Scared to move to maintenance because of weight gain

Fat loss does not disappear when moving into maintenance.. that only happens if you over eat your maintenance/TDEE regularly and gain actual fat back..

However what you will see is some fluctuations on the scale. Reverse diet slowly. If you weight daily, use a weight trending app. You will be able to make peace with the scale and always use a weight range,, never a spot on weight.

Your anxiety is normal and once you do this for a period of time, all will be right with the world!

hina2398 wrote: »

So I think I'm at the weight I desire and I know I should be at maintenance, but I'm super scared to gain weight and fat. I keep hearing that the fat loss will disappear as soon as I increase calories but I think the mentality is getting to me. Any advice/before-and-after pics would really be helpful and motivating to me! P.S hit me with a friend request! I promise I don't bite

You're not going to gain lots'o'pounds overnight from a moderate increase in daily calories.

Some people see a small (<5 pound) scale jump as they hit their maintenance calories, probably largely from extra water weight related to glycogen replenishment, plus perhaps a higher average weight of food/drink still in your system. One strategy for dealing with this potential jump is to overshoot goal weight a little (i.e., go a couple pounds lighter) before increasing to maintenance calories.

As others suggested, "reverse diet" to find your actual maintenance calories, rather than just adding back your whole deficit in one lump.

Add (say) 100 daily calories to your goal, then monitor your weight for a week or two. If you keep dropping, add another hundred. If your weight increases consistently (not just that small possible initial jump) then cut back a little. Keep doing this until your weight stays reasonably stable, with a goal range. (It will likely take a longer wait after each calorie add to know with certainly whether your weight is stable or not - it takes a loooong time, days to weeks, for a small amount of calories above or below goal to actually affect your weight materially.)

As you go into this process, set a goal weight range (not just a single weight) that is centered on your goal weight, plus and minus a small number of pounds, with that range set so it encompasses the daily weight fluctuations you routinely see. (My range is 120 pounds, plus or minus 3 pounds.) If you go over the high end of the range for more than a few days in a row, cut back a little on eating, or move a bit more. If you go below the bottom more than briefly, eat a bit more.

It takes around 3500 calories over maintenance to gain a pound. If you accidentally eat 100 calories too many every single day, it'll take over a month to add a pound. You're not going to pack on pounds of actual weight quickly. You may see some water weight fluctuations (up and down) but any real gain will be so gradual you'll have plenty of time to adjust.

Try not to stress. You can do this. It's a healthy part of the process. Be brave!

I was scared about switching to maintenance mode too. I have been in maintenance mode for a couple of months now and cringe when I see the scale move up a pound. A week later, its down a pound, a week later its up a pound.... I am happy to say, for me, I found a nice middle ground. Congrats on your weight level and good luck on maintaining it. Don't fret, if the scale creeps up more than you want, you know how to loose the weight and simply will need to adjust your calories or exercise level, or both.