Terrified of Maintenance

pniana
pniana Posts: 254 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I did not have that much to lose but what I did lose has made a huge difference. I can't believe how great I feel and how much I am love working out and being in shape. I am now on maintenance and am terrified of it because I do not want to gain the weight back. I can't believe how many calories I have gone up to and even adjusted them down 100 calories because it feels like too much food. Tonight I still have 500 calories and there is no way I could eat them. Has anyone gone on maintenance successfully? I'd like to hear some maintenance success stories to calm my nerves. I am beginning to see how people have under eating food disorders!

Replies

  • neenaleigh
    neenaleigh Posts: 584 Member
    as long as you eat at least 1200 you should be fine.....
  • paulkj
    paulkj Posts: 163 Member
    Me too.

    I am in the maintanence phase now and it is proving to be a challenge. I still don't eat all of my calories. I have added nuts, protein powder and still fall short especially since I exercise all the time.

    So, come on.... I know some of you all have been maintaining. Please share your stories with us...
  • herowithinyou
    herowithinyou Posts: 17
    I haven't gotten to the maintenance stage yet, but I think you guys will be ok. Just try building yourself up to eating the amount of calories you're supposed to. It'll be hard to try to stuff yourself and get in all the calories, so at first just eat a bit more than you're used to, then when you get used to that, add a bit more. Or work out less. Either way, you'll be fine :)
  • karamae
    karamae Posts: 136 Member
    I have lost 20 pounds and still would like to lose 10-15 more by December. However, I took the summer off since we were so busy and traveled a lot. So I guess technically that is maintenance since I didn't want to gain any of that back. I eat better than I did before I started on MFP but still eat fast food once in awhile, eat some sugar etc. I have not gained any of the weight back this summer! I fluctuate 2-3 pounds but I haven't necessarily gained it back.

    You'll be fine! Trust me, if I can do it...you can too! Promise! As long as you're aware of what you're eating and eat enough food as to not starve yourself, you shouldn't have a problem. GOOD LUCK!!! :)
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    I went through this too. A couple of things were going on.

    1) It was really hard for me mentally to move from eating as little as possible (while still being able to keep my activity level up) to eating as much as I need to maintain. I had to force myself.

    I started out by adding 100-200 calories per day and giving it two weeks. If I was still losing, I added another 100-200. I also made spreadsheets were I put in my estimated BMR, my estimated exercise calories, etc. and figured out how many calories I need to lose, gain and maintain. I didn't BELIEVE those numbers, but looking at them and fiddling with them helped me to accept them.

    It's still hard sometimes, but it gets easier.

    2) My body wanted to be a lower weight than I expected. I fussed about becoming a skeleton, but my body knew what it was doing. I'm happy with my current weight. I look good and have muscles. I'm glad I kept going instead of forcing myself to stop when I hit my arbitrary goal weight.
  • swtally80
    swtally80 Posts: 278 Member
    I'm kinda scared too! So many years I spent over weight. But I believe I have learned thouroughly a new way to eat. I just hit my 70 lbs lost today and have kinda been practicing maintaining, my last pounds to lose are optional. So I pray I don't fall back to old habits.
  • abr25
    abr25 Posts: 179
    I have been in maintenence since the beginning of July ( about 2 months), and It was def hard at first. I had a hard time mentally eating enough but over those two months I have not gained an OUNCE. I have even lost maybe another lb.

    Add 100-200 calories by week to increase and keep up the workouts and you will be fine. Trust me :wink:
  • Wecandothis
    Wecandothis Posts: 1,083 Member
    I'd only worry if I were eating below 1200 calories OR if I thought the maintenance calories were not enough. :)
  • pniana
    pniana Posts: 254 Member
    Thanks everyone! I like the suggestions of adding a 100-200 calories a week and seeing how it goes! Great advice! Good job on all of the weight loss out there!
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    I know how you feel about being terrified of maintenance.

    I could tell you a boring story of how in 2003 I lost 100 pounds doing the Atkins Nutritional approach and was within 25 pounds of my goal where I wanted to be. I looked good, felt good and was eating balanced.

    I got into Phase 3 of Atkins, which is pre-maintenance and started adding in my grains and starchy veggies on occasion..............

    Well I got cocky and stopped weighing and measuring and because the weather was changing to cold weather I exercised less and less..............

    I gained most of the weight back over that next winter. I never made it to Phase 4 which was maintenance.

    I am going full force this time with life style changes and I am losing slower this time, which makes a big difference for me as I am enjoying life more this time around and it is for health reasons too, just a little vanity in there. :bigsmile:
  • paulkj
    paulkj Posts: 163 Member
    Thanks for the suggestions:heart:
  • belldandy1
    belldandy1 Posts: 264 Member
    I am not on maitenance but I can tell you my calorie boosting meal. 1 1/2 spinach, a cup grape tomatoes 2 tablespoons blue cheese, 1/3 cup corn, 1/4 cup garbanzo beans, 2 tbsp newmans own balsamic vinigerette (sp?). This meal ends up being around 450 to 500 calories and you can add more corn and garbanzo beans to beef it up more. It is really healthy for you too. Just a thought. The dressing is caloric, but iike 92% of those calories are from good fat. Just thought I would suggest this meal since it helps me up my calories at the end of the day without feeling like I over indulged.
  • pniana
    pniana Posts: 254 Member
    I am not on maitenance but I can tell you my calorie boosting meal. 1 1/2 spinach, a cup grape tomatoes 2 tablespoons blue cheese, 1/3 cup corn, 1/4 cup garbanzo beans, 2 tbsp newmans own balsamic vinigerette (sp?). This meal ends up being around 450 to 500 calories and you can add more corn and garbanzo beans to beef it up more. It is really healthy for you too. Just a thought. The dressing is caloric, but iike 92% of those calories are from good fat. Just thought I would suggest this meal since it helps me up my calories at the end of the day without feeling like I over indulged.
    This sounds great, except the bleu cheese. I'll swap out for Feta. Wish I could learn to like bleu cheese. Just can't get there! Thanks for the suggestion!
  • d5d14m66
    d5d14m66 Posts: 150 Member
    I, too, only needed to lose 10 pounds. An insignificant amount compared with most people here, but on my small frame, even ten extra pounds cause my cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar to approach "meds" levels.

    It's been nearly a year since I joined. I reached my goal in about 2 months, and have pretty much held my new weight since. Oh, a couple of months saw a gain of about three pounds, but once I "buckled down," those came off.

    Last month, my doctor advised me to reduce my sugar consumption, so when I step on the scale in another two weeks, I expect to have lost more weight (my clothes are getting looser). I will then need to increase my calories without increasing bad fat, sodium, and sugar. That will be a challenge, I'm sure.
  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
    Ok here's my story

    I came here Jan 08 and by April lost 29 pounds...my initial goal was only to loose 17 but as I was 'trying' to maintain I continued to loose
    Unlike the ladies here, I wanted to eat...love to eat and gladly continued to eat more cals

    Over the past 4-5 mnths, I've gained back 6 pounds...so still at my initial target but now I would prefer to loose the 6 pounds I've put on

    My advice is to increase your cals slowly and weigh in once a week NO matter what...so if u do gain back..you could tighten the reins and get back on track sooner than later

    Kim
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