Is maintaining harder than weight loss?

For me, maintaining is harder than losing. Maybe b/c with each passing year, my calorie count has to go down and the fitter I became the fewer calories I burn, which again lowers the amount I can eat. I have not reverted to eating the garbage I did that got me fat in the first place. I never gave up anything during my weight loss that I couldn't live without, I just controlled portions for the most part. But like someone else said, everyone is different. I lost a fair amount of weight and kept it off for almost three years now, but I can't say it has been easy. I did lose slowly with no fads or pills, just hard work and eating well.

I tried a "bulk" Last winter after 110 pound loss. Stupidest move of my life. Never again not to mention - not needed.

This is my SECOND time attempting the SECOND phase of my journey! This time its's been easier in maintenance:

1. First time I stopped logging and lacked on exercise! I thought I wouldn't gain the weigh back because I knew how to eat! WRONG!!!!!! Like the above post said THIS. ISN'T a diet! This is a life long commitment, I actually eat more now just healthier! Portion control is the key plus if I want something I have it, smaller portions! If I gain 5 pounds, I just eat less the next couple of days and loss the 5 pounds!

2. I love my mornings so why STOP. If I don't get an workout I don't stress about it now! I also at least get 4 workouts in weekly! I stay fresh with NEW challenges, 5 k's, NEW workout toys!

3. The MOST important thing is consistency! If this means logging from now on and exercising regularly, it's better than wearing fat clothes! A size 6 pants FEELS better than I 18/20 size pants!

Plus I have meet wonderful people on MFP! Good luck on your journey! It's been a wonderful 3 years, looking forward to a lot more!

Jackie

If you don't make a lifestyle change then yes. That's why people fail, they lose weight then think they can go back to doing what they did before. You can't, you need to change your lifestyle and then you will maintain.

For some people it is, for some it isn't.

For some, seeing the weight loss process as a temporary thing that gets you to goal weight whereupon you go back to "normal" means that maintenance will of course be very difficult. Also, if you cut out all the foods you love and do excessive amounts of exercise you don't really enjoy, then it can be difficult to re-introduce those foods or ease back off the exercise without gaining weight back. I cringe when I read people saying things like "oh, I don't have cheat days now, I'm very strict once I reach my goal then I can start having cheat days".

For a lot of people, maintenance is pretty easy because it's the same as the weight loss phase (where they practised their new lifestyle), except that they get to eat a bit more. I honestly think a lot of it depends on your past history with food, disordered eating, emotional eating etc. It seems to me that people find it easier when they have ahd a period of their adult life of "naturally" maintaining a healthy weight without putting much thought into it, and have healthy habits to fall back on.

For some people, maintaining is harder even if they did everything "right" and made a real lifestyle change, and did not go back to their old habits. For some of us, it will probably always be a challenge, although hopefully it gets easier with time. I have been maintaining for about 18 months now, and I am still finding it more difficult than the weight loss. I never went too restrictive on foods, always kept eating the foods I love, so that isn't an issue. I love the exercise I do and am very active. I get a very healthy diet and actually eat a much wider variety of foods than I used to, which means that I can easily find higher or lower calorie foods depending on my needs for the day. I do not deprive myself and have learned moderation. I love being fit, healthy and slim, and have no reason to want to go back to where I was. Without question, I have changed my lifestyle for good. I still have lots of goals that I'm striving towards that keep me motivated.

And yet... it is still frickin hard. The mentality is completely different. It's different for everyone, but for me I think the biggest challenge is no longer having the buffer of a daily calorie deficit. I spent most of my adult life and childhood compulsively over-eating to cope with negative emotions. That is not something that is easily changed. Losing weight always made me feel empowered and in control - I could eat whatever I wanted (in appropriate portion sizes of course..) and lose weight, and if for some reason I went over my calories goal it was ok because I would just be eating at maintenance for the day. Or if I really went over, well ok, then I might not be at a deficit for that week. Eating at maintenance and not having that buffer is scary, and something that I never expected to be a challenge.

Added to that the fact that I am still an emotional eater - food is still my knee-jerk reaction to stress/distress, even though I have learned to control that reaction much better. I still don't have a great physical gauge of how much food my body should be eating in any given day. In fact, most days I could happily eat more than my body needs. So, yeah, I get to eat more than when on a deficit, but it still feels like a restriction.

I have discovered that I can be prone to obsession (at least around calorie counting) and that the control I feel when eating at a deficit is quite seductive. I need to be very careful not to let it tip the other way. The whole process (losing and maintaining) is (at least some of the time) full of anxiety. I got obese as a result of an unhealthy relationship with and behaviours around food. Although those have improved massively, it's no surprise really that these things don't just disappear with the excess weight.

Maintaining being harder than losing is a fallacy....it is no where as challenging as losing weight...not by a long shot.

For you. That's your experience. It's not everyone's.

maintaining is only normally had for people who go on fad diets or lose control/go back into bad habits, thats why diets are bad idea but healthy eating/lifestyle works

Some people find it easy, some don't, and not everyone who finds it difficult is doing it wrong. For a lot of us, this stuff is always going to be difficult. I personally find it pretty damn easy not to smoke a cigarette, or not to get drunk on a daily basis. These days, I find it easy to get out of bed every morning and hold down a job. I'm not going to discount the experiences of those who struggle with those things though.

Its not harder if you change your mindset and have changed what you eat and/or your activity level. Its harder if you have "dieted", have not changed your mindset, what you eat or what you do when "not on a diet", or fall back into old patterns, or reduce your activity without reducing caloric intake.

I lost 16 kilos in 2011 and have been maintaining since. I left MFP but rejoined again, as it helps me to keep my eye on the ball.

I think it is for a lot of people. If you keep tracking accurately and don't cut yourself a ton of slack it isn't bad, but a lot of people just want to relax and go back to eating the way they did before they started losing.

For me it is age. IN my 20's and 30's I could lose easier. I took off weight in between pregnancies...then when the 3rd came, not so easy! I gained more, I was 35, and on bed rest too soon to keep going to the gym. When you push 40, which is coming soon for me in 2 years....your metabolism slows down. You do not get to eat as many calories and keep losing. Therefore you have to really have mega will power. once you get the weight off and have a taste of a nice body...you will do anything to keep it up! Looking at old pics and having wonderful new clothes in your closet is huge motivation to keep going. It is a lifestyle change for most of us here. I was not born with skinny genes...so I am in it forever!!!!!

It is not any harder, because you already have made the life style change to being healthier. Just maintain portion control and continue exercising.

I maintained my weight last winter by doing this and my weight only fluctuated within 4 pounds all winter. I was still able to enjoy holiday food, just watched my portions and kept up with my running and strength training.