How did you decide on your maintenance weight?

emdeesea
emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm sure this has been covered before but I've been nowhere close to my goal so have not paid attention.

Can someone tell me how you decided on your maintenance weight? I mean, besides "I look good at this weight," I know that... but it seems like somewhere I remember reading that some people like to go 2-3 pounds below that weight for when you go to maintenance.

If that's the case, what's the reasoning for that? I feel like I should know, but I don't! Or am I mistaken?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    When you eat in a deficit you can lose the first few pounds really quickly and it is most likely water weight. Some people find when they start eating at maintenance they quickly gain a couple pounds as water weight. This doesn't happen to everyone but I can understand wanting a little bit of a buffer.

    Another reason is people like to think of their maintenance weight as a range. So maybe they are trying to get to the bottom of that range.
  • somamaley
    somamaley Posts: 8 Member
    I decided my target weight range based on the 4 formulas at this web site:
    https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=male&age=46&lbs=155&in=69&act=1.2&f=1

    I agree with bioklutz, when you increase your calorie intake changing from weight loss to maintenance, your sodium intake increases which leads to some water weight gain.

    this site says 400mgs result in a gain of 2 lbs of water weight:

    http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-sodium-per-day-lose-weight-7850.html
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited June 2016
    Never decided. My body is always changing. I re-evaluate, or get stuck really badly and try to recomp, or purposely bulk. My body pretty much lets me know when enough is enough and I try not to push much farther.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    Never really decided
    I was thinking of 140 to 135 lbs

    But once i was at 145 lbs i was feeling great and happy with what i saw.
    i lost a couple more pounds unintentionally

    I didn't want to look like a teenager so i really tried to keep it around there. I work with a range of 10 lbs. I "gain" easily water weight of 10 lbs and also lose it over the next days to week again.
    So i dont sweat it when i do gain a lot of weight over 2 days or even one after a day out dinner or fast foods lol

    In a way you can say i was comfortable with the result.
    I am curious lately how it will be towards the 139 to 135 lbs. So i didn't create a deficit yet but planning to cut an 100 calories and nudge up my exercise and see what happens.
    i am bot in a hurry at all.

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    I picked the high end of "normal" for BMI.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    bioklutz wrote: »
    When you eat in a deficit you can lose the first few pounds really quickly and it is most likely water weight. Some people find when they start eating at maintenance they quickly gain a couple pounds as water weight. This doesn't happen to everyone but I can understand wanting a little bit of a buffer.

    Another reason is people like to think of their maintenance weight as a range. So maybe they are trying to get to the bottom of that range.

    That makes sense, thanks!

  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    Thanks everyone, I'm still about maybe 4 pounds away from goal so thinking about this stuff now!
  • oocdc2
    oocdc2 Posts: 1,361 Member
    somamaley wrote: »
    I decided my target weight range based on the 4 formulas at this web site:
    https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=male&age=46&lbs=155&in=69&act=1.2&f=1

    This site was very helpful, thanks!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I picked the weight I was at when I graduated from college and my body seemed to naturally gravitate to after both my kids were born. I have a 5 pound weight range (I've maintained 4 years). I celebrated when I hit the top of it. I kept at a deficit until I hit the bottom, then went off. I knew I would bounce around within that 5 pound range.
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    Unfortunately I gain fat in my belly first and looks like is the last thing is going to go, at first I choose the top of the BMI but nope, now I'm trying to get to the middle, I lift + cardio and slowly very slowly is getting where I want to...I just hope I don't have to get to the bottom :#
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    batoolnabulsi wrote: »
    It happened suddenly, yesterday I was depressed about weight and food.
    Like if I wanted to weigh less, I'll eat less, if I wanna maintain this goal weight I'll have to be more active in order to eat a little more, which is still unsatisfying .
    But today, in the morning I've decided to accept myself,I'm 5'3, I was 124 lbs and now im 121, at first I wanted to be 115, and to be honest, I was fooled by the perfect body image and the media.
    I have the Hourglass figure, I wanted to look skinny, I know I'll always be on the curvy side no matter what.
    I need to embrace my body, I'll forget about those super lean legs and that wide thigh gap.
    My hip bones and rib bones stick out, so I guess that's enough,besides the caloric deficit makes me tired all the time.
    I've decided to eat healthy and work out in order to be healthier and stronger.
    Another reason is because I was afraid of getting in an eating disorder, I used to hate what I see in the mirror, sometimes I'd eat something then spit it out, I wanted to be anorexic, I used to cry a lot.
    But now I'm finally relieved.
    Hehe sorry for the long answer.

    I had this epiphany a few months ago (we are similar stats too, 5"4, 123 lbs, small waist big hips n bum) and it's awesome to see someone else feeling this way (as in that post could have easily been written by me!) So congrats!

    I thought I decided my maintenance weight, turns out my body decided it for me and I'm sure it's not done settling yet either as I continue to get stronger!
  • batoolnabulsi
    batoolnabulsi Posts: 35 Member
    ARGriffy wrote: »
    batoolnabulsi wrote: »
    It happened suddenly, yesterday I was depressed about weight and food.
    Like if I wanted to weigh less, I'll eat less, if I wanna maintain this goal weight I'll have to be more active in order to eat a little more, which is still unsatisfying .
    But today, in the morning I've decided to accept myself,I'm 5'3, I was 124 lbs and now im 121, at first I wanted to be 115, and to be honest, I was fooled by the perfect body image and the media.
    I have the Hourglass figure, I wanted to look skinny, I know I'll always be on the curvy side no matter what.
    I need to embrace my body, I'll forget about those super lean legs and that wide thigh gap.
    My hip bones and rib bones stick out, so I guess that's enough,besides the caloric deficit makes me tired all the time.
    I've decided to eat healthy and work out in order to be healthier and stronger.
    Another reason is because I was afraid of getting in an eating disorder, I used to hate what I see in the mirror, sometimes I'd eat something then spit it out, I wanted to be anorexic, I used to cry a lot.
    But now I'm finally relieved.
    Hehe sorry for the long answer.

    I had this epiphany a few months ago (we are similar stats too, 5"4, 123 lbs, small waist big hips n bum) and it's awesome to see someone else feeling this way (as in that post could have easily been written by me!) So congrats!

    I thought I decided my maintenance weight, turns out my body decided it for me and I'm sure it's not done settling yet either as I continue to get stronger!

    Cool!
    You look great by the way :smiley:
  • Mentiri
    Mentiri Posts: 1,356 Member
    I picked the middle of normal BMI for my height to start, and lived with that for awhile to see how it worked. I actually look better a pound or two above that, so I reset and give myself a 5 lb. +/- range. That keeps me within normal BMI and doesn't make me crazy!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I decided on 175lbs - simply my favourite adult weight and lowest weight for 20 years.

    After four months at goal I decided on 170lbs as realised my best weight in my 20's wasn't the best weight in my 50's (dur!!). A bit too squishy. :(

    Another four months later I decided on 168lbs. Partly to sneak into healthy BMI range but also a nice round 12 stones and a little bit of vanity (at my age!!).

    Another 7 months later I dropped another four pounds to 164lbs - taking my cycling more seriously.

    Another 6 months later I temporarily took off another 3lbs to 161lbs ahead of a big cycling event but felt too skinny at that weight and didn't want to stay that low.

    Now I've recomped a bit and revised back up to 168lbs.

    Happy with the way I look and perform at this weight but I don't really see my weight as something that has to be fixed forever.

  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    I hit a weight lower than i remember ever being and got burned out. My time would probably be better spent bulking up rather than losing more.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Well my body has pretty much decided for me I think... I get too hungry if I get much below 133. So 133-136 it is.
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
    edited June 2016
    somamaley wrote: »
    I decided my target weight range based on the 4 formulas at this web site:
    https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=male&age=46&lbs=155&in=69&act=1.2&f=1

    Thanks for posting this @somamaley

    To answer the OP's question. My original goal was 175 pounds. As I settled in at that weight my body shape changed (belly started to show more) over the next couple of months resulting in me lowering my goal to 172 pounds. Now thanks to the equation above...maybe I will tweak it down to 171 pounds.

  • klbrowser
    klbrowser Posts: 61 Member
    At first, I went for the high end of a normal BMI, which for me was 150 pounds. But when I got there, I discovered I had lost almost no fat from the waist down, making me smaller on top than on bottom for the first time ever. So I used the calculator some of the others had mentioned and found the ideal weight for me was 130 pounds. Once I reached my new goal I had gone down two pant sizes and looked somewhat more normally proportioned. I knew from past experience that if I go below 130 my body decides it's starving and packs the pounds back on, so I stopped there. I am somewhat new to maintenance and am adjusting to it, but I'm pretty sure I can make it work.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,556 Member
    I'm in the lower half of my normal BMI range, and am at a weight I have been for most of my adult life. (The overweight thing was recent - just the last few years.) I wouldn't mind dropping right to the bottom of my normal BMI range but, for the last few months, I have stopped losing weight for various reasons.

    One of those reasons is that I've been training for and doing long distance cycling events, and as a part of that I've been eating a bit more to ensure I've got the energy to complete the distance. So I've been maintaining, and right now the long distance cycling events are more important than losing a few more kg which I don't really NEED to lose.
  • oocdc2
    oocdc2 Posts: 1,361 Member
    So, to answer the OP's question: I would love to be 120 lbs. (5' 3"); I think I may have to settle for 125 - 130. I'm 43 years old, have carried and birthed two children, and I allowed my skin to be stretched out by 70 lbs. of excess fat; all that has consequences. If I dedicated my energy to having the 24-year-old physique, maybe I could get it done, but I choose to spend my time/energy on other things, like keeping my family alive. Logging in daily, working out 3x/week, and checking the forums is about what I'm comfortable doing right now, so I do.
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    My story's kinda dumb. I've always known I look my best in the high 120s, so initially I picked 126 because it's exactly 9 stone by British reckoning (I'm not even British! I just like round numbers, haha). But when I got down there, a couple of friends commented that I was beginning to look slightly too thin... so I tacked on an extra 2 or 3 lbs, and here I am.
  • Kdp2015
    Kdp2015 Posts: 519 Member
    somamaley wrote: »
    I decided my target weight range based on the 4 formulas at this web site:
    https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=male&age=46&lbs=155&in=69&act=1.2&f=1

    Thanks for this, weirdly it's saying I'm at my ideal weight right now which is a bit of a surprise! However it's also telling me I need 156g protein a day which I'm less convinced about!
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    I simply went for the middle of BMI and knowing what I look like.
    To be honest it changed too - Initiatlly it was just gettign to 25.0 BMI, but I am now below that. I am now aiming 5Kg below my initial goal as my target. At this stage it would be the lower end of my range acceptable (59-63), but who knows? I am currently likeing the way my body is developing and as this keeps going so well I may adjust again.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    Initial goal was the top of a healthy bmi, which was 137. I maintained at that for a couple months and decided I would try for 10 more pounds. When I got there I moved into maintenance again but ended up losing a bit more, just to because I wanted 127 to be at the top of my maintenance range. I'm at like 123-124 now and feel good. I could lose more but nah.
  • X_Sooner
    X_Sooner Posts: 366 Member
    edited June 2016
    Frosh year of college weight. Made sense to me. was the most healthy time of my life
  • somamaley
    somamaley Posts: 8 Member

    Thanks for this, weirdly it's saying I'm at my ideal weight right now which is a bit of a surprise! However it's also telling me I need 156g protein a day which I'm less convinced about!
    [/quote]



    I'm not sure if its telling you that you need 156g of protein. I think its saying that based on your input data, that your macro breakdown for x amount of calories includes 156 grams of protein. For instance, if you say you are not convinced you need 156g of protein then you need more fat or more carbs in your diet to hit your calorie goal. which is fine, I make no judgment on that, my preference is to hit my protein goals first though and then fats and carbs.

    This is a great site also by the way, I found it very accurate for seeing what weight I would be at what time during weight loss, expert mode preferred:

    https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/bwp/index.html

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited June 2016
    Kdp2015 wrote: »

    Thanks for this, weirdly it's saying I'm at my ideal weight right now which is a bit of a surprise! However it's also telling me I need 156g protein a day which I'm less convinced about!

    @Kdp2015

    It's not saying you need that much protein - just a suggested macro breakdown. What you need is at least a minimum amount for health or more preferably an adequate amount taking your activity and exercise into account.

    It's actually working on a percentage split which makes very little sense when, if you are like me, a lot of my TDEE comes from exercise. Protein and fats as minimums rather than percentage goals gives you a lot more flexibility.

    At my maintenance weight of 164lbs it's suggesting a range of 225 - 299g of protein which is totally unnecessary.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    Between 120-130lbs (I'm 5'5") is what I look the best at and where I hope to maintain. I'm not sure I could maintain below that or that it would even make sense to.

    In theory, I think I could go all the way up to 140 IF I started lifting heavy. But seeing how I cannot get myself to seriously pursue lifting.

    Anyway, it took me awhile to come to the decision on where to maintain. Back when I was over 200lb, I swore I would look hot at 180lb. LOLOLOL, what was I smoking? Then I thought I might stop at 165, and then 155, then 140, then 135. Finally, I reached the 120s and just feel like this is where I have to stop. It doesn't make any sense to lose any more weight at this point and I look incredible.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    I let my nutritionist figure it out lol.

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