Your tips to maintaining?

Mostly just remain mindful. For me, it helps to weigh-in every day. I don't get caught up too much on numbers, but weighing every day ensures that I won't be caught by surprise. More importantly, though, I think it sets me up for a mindful day. If I start by weighing, I also start by reminding myself of my priorities. I also continue to log/count calories, but I've never tracked exercise calories. (I guess I'm on more of a TDEE program.) I like logging mostly because, again, it keeps me mindful. I'm also working with a trainer--and paying for that!--so I like to know that I'm sticking quite to my program in order to be able to assess it. Sometimes I also need to make sure I'm eating enough to support my activity/strength gains.

Good luck!

I'm not currently tracking.

I think it's a good goal to eventually maintain weight/body composition without logging unless you enjoy logging. I have run across a few people who really like seeing the numbers and they actively enjoy logging so they prefer to do it. That's a rare circumstance (IMO) where long term logging is a great idea and great fit.

Alternatively if you dislike logging or you dislike what effects it may have on you then seeking out methods of weight management that don't involve logging would be a good idea.

You can check out some of Georgie Fear's material, you can check out some of Precision Nutrition's material, you can check out my blog for some material on it. (There's a handful of things from PN that I don't agree with but they do have a fairly good resource on non logging methods -- I just think they take a stance against calorie counting a bit strongly and I don't agree with some of their assertions about it).

If you decide to maintain without logging I'd recommend that you do a few things:

- Start paying attention to your meal frequency and overall meal structure while you are still logging and maintain that structure when you stop logging. So for example if you eat 3 to 4 meals per day with 1 snack I'd generally suggest sticking to that when you peel away the logging.

- If you don't have consistency with respect to meal frequency, develop that now. Same with meal structure in that it would be a good idea to compose meals with some sense of regularity such as having a palm sized serving of protein and one to two handfuls of vegetables with each meal, and add in carbs/fats based on caloric availability in your diet/etc. But the point is that you should develop some of these habits and ALSO develop awareness about these habits so that as you discontinue the logging you'll have some of this regularity in place in your diet.

-Consider starting by taking away the food scale on everything but the most energy dense items. From there, consider taking a day or two away from logging. Monitor what happens over a week or two, then remove another day or two, etc.

-Monitor the proportion of whole foods in your diet and keep it relatively high as a percentage of total calories. Upwards of 80-90% IMO and this becomes somewhat more important when you're not logging for satiety purposes. Same goes for fibrous vegetables and fruit content of your diet.

Not a perfect science but the point I'm getting at here is that you're gradually picking away at the logging while monitoring your habits and monitoring your weight.

And I'd look at a rolling average of your bodyweight and I'd give yourself a tolerance range of about 5lbs or so in that if you gain a pound or two you don't react to it just yet.

Then there's environmental management but I'm rambling enough as is and I should go get more coffee and my son is crawling up my leg.

Keep the average food you have eaten and keep training.

SideSteel wrote: »

I'm not currently tracking.

I think it's a good goal to eventually maintain weight/body composition without logging unless you enjoy logging. I have run across a few people who really like seeing the numbers and they actively enjoy logging so they prefer to do it. That's a rare circumstance (IMO) where long term logging is a great idea and great fit.

Alternatively if you dislike logging or you dislike what effects it may have on you then seeking out methods of weight management that don't involve logging would be a good idea.

You can check out some of Georgie Fear's material, you can check out some of Precision Nutrition's material, you can check out my blog for some material on it. (There's a handful of things from PN that I don't agree with but they do have a fairly good resource on non logging methods -- I just think they take a stance against calorie counting a bit strongly and I don't agree with some of their assertions about it).

If you decide to maintain without logging I'd recommend that you do a few things:

- Start paying attention to your meal frequency and overall meal structure while you are still logging and maintain that structure when you stop logging. So for example if you eat 3 to 4 meals per day with 1 snack I'd generally suggest sticking to that when you peel away the logging.

- If you don't have consistency with respect to meal frequency, develop that now. Same with meal structure in that it would be a good idea to compose meals with some sense of regularity such as having a palm sized serving of protein and one to two handfuls of vegetables with each meal, and add in carbs/fats based on caloric availability in your diet/etc. But the point is that you should develop some of these habits and ALSO develop awareness about these habits so that as you discontinue the logging you'll have some of this regularity in place in your diet.

-Consider starting by taking away the food scale on everything but the most energy dense items. From there, consider taking a day or two away from logging. Monitor what happens over a week or two, then remove another day or two, etc.

-Monitor the proportion of whole foods in your diet and keep it relatively high as a percentage of total calories. Upwards of 80-90% IMO and this becomes somewhat more important when you're not logging for satiety purposes. Same goes for fibrous vegetables and fruit content of your diet.

Not a perfect science but the point I'm getting at here is that you're gradually picking away at the logging while monitoring your habits and monitoring your weight.

And I'd look at a rolling average of your bodyweight and I'd give yourself a tolerance range of about 5lbs or so in that if you gain a pound or two you don't react to it just yet.

Then there's environmental management but I'm rambling enough as is and I should go get more coffee and my son is crawling up my leg.

good info and advice - thanks!

I still log, but to make sure I am eating enough more than to make sure I am not eating too much. I have an autoimmune disease and certain foods make me feel awful. Losing weight was easy for me this time, but eating enough to maintain AND eat safe foods can be difficult. (My brother has the same problem and drinks boost twice a day.) I ate a ridiculous amount of food yesterday without going over my maintenance calories and I rarely eat back my exercise now. I have allowed myself tons of candy that I made this year as I was slightly under my maintenance range when the holidays started. I'm back at 152 this morning and happy with that.

I do think that continuing to exercise has been key to my ability to maintain. In my case, it makes me hungry enough to eat, but everyone I know who maintains successfully continues an exercise program. I lift 2-3 tomes per week and take a barre class once a week and a yoga class if I can squeeze it in around the kids' activities.

I log everyday. For me, it is too easy to slide. I need the accountability, so I will be logging forever. It has only been 13 months and I don't want to be one of the vast majority that gains it all back ( and often times gaining even more weight ) within 5 years. So, I will keep on logging on MFP

Everyone is different, but for me personally I have been counting calories for about three years now in order to maintain. If I don't, it's too easy to lose track of serving sizes and portions and I'll eat too much.
I make sure I ALWAYS bring portable, lower-calorie snacks (such as dry cereal) to munch on if I get hungry throughout the day to prevent me from wasting calories and money on fast/convenience foods.
Last but not least, I make sure I always save myself some calories at the end of the day (to motivate me to be good) for something I've been craving, like a candy bar or ice cream (when I just have the urge to keep eating I'll opt for something super low calorie like Arctic Zero since the entire pint is only 150 calories. It may not taste as decadent as ice cream, but it still satisfies my urge to eat a lot of something cold and sweet!)