When do you start on maintenance?

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CoryIda
CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have lost 97 pounds from a 100 pound goal, which means I am ALMOST at my goal weight and am starting to think about maintenance.

When should I start on maintenance? I don't really care to lose any more weight after I reach my goal, although I set the goal high enough that a few pounds wouldn't be a big deal. I do want to continue to tone up and get more and more fit, but I'm not sure how to manage the maintenance thing.

HOW should I transition to maintenance? It seems to me that going from the 1300 (plus exercise) calories that I've been consuming for the past couple of months to the roughly 2000 calories that are my "maintenance" calories is a big jump that I'm not sure I can make all at once. Should I start to gradually increase my calorie intake now, or should I wait until I am actually at goal?

ANY and ALL advice you have as far as how to transition to maintenance and what to do once I'm there (food and/or fitness) would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Replies

  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    I'm not sure how to answer your question but you look fantastic!!!!
  • mamadragon82
    mamadragon82 Posts: 5 Member
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    I am not sure because I always gain weight back, but WOW!!! Good for you! That is AMAZING!!! 97 lbs!!!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I have lost 97 pounds from a 100 pound goal, which means I am ALMOST at my goal weight and am starting to think about maintenance.

    When should I start on maintenance? I don't really care to lose any more weight after I reach my goal, although I set the goal high enough that a few pounds wouldn't be a big deal. I do want to continue to tone up and get more and more fit, but I'm not sure how to manage the maintenance thing.

    HOW should I transition to maintenance? It seems to me that going from the 1300 (plus exercise) calories that I've been consuming for the past couple of months to the roughly 2000 calories that are my "maintenance" calories is a big jump that I'm not sure I can make all at once. Should I start to gradually increase my calorie intake now, or should I wait until I am actually at goal?

    ANY and ALL advice you have as far as how to transition to maintenance and what to do once I'm there (food and/or fitness) would be greatly appreciated!

    Thank you!

    congrats on your amazing progress. Well what I would suggest is that right now you change your goal to 0.5 lbs/week, this will help you lose the last few pounds slowly (minimize muscle loss) and stick with that until you are 1lb or so under your goal, then add in 150 cals to your day stay with that for a few weeks then add back the last 100 cals to get to maintenance intake. This way you don't shock your system with a 500 cal or more increase all at once.
  • Mad4282
    Mad4282 Posts: 171 Member
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    Ive found gradually adding back calories is best, see what works for you, a 2,000 calorie diet may be pefect for you to maintain, or you may find you need a bit less than that to maintain your weight loss. Amazing job thus far, very inspirational!!!!
  • FatGirlSlim89
    FatGirlSlim89 Posts: 53
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    I personally would NOT go straight to 2000, I would work out my BMR, and eat that amount daily. If I did excercise I would then add that calorie amount onto my eating plan. Eg. Say my BMR was 1,389 and I do an hour of running, I would eat about 1600 to cover the running. This is just my opinion however.

    If you weigh yourself every week and increase the calories by 100 (on top of BMR) each week without gaining then you can gradually see what works for you.
  • pnesabrina
    pnesabrina Posts: 13 Member
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    I started maintenance at a lower goal than I´d set at first. I did it gradually. My goal while losing was set to lose 1 pound a week. I uppped my cals to lose 1/2 a pound a week. This left me with 1600 cals, total, which was a comfortable range. I kept losing.

    So I added a huge cheat day at the weekend (to go out, drink and have appetizers without thinking about it) and a mini cheat day during the week (foa a dinner out or something).

    That evened out the equation, and I´ve been at a steady weight for around 3 months.
    Sometimes I lose a little, if I have a very boring week and don´t go out much.

    I´d still like to lose a little more, but it´s not my priority. I´ve lost weight a lot of times and I was never able to mantain. So maintenance it´s my main goal and priority now!
    I hope it helps!!!
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I'd say you can go ahead and switch your weight loss rate, and as far as adding the cals in, you can add 200/day this week, and in 2 weeks add the other. That's just like changing your goal :-)
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    I have 9 pounds to go and set MFP to lose 0.5 pounds/week. This only puts me at 250 calories a day below maintenance, so it isn't going to be a huge leap when the time comes.
  • brooke0206
    brooke0206 Posts: 255 Member
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    I would slowly add a few calories in here and there. I found that when I got pregnant and went from 1200 to 2200 which is what i was told i needed that the weight came back full fource. I gained the most weight this pregnancy in the first 14 weeks, I think because my body wasnt used to soo many calories. I say just add slowly so that your body doesnt go crazy!! Keep weighing in and if you see the weight start to come back a little then you know where you need to be for a while! Good Luck and amazing accomplisment thus far, you truly are an inspiration!
  • Gennawest
    Gennawest Posts: 171
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    this post totally encouraged me. 16 more lbs and I start maintenance. Can't wait to be "normal" again.
  • gatorflyer
    gatorflyer Posts: 536 Member
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    I'm getting there too and am also nervously anticipating the "jump into hyper maintenance". From what I've been seeing people who are in maintenance mode post, I think that its kind of an individual thing. I think I would probably start gradually to increase calories when you get to goal, try it for a week or 2 and see what that does. Then increase again in increments until you get to something that works for you. I'd be afraid to just make the higher jump all at once. Good Luck and you look AMAZING!
  • prettybrownround
    prettybrownround Posts: 362 Member
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    bump
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    I've 20ish pounds to go and already started... i.e. I dropped from a 500 cal/day deficit to a 250 cal/day deficit. In another 10 lbs or so I'll drop to 100 cal/day deficit until I'm solidly in the middle of my goal range (ranges are MUCH better than a single number due to normal fluctuations), at which point I'll go to full maintenance (which will, by that point, only add 100 calories to my daily target).
  • soniams
    soniams Posts: 95 Member
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    This is such useful advice. Thank you to those who have responded.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    This has been an awesome thread. I was also wondering when I should start to add calories back. Right now I am about 20-23 lbs from my ultimate goal. When I get about 10 lbs from goal, I will add in 250 calories a day.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    This has been an awesome thread. I was also wondering when I should start to add calories back. Right now I am about 20-23 lbs from my ultimate goal. When I get about 10 lbs from goal, I will add in 250 calories a day.

    Things started going screwy for me once I was 15 pounds to goal. That is when I plateaued for months and I decided to up my calories (luckily that broke the plateau). Every body is different but if I were to do it again I would probably up my calories once I hit the teens, or somewhere between 15-20 pounds to go.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    Wow, I really appreciate all of the fantastic advice.

    It sounds as if I should probably have asked this question about 10 pounds ago, but better late than never.

    Also, since my goal weight isn't very low, it isn't a big deal if I go below it as I figure out the maintenance thing, although my hubby told me last week that he'd rather I not lose much more. I still have a good amount of "meat" on my hips and thighs (and chest) but, because of my build (large bone structure and extreme hourglass figure), my ribs are poking out, as are my shoulders and a couple of other body parts, and since you can't dictate to your body where to lose, I don't want those to get much more prominent. My goal has never been to be skinny or even very very thin - I just want to be fit and healthy.

    I added 150 calories to my goal and will add another 150 each week until I'm at maintenance. Even though that will most likely see me below my goal weight, it shouldn't be by much and, as someone else pointed out, we usually have a weight "range" due to normal fluctuations, so it should be ok.

    Thanks for the advice and, if anyone has anything else to add, please do!
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    This has been an awesome thread. I was also wondering when I should start to add calories back. Right now I am about 20-23 lbs from my ultimate goal. When I get about 10 lbs from goal, I will add in 250 calories a day.

    Things started going screwy for me once I was 15 pounds to goal. That is when I plateaued for months and I decided to up my calories (luckily that broke the plateau). Every body is different but if I were to do it again I would probably up my calories once I hit the teens, or somewhere between 15-20 pounds to go.

    That's good to know. Thanks!

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