Afraid to add maintenance calories

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Tiifu
Tiifu Posts: 8 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I lost all the weight I intended on losing, but now that I've hit goal, I still feel chubby! I set a new goal for 3 lbs less than my original, and I don't see myself being satisfied there, either.

I know it's irrational, but I'm afraid that my body's gotten used to such a small amount of food and I'll gain at what should be maintenance. And I'm not even sure I want to stop losing. I think I look fine in certain lightings and poses, but I still have fat on my stomach I'm not happy with. Do I just have an unhealthy relationship with the mirror? Am I on my way to a downward spiral? At 5'5 and 117 lbs, I'm not sure I have enough left to lose to like how i look before I'll be out of my healthy bmi range.

I don't want to hurt myself, but the thought of adding more calories freaks me out. Does anyone have advice?

Replies

  • Tania_181
    Tania_181 Posts: 100 Member
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    I felt nervous too but then once I added my extra calories back in it didn’t feel like a major change (I was only on a 250 deficit at the end of my diet). I don’t know how large your deficit has been but you could start slowly by adding an extra 100 calories at a time, until you’ve gradually increased to your maintenance calories.
  • Tiifu
    Tiifu Posts: 8 Member
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    So it's normal to not feel small enough at a low BMI if you're not toned?

    I've been this weight before, it's not that much lower than the 125 range i maintained for years with no effort. I decided i needed to lose weight when the scale crept up to over 130. When I started MFP I found it easy and decided to go all out with it and go even lower than my normal weight that I looked pretty thick at.

    Tbh though my specific goal was based on Marylin Monroe's weight according to google, haha. I figure that we're about the same height, and she looked great. I know that she did strength training, but I don't have access to a gym (broke), and when I tried to look up workouts, none of it seemed beginner friendly. It was like people were speaking a language I don't understand and it's all very intimidating. Do you know of resources for people who don't know even the basics?
  • Tiifu
    Tiifu Posts: 8 Member
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    Oh and also, I had been losing 1-2 lbs a week until now. Would it be unhealthy to keep at a deficit until Christmas so inevitable festivities even out?
  • jyeager5188
    jyeager5188 Posts: 1 Member
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    It's so nice to know I'm not alone. I lost almost 100 pounds over the past year, but it's not the first time. I've never been able to maintain a healthy weight for more than 2-3 years. Now that I'm down again, I just wish I didn't have to eat at all. I'm terrified of gaining the weight back to the point of obsessing with caloric intake and the number on the bathroom scale. I'm hoping to learn from you all how to proceed. No one in my life understands. Thank you!
  • Nudgey02
    Nudgey02 Posts: 24 Member
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    Tiifu wrote: »
    So it's normal to not feel small enough at a low BMI if you're not toned?

    I've been this weight before, it's not that much lower than the 125 range i maintained for years with no effort. I decided i needed to lose weight when the scale crept up to over 130. When I started MFP I found it easy and decided to go all out with it and go even lower than my normal weight that I looked pretty thick at.

    Tbh though my specific goal was based on Marylin Monroe's weight according to google, haha. I figure that we're about the same height, and she looked great. I know that she did strength training, but I don't have access to a gym (broke), and when I tried to look up workouts, none of it seemed beginner friendly. It was like people were speaking a language I don't understand and it's all very intimidating. Do you know of resources for people who don't know even the basics?

    Tiifu look up Joe Wicks 'The Body Coach' on you tube. He does 15-30 min home work out sessions that are very good, he shows you exactly what to do, they are mainly body weight excercises or some with minimal equipment such as dumb bells and resistance band.
  • Aw0627
    Aw0627 Posts: 82 Member
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    I'm exactly the same I still have a bit of fat on my gut but if I lose any more I'll be considered underweight according to my BMI, but I'm scared to go into maintenance because it feels like I'll gain it all back
  • Tiifu
    Tiifu Posts: 8 Member
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    I guess that worst case scenario doesn't sound all that bad. If I have to lose a couple of lbs again, it's not a huge deal, I even admitted that I found the process of losing to be simple. Thanks for the perspective
  • SeikoMonster
    SeikoMonster Posts: 105 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    Consider the worst-case scenario: You add 250 per day and after a month you find that you've gained 2 lbs that is not part of your normal fluctuation pattern. What do you do? You don't just keep eating and gaining, you cut back 100-200 calories and see how that works the next month. Problem solved. You really have to watch the trend for about a month because water and TOM fluctuations are more visible in maintenance.

    Thank you for that reality check. I'm a few months away from my goal,and have been nervously starting to figure out my plan for the switch over to maintain.

    When you put it that way, removes quite a bit of the anxiety for me. It's no big deal, I've lost 300. 2-3 is quick and easy!

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    at 5ft 5, 117lbs is a low weight. Time for a recomp rather than losing more weight. Add some muscle and you'll feel happier about your body.

    Add an extra 250 cals a day at least - before you know it you will really enjoy getting those extra calories.
    There's really nothing to be anxious about when in maintenance, its still the same process as when losing except we just get to eat a little more. Keep an eye on weight trend over time and adjust intake up or down if necessary.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,863 Member
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    Tiifu wrote: »
    So it's normal to not feel small enough at a low BMI if you're not toned?

    I've been this weight before, it's not that much lower than the 125 range i maintained for years with no effort. I decided i needed to lose weight when the scale crept up to over 130. When I started MFP I found it easy and decided to go all out with it and go even lower than my normal weight that I looked pretty thick at.

    Tbh though my specific goal was based on Marylin Monroe's weight according to google, haha. I figure that we're about the same height, and she looked great. I know that she did strength training, but I don't have access to a gym (broke), and when I tried to look up workouts, none of it seemed beginner friendly. It was like people were speaking a language I don't understand and it's all very intimidating. Do you know of resources for people who don't know even the basics?

    In case you haven't seen them before, below are two other threads that are excellent, and may be helpful to you.

    This one is about picking a strength training program and includes beginner programs that don't have high start-up costs:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

    This one is about eating at maintenance calories while strength training to gradually lose more fat and gain muscle in order to look leaner at the same weight (called "recomposition"):

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat

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