Maintenance calories to lose weight

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smcurtis1981
smcurtis1981 Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Will this method work? Im thinking of eating the calories I would need to maintain my goal weight as a way to lose weight. My goal is 60kg which would give me 1830 calories daily. I have 15 kilos to lose.

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  • Shellz31
    Shellz31 Posts: 214 Member
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    Yes, it will be a calorie deficit so you'll lose weight. I believe it can be a slower pace, especially as you get closer to goal, your deficit may be very small.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Yes, this method works. But it is a slower loss than creating a regular deficit off of your current tdee.
  • Josh_lol
    Josh_lol Posts: 317 Member
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    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    If you have the patience without being disheartened for that slow loss then I think it is a great way to lose weight. As a bonus you don't have the stress of having to transition into maintenance once you reach your goal weight.

    Why would you be disheartened about losing weight? I thought that's what a lot of people on this website were here for. :|
  • Josh_lol
    Josh_lol Posts: 317 Member
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    If it works for you, go for it. It's easier to maintain since you'll be eating similar calories to what you'll be eating at your goal weight so there's no "fad dieting" involved to lose weight faster than necessary.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,654 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I like the method and you can always adjust by increasing activity and /or exercise or adding a small additional deficit as you lose weight.

    I particularly like that you then have a minimal adjustment into maintenance and you can spend your entire time trying to figure out your future maintenance.

    I will admit that this was one of the reasons why (once I got myself slightly edumacated about this whole weight control **kitten**) I chose to spend the majority of my time on MFP eating north of 2500 Cal even while I was losing at a fast clip

    A trending weight app or web site is recommended for everyone and in particular for those who are not trying for extreme deficits.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    your maintenance calories change as you lose weight. yes, if would work, because it puts you in a deficit, but it would take even longer to lose the weight. and it already takes a long time.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited January 2018
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    The method of eating for your future maintenance is the basis of the book The Lean Muscle Diet by Lou Schuler (New Rules of Lifting etc.) and Alan Aragon (renowned nutrition expert and researcher) so yes it's a valid method.

    It should give you a declining calorie deficit so that your rate of weight loss slows at you get to goal and there's no real transition from weight loss to maintenance. But of course the accuracy of your estimate and your logging accuracy are issues.

    Despite the cringe making book title it's an interesting read and refreshing for a "diet book" to have a long term view.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    I think it is the best method by far as it means nothing changes when you get to your goal.

    You have already learnt to maintain.
  • Wendyanneroberts
    Wendyanneroberts Posts: 270 Member
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    Personally, this has helped me. In the past I was often good at sticking to a diet and losing weight. But life always got in the way, and I always regained. As I never learnt to mainten, at any weight, for any length of time. I was "on track" & losing or "off track" and constantly gaining. At no point did my calorie intake v calorie burn, level out.
    As I'm disabled, I can't exercise in the general sense. First found MFP, used as I did in the past. Lost weight rather quickly, but stopped tracking. Although this was the first time, I managed to maintain, this new weight for just over a year, so must have learnt something different. My weight then started to creep up and I logged back onto MFP.

    That was 646 days ago and I've not looked back. Have logged everything, everyday, no matter what. Look at weekly, rather than daily averages. Have a calorie Goal range, closer to my maintenance target. So over the past 22 months, I have finally learnt to eat properly, improve my health and lose more weight. It has been slow but steady, but I also know I have finally learnt to live my life, and what that entails, while taking care of my health and I know I have finally learnt How to Maintain a healthy weight.

    Without exercise, I have lost 44lb in 3.5 years. Was borderline severely obese and now borderline healthy. This way of dieting has certainly worked for me.

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