"Weight is too hard to maintain"?
astrose00
Posts: 754 Member
I've read this in the forum before. What does that mean? Someone will say that they would like to weigh X pounds but it's too hard to maintain. For instance, why would it be much harder to maintain 140lbs (for 5'8" female) compared to 150lbs? All other things being equal, isn't there a small difference in TDEE for those two weights?
I can understand if the two weights were further apart but not sure what is meant by this very common statement.
Any comments are welcome. BTW, 140 is my GW and 150 is where I was before gaining weight (I'm currently around 182lbs). I want to overshoot my prior low weight and get to 140. Am I missing something? I'd think it would be a difference of maybe 20-50 calories per day, if that.
Thanks.
I can understand if the two weights were further apart but not sure what is meant by this very common statement.
Any comments are welcome. BTW, 140 is my GW and 150 is where I was before gaining weight (I'm currently around 182lbs). I want to overshoot my prior low weight and get to 140. Am I missing something? I'd think it would be a difference of maybe 20-50 calories per day, if that.
Thanks.
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Replies
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I wouldn't think it would be any harder, with the exception that they would have fewer calories at 140 than at 150.0
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I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.0
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arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
Yeah, that's like a small apple. I dunno why people say this. Have you heard this, too?0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
Yeah, that's like a small apple. I dunno why people say this. Have you heard this, too?
Yes. Though you could probably catch me saying that I would think it too hard to maintain 125 pounds. But I have nothing to back that up with ha. It's more like...I think it's too hard to get there, therefore I think it would also be hard to maintain.0 -
I do see people saying the last 10 pounds is the toughest. But not sure how maintenance is that much harder.0
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It's not so much a specific number on the scale...it's a level of leanness for which some physiological things start happening that can make maintaining that leanness difficult.
The human body doesn't like being super lean.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
Yeah, that's like a small apple. I dunno why people say this. Have you heard this, too?
Yes. Though you could probably catch me saying that I would think it too hard to maintain 125 pounds. But I have nothing to back that up with ha. It's more like...I think it's too hard to get there, therefore I think it would also be hard to maintain.
Now that you mention it, I think you were one of the folks that said it! LOL. I think I was alarmed because you are in maintenance (I think) so I assumed you knew something I didn't. But I have seen others say this as well. I agree it will be harder to get that last 10 pounds because I will be crazy lean by then. I'm already in a 10 at 182lbs. And I was very lean at 150lbs.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
Yeah, that's like a small apple. I dunno why people say this. Have you heard this, too?
Yes. Though you could probably catch me saying that I would think it too hard to maintain 125 pounds. But I have nothing to back that up with ha. It's more like...I think it's too hard to get there, therefore I think it would also be hard to maintain.
Now that you mention it, I think you were one of the folks that said it! LOL. I think I was alarmed because you are in maintenance (I think) so I assumed you knew something I didn't. But I have seen others say this as well. I agree it will be harder to get that last 10 pounds because I will be crazy lean by then. I'm already in a 10 at 182lbs. And I was very lean at 150lbs.
Nah it wasn't me. I've never really had that mindset. I've never had a goal below 130 though either, just because it's unnecessary for me. These last 10 pounds are very hard though, yes.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »It's not so much a specific number on the scale...it's a level of leanness for which some physiological things start happening that can make maintaining that leanness difficult.
The human body doesn't like being super lean.
Hmmm. Now that is an interesting perspective. I will have to research that. What bodyfat percent would you say that is for a female (super lean)? I would think that would approach bodybuilding/fitness competitor levels. I'm hoping to get to maybe 19-20 percent. Whatever I need to get to in order to look RIDICULOUS in a bikini.0 -
I had a NutriSystem counselor that told me not to worry about lack of weight loss. If we're doing the right thing--it could take up to three weeks to notice a change or move from a weight "plateau".0
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I'm sorry, that just made my head hurt. I don't understand. I think I need food now.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »It's not so much a specific number on the scale...it's a level of leanness for which some physiological things start happening that can make maintaining that leanness difficult.
The human body doesn't like being super lean.
Hmmm. Now that is an interesting perspective. I will have to research that. What bodyfat percent would you say that is for a female (super lean)? I would think that would approach bodybuilding/fitness competitor levels. I'm hoping to get to maybe 19-20 percent. Whatever I need to get to in order to look RIDICULOUS in a bikini.
It's different for different people...and honestly, I don't know what it would be for a woman other than definitely below 20%.
I maintain really easily at 15ish%...and fairly well at 10-12%...below 10% and I start having some major problems...mostly because life becomes a living hell due to my hormones being totally *kitten* which makes me want to eat a house which would obviously make it hard to maintain.0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
Yeah, that's like a small apple. I dunno why people say this. Have you heard this, too?
It's close to 500 calories a week. I can have a big bowl of ice cream or a nice pastry a week for that many calories. Or an extra apple or egg every day. It's not negligible, I'd have to ride my stationary bike for 20-25 minutes to burn that much... and longer than that if I was actually 10 pounds lighter.
And I realize it's probably not the case for everyone, but I get hungry... a lot. And the more I've lost, the hungrier I've got. So I would probably look better at 125 pounds, but I'll be very happy if I manage to get down to 130 (I've been maintaining at 133, pretty much, and it's already a struggle most days, so I got to be realistic).0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »It's not so much a specific number on the scale...it's a level of leanness for which some physiological things start happening that can make maintaining that leanness difficult.
The human body doesn't like being super lean.
Hmmm. Now that is an interesting perspective. I will have to research that. What bodyfat percent would you say that is for a female (super lean)? I would think that would approach bodybuilding/fitness competitor levels. I'm hoping to get to maybe 19-20 percent. Whatever I need to get to in order to look RIDICULOUS in a bikini.
It's different for different people...and honestly, I don't know what it would be for a woman other than definitely below 20%.
I maintain really easily at 15ish%...and fairly well at 10-12%...below 10% and I start having some major problems...mostly because life becomes a living hell due to my hormones being totally *kitten* which makes me want to eat a house which would obviously make it hard to maintain.
Thanks for your input. I definitely want to look into this some more. I will honestly be happy at 150 or 140. I am thinking I want to get to 140, hoping this is mostly fat loss, and gain another 10 of muscle over time.0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
Yeah, that's like a small apple. I dunno why people say this. Have you heard this, too?
It's close to 500 calories a week. I can have a big bowl of ice cream or a nice pastry a week for that many calories. Or an extra apple or egg every day. It's not negligible, I'd have to ride my stationary bike for 20-25 minutes to burn that much... and longer than that if I was actually 10 pounds lighter.
And I realize it's probably not the case for everyone, but I get hungry... a lot. And the more I've lost, the hungrier I've got. So I would probably look better at 125 pounds, but I'll be very happy if I manage to get down to 130 (I've been maintaining at 133, pretty much, and it's already a struggle most days, so I got to be realistic).
What's your TDEE, if you don't mind me asking? I think mine will be around 1800-1900. If I pay attention and make good choices most of the time, I can't imagine being hungry too often.0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
Yeah, that's like a small apple. I dunno why people say this. Have you heard this, too?
It's close to 500 calories a week. I can have a big bowl of ice cream or a nice pastry a week for that many calories. Or an extra apple or egg every day. It's not negligible, I'd have to ride my stationary bike for 20-25 minutes to burn that much... and longer than that if I was actually 10 pounds lighter.
And I realize it's probably not the case for everyone, but I get hungry... a lot. And the more I've lost, the hungrier I've got. So I would probably look better at 125 pounds, but I'll be very happy if I manage to get down to 130 (I've been maintaining at 133, pretty much, and it's already a struggle most days, so I got to be realistic).
What's your TDEE, if you don't mind me asking? I think mine will be around 1800-1900. If I pay attention and make good choices most of the time, I can't imagine being hungry too often.
Mine is around 1800-1900 and it does not feel like enough for me. I was eating at maintenance the other week and make it up to 1800 every day easily, and when over on the weekend. Maintenance is going to be interesting.0 -
Yeah, maintenance terrifies me. I can lose weight like it's my job. Maintaining, not-so-much. I will just have to be as OCD as when I'm losing. I have a spreadsheet, already, that will manage what I can eat "normally" and still be able to go out for drinks and food without worrying. I was hoping I would be able to manage it.0
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Yeah, maintenance terrifies me. I can lose weight like it's my job. Maintaining, not-so-much. I will just have to be as OCD as when I'm losing. I have a spreadsheet, already, that will manage what I can eat "normally" and still be able to go out for drinks and food without worrying. I was hoping I would be able to manage it.
You got it figured out. I'm a hot mess. You'll be great.0 -
I dread but also am excited to see the day I go into maintenece (that is still 80lbs away) because my BMR will be much lower. I hope that by then I will learn to be content with the same things I am doing now and only splurge on occasion and made up with more exercise. I do want a lifestyle full of vegetables and exercise. I don't quite have that down, even after 50lbs lost. >.<0
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arditarose wrote: »Yeah, maintenance terrifies me. I can lose weight like it's my job. Maintaining, not-so-much. I will just have to be as OCD as when I'm losing. I have a spreadsheet, already, that will manage what I can eat "normally" and still be able to go out for drinks and food without worrying. I was hoping I would be able to manage it.
You got it figured out. I'm a hot mess. You'll be great.
Ya know what? You don't LOOK a hot mess. I'll take that body and hot messedness in a heart beat. You can have my OCD.0 -
See, even if it's a loss of only 5 pounds maintenance means keeping constant watch not to regain. When you were 150 you ate things without having to think about it too much because that was the weight your body settled at when you ate ad libitum. Now 140 may not be that much lower in maintenance calories, but you can't eat ad libitum without a thought and not expect to regain unless you've made some permanent changes. And even then other things may change without you noticing and cause you to gain back.0
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arditarose wrote: »Yeah, maintenance terrifies me. I can lose weight like it's my job. Maintaining, not-so-much. I will just have to be as OCD as when I'm losing. I have a spreadsheet, already, that will manage what I can eat "normally" and still be able to go out for drinks and food without worrying. I was hoping I would be able to manage it.
You got it figured out. I'm a hot mess. You'll be great.
Ya know what? You don't LOOK a hot mess. I'll take that body and hot messedness in a heart beat. You can have my OCD.
Hahaha. Thanks! I'm bad with data, not being careful enough, and not losing. I'm only 6 pounds away from goal though so I'm not freaking. At least if I was you I could analyze my diet better
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arditarose wrote: »I'm in to lurk. Though I don't know the answer to this. I just plugged the stats for a 5'4" woman at 140 and 150 lbs with the same activity level into the scooby TDEE calculator and the calorie difference is only 68.
chocolate0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »See, even if it's a loss of only 5 pounds maintenance means keeping constant watch not to regain. When you were 150 you ate things without having to think about it too much because that was the weight your body settled at when you ate ad libitum. Now 140 may not be that much lower in maintenance calories, but you can't eat ad libitum without a thought and not expect to regain unless you've made some permanent changes. And even then other things may change without you noticing and cause you to gain back.
I mostly agree except I was a constant yo-yo'er. So I was never finding maintenance and staying there. Now I realize, for ME, I have to monitor forever. I've accepted it. I'm willing to do that so I never let what happened to me happen again. I was yo-yo'ing then got injured and gain a ton of weight. Life happens so I never want to be in that position again. I see my mom, who is overweight, struggle to walk across the room or step up ONE step. I have so many reasons to get this right this time. 140 give me a buffer. I'm will be happy to add LBM to that because it will give me more of a buffer and increase my metabolism.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »See, even if it's a loss of only 5 pounds maintenance means keeping constant watch not to regain. When you were 150 you ate things without having to think about it too much because that was the weight your body settled at when you ate ad libitum. Now 140 may not be that much lower in maintenance calories, but you can't eat ad libitum without a thought and not expect to regain unless you've made some permanent changes. And even then other things may change without you noticing and cause you to gain back.
I mostly agree except I was a constant yo-yo'er. So I was never finding maintenance and staying there. Now I realize, for ME, I have to monitor forever. I've accepted it. I'm willing to do that so I never let what happened to me happen again. I was yo-yo'ing then got injured and gain a ton of weight. Life happens so I never want to be in that position again. I see my mom, who is overweight, struggle to walk across the room or step up ONE step. I have so many reasons to get this right this time. 140 give me a buffer. I'm will be happy to add LBM to that because it will give me more of a buffer and increase my metabolism.
Now in your case it may not be that much different to maintain 140 if 150 was was not a stable weight and you were consciously maintaining it (through yo-yoing). I have also accepted I will have to watch my intake for life, because as a person who used to be 300+ pounds my maintenance calories are more than 1000 calories lower than what I used to eat and if I let go even for a couple of months I would gain too much too fast to catch it before it happens.0 -
Actually, I understand this. I maintained a weight of 101 for nearly 18 months. It was pretty hard to do. I allowed my self to gain 5 pounds by upping my calories about 150. This number may not be exactly what a calculator says would maintain my weight, but experience proves otherwise. That 150 makes a big difference in my quality of life.0
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For me, a possible underlying assumption is simply false: I haven't been losing weight by consistently hitting any target. Sometimes I'm exercising way more and just in general being very active, not boredom eating, etc and losing very steadily. Other times, well, the opposite may be the case. So for me it's not so much about being at a number as it is about being around a number. How consistently can I follow the process before I start to deviate and hit my targets with a lot less consistency? When you have more weight to loss, missing those targets could still mean with loss. With a smaller deficit, doing the same = maintenance or weight gain. And when you're compliant again, do you get *to* a certain number, or below, which will act as a buffer the next time your weight is going up? Can you follow the process consistently enough to hit and stay at 140, or 150? I would say this is one of the reasons sometimes, you just don't know your maintenance weight until you get there0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »See, even if it's a loss of only 5 pounds maintenance means keeping constant watch not to regain. When you were 150 you ate things without having to think about it too much because that was the weight your body settled at when you ate ad libitum. Now 140 may not be that much lower in maintenance calories, but you can't eat ad libitum without a thought and not expect to regain unless you've made some permanent changes. And even then other things may change without you noticing and cause you to gain back.
I mostly agree except I was a constant yo-yo'er. So I was never finding maintenance and staying there. Now I realize, for ME, I have to monitor forever. I've accepted it. I'm willing to do that so I never let what happened to me happen again. I was yo-yo'ing then got injured and gain a ton of weight. Life happens so I never want to be in that position again. I see my mom, who is overweight, struggle to walk across the room or step up ONE step. I have so many reasons to get this right this time. 140 give me a buffer. I'm will be happy to add LBM to that because it will give me more of a buffer and increase my metabolism.
Now in your case it may not be that much different to maintain 140 if 150 was was not a stable weight and you were consciously maintaining it (through yo-yoing). I have also accepted I will have to watch my intake for life, because as a person who used to be 300+ pounds my maintenance calories are more than 1000 calories lower than what I used to eat and if I let go even for a couple of months I would gain too much too fast to catch it before it happens.
Wow, congrats on your loss! I admire people who have the perseverance to do this. I can definitely understand your concern. My highest was 240 which I got to almost overnight. It was so unnatural for me, I'm small to medium frame, that the weight literally is falling off. I don't even have stretch marks or lose skins and have lost nearly 60lbs in 5 months. Normal or easy for me is probably around 160 by your definition. I wouldn't have to work to stay there. But for vanity reasons, I really want to get to what I think 140lbs would look like.0 -
I agree. I plan to have a range and will weigh daily. I know I easily let myself gain weight because I refused to get on the scale and acknowledge what I was doing. Almost like I thought I could fool my own self. I was afraid to wake up the OCD me who would have nipped all that overeating foolishness in the bud.For me, a possible underlying assumption is simply false: I haven't been losing weight by consistently hitting any target. Sometimes I'm exercising way more and just in general being very active, not boredom eating, etc and losing very steadily. Other times, well, the opposite may be the case. So for me it's not so much about being at a number as it is about being around a number. How consistently can I follow the process before I start to deviate and hit my targets with a lot less consistency? When you have more weight to loss, missing those targets could still mean with loss. With a smaller deficit, doing the same = maintenance or weight gain. And when you're compliant again, do you get *to* a certain number, or below, which will act as a buffer the next time your weight is going up? Can you follow the process consistently enough to hit and stay at 140, or 150? I would say this is one of the reasons sometimes, you just don't know your maintenance weight until you get there
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