Maintaining help

I am trying to maintain my weight. I’ve lost 186 pounds so far. I am struggling figuring out how much to eat now that I’m not trying to lose anymore. I find myself not eating enough calories because I’m afraid of gaining weight back. Suggestions please!
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    how many calories have you been eating to lose weight, and what was your rate of loss?
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
    Great job on your loss! You've been doing this for a long time (I assume), so you know that water weight fluctuates, and "real" weight take a while to come and go, so there's no need to panic. Try adding 100 calories a day to your budget, and see how that goes for a few weeks. Or switch your MFP settings to "maintain" and see what they say you should eat. That might be higher than you're expecting/comfortable with, so increase more gradually if you want. <3
  • sannklinger
    sannklinger Posts: 34 Member
    I was at 1200 calories a day and losing 2 pounds a week. When I set mfp to maintain I about had a heart attack.
  • sannklinger
    sannklinger Posts: 34 Member
    I really am at a loss with no idea how to eat anymore. I’m a little worried for myself. I am 5’8 and 140 pounds now. I wear a size 4-6 so I don’t want to lose anymore at all but I’m so scared to gain any that I continue around 1200 calories and let myself have a splurge once a week
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
    You won't put on a lot of weight quickly, you'll have plenty of time to "catch yourself" and correct if/when it starts to go up. Are you still losing with your 1200 and weekly splurge? Maybe try 1300 and a weekly splurge?
    Have you thought about seeing a therapist to help you talk about this tremendous life change you've gone through? Therapy is awesome. :)
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    AJ_G wrote: »
    Step 1: Don't make the mistake of trying to maintain after losing weight, switch into a reverse diet for long term success.

    Can you explain what a reverse diet is?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I was at 1200 calories a day and losing 2 pounds a week. When I set mfp to maintain I about had a heart attack.

    Why? When you know that you need a deficit to lose weight?

    I would change you settings to lose 1lb per week, then after 2 weeks add 100 cals per week until you have added 500 cals total.

    Doing it gradually should stop the fluctuations being too great, but expect a little bounce from glycogen and extra food.
  • sannklinger
    sannklinger Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks for all the insight! I am starting today upping my calories a little. Still going to log my food but I changed the settings to maintaining. We will see how that goes for a week or so.
  • Lovelifeyoulive
    Lovelifeyoulive Posts: 19 Member
    I really am at a loss with no idea how to eat anymore. I’m a little worried for myself. I am 5’8 and 140 pounds now. I wear a size 4-6 so I don’t want to lose anymore at all but I’m so scared to gain any that I continue around 1200 calories and let myself have a splurge once a week

    Have you had any adverse side effects from eating 1200?
  • Lovelifeyoulive
    Lovelifeyoulive Posts: 19 Member
    I was at 1200 calories a day and losing 2 pounds a week. When I set mfp to maintain I about had a heart attack.

    Did you have any negative side effects from eating 1200?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    So I'm 5'7", in my sixties, retired and live in a tiny condo so I don't really even have a lot of housework to do - no lawnwork, etc. I do walk for an hour a few times per week.

    I maintain at 140 pounds on 1900ish total calories (non exercise days) and I eat 2100-2300ish on exercise days, depending on how long my walk is. One day per week I eat way over that (by anywhere from 500 more to 1500 more) and I've been maintaining on that for many years.

    The first year is a little bit of a juggling act, but you do need to get your calories up. Are you tired, fatigued, irritable, sleeping a lot, having difficulty concentrating? How is your hair, skin and nails. 1200 is way too low - but you may have been logging food sporadically or not accurately so it's possible you've been eating more than 1200. I would gnaw off an arm at anything less than 1500. :noway:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    I was at 1200 calories a day and losing 2 pounds a week. When I set mfp to maintain I about had a heart attack.

    If you were losing 2 Lbs per week then you need about 1,000 calories more to maintain weight. You're likely to have a bump in weight initially which is attributable to glycogen replenishment and more food and inherent waste in your system.
  • Ed_Zilla
    Ed_Zilla Posts: 207 Member
    @sannklinger - CONGRATS on the loss!

    I only lost 75 pounds and I had the same fears about regaining the weight but after 18 months of losing weight, eating more food volume was not an option (i.e. eat the same foods I ate while losing, but more of it).

    My solution was to eat more luxuriously. Peanut butter and (more) bacon crept back onto the menu. Instead of lean chicken breast, I might eat a some ribeye steak. Enjoy yourself and finding the luxurious foods that you can now add to your diet in moderation.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Thanks for all the insight! I am starting today upping my calories a little. Still going to log my food but I changed the settings to maintaining. We will see how that goes for a week or so.

    How much is a little? You need 1000 cals extra to get to maintenance.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    Take a look at the National Weight Control Registry and their findings.

    http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

    There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.

    78% eat breakfast every day.
    75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
    62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
    90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.

    Several veterans of MFP have registered here and a common element is setting a "higher" goal than just weight. You need some hobby or activity encouraging a healthy weight, so that this becomes secondary and automatic.