What do you wish you had known about maintaining?
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JeepHair77 wrote: »I'm small enough that my "maintenance" calories are still kind of strict, and so I still FEEL like I'm working hard.
That certainly worries me too. I'm not quite 5 feet tall, so it's not like my maintenance calories are going up by some dramatic amount! So while I don't think that I'm going to just cut loose and eat everything all the time, it is a little frustrating to understand that I can never eat like I did when I weighed over 200 pounds, unless I want to be over 200 pounds again. Have you found any kind of new goals or ways to keep yourself motivated now that you don't have the same sorts of small victories that you had when you were losing?
Most of my goals are fitness related.
I also train more in maintenance and participate in various events...my goals tend to revolve around that kind of stuff. I'm really active and do some kind of exercise activity most days...rest days usually consist of at least a 3 mile walk or a recovery ride and/or some yoga. I'm always trying to improve upon my fitness and my physique.
You may also be surprised with maintenance calories...when I went to maintenance I thought they would be rather paltry given the math and the very slow rate at which I was losing. As I upped calories, my energy went up...my workouts became better...I was setting PRs left and right in the weight room and on my bike...I was more fidgety and had difficulty sitting down to watch t.v. or movies, etc...even weird things like my finger nails started growing like wild.
As per the math, I figured I'd tap out maintenance at around 2500 calories...as I upped them, I actually continued to lose weight and actually started losing at a faster rate than I had been...I didn't peak out until around 3,000 calories.4 -
TavistockToad wrote: »have a maintenance range not one goal number.
How big a range would you recommend? Plus or minus two pounds? Five?
My range was 5lbs at first but that was working from a base of 123. In theory I should drop down to 118 prior to vacations and Christmas so that I return to 123 after. Theory didn't pan out last year due to some health concerns so I found myself at 128 before vacation/Christmas season and 133 after. Now I am having to do an actual diet to get back down. Hoping to make 118 prior to vacation/Christmas season next year. The point is, you have to adjust that range based upon what is coming. My range may be 5lbs but if I am at the top of the range before cookie season then I will be in trouble. Going forward my range is 118-123 in the 6m prior to cookie season.
Very few people are successful at keeping the weight off long term. If you are going to add your name to that short list you have to consistently error on the side or caution and be willing to do the work to fix it if you fall short. In a way it is actually harder to diet on maintenance. Those few pounds don't seem like such a big deal. Your clothes will probably still fit and no one will really notice if you gain or lose them. People will probably even work against you if you tell them you are dieting again because they will worry about eating disorders. There is no reward, no glory, no praise to be had, so it is far better to not gain anything or to correct it really quickly if you do.5 -
JeepHair77 wrote: »I'm small enough that my "maintenance" calories are still kind of strict, and so I still FEEL like I'm working hard.
That certainly worries me too. I'm not quite 5 feet tall, so it's not like my maintenance calories are going up by some dramatic amount! So while I don't think that I'm going to just cut loose and eat everything all the time, it is a little frustrating to understand that I can never eat like I did when I weighed over 200 pounds, unless I want to be over 200 pounds again. Have you found any kind of new goals or ways to keep yourself motivated now that you don't have the same sorts of small victories that you had when you were losing?
Sort of - I set myself fitness goals. I'm hoping to set a 5K PR this spring, and for some time, I've had a weird goal where I'm determined to do all of my push-ups off my knees during kickboxing class. And they're real goals, but they're just not doing it for me the way pure vanity did.
And those kinds of goals aren't really keeping me focused when it comes to making good food and drink choices, and even if I'm training, my weight creeps up if I don't stay pretty strict with my calorie intake.
So at least for me, losing and maintenance are almost the same, but without the reward.3 -
I can not add anything new. Congratulations on the hard work and dedication. Now go inspire others and encourage them.3
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Lot's of great advice here.
I kind of blew it with the maintenance. I'm on the mend. Part of it was that I wasn't being realistic. That's a big deal.2 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
Most of my goals are fitness related.
I also train more in maintenance and participate in various events...my goals tend to revolve around that kind of stuff. I'm really active and do some kind of exercise activity most days...rest days usually consist of at least a 3 mile walk or a recovery ride and/or some yoga. I'm always trying to improve upon my fitness and my physique.
You may also be surprised with maintenance calories...when I went to maintenance I thought they would be rather paltry given the math and the very slow rate at which I was losing. As I upped calories, my energy went up...my workouts became better...I was setting PRs left and right in the weight room and on my bike...I was more fidgety and had difficulty sitting down to watch t.v. or movies, etc...even weird things like my finger nails started growing like wild.
As per the math, I figured I'd tap out maintenance at around 2500 calories...as I upped them, I actually continued to lose weight and actually started losing at a faster rate than I had been...I didn't peak out until around 3,000 calories.
That's really interesting! I run and I hadn't thought about how maintenance would affect my training vs. a deficit. I don't think I'll quite make it to 3000 calories, but I might finally move from "average/back of the pack" runner to "slightly above average".
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After losing weight, I maintained for about 3 years and then I gained about 14lbs in...say a year and a half. 5 of the last 10 months (10lbs) were abroad, I got divorced, got a promotion, moved a couple times...I'm fine with 10. I let myself get a lot less active and was drinking more. You'll KNOW when you aren't doing the right thing. During my years of successful maintenance, I rarely counted calories (though I would occasionally look up food or exercise cals for reference or log a couple days just to recheck my set point) and didn't weigh more than once in a blue moon. I stuck to checking out how my clothes fit.
If you DO want to weigh, and I do think you should as you transition to maintenance and find your happy point, I would use something like Libra. Its an app that shows your weight trend, and filters out all of the daily fluctuation so that its easy to see if your weight is actually trending up or down.
I would suggest TWO set points, unless you really want to log your calories forever (which is fine YMMV):
1. Trend weight (or several days in a row) up 2-3lbs, consciously move a little more and/or eat a little less. Cut out that extra glass of wine thats been sneaking into your hand every night (or whatever)
2. 5lbs up. Start logging again with similar or perhaps a touch higher/slower than you are right now.
ETA: Good luck and CONGRATU-effing-LATIONS!!!!6 -
I would suggest TWO set points, unless you really want to log your calories forever (which is fine YMMV):
1. Trend weight (or several days in a row) up 2-3lbs, consciously move a little more and/or eat a little less. Cut out that extra glass of wine thats been sneaking into your hand every night (or whatever)
2. 5lbs up. Start logging again with similar or perhaps a touch higher/slower than you are right now.
I'm still logging (because see above - I'm fighting to find my new normal) but I really like this as a long-term plan. I'm going to remember it.
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I've lost 70 pounds--twice. Don't let that happen to you. Accept the new reality and enjoy your new fitter self. Great job on your success. Keep asking questions and lean on this community for support!5
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If you don't exercise you'll maintain at a higher weight than if you do - even at the same calorie level.
Oh, and that maintaining is easy - just keep plugging!0 -
JeepHair77 wrote: »I'm small enough that my "maintenance" calories are still kind of strict, and so I still FEEL like I'm working hard.
That certainly worries me too. I'm not quite 5 feet tall, so it's not like my maintenance calories are going up by some dramatic amount! So while I don't think that I'm going to just cut loose and eat everything all the time, it is a little frustrating to understand that I can never eat like I did when I weighed over 200 pounds, unless I want to be over 200 pounds again. Have you found any kind of new goals or ways to keep yourself motivated now that you don't have the same sorts of small victories that you had when you were losing?
As a petite woman who has been maintaining for over 7 years here is what worked for me.
Stats: 5'1, SW 130, GW105, maintenance 100-105lbs range.
It took a year to lose 30 lbs on 1200 cals eating back 75-100% of my exercise calories until the last 5 or so lbs when I dropped it to 50-75%.
When I reached maintenance my calories were still 1200. I ate that amount plus exercise for a while then started a gradual reverse diet by adding 25 cals every couple of weeks. That got me to 1350.
My exercise cals were another 200 cal so I held a steady TDEE 1550 cals.
Last year I added weight lifting 3 days a week and started slowly losing so added an extra 50 cals a day and I stablized at 1600 at 103 lbs.
The last cals are estimates as I rarely log or weigh myself unless I notice I am losing or gaining outside my maintenance range.
Motivation for exercise, which I don't really enjoy, and calorie compliance comes from being fit enough to do exciting things in real life that I wouldn't be able to do at a lower fitness level, compete in the odd 10km race, and look so much better clothed and naked.
Also, I really, really don't want to revert to my old weight and fitness level. Where I am now suits my personality so much better.
Cheers, h.7 -
I especially like all the suggestions to set new non-weight goals. I'm a runner and I will probably try to improve my speed. (No longer distances for me yet--I run up to half marathons and don't feel that I can currently commit the time to full marathon training.)1
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I will say it's been rather depressing recently, realizing that I actually should be eating at a lower cal than I had previously set - I got to the top of my +/- 5 lbs after Christmas, and realized that I had been eating at a lower cal rate and constantly being "under" my goal, but during Christmas time, I ate to the top of the goal every day and started gaining. Bummer. At least it's spring now and I'm getting motivated to exercise more, so I can eat more!3
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Be aware of slipping too far below your goal weight as well! It may seem okay to lose a few extra pounds but ultimately if you don't learn to maintain without losing you'll keep losing and that isn't healthy physically or mentally. You've been working hard for years and deserve more calories, more food, a somewhat less-strict diet. It's hard to make that mental shift but it will happen. I'm in weight loss mode again now after re-working goals but when in maintenance I weighed every day (I like to understand trends) and still logged everyday (though not as painstakingly accurately as when I was eating at 1200 cals and I didn't worry about missing days if it was inconvenient).
A lot of people have mentioned the novelty of goal weight wearing off, and having less motivation for maintenance. Honestly my motivation is renewed every summer when I get to wear bathing suits and feel good. Shopping for clothes in regular sizes and feeling good in them hasn't worn off yet and I've been maintaining (mostly) for a few years, now. Seeing myself in pictures and thinking I look good is a great motivator.
If you really don't find maintenance motivating you can give yourself rewards. Two months of maintenance can get you a new pair of awesome running shoes or a massage at a spa or a new book. I buy myself a new little $10-$20 plant when I maintain for two weeks (but I am obsessed with succulents and such). It may seem problematic to have rewards based on buying myself stuff but I probably end up treating myself a lot less often with the reward system. It just feels better, like I *deserve* to buy a new bathing suit top rather than just buying stuff all the time like I used to. A good non-monetary reward I've found is getting my boyfriend to agree to giving me massages, hehe.
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You will have a bad day ... or a bad week ... or a bad couple of weeks ... but you have to forgive yourself and recommit yourself to healthy living every single time you slip. I personally have to keep track of calories every single day or I start to overeat. It sounds like a pain but spending 15 minutes per day tracking my food is totally worth it.5
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katorihanzo wrote: »I buy myself a new little $10-$20 plant when I maintain for two weeks (but I am obsessed with succulents and such).
Do you have a pregnant onion? They're not quite succulents, but they do well when they're well drained and left to dry out a little, so they can be treated sort of like a cactus. Also, they're just really weird and interesting. My grandma had over 200 plants when she died, and I've kept the pregnant onions going for almost 20 years now. They reproduce like crazy, so I would have them everywhere if I actually divided the babies into their own pots.
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I've only been in maintenance for 3 months but I've ready learned that it requires as much time and attn to maintain weight as it does to lose it.
It's now a never ending process and long past is the time when I could just eat anything and not worry about.4
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