Maintenance and 5:2 way of eating
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thin2be2013
Posts: 49 Member
I am super worried about going on maintenance.... I have this HUGE fear of gaining my weight back!!! I have 3 lbs. left to hit my goal....and I am allowing myself a ten pounds weight maintenance range....now with that being said, my goal weight is in the middle of the ten pound range.
For the past few weeks I have been trying to find something...a way of life that will be good for me to maintain my loss. I have thought about carb cycling or Upping my daily intake to 1200 cal. ( to lose weight I always had too stay 800-1000 ).... but now I have decided to try the 5:2 way of life....I have read and read about it...something just clicks with me with that way of eating. They say you can even lose weight doing it, so hopefully will lose my last 3 lbs. but at least maintain. I just recently discovered it....I can't believe I had not heard of it before, with all my years of dieting!
I added a "disclamer" in my diary not to judge me, cause it seems if I go too low with calories people tend to judge that LOL I will be having 500 calories 2 days a week and 1200 calories 5 days a week.....if I cont. to lose more than I should they suggest eating higher calories on "feed" days....ummmmm yup I can handle that if I am maintaining :-)
Just thought I would share this, just in case someone has never heard of this....plus I would like to know if any of you VSG'ers have ever tried this?
Here is a link to the website if anyone is interested https://www.fastday.com/
For the past few weeks I have been trying to find something...a way of life that will be good for me to maintain my loss. I have thought about carb cycling or Upping my daily intake to 1200 cal. ( to lose weight I always had too stay 800-1000 ).... but now I have decided to try the 5:2 way of life....I have read and read about it...something just clicks with me with that way of eating. They say you can even lose weight doing it, so hopefully will lose my last 3 lbs. but at least maintain. I just recently discovered it....I can't believe I had not heard of it before, with all my years of dieting!
I added a "disclamer" in my diary not to judge me, cause it seems if I go too low with calories people tend to judge that LOL I will be having 500 calories 2 days a week and 1200 calories 5 days a week.....if I cont. to lose more than I should they suggest eating higher calories on "feed" days....ummmmm yup I can handle that if I am maintaining :-)
Just thought I would share this, just in case someone has never heard of this....plus I would like to know if any of you VSG'ers have ever tried this?
Here is a link to the website if anyone is interested https://www.fastday.com/
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Just an observation and not judging, but we had this surgery because all the other "diets" did not work for us. This has and still does, why would you not continue to follow your program and to stay at maintenance just add calories until you find the "magic" number range for you to maintain. Like I said not judging, just a thought is all. With that being said this is your life, your journey, ultimately your decision! All the best on your decision.
Tracy.0 -
I too have just reached maintenance but I'm not done. My body fat ratio is still high and I'm looking for 7% . So for me this is just the next phase. I plan to increase muscle mass staying at maintenance weight until my metabolism increase will consume more calories. Then I will be finished.0
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I am just not comfortable counting calories the rest of my life....what I am ultimately hoping for on the 5:2 plan is to eventually only count calories 2 days a week and eat healthy the other 5 days. To take what I have learned from my healthy eating habits from this past 16 months and apply it. I just don't trust my self to NOT be on some sort of plan.. LOL Thank youns for not judging , as I truly will need all the help and support I can get
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One approach is to use the scale to help "regulate" yourself. I.e. weigh yourself one day a week (or only use one day a week's weight for this if you weigh more often). If you are up more than 2 pounds over your "middle" weight (the middle of your range, your desired weight), be a little more cautious that following week. Eat a little lighter, be more aware of how much you are eating etc. If you are more than 2 pounds below your range, be more free and have a treat or two that week or just dont hold back so much. If you are within 2 pounds either way of your target, eat when you are hungry and eat until you are satisfied using the healthy eating you have learned. Ideally, most of the time this is how you will eat. Use your weight as your guide instead of counting calories as your calorie needs vary greatly over time - winter I burn much fewer calories than summer as I am not out hiking so much or just being more active, so I can eat more in summer and not gain than I can in winter. Rather than worry about the actual number, I use my weight as a way to be conscious of my eating (I still log because I am just anal about numbers, but one of my goals this year is to try to let that go!).
Be aware though if you are weight training, over time your base weight could go up a pound or so a month due to increased muscle, but only if you are really working hard at it. Muscle is hard to gain.
5:2 is also an idea - you dont really have to be quite so rigid about it - just pick two days a week you eat "minimally" on purpose. Whether that is 500 calories or 700 or 900. Then be "normal" the other days. Still use your weight as a guide to whether it is working.0 -
One other option I have used and plan to again soon... Pick the first week of each month to eat "light" (more salads, fewer snacks, etc). Pick the last week of the month to eat more freely (a few more snacks, etc). The other weeks eat "normal" and healthy. It lets you have a week of indulgence, followed by a week more restricted (I find after a week of eating more I am ready for a week of salads!), then some regular weeks. During the regular weeks, if I want a treat that really is "too much" or I am craving it, I tell myself I can have all I want on my indulgence week and that is usually enough to make me wait.
In the end, I eat at maintenance average for the month. But I feel like I get a week to do whatever, even if I dont use it.
You could do the same without the indulgence week - just eat "light" one week a month. That might be easier than 2 days a week of eating 500 or something. Just something else to consider. Lifestyle is a big decider on some of this.0 -
I like all of these suggestions. I'm not ready for maintenance yet but it is something to think about. I have a coworker who uses the scale method. I don't want to count calories for the rest of my life either but I will if that's what it takes for me to continue being successful. It's a lot to consider.0
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Thanks everyone.....I really appreciate the comments and suggestions. With the sleeve it wasn't really hard at all just eating 500 calories today, once I set my mind to it.....plus tomorrow I can have 1200.....which is what kept me true.0
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All good information and insights! My nut helped me understand similar concepts that the surgery have me 1 good year to learn and implement new life style habits for health. She strongly advises never go under 1k cals, I'm on 1200 exercising regularly, still losing... Very slowly but loosing and my body is shaping nicely. I maintenance I hope to stay in a small but reasonable range by staying active eating healthy most times and just using the scale as a guide as well....0
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Like:One approach is to use the scale to help "regulate" yourself. I.e. weigh yourself one day a week (or only use one day a week's weight for this if you weigh more often). If you are up more than 2 pounds over your "middle" weight (the middle of your range, your desired weight), be a little more cautious that following week. Eat a little lighter, be more aware of how much you are eating etc. If you are more than 2 pounds below your range, be more free and have a treat or two that week or just dont hold back so much. If you are within 2 pounds either way of your target, eat when you are hungry and eat until you are satisfied using the healthy eating you have learned. Ideally, most of the time this is how you will eat. Use your weight as your guide instead of counting calories as your calorie needs vary greatly over time - winter I burn much fewer calories than summer as I am not out hiking so much or just being more active, so I can eat more in summer and not gain than I can in winter. Rather than worry about the actual number, I use my weight as a way to be conscious of my eating (I still log because I am just anal about numbers, but one of my goals this year is to try to let that go!).
Be aware though if you are weight training, over time your base weight could go up a pound or so a month due to increased muscle, but only if you are really working hard at it. Muscle is hard to gain.
5:2 is also an idea - you dont really have to be quite so rigid about it - just pick two days a week you eat "minimally" on purpose. Whether that is 500 calories or 700 or 900. Then be "normal" the other days. Still use your weight as a guide to whether it is working.
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