Too much weight loss? Counting Calories to maintain
Options
Replies
-
Maybe you've already done this, but might it help to set some new type of goals so that you have something new to work toward, like specific fitness goals? Or learning a new skill of any sort that takes advantage of your new, slimmer, healthier self?0
-
BernieMBurke wrote: »I've decided to enter maintenance today. I'm still 7 lbs. from my UGW (3 lbs. from a healthy BMI), but the pounds are coming off quick and don't want to blow by it. I've been doing a lot of walking/running (around 15K on weekdays and anywhere from 20 - 30K on the weekends). My net calories have sometime been negative for the day on weekends even though I'm eating over 2,000 calories. Doctor has agreed to let me go to my UGW, but doesn't want me going any farther. I'm going to have to tone down the exercise to make this work.
It's a hard balance. I feel your pain. I never reach my calorie goal but try my hardest to get close. Like you, I started training to tone and strengthen my core after my drastic weight loss. So this creates a bigger deficit... Ugh! Good luck and try to stay focused and balanced.0 -
Really interesting reading here so thanks to author and contributors. I have dropped 52lb and probably have 6-8lb to go. As such I am starting to look at maintenance and it worries me more than the weight loss targets did. I have found a diet/exercise lifestyle balance and I net around 1200-1300 calories per day after exercise. I want to keep the exercise up as this was as much about lifestyle as weight loss. The app suggests 500 more calories which is a third more food than I currently eat. I don't want to increase sugar or fat content just to hit a number every day, but I look at where my portion size would need to be and I can't see how I could consume that much food
It is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. When we are obese/overweight we must live on less to lose (ex. 1000 calories). Then we hit our goal and to maintain we need nearly 2000 calories and that's without exercise. I really never thought this would be an issue. So glad to be able to share and support here.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »This is a concern that any of us may have. 100%+ regains has been a life long issue in my case.
I learned this time around it was a good idea to maintain for 6 months after losing 40%-60% of weight loss goal. Some state to do this after a 20% weight loss.
@aubned92 you now know you know how to lose weigh and all you have to do is to learn how to maintain. As you start to regain some of your muscle mass that you have lost will help your weight recover I expect. My regains during maintenance turned out to be more muscle development even though I only walk for exercise.
Best of success.
Glad you mentioned this. I actually just had this conversation with my husband... Hoping that once I get fit/toned, I'll lose the rest of my fat and gain muscle. Which in turn will help me gain proper weight. Thanks for the reply sweetie.0 -
Maybe you've already done this, but might it help to set some new type of goals so that you have something new to work toward, like specific fitness goals? Or learning a new skill of any sort that takes advantage of your new, slimmer, healthier self?
You nailed it! I'm doing exactly what you mentioned. I lost the weight without calorie counting or working out. Now, I've joined a gym to tone and strengthen my core. A new goal I'd exactly what I needed. Sadly, exercise = calorie deficits, so it's a whole new challenge all around. Lol. I will find balance.... It's a process.0 -
Really interesting reading here so thanks to author and contributors. I have dropped 52lb and probably have 6-8lb to go. As such I am starting to look at maintenance and it worries me more than the weight loss targets did. I have found a diet/exercise lifestyle balance and I net around 1200-1300 calories per day after exercise. I want to keep the exercise up as this was as much about lifestyle as weight loss. The app suggests 500 more calories which is a third more food than I currently eat. I don't want to increase sugar or fat content just to hit a number every day, but I look at where my portion size would need to be and I can't see how I could consume that much food
It is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. When we are obese/overweight we must live on less to lose (ex. 1000 calories). Then we hit our goal and to maintain we need nearly 2000 calories and that's without exercise. I really never thought this would be an issue. So glad to be able to share and support here.
1000 calories is very much undereating and unhealthy
1200 is the minimum that women should consume unless on doctor's orders with strict supervision. Most women eat more than 1200 to lose. Were you only eating 1000 to lose? Maybe that's why you've had a hard time, because you've had to almost double your intake. 0 -
Maybe you've already done this, but might it help to set some new type of goals so that you have something new to work toward, like specific fitness goals? Or learning a new skill of any sort that takes advantage of your new, slimmer, healthier self?
You nailed it! I'm doing exactly what you mentioned. I lost the weight with calorie counting or working out. Now, I've joined a gym to tone and strengthen my core. A new goal I'd exactly what I needed. Sadly, exercise = calorie deficits, so it's a whole new challenge all around. Lol. I will find balance.... It's a process.
Convince yourself that you need to fuel your body adequately in order to strengthen. This should be an easy sell, because it's *true*: You aren't going to build much muscle in a deficit. Add some higher-energy-density foods (nuts, avocados, etc.) as needed, and be sure to get enough protein. Since you had the self-discipline necessary to lose weight, you can do this, too. Best wishes for steady progress to success!
0 -
Maybe you've already done this, but might it help to set some new type of goals so that you have something new to work toward, like specific fitness goals? Or learning a new skill of any sort that takes advantage of your new, slimmer, healthier self?
You nailed it! I'm doing exactly what you mentioned. I lost the weight with calorie counting or working out. Now, I've joined a gym to tone and strengthen my core. A new goal I'd exactly what I needed. Sadly, exercise = calorie deficits, so it's a whole new challenge all around. Lol. I will find balance.... It's a process.
Convince yourself that you need to fuel your body adequately in order to strengthen. This should be an easy sell, because it's *true*: You aren't going to build much muscle in a deficit. Add some higher-energy-density foods (nuts, avocados, etc.) as needed, and be sure to get enough protein. Since you had the self-discipline necessary to lose weight, you can do this, too. Best wishes for steady progress to success!
I'm a vegan, all I eat is fruits, veggies, and nuts. My eating is ridiculously clean and healthy which means low calories. Ugh and trying to balance macros is a pain. Lol. I'm really not complaining... Just trying to figure all this out.0 -
MarziPanda95 wrote: »Really interesting reading here so thanks to author and contributors. I have dropped 52lb and probably have 6-8lb to go. As such I am starting to look at maintenance and it worries me more than the weight loss targets did. I have found a diet/exercise lifestyle balance and I net around 1200-1300 calories per day after exercise. I want to keep the exercise up as this was as much about lifestyle as weight loss. The app suggests 500 more calories which is a third more food than I currently eat. I don't want to increase sugar or fat content just to hit a number every day, but I look at where my portion size would need to be and I can't see how I could consume that much food
It is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. When we are obese/overweight we must live on less to lose (ex. 1000 calories). Then we hit our goal and to maintain we need nearly 2000 calories and that's without exercise. I really never thought this would be an issue. So glad to be able to share and support here.
1000 calories is very much undereating and unhealthy 1200 is the minimum that women should consume unless on doctor's orders with strict supervision. Most women eat more than 1200 to lose. Were you only eating 1000 to lose? Maybe that's why you've had a hard time, because you've had to almost double your intake.
I have no idea what my calorie count was before (I was guessing). I lost first due to stress and trauma (I didn't see what was happening), then portion control and eventually I became vegan for health reasons. All of this resulted in 85lbs in 10 months. I was oblivious for half of my weight loss, which makes this more difficult I think.
You're right... Doubling I'd bizarre and when I exercise I have to almost triple.0 -
Maybe you've already done this, but might it help to set some new type of goals so that you have something new to work toward, like specific fitness goals? Or learning a new skill of any sort that takes advantage of your new, slimmer, healthier self?
You nailed it! I'm doing exactly what you mentioned. I lost the weight without calorie counting or working out. Now, I've joined a gym to tone and strengthen my core. A new goal I'd exactly what I needed. Sadly, exercise = calorie deficits, so it's a whole new challenge all around. Lol. I will find balance.... It's a process.
0 -
Maybe you've already done this, but might it help to set some new type of goals so that you have something new to work toward, like specific fitness goals? Or learning a new skill of any sort that takes advantage of your new, slimmer, healthier self?
You nailed it! I'm doing exactly what you mentioned. I lost the weight with calorie counting or working out. Now, I've joined a gym to tone and strengthen my core. A new goal I'd exactly what I needed. Sadly, exercise = calorie deficits, so it's a whole new challenge all around. Lol. I will find balance.... It's a process.
Convince yourself that you need to fuel your body adequately in order to strengthen. This should be an easy sell, because it's *true*: You aren't going to build much muscle in a deficit. Add some higher-energy-density foods (nuts, avocados, etc.) as needed, and be sure to get enough protein. Since you had the self-discipline necessary to lose weight, you can do this, too. Best wishes for steady progress to success!
I'm a vegan, all I eat is fruits, veggies, and nuts. My eating is ridiculously clean and healthy which means low calories. Ugh and trying to balance macros is a pain. Lol. I'm really not complaining... Just trying to figure all this out.
One minor correction: Your eating may be clean, but - tough love, here - it isn't healthy if you're losing below a healthy weight. Healthy = giving your body what it needs. More healthy fats are probably your easiest route to more calories. And as a vegan, be sure you're working that protein.
Also, on that fitness goal, find some way to make it measurable, and start measuring it so you can test & visualize your progress. Shift your thinking to it.0 -
Aubned92,
Certainly under eating can be an eating disorder. I suggest though that you first have some data before deciding you belong in that group.
What is you height, weight, build, fat and muscle content, and waist measurement ?
For fat content I suggest investing the $10 or so in fat calipers, and use e.g. these photos:
http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
Some degree of objectivity in where you are in relation to ideal would be helpful. You may also wish to post a couple of body photos to your blog to see if your view of your body matches what others see.
--
As for food, I eat a diet similar to yours with the addition of yohgurt. Calories are very easy to come by if you want them. Nuts and seed are high fat; fruit has a lot of sugar. Heck, grains are 3 - 4 kCal/gram !
Logging to verify adequate nutrients and actual net calories sounds like a good idea to me. If you think you are addicted to watching the scale weight drop, then perhaps stop weighing yourself as frequently and go by appearance and your (accurate!) log instead.
One potential issue to be aware of though: it is really easy to over estimate calorie consumption from exercise, so it you use that number to modify how much you have to eat in calories to maintain your weight you can quite easily under eat. Periodic weighings will give you a reality check.
All the best!
0 -
Maybe you've already done this, but might it help to set some new type of goals so that you have something new to work toward, like specific fitness goals? Or learning a new skill of any sort that takes advantage of your new, slimmer, healthier self?
You nailed it! I'm doing exactly what you mentioned. I lost the weight with calorie counting or working out. Now, I've joined a gym to tone and strengthen my core. A new goal I'd exactly what I needed. Sadly, exercise = calorie deficits, so it's a whole new challenge all around. Lol. I will find balance.... It's a process.
Convince yourself that you need to fuel your body adequately in order to strengthen. This should be an easy sell, because it's *true*: You aren't going to build much muscle in a deficit. Add some higher-energy-density foods (nuts, avocados, etc.) as needed, and be sure to get enough protein. Since you had the self-discipline necessary to lose weight, you can do this, too. Best wishes for steady progress to success!
I'm a vegan, all I eat is fruits, veggies, and nuts. My eating is ridiculously clean and healthy which means low calories. Ugh and trying to balance macros is a pain. Lol. I'm really not complaining... Just trying to figure all this out.
One minor correction: Your eating may be clean, but - tough love, here - it isn't healthy if you're losing below a healthy weight. Healthy = giving your body what it needs. More healthy fats are probably your easiest route to more calories. And as a vegan, be sure you're working that protein.
Also, on that fitness goal, find some way to make it measurable, and start measuring it so you can test & visualize your progress. Shift your thinking to it.
My eating is spot-on... I'm obssesive about learning. I know more about protein (non meat) than most people I know. I eat foods I never thought I would eat... Avocado, raw spinach, pea's, raw broccoli, nuts, and beans. For the first time in my life my iron and protein levels are high enough and I no longer have high cholesterol.... I am truly the healthiest I've ever been... Just trying to eat enough. Plus, right when I started getting it all balanced, I joined the gym.. So I have to adjust again.0 -
ericGold15 wrote: »Aubned92,
Certainly under eating can be an eating disorder. I suggest though that you first have some data before deciding you belong in that group.
What is you height, weight, build, fat and muscle content, and waist measurement ?
For fat content I suggest investing the $10 or so in fat calipers, and use e.g. these photos:
http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
Some degree of objectivity in where you are in relation to ideal would be helpful. You may also wish to post a couple of body photos to your blog to see if your view of your body matches what others see.
--
As for food, I eat a diet similar to yours with the addition of yohgurt. Calories are very easy to come by if you want them. Nuts and seed are high fat; fruit has a lot of sugar. Heck, grains are 3 - 4 kCal/gram !
Logging to verify adequate nutrients and actual net calories sounds like a good idea to me. If you think you are addicted to watching the scale weight drop, then perhaps stop weighing yourself as frequently and go by appearance and your (accurate!) log instead.
One potential issue to be aware of though: it is really easy to over estimate calorie consumption from exercise, so it you use that number to modify how much you have to eat in calories to maintain your weight you can quite easily under eat. Periodic weighings will give you a reality check.
All the best!
I really never obsessed over losing or the number on the scale... Until it kept dropping. Now, I obsess so I don't lose more. As for photos, I have some I need to post.0 -
Nut butters, nuts, oils, high fat foods are your best friends. Also oats can be made quite calorific, vegan and clean.0
-
annette_15 wrote: »Nut butters, nuts, oils, high fat foods are your best friends. Also oats can be made quite calorific, vegan and clean.
Oats... You're right I keep forgetting!! Thanks for the reminder.0 -
MarziPanda95 wrote: »Really interesting reading here so thanks to author and contributors. I have dropped 52lb and probably have 6-8lb to go. As such I am starting to look at maintenance and it worries me more than the weight loss targets did. I have found a diet/exercise lifestyle balance and I net around 1200-1300 calories per day after exercise. I want to keep the exercise up as this was as much about lifestyle as weight loss. The app suggests 500 more calories which is a third more food than I currently eat. I don't want to increase sugar or fat content just to hit a number every day, but I look at where my portion size would need to be and I can't see how I could consume that much food
It is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. When we are obese/overweight we must live on less to lose (ex. 1000 calories). Then we hit our goal and to maintain we need nearly 2000 calories and that's without exercise. I really never thought this would be an issue. So glad to be able to share and support here.
1000 calories is very much undereating and unhealthy 1200 is the minimum that women should consume unless on doctor's orders with strict supervision. Most women eat more than 1200 to lose. Were you only eating 1000 to lose? Maybe that's why you've had a hard time, because you've had to almost double your intake.
I have no idea what my calorie count was before (I was guessing). I lost first due to stress and trauma (I didn't see what was happening), then portion control and eventually I became vegan for health reasons. All of this resulted in 85lbs in 10 months. I was oblivious for half of my weight loss, which makes this more difficult I think.
You're right... Doubling I'd bizarre and when I exercise I have to almost triple.
Cut back on the exercise0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »MarziPanda95 wrote: »Really interesting reading here so thanks to author and contributors. I have dropped 52lb and probably have 6-8lb to go. As such I am starting to look at maintenance and it worries me more than the weight loss targets did. I have found a diet/exercise lifestyle balance and I net around 1200-1300 calories per day after exercise. I want to keep the exercise up as this was as much about lifestyle as weight loss. The app suggests 500 more calories which is a third more food than I currently eat. I don't want to increase sugar or fat content just to hit a number every day, but I look at where my portion size would need to be and I can't see how I could consume that much food
It is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. When we are obese/overweight we must live on less to lose (ex. 1000 calories). Then we hit our goal and to maintain we need nearly 2000 calories and that's without exercise. I really never thought this would be an issue. So glad to be able to share and support here.
1000 calories is very much undereating and unhealthy 1200 is the minimum that women should consume unless on doctor's orders with strict supervision. Most women eat more than 1200 to lose. Were you only eating 1000 to lose? Maybe that's why you've had a hard time, because you've had to almost double your intake.
I have no idea what my calorie count was before (I was guessing). I lost first due to stress and trauma (I didn't see what was happening), then portion control and eventually I became vegan for health reasons. All of this resulted in 85lbs in 10 months. I was oblivious for half of my weight loss, which makes this more difficult I think.
You're right... Doubling I'd bizarre and when I exercise I have to almost triple.
Cut back on the exercise
So you're suggesting I don't tone and build my core? I workout for 45-50 minutes 4-5 times a week. I always walk two miles a day... it's just a given (normal errand running, daily working walk). I was sedentary for nearly a year and my body started deteriorating. I have seven herniated discs (among other injuries) from a head-on collision three years ago.... I've done the overworking and over trying to "fix" the damage, I've done the do nothing and sit around and deteriorate method, and now I am finally getting my life back together. Do nothing or close to nothing is no longer an option. But thanks for the feedback.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »MarziPanda95 wrote: »Really interesting reading here so thanks to author and contributors. I have dropped 52lb and probably have 6-8lb to go. As such I am starting to look at maintenance and it worries me more than the weight loss targets did. I have found a diet/exercise lifestyle balance and I net around 1200-1300 calories per day after exercise. I want to keep the exercise up as this was as much about lifestyle as weight loss. The app suggests 500 more calories which is a third more food than I currently eat. I don't want to increase sugar or fat content just to hit a number every day, but I look at where my portion size would need to be and I can't see how I could consume that much food
It is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. When we are obese/overweight we must live on less to lose (ex. 1000 calories). Then we hit our goal and to maintain we need nearly 2000 calories and that's without exercise. I really never thought this would be an issue. So glad to be able to share and support here.
1000 calories is very much undereating and unhealthy 1200 is the minimum that women should consume unless on doctor's orders with strict supervision. Most women eat more than 1200 to lose. Were you only eating 1000 to lose? Maybe that's why you've had a hard time, because you've had to almost double your intake.
I have no idea what my calorie count was before (I was guessing). I lost first due to stress and trauma (I didn't see what was happening), then portion control and eventually I became vegan for health reasons. All of this resulted in 85lbs in 10 months. I was oblivious for half of my weight loss, which makes this more difficult I think.
You're right... Doubling I'd bizarre and when I exercise I have to almost triple.
Cut back on the exercise
So you're suggesting I don't tone and build my core? I workout for 45-50 minutes 4-5 times a week. I always walk two miles a day... it's just a given (normal errand running, daily working walk). I was sedentary for nearly a year and my body started deteriorating. I have seven herniated discs (among other injuries) from a head-on collision three years ago.... I've done the overworking and over trying to "fix" the damage, I've done the do nothing and sit around and deteriorate method, and now I am finally getting my life back together. Do nothing or close to nothing is no longer an option. But thanks for the feedback.
Not if you can't fuel your body properly, no . You're doing more damage eating such a low number of calories and exercising as well.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »MarziPanda95 wrote: »Really interesting reading here so thanks to author and contributors. I have dropped 52lb and probably have 6-8lb to go. As such I am starting to look at maintenance and it worries me more than the weight loss targets did. I have found a diet/exercise lifestyle balance and I net around 1200-1300 calories per day after exercise. I want to keep the exercise up as this was as much about lifestyle as weight loss. The app suggests 500 more calories which is a third more food than I currently eat. I don't want to increase sugar or fat content just to hit a number every day, but I look at where my portion size would need to be and I can't see how I could consume that much food
It is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. When we are obese/overweight we must live on less to lose (ex. 1000 calories). Then we hit our goal and to maintain we need nearly 2000 calories and that's without exercise. I really never thought this would be an issue. So glad to be able to share and support here.
1000 calories is very much undereating and unhealthy 1200 is the minimum that women should consume unless on doctor's orders with strict supervision. Most women eat more than 1200 to lose. Were you only eating 1000 to lose? Maybe that's why you've had a hard time, because you've had to almost double your intake.
I have no idea what my calorie count was before (I was guessing). I lost first due to stress and trauma (I didn't see what was happening), then portion control and eventually I became vegan for health reasons. All of this resulted in 85lbs in 10 months. I was oblivious for half of my weight loss, which makes this more difficult I think.
You're right... Doubling I'd bizarre and when I exercise I have to almost triple.
Cut back on the exercise
So you're suggesting I don't tone and build my core? I workout for 45-50 minutes 4-5 times a week. I always walk two miles a day... it's just a given (normal errand running, daily working walk). I was sedentary for nearly a year and my body started deteriorating. I have seven herniated discs (among other injuries) from a head-on collision three years ago.... I've done the overworking and over trying to "fix" the damage, I've done the do nothing and sit around and deteriorate method, and now I am finally getting my life back together. Do nothing or close to nothing is no longer an option. But thanks for the feedback.
Not if you can't fuel your body properly, no . You're doing more damage eating such a low number of calories and exercising as well.
This was actually my problem when I tried to maintain but kept losing and got too low. I've never exercised for weight loss, but instead for dealing with anxiety, so I never paid too much attention to finding a happy balance between working out and caloric intake. Stopping exercise was NOT an option for me (as I'm assuming it isn't for you), so I had to start eating more calorie-dense foods on a regular basis. And as a side note, it also gave me a lot more energy during my workouts... So yes, certainly look into using food to fuel your workouts. It's SO important!!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.9K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.4K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 999 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions