Anyone with Success at Maintaining?

maria_antoinette
maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
edited November 7 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I have recently switched to PALEO to try and maintain my 130 lbs. because the high carb low calorie was a nightmare.. so far PALEO is working to maintain and i have been able to eat more calories.. my issue is always when i am close to goal like now, i blow it and start to go back up.. i catch myself and then i have to calorie restrict and SO ON.. this has been going on for 10 years at least... So although i am mantaining.. this is stupid allready.. i want to just forget about all this ... i gave up sugar and starch etc.. and i found i am less hungry.. so thats great.

Truth is i have always wanted to weigh 125.. but if i trouble maintaning 130.. what makes me think i will ever be 125. yet i keep trying... maybe i just need to be 130 for a long time without TRYING so hard to change my body set point.
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Replies

  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    As to your question, yes, I've been successful at maintaining for two years now. I only eat foods I enjoy, watch portion sizes, and I'm not sedentary. I'm 52 years old.

    Easy Peasey.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    As to your question, yes, I've been successful at maintaining for two years now. I only eat foods I enjoy, watch portion sizes, and I'm not sedentary. I'm 52 years old.

    Easy Peasey.

    Thats awesome, Congratulations.. what an achievement.. :flowerforyou:
  • biggermann
    biggermann Posts: 14 Member
    can you please give me a quick outline of PALEO, I may be interested....does this help to increase caloric intake, thus being able to lose weight, when you are burning lots
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    can you please give me a quick outline of PALEO, I may be interested....does this help to increase caloric intake, thus being able to lose weight, when you are burning lots

    No. Paleo is just another way to create a calorie deficit by eliminating food groups. You don't get a higher calorie intake by switching to paleo.

    All you need to do is create a calorie deficit and eat the foods you want in moderation. The weight will come off.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    can you please give me a quick outline of PALEO, I may be interested....does this help to increase caloric intake, thus being able to lose weight, when you are burning lots

    "Eat whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense, nourishing foods. Prioritize grass fed and pastured meats and eggs, wild-caught seafood, and vegetables. Enjoy fruit, nuts, and seeds in moderation.

    Avoid foods that will harm us by causing systemic inflammation, wrecking our guts, or derailing our natural metabolic processes. Abstain from toxic, pro-inflammatory foods like gluten-containing grains, legumes, sugar, and the laboratory-concocted Frankenfoods found in the middle aisles of your neighborhood supermarket."

    If you look up PALEO diet.. its all over.. i can eat more and am not hungry anymore... its like low carb but you can still eat all the good carbs that are good for you. http://thepaleodiet.com/what-to-eat-on-the-paleo-diet/
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.

    I don't understand this. Why can't you eat the foods you want following 1500 calories a day? Paleo doesn't do anything special but eliminate food groups.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    I've been maintaining for 2 years. I eat food and I exercise.

    There is going to be nothing magic about Paleo. Some of the claims about it are that you can eat whatever and it basically impossible for you to gain weight. Well, that's bull****. Eat too many calories, you'll gain. If you like pretending you are a paleolithic hunter gatherer while cruising the aisles of the supermarket, that's fine. If you like the food, that's fine. But don't kid yourself that this will magically let you eat a million calories a day and not gain. Physics is still physics.

    As for the social carbs: if you chose to do Paleo, you can always allow yourself a cheat day where you realize you don't actually live in a cave and eat human food. Seems most everyone does anyway.

    And OP - maybe 125 is too low for you? Or maybe you'd feel better in your body with some weight training? Random numbers on a scale are just that...
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    I've been maintaining for 2 years. I eat food and I exercise.

    There is going to be nothing magic about Paleo. Some of the claims about it are that you can eat whatever and it basically impossible for you to gain weight. Well, that's bull****. Eat too many calories, you'll gain. If you like pretending you are a paleolithic hunter gatherer while cruising the aisles of the supermarket, that's fine. If you like the food, that's fine. But don't kid yourself that this will magically let you eat a million calories a day and not gain. Physics is still physics.

    As for the social carbs: if you chose to do Paleo, you can always allow yourself a cheat day where you realize you don't actually live in a cave and eat human food. Seems most everyone does anyway.

    And OP - maybe 125 is too low for you? Or maybe you'd feel better in your body with some weight training? Random numbers on a scale are just that...

    yes i agree 100% with everything you are saying.. PALEO did so however 2 things for me.. it let me go from an unhealthy 800-1000/1200 Calorie nightmare to a nice 1300-1500 BUT i cant go more then that.. (AGREED)...
    . it also made me not hungry anymore, since i cut out the white stuff and sugar...

    as for my weight.. you are right.. maybe 125 is not in the cards for me.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.

    I don't understand this. Why can't you eat the foods you want following 1500 calories a day? Paleo doesn't do anything special but eliminate food groups.

    AHH and this is the MAGIC part of PALEO ( i think) still testing.... if i eat 1500 calories of what i like.. i will be STARVING due to the fact that paleo is right... most grains and sugar just make your more hungry.. HOWEVER if i eat meats and veggies and fats i satiate my hunger more.. also 1500 calories of OATMEAL and YOGURT and low fat high carb or however i was eating before would cause me to gain weight.. so i had to do the VLC thing for over 10 years now.. super annoying....
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.

    I don't understand this. Why can't you eat the foods you want following 1500 calories a day? Paleo doesn't do anything special but eliminate food groups.

    AHH and this is the MAGIC part of PALEO ( i think) still testing.... if i eat 1500 calories of what i like.. i will be STARVING due to the fact that paleo is right... most grains and sugar just make your more hungry.. HOWEVER if i eat meats and veggies and fats i satiate my hunger more.. also 1500 calories of OATMEAL and YOGURT and low fat high carb or however i was eating before would cause me to gain weight.. so i had to do the VLC thing for over 10 years now.. super annoying....

    I eat plenty of grains and sugar and I'm not hungry. So it's not magic.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.

    I don't understand this. Why can't you eat the foods you want following 1500 calories a day? Paleo doesn't do anything special but eliminate food groups.

    AHH and this is the MAGIC part of PALEO ( i think) still testing.... if i eat 1500 calories of what i like.. i will be STARVING due to the fact that paleo is right... most grains and sugar just make your more hungry.. HOWEVER if i eat meats and veggies and fats i satiate my hunger more.. also 1500 calories of OATMEAL and YOGURT and low fat high carb or however i was eating before would cause me to gain weight.. so i had to do the VLC thing for over 10 years now.. super annoying....

    I eat plenty of grains and sugar and I'm not hungry. So it's not magic.

    OMGOSH YOU are sooooooooooooooo LUCKY.. how???!!! if i eat oatmeal for breakfast and yougurt for snack. which i have done all my life and maintained low weight... well problem is my stomach hurts and i am still hungry... yet i switch to eggs and bacon and hunger is non existact.. you are SOOOO LUCKY..
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.

    I don't understand this. Why can't you eat the foods you want following 1500 calories a day? Paleo doesn't do anything special but eliminate food groups.

    AHH and this is the MAGIC part of PALEO ( i think) still testing.... if i eat 1500 calories of what i like.. i will be STARVING due to the fact that paleo is right... most grains and sugar just make your more hungry.. HOWEVER if i eat meats and veggies and fats i satiate my hunger more.. also 1500 calories of OATMEAL and YOGURT and low fat high carb or however i was eating before would cause me to gain weight.. so i had to do the VLC thing for over 10 years now.. super annoying....

    I eat plenty of grains and sugar and I'm not hungry. So it's not magic.

    OMGOSH YOU are sooooooooooooooo LUCKY.. how???!!! if i eat oatmeal for breakfast and yougurt for snack. which i have done all my life and maintained low weight... well problem is my stomach hurts and i am still hungry... yet i switch to eggs and bacon and hunger is non existact.. you are SOOOO LUCKY..
    Uh alright.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.

    I don't understand this. Why can't you eat the foods you want following 1500 calories a day? Paleo doesn't do anything special but eliminate food groups.

    AHH and this is the MAGIC part of PALEO ( i think) still testing.... if i eat 1500 calories of what i like.. i will be STARVING due to the fact that paleo is right... most grains and sugar just make your more hungry.. HOWEVER if i eat meats and veggies and fats i satiate my hunger more.. also 1500 calories of OATMEAL and YOGURT and low fat high carb or however i was eating before would cause me to gain weight.. so i had to do the VLC thing for over 10 years now.. super annoying....

    I eat plenty of grains and sugar and I'm not hungry. So it's not magic.

    OMGOSH YOU are sooooooooooooooo LUCKY.. how???!!! if i eat oatmeal for breakfast and yougurt for snack. which i have done all my life and maintained low weight... well problem is my stomach hurts and i am still hungry... yet i switch to eggs and bacon and hunger is non existact.. you are SOOOO LUCKY..

    GIRL! i am 45.. lol.. you are 21... when i was 21 i can eat anything i wanted also :) !!! you are beautiful and probably super healthy ... i cant even drink a glass of wine anymore without some kind of issue..... pre-menapause is so different then at your age....... i switched to paleo because i was so hungry and eating meat and more fat does actually satiate your hunger...
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    GIRL! i am 45.. lol.. you are 21... when i was 21 i can eat anything i wanted also :) !!! you are beautiful and probably super healthy ... i cant even drink a glass of wine anymore without some kind of issue..... pre-menapause is so different then at your age....... i switched to paleo because i was so hungry and eating meat and more fat does actually satiate your hunger...

    Uh.....???
    I've been maintaining for almost 2 years. I'm 56. I watch my portions and don't exclude anything from my diet; I just find a balance that works. I drink wine, cider, beer and anything else without issue. I eat oatmeal, meat/fats, veggies, cake, cookies, ice cream, anything I want (within reason). I'm not sure what you mean about pre-menopause changing diet issues?
    Yes, fats will satiate your hunger but so will other foods. You've got to find what works for you but don't make the current fad diet the magic bullet. Find a good balance of sustainability; watch portions and do moderate exercise. Try not to get to a weight range that is too low for the body; that's too hard to maintain over a lifetime. Find moderation in your goal, foods and exercise and things will come together.
  • This content has been removed.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,023 Member
    I've maintained (within 10lbs even with holidays) the same weight for the last 20 years. No special diets or programs. Just met my macro/micro essentials and ate within calorie limit. I didn't cut anything I like to eat out (especially cultural fried foods). Paleo is good if you're someone that needs to eat consistently and don't want to consume high calorie meals.
    Personally for me, eating 2 good meals and a few times of snacks a day has been my way of eating for 10 years now. It's a switch from eating 3 meals a day and 2 snacks a day. I do eat more those 2 meals (calorie wise vs the 3 meals a day) so it seems much more satisfying.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Maybe the problem is that you're trying to lose weight by giving up things you enjoy. If you are planning on sticking to a paleo diet, that's great. If this isn't something you think you can live with forever, maybe you should find another way to maintain, like just eating smaller portions of regular food. The diet that works best is the one you can live with.

    well in the past i have succesfully but painfully done the low calorie thing. which allowed me to eat anything i want whenever i want as long as i stayed in the under 1200 calorie zone... the reason i switched to paleo is because that amount of calories is way to low and i am tired of doing the yo yo with that.. now i can eat 1500+ calories and maintain my weight with PALEO but then this problem comes up at least once a week....... the CARB while being SOCIAL issue... we will see how i do long term with PALEO.

    I don't understand this. Why can't you eat the foods you want following 1500 calories a day? Paleo doesn't do anything special but eliminate food groups.

    ^ This
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    GIRL! i am 45.. lol.. you are 21... when i was 21 i can eat anything i wanted also :) !!! you are beautiful and probably super healthy ... i cant even drink a glass of wine anymore without some kind of issue..... pre-menapause is so different then at your age....... i switched to paleo because i was so hungry and eating meat and more fat does actually satiate your hunger...
    If you look at my pictures, you will see that I haven't always been "healthy" looking. It has taken a lot of trial and error to get to where I am, and I am still not where I want to be.

    But if Paleo works for you, then keep doing it! If you're eating/drinking carbs once a week, you should be okay.

    And yes fat and protein does help with hunger, but I just can't give up my treats at night(oreos) and I refuse to. They make losing/maintaining my weight so much easier.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    If you can eat 1500 calories and maintain on Paleo, you can eat 1500 calories on anything and maintain. Not sure why you think Paleo allows people to eat more calories.

    It's possible that when you eat 1500 of "non-Paleo" type foods you retain some water that makes you think you are gaining, but there is nothing magical about Paleo.
  • swimmermama
    swimmermama Posts: 526 Member
    If Paleo works for you, do it!

    And you look great at the weight you are. If you feel good and are meeting your performance goals, great! If not, switch it up and see what happens.

    Not brilliant, earth-shattering advice, but whatevs :)
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    GIRL! i am 45.. lol.. you are 21... when i was 21 i can eat anything i wanted also :) !!! you are beautiful and probably super healthy ... i cant even drink a glass of wine anymore without some kind of issue..... pre-menapause is so different then at your age....... i switched to paleo because i was so hungry and eating meat and more fat does actually satiate your hunger...

    Uh.....???
    I've been maintaining for almost 2 years. I'm 56. I watch my portions and don't exclude anything from my diet; I just find a balance that works. I drink wine, cider, beer and anything else without issue. I eat oatmeal, meat/fats, veggies, cake, cookies, ice cream, anything I want (within reason). I'm not sure what you mean about pre-menopause changing diet issues?
    Yes, fats will satiate your hunger but so will other foods. You've got to find what works for you but don't make the current fad diet the magic bullet. Find a good balance of sustainability; watch portions and do moderate exercise. Try not to get to a weight range that is too low for the body; that's too hard to maintain over a lifetime. Find moderation in your goal, foods and exercise and things will come together.

    I meant LOLOWOLF... :glasses:
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    I've maintained (within 10lbs even with holidays) the same weight for the last 20 years. No special diets or programs. Just met my macro/micro essentials and ate within calorie limit. I didn't cut anything I like to eat out (especially cultural fried foods). Paleo is good if you're someone that needs to eat consistently and don't want to consume high calorie meals.
    Personally for me, eating 2 good meals and a few times of snacks a day has been my way of eating for 10 years now. It's a switch from eating 3 meals a day and 2 snacks a day. I do eat more those 2 meals (calorie wise vs the 3 meals a day) so it seems much more satisfying.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I have maintained also within 10 lbs. for a very long time..... over 10 years... but not very happy with what i have had to do to maintain that.. i do however eat 5 small meals a day and i am thinking maybe i need to change that to 2 larger meals and 2 snacks.. because i have read that eating smaller meals actually does not work for your metabolism...
  • capnrus789
    capnrus789 Posts: 2,736 Member
    In August of 1999 I was at 250 lbs. By December I was 210, and by June 2000 I was 185. A year later I got down to 175. Since then I've fluctuated between 175 and 200, but mostly in the 175-185 range. I still eat pizza, drink lots of beer, go out with my wife all the time. I just eat less, and move more. You don't need any sort of specialized way of eating unless you really want to.

    I eat what I want, just to as much of it.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    If you can eat 1500 calories and maintain on Paleo, you can eat 1500 calories on anything and maintain. Not sure why you think Paleo allows people to eat more calories.

    It's possible that when you eat 1500 of "non-Paleo" type foods you retain some water that makes you think you are gaining, but there is nothing magical about Paleo.

    yes you are right.. maybe thats it.. maybe i was just bloated from sugar and starch... thats why i am testing out PALEO right now... regardless of PALEO i think that my body just does not do well with Dairy, Sugar and White Flour anymore because of my age ..
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you can eat 1500 calories and maintain on Paleo, you can eat 1500 calories on anything and maintain. Not sure why you think Paleo allows people to eat more calories.

    It's possible that when you eat 1500 of "non-Paleo" type foods you retain some water that makes you think you are gaining, but there is nothing magical about Paleo.

    tumblr_maf78dMGVM1qft92go1_500.gif

    Yes...it's true...it's just math. I lost 40 Lbs and have maintained going on 18 months and I don't log anything. Overall I eat very healthfully but I don't follow any prescribed plan like paleo or anything...if you want to do paleo, that's cool...but understand really that there isn't any magic to it...it's still math...it's still calories in/calories out.

    Anyhoo...I eat food and I exercise and I make sure I'm getting proper nutrition, etc and I easily maintain my weight. Note that maintenance is a range, not an exact number...nobody weighs exactly XXX Lbs. Yesterday I was 179...this morning I was 183.6...this is within my normal maintenance range and I can assure you I didn't pack on almost 5 Lbs of fat overnight. A lot of people in maintenance expect it to be static and that's why they struggle so much and always feel like they have to diet...this is likely the case with you given what I've read thus far.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    As to your question, yes, I've been successful at maintaining for two years now. I only eat foods I enjoy, watch portion sizes, and I'm not sedentary. I'm 52 years old.

    Easy Peasey.

    I'm 55 and also have been maintaining for well over a year (depends on when you count my end point). Also only eat foods I love and watch portion sizes. I walk my 10,000 steps every day, but no more rigorous exercise program. This summer, doing nothing special, I've lost an additional 5 pounds - probably because of slowly changing fat to muscle. (Yes, my 4 mile nightly walk has changed from a 65 minute to a 40 minute routine).

    Why 125? Numbers aren't magic. Perhaps you should focus on health and inches, not weight. You can lose inches without changing weight. I did.

    Why a specific, harder to maintain diet instead of just eating? Perhaps that's why you can lose and not maintain.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    If you can eat 1500 calories and maintain on Paleo, you can eat 1500 calories on anything and maintain. Not sure why you think Paleo allows people to eat more calories.

    It's possible that when you eat 1500 of "non-Paleo" type foods you retain some water that makes you think you are gaining, but there is nothing magical about Paleo.

    tumblr_maf78dMGVM1qft92go1_500.gif

    Yes...it's true...it's just math. I lost 40 Lbs and have maintained going on 18 months and I don't log anything. Overall I eat very healthfully but I don't follow any prescribed plan like paleo or anything...if you want to do paleo, that's cool...but understand really that there isn't any magic to it...it's still math...it's still calories in/calories out.

    Anyhoo...I eat food and I exercise and I make sure I'm getting proper nutrition, etc and I easily maintain my weight. Note that maintenance is a range, not an exact number...nobody weighs exactly XXX Lbs. Yesterday I was 179...this morning I was 183.6...this is within my normal maintenance range and I can assure you I didn't pack on almost 5 Lbs of fat overnight. A lot of people in maintenance expect it to be static and that's why they struggle so much and always feel like they have to diet...this is likely the case with you given what I've read thus far.

    Yeah i guess i just want my range or set point to be lower without starving... but it might not work no matter what i do.. calorie restricting always works.. but thats like ridiculous at my age allready... lower then 1300 .. i am just tired of it... so if its not in the cards.. its just not
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    If you can eat 1500 calories and maintain on Paleo, you can eat 1500 calories on anything and maintain. Not sure why you think Paleo allows people to eat more calories.

    It's possible that when you eat 1500 of "non-Paleo" type foods you retain some water that makes you think you are gaining, but there is nothing magical about Paleo.

    yes you are right.. maybe thats it.. maybe i was just bloated from sugar and starch... thats why i am testing out PALEO right now... regardless of PALEO i think that my body just does not do well with Dairy, Sugar and White Flour anymore because of my age ..

    Nobody does well with a lot of calories from sugar and white flour. Dairy depends on what you've eaten in the past and your gut flora. We've recently found that my youngest, who isn't lactose intolerant at all, is fine with milk but gets horrific migraine headaches from cheese that last for days. It turns out a low tyramine diet (recommended by his neurologist) is not only good for his headaches, but lowered my husband's blood pressure and keeps his heart from skipping. Who knew?

    Any food routine works if it works for you and has a good healthy balance of nutrients.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Have you calculated your TDEE? In order to be successful at maintaining, you need to understand that number. If you consume more calories than your TDEE, you will gain. If you consume less, you will lose. Right around your TDEE, you will maintain.

    Once you know that number (which is not concrete, it obviously can fluctuate if you have fluctuations in your daily activity level - more sedentary or more active than normal) then you can determine what food will best help you happily exist on that number.

    As others have said, doing Paleo doesn't automatically mean you get to eat more calories. If you are able to maintain eating 1500 calories of Paleo food, you could maintain eating 1500 calories of non-Paleo food as well. The difference is that you may not feel as full/satisfied, may feel like you have to eat more food, and thus would exceed your TDEE and would gain weight.
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