Entering Maintenance
davidmartinez66
Posts: 92 Member
Hello All,
So, I started eating differently and have maintained that new lifestyle since September of 2014 and have
lost 86 pounds and I am at the point when I need to start the maintenance program.
I workout at the gym 5 to 6 days a week, active in the yard all summer, was wondering if there is any
advice from folks who have successfully transitioned to a maintenance life. I have been on MPF for just
over 70 days and I log exercise and all food daily, I found this to be very helpful, although I know it
annoys some family members.
Some things that have changed since September 2014.
Was size 44 pants, now 34
Was size XL (some XXL) shirts to medium
I wouldn't be unhappy if lost 5 more pounds, but my family is starting to get on me about losing too
much weight, I am at 179, I would be okay with 175, but the summer activity should shed most of
that weight.
Anyway, any tips?
Thank you
David
So, I started eating differently and have maintained that new lifestyle since September of 2014 and have
lost 86 pounds and I am at the point when I need to start the maintenance program.
I workout at the gym 5 to 6 days a week, active in the yard all summer, was wondering if there is any
advice from folks who have successfully transitioned to a maintenance life. I have been on MPF for just
over 70 days and I log exercise and all food daily, I found this to be very helpful, although I know it
annoys some family members.
Some things that have changed since September 2014.
Was size 44 pants, now 34
Was size XL (some XXL) shirts to medium
I wouldn't be unhappy if lost 5 more pounds, but my family is starting to get on me about losing too
much weight, I am at 179, I would be okay with 175, but the summer activity should shed most of
that weight.
Anyway, any tips?
Thank you
David
5
Replies
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I'm just currently transitioning to maintenance and I can offer a few thoughts. I could not immediately add the number of calories that MFP told me I could get to per day. Even now since I get a decent amount of exercise per day, it's not easy for me to get to the number of calories when adjusting for exercise (I have yet to NOT be below calorie goal), and I've still had the weight go down (although more slowly than when I deliberately was trying to lose weight). My main pieces of advice:
1) keep on exercising, but keep in mind that exercise WILL burn calories
2) when trying to get to your calorie goal, still look for healthier foods for the most part
3) don't be afraid to let yourself indulge a little now in things you avoided while losing weight
4) Keep logging your food/exercise. I actually moved to using a fitbit to track calories burned, as I suspect it's a bit more accurate.
5)Remember that the changes you made to lose that weight (nice job, btw!) are part of a permanent lifestyle change. No, you won't have the same caloric intake as when you were trying to lose weight, but you want to avoid the lifestyle you had that led you to the point where you needed to lose the weight.6 -
Ron,
Excellent points.
1) I want to keep the exercise schedule I have now, although my wife thinks I should slow down, I don't think I am killing it in the gym necessarily.
2) Food will be easy as we have changed what we eat, and how much, in the last seventy days (while on MFP) I have switched to the grazing style of eating, which my body has responded to pretty well. When we eat out, we eat smart and remember to bring leftovers home!
3) This one will be hard, indulging is difficult, but I will try and remember that one!
4) Definitely will keep logging, that I am really enjoying, knowing what you are eating and how much is very key for continued health.
5) Thank you! The initial weight loss came from the kitchen from September 2014 until June 2015, lost a bunch of weight, then starting working in the yard a lot, didn't join a gym until late December 2015, final 20 pounds were lost then.
Thank you for the thoughts and advice!
David3 -
Congratulations!0
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After losing 80 lbs in the past year, I switched to maintenance about a month ago.
I run 4 days a week, and do at least 20,000 steps every day. I do bodyweight / Body Balance exercises too.
I've found that some days now I really want to do more exercise, but I shouldn't because I've already got more than enough calories to eat whatever I feel like.
2 -
After losing 80 lbs in the past year, I switched to maintenance about a month ago.
I run 4 days a week, and do at least 20,000 steps every day. I do bodyweight / Body Balance exercises too.
I've found that some days now I really want to do more exercise, but I shouldn't because I've already got more than enough calories to eat whatever I feel like.
Thank you! I think the summer it should be easy to keep weight off, with exercise and yard work, we'll see how I do as fall approaches and into winter. I really would like to get the bike tuned up and get out and peddle as well.
David0 -
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After losing 80 lbs in the past year, I switched to maintenance about a month ago.
I run 4 days a week, and do at least 20,000 steps every day. I do bodyweight / Body Balance exercises too.
I've found that some days now I really want to do more exercise, but I shouldn't because I've already got more than enough calories to eat whatever I feel like.
I know the feeling. I'm trying to maintain, but can't because I've amped up the frequency/intensity/length of my workouts for race (triathlon) season. Coming from a point where I was eating 1600/day while losing to needing 3000+ depending on my workouts is a massive mental shift. I still end days at a deficit, but I'm gradually upping my calories and getting used to eating more.2 -
Congratulations! Just curious... do you increase your calories a little at a time when you go into maintenance? Or do you just zip right on up to your tdee?0
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CorneliusPhoton wrote: »Congratulations! Just curious... do you increase your calories a little at a time when you go into maintenance? Or do you just zip right on up to your tdee?
Yes! Congratulations!!!
You can bump up to maintenance calories either way, but generally it's better to increase gradually. This tends to prevent a "water weight" jump on the scale that people see if they increase all at once. It's still fine to do as its only water that would be shed again, but some people don't want to see it happen regardless.
Either way it takes a little time to see where the numbers will actually fall for you as far as true maintenance calories. Expect to play with them for a little while and adjust as you see fit.
4 -
CorneliusPhoton wrote: »Congratulations! Just curious... do you increase your calories a little at a time when you go into maintenance? Or do you just zip right on up to your tdee?
Yes! Congratulations!!!
You can bump up to maintenance calories either way, but generally it's better to increase gradually. This tends to prevent a "water weight" jump on the scale that people see if they increase all at once. It's still fine to do as its only water that would be shed again, but some people don't want to see it happen regardless.
Either way it takes a little time to see where the numbers will actually fall for you as far as true maintenance calories. Expect to play with them for a little while and adjust as you see fit.
I'm sure its different for everyone but about how long will the water weight last? (I'm there now and I'd like to see it scurry back to its little home very soon.)0 -
CorneliusPhoton wrote: »Congratulations! Just curious... do you increase your calories a little at a time when you go into maintenance? Or do you just zip right on up to your tdee?
Yes! Congratulations!!!
You can bump up to maintenance calories either way, but generally it's better to increase gradually. This tends to prevent a "water weight" jump on the scale that people see if they increase all at once. It's still fine to do as its only water that would be shed again, but some people don't want to see it happen regardless.
Either way it takes a little time to see where the numbers will actually fall for you as far as true maintenance calories. Expect to play with them for a little while and adjust as you see fit.
I'm sure its different for everyone but about how long will the water weight last? (I'm there now and I'd like to see it scurry back to its little home very soon.)
Water weight gain is your body returning to normal - it's really the reverse of the fast water weight loss you see when you start dieting. It doesn't go away.
It's masked when people slowly add calories as you have a continuing, but declining, calorie deficit for a number of weeks.1 -
Congratulations on reaching your goal! I'll be entering maintenance soon and I have started reading all the suggestions posted here by others who've maintained.
My plan is to slowly add the extra calories and to keep up with all my exercise. I also plan to continue logging all my food (so I don't slip back into old habits of a 'bite here and bite there') and weekly weigh ins.
I also plan on concentrating more on fitness- trying some new things like weight lifting and perhaps yoga.
2
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