Anyone with Success at Maintaining?
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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
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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:0 -
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...0 -
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.0 -
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 ..0 -
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...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.0 -
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.0 -
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...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 not0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.
Any food routine works if it works for you and has a good healthy balance of nutrients.
Thats what i am looking for.. a routine that works better then what i have been doing where i dont have to worry so much anymore.. we wont know for a while if the changes i am making works long term until i test it long term..0 -
I've been maintaining +-5LBS for 12-13 years now.
For me the key is to consistently eat a nutrient dense diet, (think: leafy greens, proteins, dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fruits...) without a lot of enriched, bleached starchy carbs, sugary snacks, and packaged convenience foods. This works FOR ME because:
A: I find that I can more easily control my appetite (the munchies, cravings, whatever)
B: I find that I can more easily satisfy true hunger
C: When I'm not bloated/retaining water/crampy from starchy carbs and heavily processed stuff I *feel* better, which then makes it easier to stay on track, workout, etc.etc.etc.
When I was losing weight I didn't count. I focused on eating right, and choosing "slower" nutrient dense foods. I'd tried losing weight via calorie counting before, but it wasn't for me. YES, I know I was creating a calorie deficit, but I approached it different (as one also does with paleo).
I also only eat foods I love.
I say all this to illustrate that everyone is different. Some folks lose and maintain best by focusing on numbers and counting. Some folks lose and maintain best by counting/weighing/measuring everything. Some folks lose and maintain best by tweaking what they eat. I am in that camp. I know you've been working at this for quite a while. And, yes, it's hard. Sometimes harder than losing. Perhaps you really are quite successful. And maybe a more paleo type approach will work for you (it's also pretty "SLOW carb") but try not to get hung up on rules and restrictions.
Best of luck!0 -
Congrats on figuring out WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.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.0 -
Congrats on figuring out WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.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.
Thanks
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How long have you been maintaining? If that's you in the profile pic, you're doing great.
Congrats on figuring out WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.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.
Thanks
ETA: sorry, just looked at your profile, and see you're not yet maintaining. Your profile photo looks great!0 -
How long have you been maintaining? If that's you in the profile pic, you're doing great.
Well thank you. Currently cutting after some weight gain from my 21st birthday I will start maintaining again in about a month!0 -
Good luck!How long have you been maintaining? If that's you in the profile pic, you're doing great.
Well thank you. Currently cutting after some weight gain from my 21st birthday I will start maintaining again in about a month!0 -
I know I won't maintain, I would become complacent and go full potato. But I weight train 7 days a week, so I will always be eating with a goal to get bigger, or leaner. Maintaining just is not an option for me, I want beast mode, not obese mode ..... again.0
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In maintenance, I consider my ideal weight to be about 167lbs and I have consistently been within 3-4lbs throughout the past year. I calculated my TDEE as inactive/sedentary, track all of my exercise with an HRM, and eat back most of my burned calories.
Ideally I would eat clean all the time, but my schedule is often too hectic, so I make the best choice possibly under the circumstances (if I end up at Burger King I try to eat a grilled chicken sandwich rather than a double Whopper and derailing my calories and fat grams for the entire day). Breaking even (roughly) with my calories and hitting my macros is key.0 -
Correct. Multi meals were instituted in the 80's and believed (since the fitness industry has a tendency to rely on word or mouth as "truth"), till actually peer reviewed scientific studies proved otherwise. Which is one of the reasons I also switched to eating whenever and however I wanted as long as I met my essentials and stayed within calorie limits.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...
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 nutrition0
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