Is maintaining weight harder than losing weight?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Cortelli wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    It's way easier...I can actually eat.

    The problem is that most people just revert back to old eating habits...they don't really develop healthful habits while they're losing weight, they're just trying to lose weight...so they're at a loss when it comes to maintenance.

    Not disagreeing with you, as the "most people" claim may be true. I still find it easier to have a cutting or bulking goal than a simple maintenance goal - even though I might not go back to previous eating habits. Not sure why, but I simply feel more dedicated with a more focused goal that involves manipulating my diet towards some specific target that takes that manipulation to reach. With extended maintenance periods, I sometimes find other non-diet related goals take priority, and I can only manage so many priorities at any given time on necessarily limited effort and energy. Having a gain or loss goal seems to inspire me more to pay careful attention. Not true for all, surely.

    For maintenance I really focus on my fitness and performance goals. Lifting for example...I eventually reached a plateau on some of my lifts...I had to figure out how to get beyond that...I had to take a look at my diet again and timing, etc. I switched some things up and ate a little more in general and BOOM...busted right through.

    I'm also always trying to get faster on my bike...I did some rides last year and I'm going to do some actual races this year as well as some time trials to help me establish some more specific goals in that arena.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Cortelli wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    It's way easier...I can actually eat.

    The problem is that most people just revert back to old eating habits...they don't really develop healthful habits while they're losing weight, they're just trying to lose weight...so they're at a loss when it comes to maintenance.

    Not disagreeing with you, as the "most people" claim may be true. I still find it easier to have a cutting or bulking goal than a simple maintenance goal - even though I might not go back to previous eating habits. Not sure why, but I simply feel more dedicated with a more focused goal that involves manipulating my diet towards some specific target that takes that manipulation to reach. With extended maintenance periods, I sometimes find other non-diet related goals take priority, and I can only manage so many priorities at any given time on necessarily limited effort and energy. Having a gain or loss goal seems to inspire me more to pay careful attention. Not true for all, surely.

    For maintenance I really focus on my fitness and performance goals. Lifting for example...I eventually reached a plateau on some of my lifts...I had to figure out how to get beyond that...I had to take a look at my diet again and timing, etc. I switched some things up and ate a little more in general and BOOM...busted right through.

    I'm also always trying to get faster on my bike...I did some rides last year and I'm going to do some actual races this year as well as some time trials to help me establish some more specific goals in that arena.

    I agree with all of this. I was afraid at first too, but I weigh daily so I am assurred that I am "good". I can eat a whole lot more, and my goals have changed from being skinny to being strong. Now I have fun playing with my macros and trying to hit that goal every day!!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I imagine it won't be as "forgiving". If you overeat while at a deficit, maybe you delay losing weight. If you overeat while on maintenance you could very well gain weight. That's what bugs me about the concept. Plus that I'd have to think about it forever...
  • WestCoastJo82
    WestCoastJo82 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    I think part of what makes it more or less difficult is how different dieting is from what you were doing before and how different maintenance will be for you. I needed to lose 15 pounds that I put on over the course of about 8 years. I obviously was consuming more than I needed but not by a huge margin and my food choices were generally good - just went a bit heavy on alcohol. To lose all I really needed to do was to cut out my alcohol, and to maintain, add it back but just not as much as I was before. If I had a 4x a day giant fast food meals habit, what I would need to maintain is going to look a lot different from my prior habits and would be more difficult.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    They are equally hard. Or actually, equally easy is a better way of describing it.

    I didn't find losing weight to be that hard, and since I maintain the same as I lost (but with a few more calories), I don't find maintaining to be that hard.

    My habits are pretty solid now. If I deviate, I pop up a little. Once I return, I settle back into my maintenance range.

    My advice: Lose weight the way you want to live your life, but with a little calorie deficit. No crazy fads, no insane exercise.

    Then, once it's time to maintain, there's nothing scary about it. Just eat a bit more. Done and done.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    nxd10 wrote: »
    What helps me is still being really happy that I am thin every single day. Every day I look at that scale and I'm still in a zone I consider a victory. My goal is to STAY then, not get thin. And I really do love to eat, so enjoy picking out my very favorite calories and savoring them and leaving mediocre food on my plate. It's been three years. My only regret is I didn't so this years ago.

    I could have written exactly this.

    I love being this weight. That's awesome motivation to stay this weight. I love good food. Food that isn't good is no longer worth it.

  • dtracey4
    dtracey4 Posts: 90
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I maintain periodically every now and then, but this may not apply since I'm still overweight and my maintenance is at around 1800 excluding exercise. I find maintenance to be much easier than dieting, that's why I take maintenance breaks for months every time I feel a little burned out.

    What I do is just eat ad libitum, whenever I feel hungry, Keeping up with exercise. I don't count calories. I just made a habit of weighing myself every day, so I know my absolute highest mega bloat weight and my absolute lowest light weight (a 6 pound difference between the two for me). If I see myself going above my highest weight by the slightest tick of a scale, I'm back to dieting until I reach my lowest light weight and so on. Usually takes about a week of dieting to correct a slight increase, in extreme cases two weeks.

    I found that to be easier for me, personally, because instead of thinking about maintenance and foodstuff at all times I get to just relax and forget all about it until it's time to correct a slip, basically losing, gaining and maintaining the same 6 pounds. It's mentally easier for me to have to diet down periodically than being extra vigilant not to gain the weight in the first place.

  • dtracey4
    dtracey4 Posts: 90
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    Oh yes I lost three stone before it took ages then put it on practically overnight when I was Ill and I think you get complacent
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
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    It's been easier for me because I get to eat more. I still track my food through MFP. I don't think I'd be successful without tracking. Perhaps one day. I still run and lift. I also have goals I'm working towards which helps as well.
  • dtracey4
    dtracey4 Posts: 90
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    You sound determined go for it
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    It can feel harder, depending on how much slack you cut yourself. If 'maintenance' means keeping yourself precisely within 2 - 3 pounds of your goal weight at all times, for example, that could be very hard, due to the way weight tends to naturally fluctuate, and the way our eating and exercise habits morph throughout the seasons.
  • dtracey4
    dtracey4 Posts: 90
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    Yeah exactly
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    I think that how you approach your "loss" phase will impact how you find maintenance. Warning signs for a challenging maintenance?

    1) your "loss" diet severely limited one macro or food type
    2) you looked at dietary and activity changes as related to weight loss rather than just being healthy for life
    3) You regularly had "cheat days" or "days off" from weight loss, as opposed to accepting fluctuations in intake/loss as normal aspects of healthy living
    4) You couldn't wait to be "done" so you could "eat again."

    Those 4 things are a recipe for yo yoing all over the place.

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