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Approaching maintenance with positive trepidation

MobiusRift
MobiusRift Posts: 21 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I’ve been quietly losing weight gained following being bed bound after an accident. I’m a misery and boredom eater and I as both for an extended period. My start weight was 103kg and now I’m a couple of kilos away from my target of 82.5kg (188cm male). My aim is to maintain in the range of 80-85kg.

Historically, I’m really great at losing weight, but sadly even better at putting it on. Over the course of decades I’ve seen-sawed between 110kg and 85kg. It’s a destructive pattern. This time I’ve an additional incentive to stay lighter. After my accident which broke my back in a few place, pelvis, shoulder, coccyx and some other stuff, I’ve had to learn to walk again and slowly regain some of the functionality I lost that day. My life has been altered for good and I’ve persistent pain that reminds me of that change minute by minute. So being lighter can only be helpful, as can being as fit as my body can manage. Over the last 6 months I’ve slowly built my swimming strength and endurance and now swim 2500 sets 5 times a week. It’s the one place I don’t hurt. So, my weight loss and the pool are the two big positives in my life at the moment. I don’t want to lose them.

My plan, as I approach my weight target is to maintain all my current positive behaviours, tracking calories, not eating rubbish, not eating between meals etc. I’ve noticed as my exercise has increased and I get lighter my weight loss has slowed and I’m hoping it’ll reach a form of balance at around my target weight with perhaps very little additional food intake. I monitor my weight daily and my plan is if I have three days over a kilo off my target weight to alter my calories up or down as required to maintain the desired weight. I’m determined this time to maintain long term, my battle is with the negative mind set the pain is associated with, that can if I’m low cause me to falter. I’m hoping by keeping all my current behaviours in place this is less likely. Sorry, for the War and Peace lol.

If any of you guys/girls can offer any additional advice, I’m all ears.

Thanks all

Replies

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,764 Member
    Sounds to me like you have it sorted! Some people find maintenance hard because they see weight loss as a temporary state and then go back to previous behaviours, which results in weight gain. And yo yo dieting. But recognising that changing the way you live is necessary for maximum health is essential, and you’re there. Maintenance might take some work as you adjust to the food amounts and your new reality following your injuries, but it will always be a process. Sometimes you’ll need to eat a bit more, sometimes you’ll need to eat a bit less. I tend to work on a weekly basis for calories as that allows me to flex my calories in line with my appetite, and fit in some treats. I prioritise protein (age and sport related) and I know I need carbs, but the exact amount of carbs and fat doesn’t bother me as long as my calories work out.

    Sounds like you’ve got this!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,535 Member
    edited February 15
    Anxiety starting maintenance is completely normal, I think . . . as long as you don't let it take over your life. ;) You have a good direction in mind. As you cement in those habits, try to adopt a mindset of gaining confidence as you proceed successfully, because that confidence will be merited.

    The only thing I'm a little bit worried about is the 1 kilo/3 day boundary. It might be fine, depending on the usual fluctuations of your personal body.

    What I'd say, to give you an idea why I'm uncertain, is this: If you're being fairly consistent in eating/activity, I think a one-kilo gain that creeps on gradually over a period of weeks is potentially fat gain. A one-kilo gain that appears suddenly for no obvious food-consumption reason is probably some combination of a good bit of extra water retention plus waste in the digestive tract. Keep in mind that gaining a kilo of fat requires eating around 7700 calories above maintenance cumulatively, or moving an equivalent amount less, or a combination. That doesn't usually happen quickly without being aware of the cause.

    Personally, since you're a guy, I'd give the "sudden jump" case at least a week or two to see if it sorts out, at most being more conscious about food/activity while waiting it out. I think an immediate cut after 3 days in that case would possibly be an over-reaction, not health-promoting but potentially anxiety-increasing. Bodies are weird. Water retention happens: New exercise, more carbs than usual (even great carb-containing foods), minor injury/illness, more salt/sodium than usual (even when still in a sensible range), and more.

    I don't know what your attitude is, but I'm quite low-stress about individual weigh-ins, so by weighing daily first thing in the AM (after bathroom, before food/drink, same state of (un)dress), I gradually got a good idea of how my personal body behaves under different conditions, in terms of water/waste impact on the scale. Using a weight trending app - if you don't already - may help you with personal insight on that front. (Examples: Happy Scale for Apple/iOS, Libra for Android, Trendweight with a free Fitbit account (don't need a device), Weightgrapher, others).

    I'm a fan of thinking in terms of a weight maintenance range, not a single weight; setting that range just a wee bit wider on both sides than typical day-to-day fluctuations; then thinking of adjusting when at the limit of that range for a few days but also considering whether it was a creep-on or sudden jump.

    I'm sorry for the War and Peace reply. ;)

    Overall, I think you're thinking about this in the right way: Solid routine habits, keeping an eye on what happens. I'd add avoiding over-anxiety because white-knuckled anxiety causes dysfunctional stress and feels icky. ;):)

    I think you're going to do fine.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,114 Member
    The best advice I ever got here:

    Treat maintenance like you still have five pounds to lose

  • MobiusRift
    MobiusRift Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks guys, that’s very useful. I weigh daily at the same time and am relaxed about the ups and downs. I know depending on my pool activity I can go up or down a kilo overnight. I just need to keep an eye on trends so I stay between 80-85kg. That should give me enough wriggle room

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