Reaching Target then Maintaining it...

georgiaeatinghealthier · June 2018

Hi everyone.

So I have recently got to my target weight of 60kg after 39 weeks of "flexible" but mindful eating. I started off around 1800 calories and reduced to about 1300-1400 in the last few weeks or so.

I am wondering how people cope/manage with maintaining their weight? Are you less strict with yourself or more strict now that you have reached the weight you are happy to maintain?

I still have worries of gaining weight again even though I have lost 40lbs. I want to get over the obsession of being this particular number and start to enjoy life again without calorie counting religiously but I still want to have control over the diet...

Any advice?

kommodevaran · June 2018

First of all, have a weight range - you'll be 60 kilos just by chance. Allow your weight to fluctuate with a couple of pounds.

Have some boundaries, aka good habits. For me, it's meal planning, eating regular meals, differentiating between normal days and special occasions.

Exert some form of control/monitoring of your weight - I weigh myself every morning.

Decide when and how to act on minor gains, before they become large.

Then it's more or less getting used to not losing weight anymore, to trust your body's ability to even out imperfections, to build confidence, but not hybris, to accept the everyday monotony, but also find ways to change things up and make them exciting. It's an exciting balancing act for sure, and you'll never stop learning new things about yourself.

antwanettathompson196 · June 2018

Took the words right out of my mouth!

cwolfman13 · June 2018

Other than a bit of winter weight every year, I've maintained for over 5 years. I have more calories to work with in maintenance, so I don't have to be as strict with things and can have more indulgences. I still workout regularly 5-6 days per week and eat healthfully for the most part. I weigh in regularly and monitor what's going on with my weight.

As previously stated, your maintenance weight will be a range, not a specific number.

seska422 · June 2018

I'm still calorie counting and plan to keep doing so. My logging is slightly more relaxed (I only weigh select items rather than everything) but I still log anything that has calories.

My strategy is to keep my weight trend within about a 5 pound range by eating at a calorie deficit most of the time and then having a treat meal when my weight dips or I have a special event.

My weight flails around all over the place. I don't concern myself with the actual daily weight, just the trend. An upward trend just means waiting a little longer between treat meals.

georgiaeatinghealthier · June 2018

All of you have been extremely helpful and have made me feel a lot more positive about my journey! Thank you all for your wise words

CarvedTones · June 2018

I have only been maintaining about 4 months. What is hard for me is trusting the process and the numbers even though that's what got me here (~65 pound loss). A case in point - the last couple of days I went over quite a bit, like maybe enough to create a half pound gain. But the scale jumped 3 pounds. My weight usually is pretty stable, so 3 pounds is enough to make me feel some panic and want to practically starve myself for a few days. A better choice would be to lower my goal by 150 for a couple of weeks. The next time I weigh (in 2 days; I weigh every other day), probably 2 pounds of the 3 pound jump will be gone because it was water weight and/or more in the gut.

CSARdiver · June 2018

I've been at maintenance essentially for 3 years. I've had specific performance goals that drove me from bulking to cutting, but these have been purposeful movements.

I setup multiple feedback mechanisms to mitigate against failure. I log, although lazily. I check my weight once a week minimum. ...but my greatest check is running and lifting and my athletic performance.

I never eliminated specific foods, but I know what foods I need to tread carefully around. Potato chips for example. So I keep these at a minimum.

hesn92 · June 2018

For me, I continued tracking calories for a while. I am transitioning to not tracking anymore. I still log during the week (m-f) but very loosely. I don’t weigh and measure. Lots of estimating. And actually lately I’ve been logging up through breakfast lunch and snacks, and I don’t bother with dinner. I have an acceptable weight range. I continue to weigh myself once a week. If my weight ever gets too high then I’ll hop back on the calorie deficit bandwagon for a few weeks or whatever. And I stay active. That is important for me as it gives me a lot more wiggle room. I agree with what some others said. It’s good for me to have some “rules” or boundaries. Like no snacking mindlessly on a bag of chips. I pay attention to what I’m eating. I’ll eat my three meals plus a couple snacks. If I ever find myself grabbing stuff to eat at home I try to stop and ask myself if I’m actually hungry, or am I just eating this for no reason?

geltner1 · June 2018

If your weight creeps up a bit, it helps to have an upper limit. If you go above the upper limit, it's time to get serious, start logging carefully until you get back to an acceptable weight. I believe this is going to be a regular occurrence. Currently, I'm about to get serious again with MFP.

Reaching Target then Maintaining it...

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