Is it hard to mantain a low weight?
Chibukalu908
Posts: 212
I am 5`3 and would like to be 115 but that means I would probably have to eat below 2000 calories to maintain that weight .I know I can exercise to eat more but I think it would be hard to stay that low .Any one who found it hard to maintain a small weight and gained few pounds back?
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Hello! I'm 5'3" and maintained at 107lb for over a year or so. It's certainly do-able. I think I'm quite lucky because I'm naturally active and my job can be quite active (not stuck at a desk and frequently attending meetings around the Borough I work in). I use a Fitbit as I lost more weight when I started maintaining (hence getting down to 107).
This year I have been focusing far more on exercise and wanted to look more 'athletic' than the stringy runner I was looking like so I do a lot of strength orientated classes and plan to start heavy lifting in the autumn. Anyway - through doing these classes I have noticed that my physique has changed, my thighs and butt are bigger (in a good way - I actually have butt muscle for the first time - maybe ever!) and I gained a couple of pound which I took on happily and adjusted my goals.
So anyway....long story short. I maintain happily at 109lb. I do work out most days and I always try and hit my 10,000 step goal. I find I eat about 2000 calories a day on average.
Feel free to look through my diary, though please note for the last week I have been 'banking calories' for an indulgent day out today. I work to weekly net calories rather than daily when I need to, but you should also see that even during this deficit I was eating about 1800-2000 calories a day.
I would find it hard to maintain just using the 1470 BMR provided and if I were not to do any exercise, so I guess it depends on your lifestyle. You have to be happy with where you're at, and there's plenty of scope to adapt and change within maintenance, it's not the end of the road - it's the start of a new one!0 -
Choosing more nutritious foods will help you.
I am currently eating at 1450 calories per day and i am tall and weigh more than you aspire too.
Eating at 1450 is not hard. But i am not very active.
I try to maximise the nutrition value of my foods.
I always recommend and try to do:
1 cup milk per day - mostly in my coffee and sometimes on my oats.
1 cup yoghurt per day
up to 40g of yellow cheese per day
the above are for calcium for bone health
5 vegetables at 75g each per day
2 fruit at 150g each per day
I prioritise lentils, chickpeas and beans to prioritise health these are very high fibre foods which we should be trying to eat a lot of.
protein for my weight which is currently .8kg per kilo at 64kg
healthy fats to make the food taste good an in moderation. olive oil, some nuts but not too many about max 30g if seeds about 1-2 tsp.
I often have a glass of wine per day.
There is a fasting diet which i think will be good for maintenance. called the 5:2 diet. I am doing it now. Today i ma fasting. You eat 500 calories or a better still a quarter of your TDEE on a fast day. YOu can look it up on their website or get the book. or join the forum. or even join the group not this site but its not very active.0 -
I think it is hard for people who are 'picky' or whom are not thrifty. I can eat a bag of steamed veggies without seasoning or chicken without sauce. People who are constantly going out to eat instead of eating the food they have at home. Some times it is hard to change habits, but it is all about how much you want 'it'-whatever your goal is.. Honestly I never thought I could cut the junk, but It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. On top of that, at one period during my learning I kind of gorged myself on pizza and ice cream for days at a time for almost a month while not working out.. my weight maintained the same, though I gained some fat and my muscles became less defined. keeping a flat stomach, or a small one, is very do-able. IMO0
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It's a tough lifestyle, I only can be on 2000-2400 calories a day, cause constantly tweaking, everyday it feels like less and less food, and I like to save around 1,300 at the end of day for dinner and dessert. Life is full of restrictions, and even thought your no longer (dieting/weight loss mode), you keep reminding you can't be the person you used to be anymore.
Good luck to you, it can be done, well quite a while at least or maybe forever, as I been maintancing my happy low weight for about 6 months now, tough during the day, but worth it at nightfall.0 -
Yes, you can maintain 115 for a long time. It may change with the age, but if you are in proper lifestyle and work to be the same, it is not tough to maintain your weight. It is always good to be healthy instead of being skinny. Follow your current diet chart.0
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It depends on you. Me, I'm 5'3 and I've never been able to maintain lower than 145. My body really likes it in the 160's, but that's not healthy. So, I'm slowly learning to maintain increasingly lower weights until I reach 145. That's the weight my body fat will be in the normal range for me.0
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I like Lyle McDonald, but I found that quite a depressing read
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Okay, so I've been playing around for the last couple of months with different things.
When I only cardio, it is hard.
If I do weights only, I tend to maintain and lose faster.
It's hard to give up the cardio bunny life, though!
Weights are the way to go. Seem to help maintain and promote loss for me.
Get too hungry with cardio alone.0 -
Hi, 2000 calories is a lot of food to me.... and that's coming from someone who used to have a big appetite. Lol
I'm 5ft 3.5 and i'm aiming to get back to 9 stone which i think is around 126 pounds - (UK size 8/US size 4). This is my natural weight and i think i can probably maintain on 1700. I'm in my 40s, so my maintainence cals will be less.
I'm now on 1400 cals a day as i'm still trying to lose the last 3 lbs and i'm coping quite well on it! I think it's mainly because i'm eating healthy foods.
I could easily eat 2000 cals worth of fast food with no effort, but try eating 2000 cals of healthy foods and you'll see what i mean.....you'll be stuffed!
I'm eating wholewheat pasta, Wholewheat Bread (mainly Pitta), Cereals, Chicken, Fish, Lean Pork, Cheese (sml portions), Hazlenut Milk, Sweet Potatoes and a lot of Veggies.
I've even had the odd Macdonalds and a few glasses of Rose Wine and still lost weight....so it won't hurt to have these occasionally.
Just stick to mostly eating healthier meals, keep active and you'll be fine!
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I'm 5ft 3 weigh 104lbs and I can eat around 1900 calories a day to maintain0
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2000 calories net - for me - would be a lot of calories.
If you're having a hard time maintaining at that, I suggest you carefully review your log and identify those foods that have a lot of calories that aren't that important to you and either drop them or find substitutes. For example, just changing wraps for bread, smaller glasses of milk, and cutting way back on cheese, I dropped 600 calories out of my day. That's how I lost weight. I've loosened up since maintaining, but it wasn't that difficult.0 -
If you are muscular or larger framed, it may not be easy or realistic for you. Quite frankly, it isn't about how low the number can go on the scale, especially if you are toned and muscular and weigh more because of your muscle I wouldn't aim to be as light as humanly possible.0
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I'm 5'4 and 116lb and don't find it hard to maintain. I do a lot of running so I eat an average of 2400-2500 a day. In theory, if I were less active I shouldn't be as hungry but I think I'd probably find it harder to maintain as I'm quite greedy.0
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My sister is 5 ft 3 and maintains between 120-125 (size 2) and maintains on 2200-2500 depends on her day...she likes her eliptical, does karate and uses some JM DVD's...but as you can see she is active...
I imagine if she wasn't active her maitenance would be more like 1900-2100.0 -
In my opinion I feel at times is it. At 5'3 115 lbs it's seems you can do it at no problem, but Idk your activity level and lifestyle. If at the end of the day you feel satisfied then just keep doing what your doing. For me I'm 5'1 and tried maintaining 96 lbs and now I'm suffering. My body feels week and I yearn for more calories. So I'm slowing upping my calories and trying to get to a healthier weight or at least just over 100. Trust your body to let you know when it needs more fuel and when it's okay.0
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I a 5'6" and I maintain about 115lbs with about 1500 calories.
But the scale won't read 115 lbs everyday. It'll be anywhere from 114 - 117 because weight fluctuates like crazy.
But at the end of the week, my average is 115 lbs.0 -
I am 5'2" and right now I'm around 120 but would like to get to 115-110. I've been in that range before and it wasn't hard to maintain. Anything below that though and I struggle.
But then again I don't plan on stopping my exercise once I get to my goal weight.0 -
It depends on so many variables -- your age, your activity level, your history, your appetite...
I'm 5'3" and I've already lost a lot of weight. I'm also 48, have had two babies, and have been obese for the last 20 years. The older and smaller I get, the fewer calories I can have to continue losing weight. It's discouraging! These days I'm eating 1400 and losing slowly, but I'm so hungry! The only way I can do it consistently is to burn cals by running so I can eat a little extra.0 -
It's a tough lifestyle, I only can be on 2000-2400 calories a day, cause constantly tweaking, everyday it feels like less and less food, and I like to save around 1,300 at the end of day for dinner and dessert. Life is full of restrictions, and even thought your no longer (dieting/weight loss mode), you keep reminding you can't be the person you used to be anymore.
Good luck to you, it can be done, well quite a while at least or maybe forever, as I been maintancing my happy low weight for about 6 months now, tough during the day, but worth it at nightfall.
2000 net calories would be plenty of food for me and especially that I also exercise which means more food:drinker: .I have gotten used at eating at deficient so I could maintain at 2000 net calories0 -
It depends on the weight your body naturally moves towards, your age and your activity level. I'm 5'2" and 104. In my 20s and 30s, I was almost always in the 90s. It definitely becomes harder to maintain as one grows older and perhaps has injuries interfering with vigorous activity, but if one commits to a healthy diet with a minimum of empty calories it's doable.
I would consider 2,000-plus calories a lot for a short woman of any age unless she is very active.0 -
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/set-points-settling-points-and-bodyweight-regulation-part-1.html
Read this article as others have recommended. If 115 is below your natural set weight, then yes it will probably be very difficult to maintain. If it is at or above your natural set point, it shouldn't be especially difficult as long as you are living a healthy balanced lifestyle.0 -
I'm 5'6, I average 118-122 lbs, and maintain around 1900-2100. I do not find it difficult.0
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Definately agree with the "it depends"
For me I lost 30 pounds and was eating around 1200-1400 at the time of my deficit but since I've lost the weight I've been able to slowly increase my calories to 1800 and have not gained a pound back. Most days I only reach 1800 when I pig out, so yes, I find eating at around 1600 - 1800 plenty.
Good luck0
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