New to Maintaining

maybelle184 · January 2015

Hi guys! I'm still new to the maintaining thing (just lost 10 pounds, so it wasn't an extreme change), and am wondering what tips you have. Obviously I'm going to keep eating healthy foods and working out, but I still don't know how to switch from low-cal eating to allowing more foods. Let me know what you've found helpful!

spoiledpuppies · January 2015

Congrats! In some ways, I think a 10-pound loss could be harder to maintain. When you've lost more, you tend to work within a 5-pound or so range; but for you that could get you near your starting weight! I would ease into it. Add calories gradually. Keep eating in a healthy way-just more. I'm also a strong advocate for daily weigh-ins (though I know this isn't for everyone). I find that it keeps me mindful of my priorities to start each day with a weigh-in. And then I would quickly notice too much of an upward trend. Good luck!

maybelle184 · January 2015

Thanks! How did you start upping your calories? Did you eat bigger snacks, increase your meal portion sizes, eat higher calorie foods...?

spoiledpuppies · January 2015

Hmm...it's been awhile. I started by adding 100 calories extra per day weekly. (So, while losing, I ate 1200 calories per day. Week 1 of maintenance, I ate 1300 calories per day. Week 2 of maintenance, I ate 1400 calories per day. And so on until reaching 2300 calories per day. So it's quite a difference. (I did probably jump from about 1600 to the 2300 nearly directly after meeting with a trainer and getting started on a lifting program.)

Anyway, I do eat a lot of the same things. But now I'll spread a sandwich with half an avocado. Or I use half an avocado mushed up as my salad dressing. I'll add oil to my salads (almond oil with coconut balsamic vinegar is wonderful!) I occasionally use mayonnaise on a sandwich, when I wouldn't while losing. For that matter, I didn't really eat sandwiches while losing--I stuck mostly with the meat and veggies. So I guess I've added some bread and/or wraps to my diet--though not a lot. I still don't really eat many starchy foods like pasta, rice or potatoes. I do have pasta and rice precooked, portioned, and frozen though. And I'll add them to dinner once in a great while if I have calories to burn. I started eating full-fat plain Fage yogurt, which has almost twice the calories as fat free--and it's SO delicious! Oh, and I'd never eaten eggs in my life (other than baked into things). Now I eat about two per day. I also add nuts to more things than I used to. I don't usually eat them as standalone snacks. (Those calories add up too quickly!) But I put 5-10g in my yogurt or on a salad. So I guess more than anything, I've increased my percentage of dietary fat. I also eat more protein bars--which are really just like candy bars. I've realized that I go for a protein bar when I really want a sweet. I just figure the protein bar version is better for me than something with more sugar. It's definitely not unheard of for me to eat 3 bars per day. One comes right after working out usually on lifting days or anaerobic cardio days, on my drive home. While losing, I also ate bars, but probably not so many as now. I try to limit myself to "real food" vs the bars, but they're so darn good!

nxd10 · January 2015

I think the key is just keeping in mind that your goal is to STAY thin not GET thin.

I found looking carefully at my diary helped. For me just dropping a few key things was the difference between maintaining and gaining. For example, changing from 16 oz to 5 oz glasses of milk, switching bread to low carb tortillas for lunch, and reducing cheese and nuts was all it took for me to lose weight. When I went to maintenance I allowed myself a bit more, but not much.

I find weighing every morning helpful. I want to stay in a 3 pound 'zone'. When I'm at the top of it I watch a little more carefully.

Personally, I like logging. It keeps my honest.

I love my fitbit zip. It was my big treat when I hit my goal. 65% of people regain the weight they lost. The ones that don't exercise every day and continue to monitor food. That's what I do. It's not rocket science. It's like brushing your teeth.

snowflake930 · January 2015

I am 63 and have only been on maintenance for 14 months, but I have found very little difference between the amount of calories I ate while losing and the calories I eat maintaining. My body found a weight I was very comfortable at, and I just did not lose any more. I monitor my weight daily and watch my calorie intake. I exercise daily (at least a walk a couple of days) and the gym M-F. My physician told me that for some older people, they just do not need the calories a younger person does. I am one of the people that allows a 5# fluctuation. When weight creeps up 3#, I usually cut back a little or do an extra 1/2 hour on the elliptical. Everyone is a little different and there are factors, such as gender, age, height, build etc to take into consideration.

bwogilvie · January 2015

nxd10 wrote: »

I think the key is just keeping in mind that your goal is to STAY thin not GET thin.

^ This. If you've lost 10 pounds, you probably were running a fairly small deficit, at most a few hundred calories. It's very easy to add that back to your daily goal, and I wouldn't worry too much about how you do it. For me, it has meant eating a second slice of toast for breakfast, for example, putting two slices of cheese on my sandwich instead of one, or having an extra ladle of soup.

The thing to avoid is thinking that you've reached your goal and therefore you can go back to your old habits—the old habits that led to gaining unwanted weight. You might ultimately find that you no longer need to log food, but the dietary changes that you've made must be long-lasting if you're to maintain, not regain.

Good luck!

tloubkelley · January 2015

ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF! YOU ARE YOUR JUDGE!!!
MOTIVATION HELPS GET THE WEIGHT OFF BUT FOR ME ONCE YOU'VE REACH YOUR GOAL ITS STAYING THERE.CHANGING WORKOUT HELPS BUT I FIND I EAT ALOT OF SAME THINgs. BUT IT'S THOSE FOODS I LIKE.I DO HAVE A CHEAT DAY. (ALCOHOL) lol.

tloubkelley · January 2015

Don't get to comfortable cause its causes u to go back into bad habits in weight loss.make healthier choices in the food u eat.look it up on your mfp Weither it's at hm or eating out.it totally helps u make that choice.good luck

nxd10 · January 2015

snowflake930 wrote: »

I am 63 and have only been on maintenance for 14 months, but I have found very little difference between the amount of calories I ate while losing and the calories I eat maintaining. My body found a weight I was very comfortable at, and I just did not lose any more. I monitor my weight daily and watch my calorie intake. I exercise daily (at least a walk a couple of days) and the gym M-F. My physician told me that for some older people, they just do not need the calories a younger person does. I am one of the people that allows a 5# fluctuation. When weight creeps up 3#, I usually cut back a little or do an extra 1/2 hour on the elliptical. Everyone is a little different and there are factors, such as gender, age, height, build etc to take into consideration.

That's been my experience too (I'll be 57 next week).

LivingtheLeanDream · January 2015

Some good replies above. ..I've been maintaining for a year, I kept upping cals by 100 at a time then a few weeks later would gain a bit, then cut back...vicious cycle! Turns out I should have given my body time to adjust to higher calories!

I eventually figured out my TDEE, only did that recently! And am maintaining eating 2100 average cals. I'm petite but very active.

So my 10 cents would be, don't panic when you increase cals and seem to gain, keep them higher for at least a month and then re-assess. If you're still up then you know you're just eating too much. Trust the process because it works, we can maintain on higher calories than we'd ever imagined ☺

Hope this helps.

paradi3s · January 2015

For me, I increased my calorie intake by 100 per week since mid-December. Only started eating at my maintenance level two days ago, so I can't say much about it but to depend on what you see in the mirror and your measurements. I don't like looking at the scale much because I obsess over every pound gained, which makes me go back to eating 1,200. But so far, no changes measurement-wise.

New to Maintaining

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