Reached goal weight and still losing weight. Looking for help/suggestions!

(1) two months. I was calculating my observed TDEE during loss and it still took 2 months at maintenance.
(2) yes
(3) I also try to keep my exertion steady week-to-week, but I do not try to count exercise calories. I rely on observed TDEE.

ETA: congrats on reaching goal!

I found the TDEE calculators to be fairly accurate for so long as I was being honest about my activity level. My biggest issue was that I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea that I might need 3000 calories per day to maintain...even though I was riding around 100+ miles per week and hitting the weight room 3 nights per week and overall just pretty active outside of work.

I actually had to bring my activity down a notch to where I maintain around 2800ish on average. I do some endurance riding though and when I train for those events, my calories go through the roof.

It's been about a month, and I'm still finding my way. It's tough for me to know if the weight is really stable because of hormonal changes with TOM etc. So I'll know over a couple of months. I've also increased more than I expected. I guess I move around more than I thought.

(1) Can't answer as my diet has been a bit all over the place
(2) Yes ! While increasing calories back to normal, I found that if i actually stuck to them (no over-eating chocolate and crap), then my body would start getting leaner again
(3) Why so much cardio? If you're burning up to 3000 calories/week from activity, that's enough for you to still lose weight. Try cutting back to running twice a week.

Bump up your calories and leave it as is for a couple weeks. Your body is an adaptive machine, it will adjust. But hey, 3000 calories a day without weight gain is something many dream of

Me!! Am at the lowest I want to be in fact could do with gaining a couple back!! I weigh myself every morning to keep an eye on it.. I eat alot of food!! I lose a pound then eat like a bin to gain it back!! Will add you

cedarkins wrote: »

Hello MFP Community!

I reached my goal weight a week and a half ago and since then I have been increasing my calories in order to stop any more weight loss. So far, I have not been successful in halting the weight loss and I have upped my calories quite a bit: 1200 to 2700. Today I am going for 3000 calories.

I have a few questions to ask you maintainers out there:

(1) how long did it take you to find a balance between intake and output of your calories?
(2) did you experience a similar situation where weight loss continued even when increasing calories?
(3) I am still maintaining my same exercise level, and wish to maintain it. I run 6-10 miles 3x week and go to the gym the other 3x with one day of rest. I wear a heart rate monitor so I can tell you that I average a 2500-3000 calorie burn a week, not to mention I easily do at least 10,000 steps throughout the day. Any maintainers out there in a similar situation willing to share how they maintain weight with such an exercise plan?

Really, at this point, any information would help me out or at least point me in the right direction.

Thanks a bunch! I look forward to hearing all your input!

~Cedarkins! :-)

1) I still haven't reached a balance. Right now I'm recovering from a broken leg and cataract operation, so my activity level is lower, but walking on crutches is pretty rigorous according to my activity tracker. I've been maintaining for over a year.
2) I haven't really lost weight, maybe 2 pounds, but I definitely lost a couple of sizes.
3) I usually maintain a highly active workout level and can in no way eat as much as I should. I think your body eventually adapts to what you eat and do. I'm not skin and bones; I'm older so I don''t show a lot of muscles, but they're there. What I do is to log my food regularly, so I don't get cocky. My weight is pretty stable and my doctor is happy with where I am.

Keep up what your doing and start worrying about something else. That's my advice to anyone who is at goal. We spent so much time obsessing about weight we got in a rut. Now I've started working as a Zumba instructor and personal trainer at 67. I've got a group certification exam next week, a practical interview at a gym to be a personal trainer coming up. I'm taking an aqua certification next month and have to reschedule some stuff in January. I also do watercolor and all my baby cousins want paintings for Christmas.

cedarkins wrote: »

Hello MFP Community!

I reached my goal weight a week and a half ago and since then I have been increasing my calories in order to stop any more weight loss. So far, I have not been successful in halting the weight loss and I have upped my calories quite a bit: 1200 to 2700. Today I am going for 3000 calories.

I have a few questions to ask you maintainers out there:

(1) how long did it take you to find a balance between intake and output of your calories?
(2) did you experience a similar situation where weight loss continued even when increasing calories?
(3) I am still maintaining my same exercise level, and wish to maintain it. I run 6-10 miles 3x week and go to the gym the other 3x with one day of rest. I wear a heart rate monitor so I can tell you that I average a 2500-3000 calorie burn a week, not to mention I easily do at least 10,000 steps throughout the day. Any maintainers out there in a similar situation willing to share how they maintain weight with such an exercise plan?

Really, at this point, any information would help me out or at least point me in the right direction.

Thanks a bunch! I look forward to hearing all your input!

~Cedarkins! :-)

Going into maintenance is a mighty big transition and can be very emotional. To answer your questions...

1) About 4 months, or a tad longer. But don't expect it to be an exact science. You need to find a "wing it" system whereby your mind can adjust and drift on and off of other concerns in life. This will help, believe it or not, in getting into a new routine that won't threaten to undo your progress, but at the same time, will keep you where you are. My advice on this: Don't be afraid of gaining the weight back. When you've succeeded in losing, you've succeeded at changing your metabolism. You are in control now, so don't worry. Took me every bit of those four months to get passed the hangup of not accepting that you are in a different place now than you were in life when you had to drop the cals to get rid of the pounds.

2) Yes. I kept losing even when consuming much higher calories. I have found this is because your body becomes so adapted to losing, so efficient at burning your reserves instead of what you eat, that it keeps on doing so. It will need training to re-adjust.

3) You might fade out the cardio just a little. I am 40 and recently decided to cut back on my running to about twice a week since it's easier on my knees than 4 or 5 days a week and I added in more weightlifting. These changes helped me build and maintain some needed muscle mass lost in dieting.

I have now gone back up from 185 to 197 lbs, which took since this July. Looks better on me, I'm told. Get comfortable eating more. If you're anything like me, I know it is hard now, but gradually work on increasing the amount you consume. Your body will adapt, and in time, you won't worry or feel like you've violated your dietary conscience when doing so. You will also notice more glycogen reserves (aka, "water weight") being stored on layers all over you more so than normal. Don't freak out. This is good. It means you are making progress toward true maintenance.

Things change, and therefore, needs change; just repeat that to yourself.

Good luck.