At Goal Weight ...
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CatinSydney
Posts: 16 Member
I've reached my goal weight but feel that I should lose a couple more kgs to allow myself a buffer in case of normal fluctuations in weight. Did you do this or do you just maintain at your goal weight quite easily?
I feel with holidays coming up that this may be difficult to do, so should work towards losing more now (if I can). Even though I have reached this stage, even on maintenance I will probably be at the same number of calories anyway because my daily allowance is only 1200 calories and stays this way even on maintenance it seems.
Maybe I can eat back some of my exercise calories but a bit worried that I will get it wrong and put weight back on. Has this happened to you?
I feel with holidays coming up that this may be difficult to do, so should work towards losing more now (if I can). Even though I have reached this stage, even on maintenance I will probably be at the same number of calories anyway because my daily allowance is only 1200 calories and stays this way even on maintenance it seems.
Maybe I can eat back some of my exercise calories but a bit worried that I will get it wrong and put weight back on. Has this happened to you?
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Replies
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You SHOULD have a range, not just a singular number. We retain water, salt, etc, for a number of reasons and our weight isn't a firm constant. I personally fluctuate between 166 and 170. If I go over 170 and stay there for more than two days, I'll cut back for a few days til I hit my goal range again.9
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a range is required - we don't all stay a set weight.
Secondly your maintenance and loss calories cannot be the same. If you loose at 1200 then you need to eat more to stop loosing. Add extra calories back 100/per week or two at a time until you stop losing.
You should be eating back exercise calories anyway as this is how MFP is designed.
Maintenance is a life time of monitoring same as losing weight, you just monitor with a few more calories and you want your weight to stay in a range rather than a continuous decrease.5 -
A range of say +/-5lbs is ideal.
It is highly unlikely that 1200 is your maintenance cals, especially if you were losing weight eating that amount.
More stats would be helpful, height/weight/age.1 -
Goal weights are tricky because muscle has weight and you also might have a certain look you are going for (for example a slight 6-pack). It's very hard to say how much bodyfat we have to lose to look a certain way. You could hit your weight but still have more BF that you want or your weight could be too low and you have to lose muscle.
Some weeks we lose more water, sometimes we retain water, sometimes we add muscle. Sometimes if we eat bad we lose muscle but going by the scale that would show as progress.
The mirror is the best indicator. Waist size is helpful also.
I don't get the holiday thing? In my family the meals are usually turkey or ham dinners which really are fine.
I pass on dessert and that's it? Usually it's only 2 or 3 meals at that. What happens at the holidays where people gain weight like crazy?4 -
Congrats! Having a range definitely works for me as I naturally lose a little more during the summer and pick up a couple pounds during the winter.
During the week however I basically lose and gain the same 2 - 3 pounds and repeat every week. My weight never stays at a static number. Not to mention daily fluctuations and water weight.
For holidays, parties and events I always have a plan. I try to scope out the selections at ahead of time and decide what I want. Sometimes it's a little of everything or a lot of a couple of things. Other times it's a little food and a lot of dessert.
Whatever I decide I eat what I want and enjoy, but I stay in control and don't overeat.
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I've gone into maintenance for an extended period of time twice over the past several years; I have 15-20 lbs I still want to lose, and am back into weight loss mode now. What I've learned is, you need to commit to monitoring your weight for life unless you can demonstrate to yourself by "test driving" maintenance to see if you've internalized the new way of eating to such an extent that you will not put weight back on.
I don't know how many people who have struggled with their weight can succeed at that - permanently changing their way of eating so they never have to weigh themselves or go into weight loss mode again. I know I can't do it completely - I'm going to need to weigh myself at least weekly forever, and adjust my input when needed to bring the scale back down again into my maintenance range. It's a small price to pay to stay healthy and mobile.6 -
Your maintenance calories cannot be the same as your weight loss calories unless you reduce your exercise and/or activity levels.
To maintain your weight you must be accounting for your exercise calories whether you label them as such or not.
You can't put the weight back on without a sustained calorie surplus (over-eating) and not reacting as you see your weight increase. That's why people have either an acceptable range or an upper limit, to trigger action before a slide gets too big.
Being "worried" is normal when something is new but realise that's emotion and not cold, hard facts. Give yourself time to adjust to the new you, don't overreact to normal fluctuations and start to think much longer term. Your weight isn't set in stone forever so a periodic reassessment is sensible.
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You definitely should set a range. Perhaps your goal weight +/- 2 lbs? It can be hard to change your mindset from losing to maintaining and I think the fear of gaining when we add calories is something most of us dealt with. But if you are losing on 1200 then if you continue to eat at 1200 you will continue to lose. Unless you are under 5' it is extremely unlikely that 1200 is your maintenance. Try slowly adding 100 calories per day until your weight stabilizes. You will have fluctuations so don't stress to much if you weight goes up on some days. Just watch the trend and as long as you stay in your maintenance range then you are good.2
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joelrivard wrote: »
I don't get the holiday thing? In my family the meals are usually turkey or ham dinners which really are fine.
I pass on dessert and that's it? Usually it's only 2 or 3 meals at that. What happens at the holidays where people gain weight like crazy?
I don't get this either... I have one "holiday day" and that's Christmas, back to normal the next day.
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Thanks for the responses it does make sense to have a range and I think for me it will be 105-110. To put this in perspective I'm only 5'1.5'' (53, female) so if I was to not exercise 1200 calories would be my limit.
Fortunately I do exercise at least an hour each day - walking or gym (includes elliptical, circuit classes - TRX etc, Step, yoga, pilates, cxworx). If I'm doing yoga or pilates I will walk as well. I use my Fitbit HR to calculate exercise calories and while I know this isn't perfect at least it is an indicator of what I have done - but probably why I'm a bit dubious about adding back all the exercise calories. btw - I'm getting a new fitness tracker at Christmas - any recommendations?
Christine_72 (I think you might be from Aus - going by your diary entries), wish I could say the "holiday" is just one day here, but in reality it's not with people staying with us and everyone out of routine, no school, no work - it's just all socialising, beaches and barbeques, This flows on into January and then we go camping for a week with other families, so another week of beaches and barbeques (and eating and drinking of course).
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I am 1" taller than you and if I was sedentary my cals to maintain would be 1600. I'm just a few years younger. As it is I am lightly active and maintain on 1950-2000 cal, just to put things in perspective. I think you are mixing up BMR with TDEE.0
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CatinSydney wrote: »Thanks for the responses it does make sense to have a range and I think for me it will be 105-110. To put this in perspective I'm only 5'1.5'' (53, female) so if I was to not exercise 1200 calories would be my limit.
Fortunately I do exercise at least an hour each day - walking or gym (includes elliptical, circuit classes - TRX etc, Step, yoga, pilates, cxworx). If I'm doing yoga or pilates I will walk as well. I use my Fitbit HR to calculate exercise calories and while I know this isn't perfect at least it is an indicator of what I have done - but probably why I'm a bit dubious about adding back all the exercise calories. btw - I'm getting a new fitness tracker at Christmas - any recommendations?
Christine_72 (I think you might be from Aus - going by your diary entries), wish I could say the "holiday" is just one day here, but in reality it's not with people staying with us and everyone out of routine, no school, no work - it's just all socialising, beaches and barbeques, This flows on into January and then we go camping for a week with other families, so another week of beaches and barbeques (and eating and drinking of course).
Yes, I am in Aus, your username and kookaburra avi gave you away
Yowsas I'd be in panic mode too if i had all of those social activities you listed. I'm an introvert and anti-social, so i don't have to deal with people/social gatherings much.
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@Christine_72 I'm a bit like that too lol, thank goodness for minimal social occasions 1
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »@Christine_72 I'm a bit like that too lol, thank goodness for minimal social occasions
lol Being like this does come with some perks
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The people staying with us over Christmas are the parent-inlaws (not sure how many days yet), but it's quite hard to weigh the food all the time and not be too conspicuous (the food scale usually sits on the bench where I prepare and serve food). Also needless to say a few drinks will be required over this time
- just so I can stay sane!!
Recently I had my own parents to stay and I could tell they were wondering why we didn't always have a drink with them. Mum asked why I had the food scale on the bench all time - but I just ignored and carried on - I knew they would take the piss if they knew I was losing weight - well maybe not the losing weight part but being so 'particular' about it, so I tried not to make it too obvious.1 -
Cat I shall stop derailing your thread after this post.. I completely relate to the food scale/family thing. None of my family know i weigh my food, I can just imagine the obsessive/anorexic comments that would follow. In fairness i used to think the same way about "food weighers" lol
I've been weighing my food for over 3 years, my husband sees me do it every single day, and he still gives me crap about it!!!4 -
My losing weight calories are 1200 and maintenance is 1350. Not a big difference, but every little bit helps. I overeat on the weekends for a meal or two, and get back on track Mon- Fri. I maintain this way, but everyone is different.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »Cat I shall stop derailing your thread after this post.. I completely relate to the food scale/family thing. None of my family know i weigh my food, I can just imagine the obsessive/anorexic comments that would follow. In fairness i used to think the same way about "food weighers" lol
I've been weighing my food for over 3 years, my husband sees me do it every single day, and he still gives me crap about it!!!
Advantages of a mother who was a Weight Watcher (and WW leader). Totes normal as far as my parents are concerned!5 -
I'm new, and weight control is 'new'. But I like that Cat is already where I am 'steadily' heading. Also, thanks for your tips on having a "maint. range". THAT will really help me.
In past 11 mo's I've avg'd a loss of 4.4 lbs/mo. going from 245lbs to 201 this morn'g. I did this by keeping pretty well to the 1,500cals/ day +walkg. My Goal: "to range" between 190-195lbs in 2mo's. I'm 78, 6' and very active &healthy, but hated the soaring: BMI 32.2 (27now); Body fat% 25.3 (21.9now); Skel.muscle% 31.9 (33.4now); and the Visceral fat level of 18 (12now) readings that my Omron scale gave me when I last Jan 2nd.
Q: Do I keep the 'pedel to the metal' until 195 and ease down to 190lbs over say 2mo's? Any thoughts on how to tweek the end of this (35yr overdue) campaign? Beside... the fresh bottle of vino my bride of 50yrs & I will begin sipping when there?
Q: Also Any thoughts on the relevance of my resting Metabolism dropping from 1,983 to 1,774 during that time?
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@Christine_72 it's nice to know I'm not alone in this food scale/family thing - my husband and 2 boys are used to it now, but I don't really like to reveal it to others.
@fiddletime that sounds very like me at the moment I do tend to go over on the weekends so during the week I have to be careful, in maintenance I will probably keep to a similar cycle.
@LarryLittle well done on your loss. I must admit I didn't have a lot to lose but when looked at percentage wise I have lost more than 10% of my body weight - I have done it gradually and feel much better for it (I still allow for a few sips of vino on the weekend though!! It just made it a little less painful for me!!)0
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