Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
    Only see here, the more you have to lost the harder it is to maintain, but yeah eating plenty of vegges, the last three days felt like a semi-failure because I slightly accidently when over, which is easy done at the end of the day, it's discouraging when MFP says I put on 6 pounds in the next 5 weeks, but Ill try upping them, I shouldnt take too much notice of what MFP, but it was fairy accurate during my weight loss journey, just wasn't expecting the maintance to be more painful as the weight loss mode, was looking forward till I could eat more when I switched, what seemed like a "lot" or "too much" food the first week, which made you feel, "wow this is so easy!" as quickly turned to into "so little" food, and becoming harder everyday..
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's a good question and I really hope I can maintain it forever. But yeah, my maintenance is around 2200 too and sometimes it just doesn't seem like a lot of food, and I can't really increase my activity more than what I'm doing now (I spend 2 hours most days doing some sort of exercise).
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    Two years so far. One day at a time. I'm committed to maintain today. Tomorrow will get here soon enough.
  • Grace4DebraAnn
    Grace4DebraAnn Posts: 124 Member
    I am a lifer, you have to be truly committed to yourself. It is a lifestyle change, NOT a diet. :smile:
  • bciloveme2014
    bciloveme2014 Posts: 213 Member
    bump
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Its all mindset and mentality

    Incoporate more low dense caloric foods, such as lean chicken, unlimited vegetables, with this method you can keep eating them tricking your mind into think you are eating a lot, but your really eating 0calories nutritional greens!!!

    If you so happen to put back your weight on, which will happen, your metabolism slows the more you age, always always always always, reduce your amount of calories slowly. for example, a person who wants to drop 20lbs by july may try a 800c a day diet, which is no good, that person will lose lots of weight, but hault their metabolism,... afterwards when they go back to eating their 'maintenance, they will gain all that way back within a week because of the low calorie shock they previously just did to their system..

    slow and steady wins the race, over the span of your life cut down your calories by as little as possible, 100-150 calories every week and a half or so, until you see loss changes..

    For all of us, weight loss and maintenance will always be math. Calories in Vs Calories Out. GL

    Dana
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
    I expect for the rest of my life. I am hoping that I will be able to learn the appropriate quantity of food for me in different seasons by logging for another year or so and then stop using this site, as I sure don't want to need to log my calories forever!

    How much exercise are you doing? Increasing that, if you can, would certainly help you to be able to eat more. Also, if you don't already mostly avoid fast food, try eating less fast food and white breads/refined carbohydrate-heavy foods as they are all very calorie dense but not filling (I imagine you already know this, though!).

    If you are always cold, it's likely that you're actually still in a calorie deficit. I was constantly freezing until I started eating at my maintenance level + exercise calories (which are very high). As others have said, the maintenance number MFP gave you might very well be too low.

    Good luck! You're having the opposite problem I am with maintenance! It's a learning process that will take some time, just like training ourselves to run a constant calorie deficit.
  • Spiderkeys
    Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
    If you so happen to put back your weight on, which will happen, your metabolism slows the more you age, always always always always, reduce your amount of calories slowly. for example, a person who wants to drop 20lbs by july may try a 800c a day diet, which is no good, that person will lose lots of weight, but hault their metabolism,... afterwards when they go back to eating their 'maintenance, they will gain all that way back within a week because of the low calorie shock they previously just did to their system..

    Thats another thing, you might be coping today, but the future you have to eat less.

    I live on plenty on fruit and veggies, it's a temporary fix, but I think my body is just craving for more meat, I rarely get a lot of that, but I eat half a chicken every week, but never eat any red meat.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    who knows? I have always gained it back, someone just told me you will gain it back. Encouragement right? I am just reminding myself I bad I felt heavy and had nothing to wear. I have had 45 lbs off for 4 years but gained back 15 couple of years ago and then found MFP and got back on track. Who knows what life will deal out but at least we have support with MFP. I have had all the weight off now for a year so doing good and hope to keep it up.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Actually, I'm pretty happy here. Calories are way less than yours - 1400 or so net. But I love what I eat and eat what I love. I'm rarely hungry and know I feel lousy when I eat too much junk. And it gives me motivation to exercise more to get more calories.

    I got a lot of really positive flirty feedback in the last few weeks - unusual for a 55 year old woman! - and I hope never to go back up, now that I know I have no excuses not to be at the weight I should be.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    2.5 years here and never looking back!

    I use a Fitbit to estimate my daily calories outside of 'actual exercise' (weights/running/cycling/gym classes etc). I found that using the MFP totals I was still losing weight when I didn't want to.

    Also, like others have mentioned it will be trial and error at first so add/subtract daily cals accordingly.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I'm at 12.5 years of maintenance (within 5LBS).

    You need to find your new sweet spot. You shouldn't be hungry.
  • keeponkickin
    keeponkickin Posts: 1,520 Member
    I'll maintain the rest of my life. Lost 110 my first year and now been maintaining that loss for nearly three. I've even had a rough year with two hip surgeries (not replacement but reconstruction of sorts) and now dealing with a broken foot keeping me out of the gym and walking for the past three months. I have still maintained my weight loss. It's a mindset now, a new way of life. I will never be the person I was before.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I've maintained my "post babies weight loss" for over 10 years now, I am still within 10 pounds of my initial loss and those 10 pounds were purposely put on (hopefully muscle). I don't intend to ever be overweight again. I will always work out and eat right, while still enjoying life to the fullest! I eat more now than I did years ago and I'm much older...I just eat better and work out with weights.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I'm gonna try for the rest of my life, i'm exactly in the middle of the 'ideal' weight range for me (59kg to 79kg), I'm 70kg, and couldn't wish for a better weight, but according to MFP I can only eat 2,200 calories a day to maintain my weight, for a medium active guy like me, always feeling hungry and cold, having to remember every little bite or crumb that I've consumed, so I can log it, going to bed hungry, then repeating the process again the next day.

    I read some have been maintaining for years, well done, I hope I can do it too...

    Spiderkeys - I keep wondering why you're so hungry. If it's not that you need more calories, maybe you need the protein/meat that you crave? Personally, I find an egg or a piece of chicken or some nuts - 100 calories or so - makes me feel pretty satisfied. Fat too. When I'm really working - backpacking or working outside - it's fat and protein I really want. It's not volume, it's the right stuff within your calories.
  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
    I plan on keeping up with it forever. I find it pretty easy to stay within my calorie limit (around 1,700 calories). This has been a life adjustment to me. I order different things at restaurants that are lower calories. I only want one cookie instead of a sleeve of cookies. This and many other things has made it easier for me to stay in limit.
  • Blokeypoo
    Blokeypoo Posts: 274 Member
    I'm 2yrs in and still count like I did on day 1, it's worth it. I eat foods I love, it's no punishment.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    Bear in mind that your maintenance calories may not be the same as someone who has never been obese if.

    If you were obese, and you lose weight, your metabolism may be 12-20% less than someone of the same body mass who was never obese. This is a natural response to the reduction of leptin that your body fat makes. This effect may be permanent.

    http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?live=2993&bhcp=20
  • JulieAnn72
    JulieAnn72 Posts: 795 Member
    I've been maintaining for about six months now, although I am maintaining at about 5lbs more than what I would have liked. But I find that with my FitBit telling me how many calories I'm burning each day, if I eat what I burn, I maintain. Unfortunately for me, I only burn an average of 1800 calories a day. I figure I'll live my life consuming the number of calories I burn and hopefully I'll continue to maintain. I'm actually fairly comfortable at this number of calories.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I'm gonna try for the rest of my life, i'm exactly in the middle of the 'ideal' weight range for me (59kg to 79kg), I'm 70kg, and couldn't wish for a better weight, but according to MFP I can only eat 2,200 calories a day to maintain my weight, for a medium active guy like me, always feeling hungry and cold, having to remember every little bite or crumb that I've consumed, so I can log it, going to bed hungry, then repeating the process again the next day.

    I read some have been maintaining for years, well done, I hope I can do it too...

    Why at maitenance are you going to bed hungry? I looked at your diary and perhaps you could make better choices, such as more protien...

    Most days I looked at you ate a pastry for lunch??? That's fine but if you are hungry later it might be time to make different choices.

    I see as well you have been going over your goal consistently...are you gaining weight now? if not then you have too low of a goal.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1300153-struggling-with-eating-the-right-amount-of-food
    Based on this you are still losing weight and
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1293835-i-need-to-gain-but-i-m-scared
    You have admitted you need to gain in this one

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1288825-tracking-calories-forever

    Looking at one day you ate 1100 worth of calories snacking on fruit..why not add in some greek yogurt, cheese etc...

    As well based on your previous posts you don't like what has happened to you since you lost weight...you are unhappy....you don't like the process or the results...
  • Follow_me
    Follow_me Posts: 6,120 Member
    I made it a lifestyle change. So, mine will be forever! :-)
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    I'm about 10 years in with couple 50lb losses after babies thrown in. You can do it. You shouldn't be so hungry though. Beans? Root veggies? Nuts? those are all healthy and filling.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Only see here, the more you have to lost the harder it is to maintain, but yeah eating plenty of vegges, the last three days felt like a semi-failure because I slightly accidently when over, which is easy done at the end of the day, it's discouraging when MFP says I put on 6 pounds in the next 5 weeks, but Ill try upping them, I shouldnt take too much notice of what MFP, but it was fairy accurate during my weight loss journey, just wasn't expecting the maintance to be more painful as the weight loss mode, was looking forward till I could eat more when I switched, what seemed like a "lot" or "too much" food the first week, which made you feel, "wow this is so easy!" as quickly turned to into "so little" food, and becoming harder everyday..
    It's not supposed to be like this. You're also not supposed to be tired, cold, hungry or obsessed with food. You need to ask yourself whether this is an eating pattern you can maintain indefinitely. If you can't, you'll eventually fail and gain weight back unless you change. You're experiencing negative side effects of your eating plan, so you either need to change what/how you're eating or get comfortable with the side effects. (I don't recommend the latter).

    "Maintenence" is a range, not an absolute number -- both in terms of weight on the scale and caloric intake. You won't maintain at exactly 70kg, but you can maintain at 70 +/- 2 kg. And most people have a window of a couple hundred calories that will keep them in maintenence. If you can't find a way to be comfortable with that kind of flexibility, you're setting yourself up for failure.

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