Anyone out there on maintenance mode?

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afigueroa_pr
afigueroa_pr Posts: 344
in Motivation and Support
It sure is hard to maintain your current weight while having trouble maintaining your scheduled caloric intake. If anyone else is having this problem feel free to add me. I'd like to have some people in my same predicament. Any other people that needs help losing weight feel free to add me too. I'd like to help you out in your journey!!

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  • HowardRose
    HowardRose Posts: 138 Member
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    I've been on Maintenance mode for about 6 months now. I found that the transition is not easy. For me, it was at first hard to eat enough calories, I was always way under. Now I find that I gain and lose the same 3 or so lbs over and over. What issues are you having?
  • afigueroa_pr
    afigueroa_pr Posts: 344
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    Just find it a little hard to commit to the amount of calories required. I normally don't track during the weekend because I believe I deserve a little freedom since I accomplished so much. Now it is just creeping a little bit extra calories a day. I don't know. I am proud of everyone here losing the weight, but not a lot of people in my situation.
    Thanks for your input!!!
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Maintenance mode here. It's a work in progress to not lose anymore especially since I like working out. I have found it definitely is a week to week thing but I keep weighing my food and using portion control. Weird that it's hard to eat 2300 calories but was real easy to eat 4000. I am actually tracking more now than 6 months ago when I was still losing. Good luck.
  • mirthegeologist
    mirthegeologist Posts: 143 Member
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    I've been on maintenance mode for about 9 months or so. I do not regualrly track my food--during my weight loss I figured out what I need to eat to say fit. I tend to flucuate within 2 lbs of my goal weight. Once I'm 2 lbs over my weight, I'll start being more diligent with my food intake (ie, eat less or eat more vegetables) & exercise routine. If I get any higher than that, I log my food & exercise until I've lost the extra weight.

    To help me maintain, I tend to follow a lot of the "rules" that helped me lose weight. For example, I don't eat decadent desserts unless it is a special occasion; I eschew high-calorie fast food & soda; I try to eat the majority of my meals at home; and, if i do eat out, I look for healthy or vegetarian selections on the menu. Somedays i eat more than i should, other days I eat less--it usually balances out for me.

    Good luck!
  • cm1458
    cm1458 Posts: 742 Member
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    I've been trying for months to go into maintenance mode, just to stay the same for a while, (because i know im going to have to stop the loss and maintain eventually) then lose a few more. but i just it really hard to increase my caloric intake without feeling bad about it.. if i go over what i am currently eating daily, I kinda freak out and think im going to gain weight, so i exercise it all off
    -many failed attempts.
    Best of luck to you
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I've been on Maintenance mode for about 6 months now. I found that the transition is not easy. For me, it was at first hard to eat enough calories, I was always way under. Now I find that I gain and lose the same 3 or so lbs over and over. What issues are you having?
    Um sweetie this is not an issue. This is how the body works. No one stays at the exact same weight all the time. It fluctuates by a few pounds.
  • TheLongRunner
    TheLongRunner Posts: 688 Member
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    I am getting ready to go into maintenance mode and I am freaking out...how do you transition into maintenance?
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Feel free to add me if you want. I've been in maintenance mode for a couple of years now - Or rather, trying to figure out how to navigate it. The first two years (2008-2009) I spent yo-yoing between a 1200 calorie diet and a "real human being" diet which made my body very angry. I'm just now (duhh) coming to the realization that I actually need to eat more to sustain my lifestyle and not just starve my body off and on again. So I'm trying this and seeing if it works. So far it feels good. Good luck in maintenance mode! I have to say it is a lot harder to find balance here than it is to lose weight.
  • celticmuse
    celticmuse Posts: 492 Member
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    I have been hanging out about 1lb. from my goal weight for a few months, so I feel as though I am in maintenance mode. Check out this great blog posted today about maintenance:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/608276-maintaining-tips
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Just find it a little hard to commit to the amount of calories required. I normally don't track during the weekend because I believe I deserve a little freedom since I accomplished so much. Now it is just creeping a little bit extra calories a day. I don't know. I am proud of everyone here losing the weight, but not a lot of people in my situation.
    Thanks for your input!!!
    If you eat more than you require, you will gain weight no matter how much you "deserve" it. It's physics; value judgments are irrelevant.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I am getting ready to go into maintenance mode and I am freaking out...how do you transition into maintenance?
    You set your goal to "maintain" and eat that many calories. Why are you freaking out?
  • Kaimana94
    Kaimana94 Posts: 165 Member
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    Been on maintenance for 3 months now. Been down to 163 and up to 168, 165 is the weight I want to hold. Still need this site to do it. Need to know how much I'm eating. I know I could not of done it without this webpage. Things will never be easy, but I will never let myself slip back into that world again. Good luck to you.
  • dorothytd
    dorothytd Posts: 1,138 Member
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    I've been on maintenance mode for about 9 months or so. I do not regualrly track my food--during my weight loss I figured out what I need to eat to say fit. I tend to flucuate within 2 lbs of my goal weight. Once I'm 2 lbs over my weight, I'll start being more diligent with my food intake (ie, eat less or eat more vegetables) & exercise routine. If I get any higher than that, I log my food & exercise until I've lost the extra weight.

    To help me maintain, I tend to follow a lot of the "rules" that helped me lose weight. For example, I don't eat decadent desserts unless it is a special occasion; I eschew high-calorie fast food & soda; I try to eat the majority of my meals at home; and, if i do eat out, I look for healthy or vegetarian selections on the menu. Somedays i eat more than i should, other days I eat less--it usually balances out for me.

    Good luck!

    Mostly this ^^ for close to six years. But I am tracking more diligently lately because MFP makes it so easy. And so I haven't crept up since I've been on here... I have an acceptable "range" of 4 pounds that I stay within...
  • Hmrjmr1
    Hmrjmr1 Posts: 1,106 Member
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    I've been on maint mode for 3 months, I generally eat between my weight loss BMR and my current TDEE, since my exercise cals fluctuate between 500-1000 cals per day (most days) I make sure I meet or exceed my protein number and still eat pretty clean now and again throwing in some simple carbs earlier in the day. Been working for me if you want to friend me I'm also an old Army Master Fitness Trainer and may be able to help in other areas as well.
  • Robin1117
    Robin1117 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    I am getting ready to go into maintenance mode and I am freaking out...how do you transition into maintenance?

    Hi--maintenance is tough! When first transitioning to maintenance, what worked for me, and for many of my fellow mfp/maintaining friends has been to move your calorie level up gradually, maybe increasing a little at a time every few weeks just to make sure your body adjusts to the new level. It is really hard to find the right level. I think I maintained for a year before I actually started using the level mfp recommended. Maybe I'm just super careful and didn't need to be, but it worked out ok.

    It will take a few months--expect that--but you will find your rhythm soon enough :)



    afigueroa--you should be able to have some freedom on the weekends. Have you tried averaging your calories for the week? I do this, and it's awesome. I naturally eat more a few days a week, and generally am lower on others. I make sure my average is on track overall, and it works great. The only thing you would have to do differently to figure this out would be to start tracking on the weekends--even if they are over. You'll be able to see where you might be high, or low, and then can work on adjusting during the week to achieve the right level overall. If you have the iphone app, there's a weekly bar chart that gives you a nice snapshot of this too.

    Just an FYI, there is a group on maintenance you can join and of course many maintainers who are supportive on the site.

    take care and congrats to everyone who has made their goals!

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