Help! How do I achieve maintenance?
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i'm almost to goal about 9 pounds away and I plan on reverse dieting to get up to maintenance. I don't think i'd be mentally okay with rushing into maintenance and having water weight/food weight from that. I'm going to go up about 100 cal a week until I stop losing.5
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@SCoil123 I definitely could use support through the change over to maintenance...I am still learning how this messaging system works. This is the first time I have used my fitness pal. I am a lifetime WW member and have done Jenny Craig. I lost a lot on Jenny but gained about half back. This time MFP seems to be working for me about 5 more pounds to go and then I hope maintenance! Glad you are feeling better!👍2
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dianabuckheit wrote: »@SCoil123 I definitely could use support through the change over to maintenance...I am still learning how this messaging system works. This is the first time I have used my fitness pal. I am a lifetime WW member and have done Jenny Craig. I lost a lot on Jenny but gained about half back. This time MFP seems to be working for me about 5 more pounds to go and then I hope maintenance! Glad you are feeling better!👍
I just sent you a friend request. I lost just over 80lb years ago when my son was little and maintained for 3 years before gaining half back, and that’s when I found this site.2 -
@SCoil123 Morning! I accepted the request .....now I have to figure out how to chat! Each pregnancy was a challenge to lose the weight my last one was twins and then with 3 kids it was hard to do. ( that was awhile ago!)1
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I think the most important thing to take away from all this is that sustained weight loss means changing habits, not just dieting.
This is one of the biggest reasons WW and Jenny Craig and all the other commercial diets typically get the weight down but don't sustain it, as you have already found out.
Sustained weight loss means adapting a lifestyle where you move more and eat less or simply eat to nourish the body on a regular basis. There is no "end" to the process because it is something that you have to do for the rest of your days.
The sad part is that most people reach their goal weight and then just stop or slow down what they were doing to lose the weight in the first place. That's why studies prove these commercial diets almost always (85%) fail because participants typically gain back all or some of the weight lost on the program once it has ended.
Slowly changing lifestyle to incorporate proper eating habits and regular exercise is the only healthy way to maintain a weight loss.
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I think the most important thing to take away from all this is that sustained weight loss means changing habits, not just dieting.
This is one of the biggest reasons WW and Jenny Craig and all the other commercial diets typically get the weight down but don't sustain it, as you have already found out.
Sustained weight loss means adapting a lifestyle where you move more and eat less or simply eat to nourish the body on a regular basis. There is no "end" to the process because it is something that you have to do for the rest of your days.
The sad part is that most people reach their goal weight and then just stop or slow down what they were doing to lose the weight in the first place. That's why studies prove these commercial diets almost always (85%) fail because participants typically gain back all or some of the weight lost on the program once it has ended.
Slowly changing lifestyle to incorporate proper eating habits and regular exercise is the only healthy way to maintain a weight loss.
The lifestyle is what caused me to gain half back after maintaining nearly 3yr. I moved in with my now husband who is a private chef so I started eating more having nice big meals every night with him. I also switched jobs at the same time. I went from being an administrator at a summer camp where I commuted 10min and could hike on my break to commuting an hour with a job that has me at a desk 100%.
Increased intake + decreased activity level =gain
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I'm on my 7th year of maintenance after losing about 55 pounds. I've found it pretty easy. I do log food and exercise regularly. I also take action with a small calorie cut if the scale moves 5lbs above my goal weight. It's mostly been a no-brainer. I work out most days and eat 2200 calories.6
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I understand the part about fearing the scale. I'm a little over four months into maintenance. I'm still learning. What surprises me is the ebb and flow of my appetite. Some weeks I come in a bit below my calorie goals and never feel the slightest bit hungry. I think man, maintenance is a piece of cake. Then this past week taught me humility. I haven't been able to exercise as much as usual. For some reason I've also had a bit more craving for things like doughnuts. I have been a bit relaxed with logging.
What has kept me honest though is my Happy Scale app. I've seen the numbers start sneaking up - but I'm still inside my acceptable range. So I just had a reality check. Wait. Stop. I LIKE the new me. I'm not going to let four bites in a doughnut ruin that - it's not worth it.
So - I've tightened my logging. I'm making good choices. It's easier to lose 1-2 pounds now than 20 pounds later. My point is don't fear the scale. Make it your ally. Use it to provide the data you need to monitor your weight. You know how to lose weight if you need to do so. Be vigilant but not neurotic. Live your life. Just be intentional with food choices.9 -
If you weigh yourself everyday you could always take the average for the week and record that as your weekly weight. This way it smooths out the fluctuations as others have said.
After 2 weeks you can then compare and see what your body is doing from week to week since you can record it as an additional measurement in mfp.
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