If there was ONE thing about maintenance you would share with everyone...
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That the online calculators for recommended maintenance calories are all too high for me. I need to consume at least 200 cals less than the recommendations on a daily basis. I think this is due to a certain amount of leniency in my calorie recording and the fact that I have a free day once a week where I'm very probably eating up to the surplus. However I've managed to maintain a steady 54kg/120lbs loss over a year and feel happy and relaxed about this. On the other hand I do still sometimes miss the bad old days of being able to indulge mindlessly. But it is very clear now that I'll no longer ever be able to go back to that. Nor do I want to.7
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I've been maintaining for over 6 years (4/13) and the best advice is to keep doing what you were doing to lose weight. I still track everything and I exercise everyday. And I weigh a couple of times/week no matter what.
I love this! That’s pretty much my latest “ah-ha”. I recently let my weight creep back up to seven pounds over my maintenance range. But now I’m losing again by re-committing to the same old healthy habits. I’m learning that I need to weigh in at least once a week and log daily.2 -
35 lbs lost. Weigh in at 165lbs now.alteredsteve175 wrote: »Male. 65. Down 50 lbs. Maintained for eighteen months. Working on slowly losing another 20.
For me, it's vigilance. I weigh and log daily. Like many here, I have lost and regained weight in the past. I don't get distressed if I indulge for a day or three, but I get back on program as soon as possible. It took a lot of effort to lose that 50 lbs. and I'm not going back there. EVER.
Do ya one better (of course), buddy. I log each food separately, not using the meal feature; I force myself to look at what I ate. Maybe once a quarter is when I cheat bigly, I might accidentally forget to log in that day.2 -
Nine years plus in maintenance; after planning to lose 12 lbs and ended losing 14lbs. I still log and weigh my food but not too religiously. Don't log on vacation or when eating out of the house.
I go to the gym 4 times a week and take three yoga classes a week (I love working-out!). I am a much older petite lady so I check my weight 4 to 5 times a week, and I don't let it creep up more than 2lbs. Having a good relationship with food has been very helpful. I am not a foodie; I eat to live, not the other way around.5 -
I was in maintenance for 4 years, messed up last year and gained 25 back. I was eating over my calorie limit and got a flu and then kept overeating. I got myself back on track this year and lost 30 lbs and have kept it off for a year, learned my lesson. I use to not weigh very often, now I weigh daily so I can see the consequence. Also, I have done much journaling as to why I emotionally eat which has helped. I have learned to set boundaries with a lot of people also. Proud of myself for getting the weight off again, I knew what to do and I knew I could do it because I had done it before with MFP people supporting me.17
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Another one jumping on the bandwagon of vigilance. Also maintenance is kind of tiresome because when you are actively trying to lose weight you have the "yippee" moments when the scale or the measurements reduce. Maintenance is just booooring. Fortunately I have got keen on weight training, so I can now concentrate on attritional gains there and it gives me something health-related to aim for.3
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SnifterPug wrote: »Another one jumping on the bandwagon of vigilance. Also maintenance is kind of tiresome because when you are actively trying to lose weight you have the "yippee" moments when the scale or the measurements reduce. Maintenance is just booooring. Fortunately I have got keen on weight training, so I can now concentrate on attritional gains there and it gives me something health-related to aim for.
Boring is a state of mind, make your maintenance exiting by rejoicing in seeing that the numbers in the scale are mostly steady and within normal range. Be proud of yourself for being resilient, organized, vigilant, and engaged in your health and well being. Great job too concentrating in your weight training!15 -
SnifterPug wrote: »Another one jumping on the bandwagon of vigilance. Also maintenance is kind of tiresome because when you are actively trying to lose weight you have the "yippee" moments when the scale or the measurements reduce. Maintenance is just booooring. Fortunately I have got keen on weight training, so I can now concentrate on attritional gains there and it gives me something health-related to aim for.
Boring is a state of mind, make your maintenance exiting by rejoicing in seeing that the numbers in the scale are mostly steady and within normal range. Be proud of yourself for being resilient, organized, vigilant, and engaged in your health and well being. Great job too concentrating in your weight training!
Yes exactly this.2 -
You really need to find something you can live with. A way of being healthy that doesn't feel restrictive or punishing. Different ways work for different people, as there are lots of ways of doing this and everyone finds different things easier or harder and has different likes or dislikes.
For example, myself:- I try to eat healthy stuff most of the time, and if I find myself getting into a phase of eating rubbish or eating too much for several days in a row, I'll notice it and try to get myself back to normal, as this is how I end up gaining a few lbs if I let it continue.
- I don't typically count calories or track when I'm maintaining, but infrequently I might do for a bit to check I'm not way off with what I think I'm getting. Likewise, I don't weigh my food most of the time, but I do try to make sure I'm not too off with my intuition.
- I do weigh myself, but not every day or on a regular schedule.
- If I have gained maybe 5lbs or something, I'll come back on mfp and lose it before it becomes a bigger problem. That's why I'm here now.
- I don't go to the gym, because honestly I find heavy exercise to be more effort than I feel it's worth. I know I'm 'supposed' to do it, but I don't care enough about being muscular, and I don't need to be strong for any real reason. I don't have a car though, so I do walk a lot out of necessity.
This is just my way. It won't work for everyone and I'm not suggesting people should copy me anyway. I know it's not the way to be as healthy as I could be, but it's something I can live with. It's making trade-offs between what's healthiest and what you find sustainable.
This is why after a dramatic change, lost weight often returns in a lot of people.7 -
SnifterPug wrote: »Another one jumping on the bandwagon of vigilance. Also maintenance is kind of tiresome because when you are actively trying to lose weight you have the "yippee" moments when the scale or the measurements reduce. Maintenance is just booooring. Fortunately I have got keen on weight training, so I can now concentrate on attritional gains there and it gives me something health-related to aim for.
Hope you don't mind me saying but I really fear for your long term success if you don't manage to change your outlook, hopefully the weight training will partly help resolve that by giving you a new focus.
You could celebrate every single day you get on the scales and are in your maintenance range, not just the occasional day of seeing the number come down when you are losing weight but a small victory every day.
Give yourself a "yippee" when you see the scales confirm you have beaten the odds and have succeeded where many, if not most, fail.
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I hit goal five years ago. Logged for 18 months afterward to get a good feel for maintenance. At the beginning, I lost weight when I stopped logging, but stabilized within my goal range for another couple years. Then life happened...injuries, rehab three times, anxiety... I knew I needed to start logging again to help adjust my intake to account for my new circumstances and diminished activity and I just couldn't bring myself to embrace the structure again. I really wanted to learn to lose weight without logging. I enjoyed the freedom too much and have regained half of the 80 pounds I lost.
When I was here regularly the first time, someone explained that they know how to lose weight, but they don't know how to make themselves care. I now understand that. And it scares the crap out of me. Even two years ago, I would have sworn on anything that I would never let myself gain this much weight back without doing something about it, especially since I know what works, but I was wrong.
So, my advice... Remember why you lost weight to begin with and don't let yourself be so stubborn in denying you need a tool to help you. Because that's all it is, a tool. And don't let yourself feel ashamed for needing to log in order to maintain.22 -
HappyCampr1 wrote: »I hit goal five years ago. Logged for 18 months afterward to get a good feel for maintenance. At the beginning, I lost weight when I stopped logging, but stabilized within my goal range for another couple years. Then life happened...injuries, rehab three times, anxiety... I knew I needed to start logging again to help adjust my intake to account for my new circumstances and diminished activity and I just couldn't bring myself to embrace the structure again. I really wanted to learn to lose weight without logging. I enjoyed the freedom too much and have regained half of the 80 pounds I lost.
When I was here regularly the first time, someone explained that they know how to lose weight, but they don't know how to make themselves care. I now understand that. And it scares the crap out of me. Even two years ago, I would have sworn on anything that I would never let myself gain this much weight back without doing something about it, especially since I know what works, but I was wrong.
So, my advice... Remember why you lost weight to begin with and don't let yourself be so stubborn in denying you need a tool to help you. Because that's all it is, a tool. And don't let yourself feel ashamed for needing to log in order to maintain.
yikes...spot on.
Everyone, literally everyone, gains weight due to injuries or winter. Every single winter, I'll gain half the weight back, then come spring, I'll lose it. (Our 16 hour nights don't help any, either.) This winter will be different. I'll log on and won't cook all those great comfort dinners.
I've never had a particularly healthy body. I've always been strong and eaten correctly, but I've got a myriad of little things that kept me from Olympic class fitness. Such is life, as they say. I'm still alive and at 62, can deadlift 400 and curl 120. A ten mile bike ride is my lunch time activity.6 -
Lost 40 pounds in college and have maintained 30 years (pregnancy notwithstanding). I'm 54.
Maintenance is an every day battle for me. I realize it's not for everyone, but for me it is. It's a battle I'm winning, but it's not effortless. Sometimes it seems like more effort than it should be (mental effort to resist urges), but the effort is always worth it. It feels great to live in a body that's comfortable and strong. The simple truth is I always would like more to eat (and drink) than maintenance. Sometimes it's easy to tell myself I've had enough and wait until tomorrow. Sometimes it's a real struggle to overcome the urge to have more. And I get what HappyCamper and pjwrt are saying about seasons where I care more and seasons where I care less. Life happens. Priorities shift. But my health, feeling good in my body, not having to buy new clothes
always rank on the priority list. I absolutely have several month stretches where I don't pay attention to my intake, and my weight always creeps up (never down). No biggie -- when I hit the top of my 5 lb range, I know how to lose 5 lb. It takes me 10 weeks. That is the definition of successful maintenance to me -- regaining and re-losing the same 5 lb over & over.
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You MUST measure be aware of changes with your body...weight gain
I avoided the scale because I told myself the number didnt matter....but I need accountability..
lot easier to shed 2-3 pounds that you have regained rather than 20 pounds
I dont weigh daily...maybe every 2 weeks or even once mnth
I also have a pair of jeans I make sure to try on once a month......2 -
Lost 40 pounds in college and have maintained 30 years (pregnancy notwithstanding). I'm 54.
Maintenance is an every day battle for me. I realize it's not for everyone, but for me it is. It's a battle I'm winning, but it's not effortless. Sometimes it seems like more effort than it should be (mental effort to resist urges), but the effort is always worth it. It feels great to live in a body that's comfortable and strong. The simple truth is I always would like more to eat (and drink) than maintenance. Sometimes it's easy to tell myself I've had enough and wait until tomorrow. Sometimes it's a real struggle to overcome the urge to have more. And I get what HappyCamper and pjwrt are saying about seasons where I care more and seasons where I care less. Life happens. Priorities shift. But my health, feeling good in my body, not having to buy new clothes always rank on the priority list. I absolutely have several month stretches where I don't pay attention to my intake, and my weight always creeps up (never down). No biggie -- when I hit the top of my 5 lb range, I know how to lose 5 lb. It takes me 10 weeks. That is the definition of successful maintenance to me -- regaining and re-losing the same 5 lb over & over.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It is helpful to hear thoughts of those who've been there and share what has worked and what hasn't.4 -
elisa123gal wrote: »A year into maintenance ...
I feel like I have training wheels on... I'm not bad at this..just not as good as I know I someday will be. So, I keep working on my habits and rethinking my patterns to improve.
My biggest tip is to make sure you donate all your larger sized clothes so you have nothing to grow into. I also find having my food scale out on the counter to weigh my food here and there keeps me from over and under eating.
i kept my bigger clothes, and after i put the weight back on while we were caring for our elderly cat (which was so hard but worth it), i was happy the bigger clothes were there. i'm back down to one size smaller so far, and i also kept part of the weigh down and my goal weight clothes, so hopefully i'll be into them again in the next few months.4 -
This has been a helpful thread to read, as I lost 65lbs last year but have gained 15lbs back.
I'm still better off than my starting point, but I let myself go in terms of eating junk/drinking beer too often compared to when I was losing. I was off MFP and didn't weigh myself during my gain period, so I think the key to losing that 15 and maintaining will be to continuously log on here, and weigh at least weekly if not daily.
Thanks for the tips!4
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