Is maintaining weight, just as hard as losing weight?
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Easier for me. I have seen the results -- so I can be my own motivation -- and I know how much better I feel without all the extra weight!!1
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Easier for me. I think it's because I "practiced maintenance" aka plateaued lots, while I was losing. What works best for me is going slow and easy. Also, I couldn't exercise when I was losing like I can now, so that definitely helps!2
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In some ways it's harder... Without a goal to work for and the constant feedback of the scale going down, blowing off a day/week/month can be tempting. A successful day in weight maintenance is a day when you do everything you're supposed to, and... and?... AND!!! ......... and NOTHING CHANGES. :grumble:
What a lot of us do is find new goals... Lifting more weight... Running faster or longer... Taking up a new sport... Doing push-ups, pull-ups, or whatever we couldn't do before. That helps to keep a focus on fitness.
Figuring out your maintenance calories is trickier than finding a deficit, but it's not really THAT hard: If you see the scale trending down over time, you eat a bit more; if you see the scale trending up over time (aside from the immediate glycogen bump or the expected TOM bloat), you eat a bit less.
Yes, it is harder than losing because as quoted above - you do it all right and 'nothing' happens. But then that's the point... This is the first time in my life I have needed to reduce my fat percentage/weight so I am not used to having to watch to maintain. Now that I have a condition that affects how much exercise I can get, I do have to watch and I admit it gets tedious :yawn: & I am already tired of logging on every day to track things. But probably if I don't I will just go back to eating normal healthy food but in too high an amount for my new metabolism. And then I'm back to slowly gaining a pound & a half a month until I actually notice and BAM! there's 30 pounds extra.
Ahh well, we can all hang in there together and keep each other motivated :flowerforyou:
Liana0 -
Harder for me because I've spent nearly my entire life losing or gaining weight. I've never tried to maintain before. It's an ongoing learning experience!1
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It's been a year and a half of losing weight and plateauing often. The plateaus sort of warned me what maintanance will be like. I find maintanance way easier because I do get to eat more. However, I need to be vigilant keep track because it's easy to forget yourself and suddenly all goes downhill. I use a measuring tape frequently, the scale still scares me and I use it less often.0
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I'm just starting out... I lost 60lbs before and did not maintain.... gained all of it 60 back and more! This time, I will log on MFP for the rest of my life if I have to!
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I just started maintaining, will be sure to keep checking back for words of wisdom.0
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I wanted to revisit this topic because I know a few people that can't find a happy balance after losing weight. I'm starting to find my happy place with losing weight and inches and I DO NOT WANT TO FAIL AT maintenance....lol. So please new comers, share your maintenance stories, or the vets can update their journey. Thanks!!!!1
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Harder. Oh it's midnight on a Saturday night and you want a churro? Go ahead you deserve it.0
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I'm far from getting to that point but i'd like to share that when i started i thought of eating in a way i can eat the rest of my life except i will be able to eat a little more of what i eat now. I'm eating "regular" foods that i can live on with the exception of eating a lot less of some things (like say spaghetti). I would like to add that one of my sons was 350 lbs at end of high school, he lost all the extra weight & has kept it off for the past 10yrs1
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shirleymut wrote: »I'm far from getting to that point but i'd like to share that when i started i thought of eating in a way i can eat the rest of my life except i will be able to eat a little more of what i eat now. I'm eating "regular" foods that i can live on with the exception of eating a lot less of some things (like say spaghetti). I would like to add that one of my sons was 350 lbs at end of high school, he lost all the extra weight & has kept it off for the past 10yrs
See these are my intentions as well...but what I am learning is that people become more relaxed and still eat outside of their calorie goal to maintain maintenance. My plan is to lose 10lbs above my goal so I can truly figure out what works for me in maintenance...0 -
Nope, it is not; at least it was/is not for me.0
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@Gisel2015 share what works for you?Nope, it is not; at least it was/is not for me.0 -
STLBADGIRL wrote: »
@Gisel2015 share what works for you?Nope, it is not; at least it was/is not for me.
I only had about 10lbs to lose and only 6 lbs when I joined MFP; it was not difficult for me to get back to my "normal wt," so it was probably not fair or appropriate of me to post my original comment.
I don't think that the only reward, satisfaction or motivation should be seeing the scale go down; we can get those "feelings" seeing our weight steady and within a normal range for days, weeks, months and years. I have been in maintenance for 6 years already and I never let my guard down.
Discipline, weighting myself weekly and sometimes several tines a week, cooking and eating healthy and nutritional meals, enjoying eating out and/or with family and friends while making good choices, exercising, and being able and willing to get back on track very fast if the weight creeps up above my upper limit.
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STLBADGIRL wrote: »
@Gisel2015 share what works for you?Nope, it is not; at least it was/is not for me.
I only had about 10lbs to lose and only 6 lbs when I joined MFP; it was not difficult for me to get back to my "normal wt," so it was probably not fair or appropriate of me to post my original comment.
I don't think that the only reward, satisfaction or motivation should be seeing the scale go down; we can get those "feelings" seeing our weight steady and within a normal range for days, weeks, months and years. I have been in maintenance for 6 years already and I never let my guard down.
Discipline, weighting myself weekly and sometimes several tines a week, cooking and eating healthy and nutritional meals, enjoying eating out and/or with family and friends while making good choices, exercising, and being able and willing to get back on track very fast if the weight creeps up above my upper limit.
This is mad dedication! This is what they mean about lifestyle change and you are def doing that.0 -
STLBADGIRL wrote: »STLBADGIRL wrote: »
@Gisel2015 share what works for you?Nope, it is not; at least it was/is not for me.
I only had about 10lbs to lose and only 6 lbs when I joined MFP; it was not difficult for me to get back to my "normal wt," so it was probably not fair or appropriate of me to post my original comment.
I don't think that the only reward, satisfaction or motivation should be seeing the scale go down; we can get those "feelings" seeing our weight steady and within a normal range for days, weeks, months and years. I have been in maintenance for 6 years already and I never let my guard down.
Discipline, weighting myself weekly and sometimes several tines a week, cooking and eating healthy and nutritional meals, enjoying eating out and/or with family and friends while making good choices, exercising, and being able and willing to get back on track very fast if the weight creeps up above my upper limit.
This is mad dedication! This is what they mean about lifestyle change and you are def doing that.
Thank you!
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Depends on how much you lose, if its a lot, your metabolism will be extremely low making it hard to maintain. Every watched the biggest loser? Most contestants lost so much weight, but gained it back because working out every day didnt do the trick, seemed like anything over 1000 calories just turned to fat so they had to eat very little and exercises a lot to keep the weight off until their metabolism adjusted to their new weight, but most didnt get that far. For people only losing 20-50 pounds it shouldnt be as bad.1
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god I hope it's not harder. Two+ years of losing 147 pounds has been harder than hard. At least we can eat a little bit more, that makes it easier right? I think I"ll put less pressure on myself in maintenance...we'll find out soon.0
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god I hope it's not harder. Two+ years of losing 147 pounds has been harder than hard. At least we can eat a little bit more, that makes it easier right? I think I"ll put less pressure on myself in maintenance...we'll find out soon.
Gosh I hope its not harder....but hearing the testimony of some is helping me devise a plan and prepare for it...We can do it though!!!!1
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