Maintaining slightly above original goal
SCoil123
Posts: 2,108 Member
I’m wondering how many others have rebounded a little after switching to maintenance and then just decided to stay at the slightly higher weight.
My maintenance goal was a range of 150-155lb but when I got there I rebounded back up a little when I stopped eating at a deficit. I’m now maintaining pretty easily at 155-160lb. I’m not sure how much it really matters. The only part that bothers me is that 160 is 1lb outside my healthy BMI range.
Has anyone else here been in a similar situation? If so did you decide to work back to your original goal or just stay where you were and maintain a little higher?
My maintenance goal was a range of 150-155lb but when I got there I rebounded back up a little when I stopped eating at a deficit. I’m now maintaining pretty easily at 155-160lb. I’m not sure how much it really matters. The only part that bothers me is that 160 is 1lb outside my healthy BMI range.
Has anyone else here been in a similar situation? If so did you decide to work back to your original goal or just stay where you were and maintain a little higher?
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Replies
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I'm getting there haha! I've been maintaining a couple years 133-135 and for the last month or two it's a couple of pounds above that. It's a bit frustrating intellectually but I'm making peace with it.4
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I feel more comfortable being at the lower end of my 5-lb. maintenance range and maintain accordingly.2
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BMI is only good to give you an idea of a healthy weight. For people who are fit and muscular, it's pretty much worthless.12
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I actually hit my goal weight and then lost a few more pounds while i was trying to figure out my maintenance calories - that took longer than expected. Since i've started strength training i focus on measurements instead of weight.0
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Unless you have some medical reason why you really *must* be in your "optimal" BMI range at all times, then an occasional fluctuation of 1 pound above it probably does not matter. What matters more is where you are happy maintaining and able to maintain long term. I think it's better to maintain easily and happily at a slightly higher weight, rather than struggling to maintain at a lower weight.10
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I go up 3-4 lbs and back down, hard to stay at my low end when you love to eat
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I’m wondering how many others have rebounded a little after switching to maintenance and then just decided to stay at the slightly higher weight.
My maintenance goal was a range of 150-155lb but when I got there I rebounded back up a little when I stopped eating at a deficit. I’m now maintaining pretty easily at 155-160lb. I’m not sure how much it really matters. The only part that bothers me is that 160 is 1lb outside my healthy BMI range.
Has anyone else here been in a similar situation? If so did you decide to work back to your original goal or just stay where you were and maintain a little higher?
It's pretty normal for your weight to go up when you go into maintenance and consume more calories...for one, you are topping off glycogen stores...you're also going to likely have more inherent waste in your system from consuming more food. If you were low carb or lower carb and start consuming more carbs, this can be even more drastic given that you will hold onto more water with more carbs.6 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I’m wondering how many others have rebounded a little after switching to maintenance and then just decided to stay at the slightly higher weight.
My maintenance goal was a range of 150-155lb but when I got there I rebounded back up a little when I stopped eating at a deficit. I’m now maintaining pretty easily at 155-160lb. I’m not sure how much it really matters. The only part that bothers me is that 160 is 1lb outside my healthy BMI range.
Has anyone else here been in a similar situation? If so did you decide to work back to your original goal or just stay where you were and maintain a little higher?
It's pretty normal for your weight to go up when you go into maintenance and consume more calories...for one, you are topping off glycogen stores...you're also going to likely have more inherent waste in your system from consuming more food. If you were low carb or lower carb and start consuming more carbs, this can be even more drastic given that you will hold onto more water with more carbs.
True @cwolfman13 . I personally have large water shifts because of my large weight loss. OP, nothing wrong with gaining some to make like more bearable! Trust me on that!
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Thank you all for responding. Last time around I maintained for 3yr at about 10lb lighter than I am now but I didn’t commute and had a more active job. I also didn’t lift then though too. I guess in the grand scheme of things I’m happy where I’m at and definitely stronger so I won’t stress on the number4
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Unless you have some medical reason why you really *must* be in your "optimal" BMI range at all times, then an occasional fluctuation of 1 pound above it probably does not matter. What matters more is where you are happy maintaining and able to maintain long term. I think it's better to maintain easily and happily at a slightly higher weight, rather than struggling to maintain at a lower weight.
Yes. BMI is a legitimate measurement, but it's also a general range. It's not as if when you cross that line into overweight you are magically unhealthy vs one pound under it you are magically healthy. The only difference between the two weights is psychological. If you are happy maintaining where you are, there is no need to us the BMI as a cut off line.5 -
Unless you have some medical reason why you really *must* be in your "optimal" BMI range at all times, then an occasional fluctuation of 1 pound above it probably does not matter. What matters more is where you are happy maintaining and able to maintain long term. I think it's better to maintain easily and happily at a slightly higher weight, rather than struggling to maintain at a lower weight.
Yes. BMI is a legitimate measurement, but it's also a general range. It's not as if when you cross that line into overweight you are magically unhealthy vs one pound under it you are magically healthy. The only difference between the two weights is psychological. If you are happy maintaining where you are, there is no need to us the BMI as a cut off line.
It may have bearing on health and/or life insurance. I don't really put much stock in it beyond that; I know I don't like my body composition at the higher end of "healthy" BMI so I generally stay a good bit below that.
To directly address the OP's question I've maintained above my original goal weight but have improved my body composition at that higher weight. I originally targeted 165 lbs, a weight which I'd hit and maintained fairly well as a young adult, and ultimately hit a low weight of 159 and maintained <170 for two years, then eventually creeping up to 170-175. From there I got into weight lifting and haven't dropped below 170 since.4 -
I think it's perfectly understandable to settle on a little higher than you originally thought!
I think finding the perfect "maintenance" weight is a balancing act - finding the weight where you are happy with how you look, you are healthy, and you can easily maintain the lifestyle required to stay there.
I went a little differently in that I got to my goal weight and determined that to look the way I'd imagined, I'd probably need to lose another 5-10 lbs. But I'm generally still happy with this weight and comfortable in the lifestyle that keeps me here, so I decided to hang out here for awhile. Maybe the mood will strike again someday and I'll go for the next 5 pounds
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I have heard from my doctor that people that are a pound or two over their perfect BMI weight may be healthier because in case of sickness (the Flu) they have more reserves to draw from. That could mean less trips to the ER or Doctor in general.6
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I’m wondering how many others have rebounded a little after switching to maintenance and then just decided to stay at the slightly higher weight.
My maintenance goal was a range of 150-155lb but when I got there I rebounded back up a little when I stopped eating at a deficit. I’m now maintaining pretty easily at 155-160lb. I’m not sure how much it really matters. The only part that bothers me is that 160 is 1lb outside my healthy BMI range.
Has anyone else here been in a similar situation? If so did you decide to work back to your original goal or just stay where you were and maintain a little higher?
Of course the answer is whatever YOU feel best at. But to me it's a slippery slope. First you change your range a little then you creep up and change it again. Before you know it you need to lose 20 again. if you don't have a history of regaining perhaps this is a good idea but only you can know the answer. In my opinion this is perhaps a pretty common way for us to fail at maintaining. But we are in it for the LONG term so if you hold this weight for a few months and are happy and feel good than it might be YOUR perfect range.
Just another viewpoint. It sounds like you are happy and stable where you are.
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Unless you have some medical reason why you really *must* be in your "optimal" BMI range at all times, then an occasional fluctuation of 1 pound above it probably does not matter. What matters more is where you are happy maintaining and able to maintain long term. I think it's better to maintain easily and happily at a slightly higher weight, rather than struggling to maintain at a lower weight.
Yes. BMI is a legitimate measurement, but it's also a general range. It's not as if when you cross that line into overweight you are magically unhealthy vs one pound under it you are magically healthy. The only difference between the two weights is psychological. If you are happy maintaining where you are, there is no need to us the BMI as a cut off line.
The BMI imho is an outdated model. It looked at people in the late 19th century, if my memory holds true. The a average American Male was 5'7" 140lbs ish in 1940 roughy People are much taller these days.11 -
Another vote for BMI being outdated and, often, inaccurate with all the variables it doesn't take into account. That being said, I totally agree with @kimny72 above. I'd love if if another 10 lbs. just fell off me, but my weight is in the range where I am the most comfortable and my recent annual physical had all my "numbers" in great places, and my physician pleased with my ongoing maintenance, so I'm good. And you can be, too. Funny story: my primary physician told me about MFP 7 years ago because he was using it, and that's when I started my journey here. Today, I am 4.5 years into maintenance and he gained all his weight back and then some. So when I was at my appointment, he gave me doc info, and then we discussed his returning to MFP, at his initiation. Nice when docs are people, too!!!7
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I can't disagree that BMI is a limited metric since it doesn't account for body composition, but I think being outdated on the basis of height is incorrect considering the fact that it takes height into account and the mean height reached at age 18 only increased 3.5% from 1986 to 1996 (source: http://www.ncdrisc.org/data-downloads-height.html).
As the average american has gotten heavier and heavier BMI now fails to represent the "average" but using that to argue that it's outdated only serves to pander to the ever fatter population largely wanting to normalize being overweight and ignore the subsequent negative health effects.10 -
I’m personally a fan of BMI which is why going even slightly above is something I have paid attention to. Most people I’ve seen who think it doesn’t apply to them have never been within a healthy BMI range. That said, I’m going to try not to stress on it anymore.
Instead I will continue improving my fitness and chasing those goals over a set number now.
This is me slightly shiver healthy BMI range. Taken at the gym a week ago
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brenn24179 wrote: »I go up 3-4 lbs and back down, hard to stay at my low end when you love to eat
Same here3 -
I'm finding the same thing. I bounce up and down. I'm actually in a kind of pre-maintenance. I want to maintain my lowest weight until the end of the year. I'm about 20 pounds from where I ultimately want to be but I feel good where I am now so I'm in no hurry. I think for me, a lot of it has to do with water weight because I have to add salt and drink salty broth due to issues with leg cramps. Ugghh! Maintaining does seem harder than actually losing.4
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