Getting back to my goal weight so I can maintain again!
britishbombshell08
Posts: 95 Member
So for a while I was doing great with maintaining my goal weight and even being a little under it because that way I had a little wiggle room. Then the pandemic hit and even though I still tried to eat well, being at home killed my and I definitely gained about ten pounds🤦🏽♀️ I’m a very active person and used to walking between 10,000-20,000 steps a day. I decided to buy a bike, put it together myself and starting riding for an hr a day. I’ve gotten back to my walking a little more but unfortunately sometimes I’m not even hitting the 10,000 step mark🤦🏽♀️ Nevertheless, in staying focused and have really committed to this healthy eating again: fruits, water, salad, salmon, shrimp, nuts, raisins and I’m trying to workout everyday, even if it’s for 15 minutes. I do see a minimal change in my body but the scale hasn’t changed yet so I’ve got a lot more work to do! But always say, consistency is key so this time I won’t waiver and when I get back to my goal weight I’m confident I’ll be able to maintain it again💪💪💪 How have you all been doing with your weight maintenance during these crazy times🤔
5
Replies
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Good for you! And don't sweat it, we've all gained a bit of weight. I'm currently trying to lose 20-30 lbs but haven't noticed any changes so far, hopefully I'll slim down soon! I was at a stable weight for years and then it just skyrocketed. Hopefully I can lose this and then stay there!3
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The first lockdown saw an upwards weight trend (home baking was a fun distraction but calorific....) so I ate more mindfully to reverse the trend. I have an upper intervention weight that I will not exceed. The good weather helped as I could do lots of cycling, it's far easier for me to be in a deficit when I have a very large calorie allowance boosted by exercise.
Part of the mindfulness was accepting that eating at home 100% gives control over choices and quantities, I just had to make myself use that control (much easier said than done!).
Rest of 2020 I reverted to my normal pattern - maintaining at around 12st and allowing a drift up over winter when my cycling volume drops. Now all the Christmas goodies have gone I'm cutting back down from my usual winter weight of 12st 7lbs just skipping breakfast more frequently, reducing snacks, reducing alcohol - just generally nibbling off calories in a fairly painless way to be at my best weight by Spring.3 -
Good for you! And don't sweat it, we've all gained a bit of weight. I'm currently trying to lose 20-30 lbs but haven't noticed any changes so far, hopefully I'll slim down soon! I was at a stable weight for years and then it just skyrocketed. Hopefully I can lose this and then stay there!
Yeah I’m trying not to stress but it’s taking longer than usual to get it off. But we shall stay vigilant and shave off these pounds Day by day 💪💪2 -
The first lockdown saw an upwards weight trend (home baking was a fun distraction but calorific....) so I ate more mindfully to reverse the trend. I have an upper intervention weight that I will not exceed. The good weather helped as I could do lots of cycling, it's far easier for me to be in a deficit when I have a very large calorie allowance boosted by exercise.
Part of the mindfulness was accepting that eating at home 100% gives control over choices and quantities, I just had to make myself use that control (much easier said than done!).
Rest of 2020 I reverted to my normal pattern - maintaining at around 12st and allowing a drift up over winter when my cycling volume drops. Now all the Christmas goodies have gone I'm cutting back down from my usual winter weight of 12st 7lbs just skipping breakfast more frequently, reducing snacks, reducing alcohol - just generally nibbling off calories in a fairly painless way to be at my best weight by Spring.
Thanks for sharing! Yes the holidays didn’t help but after my New Years celebration I’ve now gone back to my healthy choices so I expect to see a steady decline💪💪1 -
I've been on a hyper-slow loss trend for over a year now, to (re-)lose a few vanity pounds within the healthy range, in year 5 of maintenance. The effective deficit (as measured by weight changes) has only averaged maybe 100-150 calories a day over that time: Pretty painless.
In maintenance, I normally calorie bank a small amount (maybe 150-250 calories, around 10% of maintenance TDEE +/-) most days, in order to indulge a bit some days (not a regular schedule of indulgence, just as needed/desired). My strong inner hedonist likes that approach. I'd let the indulgences very, very slowly get ahead of the bank (ran up my calorie credit card balance, metaphorically), by very few calories on average over the 4ish years since reaching goal weight.
In Fall of 2019, my jeans were getting a little tight, and I *hate* to clothes shop (weird for a woman, I guess?). It was time to start creeping the scale back down again, I decided. I'd actually leveled off a bit in loss by March 2020, when the pandemic restrictions started here: The inner hedonist was enjoying social eating, restaurant temptations, and the good stuff at the brewpub a little more than was ideal for creating declining scale weight. Happily, the restrictions started about when it was needful to rededicate, removed some temptations, and the scale started dropping slowly again. (I'm 65, with early stage COPD, therefore at higher than average risk if I get Covid, so I'm pretty cautious.)
So, I was in the upper 130s (pounds), mostly, in Fall 2019; cycling around 135-ish in March 2020; and now hanging out in the vicinity of 125. The same jeans are now loose enough to fit the bulky pair of long underwear (lucky, because it's in the teens/twenties F here lately, -5 or so C), and it's getting close to time to stop the gradual loss.
TL;DR: Pandemic removed temptations, helped me achieve a goal of long-term, ultra-slow, essentially painless weight loss. Got lemons, make lemonade, I guess.
Good luck with your goals!7 -
I don't have a gym membership and running outside is my preferred exercise. However I have a no frills stationary bike, just a tension knob to adjust difficulty level, that I like to ride for short periods of time. I made an enlightening re-discovery... I love to jump rope and, although not fantastic at it, I ride my bike for 10-15 minutes, then jump for a few and then repeat (it breaks up any monotony or boredom). That is a great workout!!! Also if you have some dumbbells, and also great if not, cans can do the trick too to break up the monotony with bicep curls! Planks are great too! I gave myself that wiggle room also and I had five pounds I wanted to lose and I did and now I'm just maintaining. I don't know what you do when you bike (I'm assuming it's a stationary bike), but putting on a favorite show makes the time go quickly. You're right, consistency is key and patience pays off!3
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I'm maintaining my weight OK during the pandemic, if anything I've possibly lost a few pounds. My skin is a lot looser and stretchier than it was a year ago, and the very few times I've had jeans on, not leggings, they seem a wee bit looser too. I walk 10,000+ steps and eat an average of 2000 calories a day. I'm enjoying being 100% control of what I eat because I'm not having to fit numerous meals out into my weekly plan.6
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It's pretty obvious here on MFP that the majority of people gained weight this past year, so be kind to yourself about it.
I entered maintenance at the beginning of March 2020. Mid-March I was sick with "probable" Covid (unable to get tested). It was the first illness I had since I started tracking calories and, boy, do fevers use calories! I had no appetite (no one knew yet that it causes a loss of smell & taste, so we didn't know to assess for that). I struggled to not undereat and still dropped weight.
Since that time, I have had a tough time adjusting to maintenance. Most months I lose .25 - .5 lbs. The only exception was August, which is our hottest month thus limiting outdoor walking which is my main form of exercise. I actually gained .5 lbs in August!
To be fair, my life didn't change a whole bunch from before the pandemic. I was already a bit of a recluse!4 -
britishbombshell08 wrote: »How have you all been doing with your weight maintenance during these crazy times🤔
🙋🏿♀️ I'm one of the weirdos/borderline sociopaths who didn't gain weight during the pandemic.
As just about the only factor I could control, I found at least a bit of mental distraction in switching up workout routines. Currently doing a body recomp to get down under 20% body fat🤞🏿 Let's see come late summer.
But let's be honest, the reason I'm actually here commenting on your post is to have an excuse to tell you how great you look in your profile pic. Stefflon Don who?
3 -
I've been on a hyper-slow loss trend for over a year now, to (re-)lose a few vanity pounds within the healthy range, in year 5 of maintenance. The effective deficit (as measured by weight changes) has only averaged maybe 100-150 calories a day over that time: Pretty painless.
In maintenance, I normally calorie bank a small amount (maybe 150-250 calories, around 10% of maintenance TDEE +/-) most days, in order to indulge a bit some days (not a regular schedule of indulgence, just as needed/desired). My strong inner hedonist likes that approach. I'd let the indulgences very, very slowly get ahead of the bank (ran up my calorie credit card balance, metaphorically), by very few calories on average over the 4ish years since reaching goal weight.
In Fall of 2019, my jeans were getting a little tight, and I *hate* to clothes shop (weird for a woman, I guess?). It was time to start creeping the scale back down again, I decided. I'd actually leveled off a bit in loss by March 2020, when the pandemic restrictions started here: The inner hedonist was enjoying social eating, restaurant temptations, and the good stuff at the brewpub a little more than was ideal for creating declining scale weight. Happily, the restrictions started about when it was needful to rededicate, removed some temptations, and the scale started dropping slowly again. (I'm 65, with early stage COPD, therefore at higher than average risk if I get Covid, so I'm pretty cautious.)
So, I was in the upper 130s (pounds), mostly, in Fall 2019; cycling around 135-ish in March 2020; and now hanging out in the vicinity of 125. The same jeans are now loose enough to fit the bulky pair of long underwear (lucky, because it's in the teens/twenties F here lately, -5 or so C), and it's getting close to time to stop the gradual loss.
TL;DR: Pandemic removed temptations, helped me achieve a goal of long-term, ultra-slow, essentially painless weight loss. Got lemons, make lemonade, I guess.
Good luck with your goals!
Wow!! That’s quite a journey but an amazing one!! Keep staying vigilant and thanks so much for the positive vibes💕1 -
I don't have a gym membership and running outside is my preferred exercise. However I have a no frills stationary bike, just a tension knob to adjust difficulty level, that I like to ride for short periods of time. I made an enlightening re-discovery... I love to jump rope and, although not fantastic at it, I ride my bike for 10-15 minutes, then jump for a few and then repeat (it breaks up any monotony or boredom). That is a great workout!!! Also if you have some dumbbells, and also great if not, cans can do the trick too to break up the monotony with bicep curls! Planks are great too! I gave myself that wiggle room also and I had five pounds I wanted to lose and I did and now I'm just maintaining. I don't know what you do when you bike (I'm assuming it's a stationary bike), but putting on a favorite show makes the time go quickly. You're right, consistency is key and patience pays off!
I do have dumbbells also and have used them as well as doing planks and some other great ab workouts. As for jumping rope, I bought one and realized I’m not a kid anymore haha meaning it’s not as simple as I remember it used to be but it’s really a great workout💪Thanks for the tips and suggestions!!2 -
I'm maintaining my weight OK during the pandemic, if anything I've possibly lost a few pounds. My skin is a lot looser and stretchier than it was a year ago, and the very few times I've had jeans on, not leggings, they seem a wee bit looser too. I walk 10,000+ steps and eat an average of 2000 calories a day. I'm enjoying being 100% control of what I eat because I'm not having to fit numerous meals out into my weekly plan.
That’s great!! Keep it up. I tend to try to be less than 2000 calories and I’m trying to get back to my 10,000+ steps everyday 💪💪2 -
bold_rabbit wrote: »It's pretty obvious here on MFP that the majority of people gained weight this past year, so be kind to yourself about it.
I entered maintenance at the beginning of March 2020. Mid-March I was sick with "probable" Covid (unable to get tested). It was the first illness I had since I started tracking calories and, boy, do fevers use calories! I had no appetite (no one knew yet that it causes a loss of smell & taste, so we didn't know to assess for that). I struggled to not undereat and still dropped weight.
Since that time, I have had a tough time adjusting to maintenance. Most months I lose .25 - .5 lbs. The only exception was August, which is our hottest month thus limiting outdoor walking which is my main form of exercise. I actually gained .5 lbs in August!
To be fair, my life didn't change a whole bunch from before the pandemic. I was already a bit of a recluse!
Haha “a bit of a recluse” oh man. Well firstly, I’m glad that you’re doing better health wise🙏🏾 And secondly I appreciate the motivation and kind words💪💪1 -
britishbombshell08 wrote: »How have you all been doing with your weight maintenance during these crazy times🤔
🙋🏿♀️ I'm one of the weirdos/borderline sociopaths who didn't gain weight during the pandemic.
As just about the only factor I could control, I found at least a bit of mental distraction in switching up workout routines. Currently doing a body recomp to get down under 20% body fat🤞🏿 Let's see come late summer.
But let's be honest, the reason I'm actually here commenting on your post is to have an excuse to tell you how great you look in your profile pic. Stefflon Don who?
Well that’s amazing!! You are a lucky one and aww thanks so much!! I appreciate that🙏🏾2 -
I was 5# over maintenance but fighting when all hell broke loose last March. I gained 30 Covid pounds. And, I completely stopped working out (despite having more time to do so). Today is the first time I’ve logged meals since last March.13
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Put on 20 Lbs in 2020. Part of that was being injured for about 5 months...3 of which I couldn't really do anything at all exercise wise as it was a chore just to get around the house...and a couple of months, all I could do was walk, but not very far. I was also full time WFH, so it was pretty easy to just sit around feeling sorry for myself and eating and drinking beers.
I started training again in January and just started the diet part a couple weeks ago...down three pounds.5 -
I was 5# over maintenance but fighting when all hell broke loose last March. I gained 30 Covid pounds. And, I completely stopped working out (despite having more time to do so). Today is the first time I’ve logged meals since last March.
That's a great start. You know how to do this. Keep up the good practices, keep it manageable - you can succeed. Taking control of the things we *can* control is the key step. Wishing you success!2 -
I was 5# over maintenance but fighting when all hell broke loose last March. I gained 30 Covid pounds. And, I completely stopped working out (despite having more time to do so). Today is the first time I’ve logged meals since last March.
That’s ok, life happens!! But I’m proud of you for taking that first step again!!! Just take it one day at a time! You got this💪💪1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Put on 20 Lbs in 2020. Part of that was being injured for about 5 months...3 of which I couldn't really do anything at all exercise wise as it was a chore just to get around the house...and a couple of months, all I could do was walk, but not very far. I was also full time WFH, so it was pretty easy to just sit around feeling sorry for myself and eating and drinking beers.
I started training again in January and just started the diet part a couple weeks ago...down three pounds.
I’ve been there too!! Was hit by an SUV a few years ago so honestly my body has never been the same. I remember those months where I couldn’t work out🤦🏽♀️ But I stayed positive and now I’m back to regular workouts! I’m proud of you and keep going strong💪4
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