Maintenance harder than it looks

tburgess242002
tburgess242002 Posts: 231 Member
edited December 3 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I've been doing maintenance for a month and a half away to fluctuate between 212 and 215 has been as high as 220 what can I do to help maintain my weight still eating 1200 cal the 1300 cal a day and allowing myself the 1660 on somedays i'm 5'8 do you have any recommendations for me thank you in advance.

Replies

  • SaraBeth2007
    SaraBeth2007 Posts: 9 Member
    1200-1300 a day for maintenance at 5'8" seems low? Is that what MFP is telling you to eat?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Something is wrong with your numbers. I'm 5"8 and my maintenance calories are no where near 1200. I lose weight eating around 1600-1700 gross calories. I'm 147lbs.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    What has worked for me is to realize that I probably need to keep eating at close to the deficit that got me the last 5 pounds of my goal. It's not a very large deficit, and it's less than I'd like to eat. I lost at about 1350 - 1450, and that's still what I'm eating, just not losing now.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I suppose you were losing weight to get to 212. At 6 weeks into maintenance the food you're having should resemble the food you were eating to lose just before you reached 212. Why? Because you were good at it. Once you got to 212, you can start the maintenance journey by upping calories by 100 per day for a couple of weeks and see how your body responds to that. If well, up it again by 100. Eventually, you'll find the sweet spot of your maintenance calories.
  • tburgess242002
    tburgess242002 Posts: 231 Member
    Sorry I may be misleading when I was ate 1660 cal for a month 1/2 and I was gaining weight for medical reasons I can't work out for two months so I'm trying to lower my calories back down so I don't gain anymore I hope that clarifies things
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    I won't pry by asking what our medical reasons are, but I will say this: After I had surgery (not major - laparoscopic gall bladder removal), I added some water weight while healing. It took a while - maybe 2-3 weeks, I forget - to drop off again, and this was in a period where I was losing weight overall, not maintaining. I suspect other medical things could lead to water weight gain, too, if there's tissue healing, infection, or inflammation involved. Maybe consider whether the weight fluctuations you're seeing could have some similar cause.
  • tburgess242002
    tburgess242002 Posts: 231 Member
    Thank you all
  • Return2Fit
    Return2Fit Posts: 226 Member
    For me, there is no solid, in stone weight "maintenance".
    I am either gaining or losing.
    I held steady my weight at various times in this journey, but it was always a fluctuating variable 5 pounds either way.
    Good Enough!
    And I can tell whether the number on the scale is bloat or creeping weight regain.
    I also take body measurements, so the scale is not my only tool to track progress...or regression...

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    One thing that helps, mentally at least, is having a range. Such as my personal range is 123-128 but anything under 130 'will do'. I'm 5'5.5". Sticking to a set # for weight is just not possible. Other than that, it is finding a routine that works for you.

    Personally: I find it easier to track/count on weekdays. I have more of a routine. Weekends are less organized. So in general I try to have a slight deficit Mon-Fri and that gives me extra calories for the weekend. Such as my TDEE is ~1800-1900. I eat ~1600 weekdays. That gives me the ability to go up to 2400 on Sat/Sun without needing to worry about weight gain. Which is useful in situations where I have less control in the calorie content of my food and I must estimate. Or if I choose to have drinks, or whatnot.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited August 2016
    I'm 65, 5'8" & 173#. My calculated TDEE is about 2400 but I've been maintaining at 173-174 for about a month consuming an average of 2000 net cals/day.

    So, based on the data, my "real world" TDEE is 2000 cals/day and I would probably gain 1-2 lbs/week at 2400 because at 1600 net cals, my calculated BMR, I was actually losing 1-2 lbs a week.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Is this a maintenance break OP or your goal weight?
    200+ seems very heavy for your height but a break would be sensible with medical issues to recover from.

    Your calories do seem very low for your size but real world results over and extended period of time are what matters.

    For me two of the keys for happy and successful maintenance are a long term view and an acceptance that your weight isn't static.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I am confused at the numbers ..5'8 and 212-215lbs and maintenance at 1660

    Is this a diet break?

    There is no way I can conceive your maintenance at those stats could be that low, even at completely sedentary ...I'm 5'8, 160lbs and my maintenance at sedentary is 1760 ...although true maintenance is more 2200-2400
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    What frequently happens is people diet and lose weight then they increase calories to maintenance and freak at scale movements over a short time ...you have to stay steady for a few weeks to allow your goal weight range to stabilise

    You have a weight range of +\- 5lbs not an absolute number

    Increase calories by 100 for a few weeks allow weight to stabilise ...then do it again
  • tburgess242002
    tburgess242002 Posts: 231 Member
    Thank everyone for the help and insight I take medication that seems the slowdown me losing weight even if I eat at 12 and 1300 cal a day or so I know my weight it should be lower and as the weight because I think they say I should weigh like 150 which I think is way too low 180 is the minimum I think I want my my weight to be but once again thank you everybody for your insight and your knowledge and I have been at 215 pounds for eight months
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    body weight isn't static...maintenance is a range, not a specific number. I've been maintaining for almost 3.5 years and I fluctuate anywhere from 178 to 185 with my average being about 181 at this point.
  • tburgess242002
    tburgess242002 Posts: 231 Member
    This is all been very helpful thank you all
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