jrwms714 Member

If you make a rule to live by, such as the one mentioned about only eating what you bring in, it makes life easier for me, and might for you.

It was great! And it’s always good to be some place that easily accommodates healthy eating and where everyone is active. Great for maintenance.

@LivingtheLeanDream, thanks for checking in about my fluctuations. It's hard to answer because I just got back from 6 weeks at our vacation place where I am always so active that my weight drops and doesn't fluctuate much, which is not a real situation. The next few weeks will tell the tale for me now that I am home, once…

1126 here ...

I am 5'0" as well. Have MFP do your calculations. Lots of this depends on your age, your build, and your exercising. Maintenance calories can be computed, but your personal experience will tell you what works for you. I am "curvy", meaning that I am muscular from the waist down. I am also early 70's, so the amount of…

Hi, there. I am heading towards almost 72 and work out 5x/week: cardio, Pilates, weights, walking, biking. I've been in maintenance for 3 years, on MFP for 6, and an exerciser for my whole life. What I would say, from the vantage point of my age and experience is: listen to your body. If you were that heavy once (226), it…

Tracking, for me, keeps me honest. On those days when I go over, and I mean 'way over as well as a mere 250 calories, I see it and I have to acknowledge it, and then I move on. I never miss a meal to make up for overindulging. I just keep on going. It has worked well for me for the past 3 years in maintenance and the 6 I…

Love all of this. I saw this calculator many moons ago, and it supports what I believe. The BMI does not take into account many factors, including age, and body build. Many athletes would be overweight or obese on the BMI due to their muscular bodies. It has never worked for me, and my doc agrees. I am 5'0" tall, very tiny…

Thanks for this. It resonates. And good to know that you, like me, can be doing everything right and it still doesn't move. I have always exercised 5 days a week, and have lately increased the intensity some to get these few lbs. off - cardio, free weights, Pilates, walking, etc. But I love your up the protein, down the…

Super high for me.

This. Totally this. I think it is possible to return to those original factory settings. I believe the longer you are in maintenance, the more it becomes natural and instinctive as far as food management goes. It may be harder for some, or take longer to get to this point, but I do believe it happens and when it does, it…

Thanks, all for your advice. I like the thoughts about the two scales, but since I am there every winter, I know that the scale is a lb. lighter than the one at home and I adjust for that difference. I am taking what some of you said to heart and will eat back only 50% of the gym/etc. calories MFP gives me, which I know…

I apologize for leaving out some info. I am heading towards age 72, which is an important factor in all this. My workouts are interval training using the elliptical, rowing machine, stationary bike, etc. - each for 30 - 40 minutes when used, and a total of 60 minutes. In Pilates, I am in the Intermediate classification,…

Hi - guess I wasn't clear enough about my calories. I generally eat between 1500 and 2000 depending on the day. I don't use TDEE, but daily gym cals. I am doing the 1240+exercise cals only recently to try to lose the lbs. I need to lose. I have tried the larger range and it just doesn't work well for me because I'm so…

Food scale; also cups. Depends on what I am eating.

Wishing you the best. It works well for some to not log. It doesn't work for me. 3 years into maintenance. 6 years total on MFP. Logging is so easy due to the technology that I don't mind it at all. And I never feel like I am on a diet. I just feel like this is as much a habit as teeth brushing and yes, weighing each AM.…

Again, I concur about motivation being overrated. It's about commitment and discipline and oh, yes! That range idea is soooooo important.

Back at ya, @msmonicaneo ! You have said it far better than I ever did in any of my postings in this thread.

Have to agree with everyone. Have been to Italy four times, all parts of it. Eating fresh is relatively easy. Often, meals consist of about 4 ingredients, and lots of them are veggies. I'm close to vegan/vegetarian in my diet and never had a problem. The pizza is nothing like ours and you could easily have it now and then.…

Maintenance is different for everyone; what I mean is, how they do it and how they maintain. For me, whenever I go over my scream weight, I am back to my weight loss calories until I am back within my range. As I get older, this gets more difficult. Right now I have been at the top of my weight range for at least a month.…

I'm heading towards 72 and started lifting about 4 years ago. At this age, it is more about not hurting myself and being fit rather than buff. However, I do power on a lot! I would strongly recommend getting a trainer, as others have said, to be sure you are doing everything right in the beginning.

I log daily and have for almost 6 years. It's pretty easy with the app. And I also pre-log b/c I eat pretty much the same breakfast and lunch daily. I do my best to log when meals like dinner or other lunches are at restaurants or people's houses, but if I can't, I just skip it. I have no problem logging daily even tho' I…

I have two scales ... one at my vacation place and one at home. They are both the cheap-y ones at about $20 at Bed Bath and Beyond. One weighs one thing, one weighs a pound lighter. I just go with whatever it says when I get to either place and then make sure I remain within my range while there. I just think what…

Maintaining for me has been pretty easy for the past almost 3 years. What I find difficult is when I get above my range, even by a lb. or 2, and then try to get those lbs. off. It takes FOREVER. I cut back my calories and work hard at exercise and it still can take weeks to lose even .5 lbs. Of course, I am older (71), and…

Hey there, @sytchequeen. Caesar salad (no croutons, dressing on the side) with sometimes grilled salmon on top is also my go-to. It is ubiquitous and on almost every menu. Lately, tho', all the media stuff about Romaine and e coli has killed that option for me for a while. (I know, I know, but I'm just being cautious.) So…

Great to hear! It's all about vigilance and being honest with yourself. I have just done exactly the same as you. Lowered my calories, worked out extra hard to get off 2 -3 lbs. above my scream weight. Even tho' I am fairly sure that came from water retention (salty restaurant food, new exercise regime), I still take it…

This, especially about BMI.

Thanks, everyone. I am the OP and it was nice to see that some others do what I do and understand that, in certain situations, there aren't really good options. Also nice to see that others really don't mind being at a restaurant that has nothing and that they either pre-eat, or make do with a small salad or even coffee or…

There is a conversation on here about exactly that: people on maintenance who stopped at a weight a bit higher than their original goal. I am one of those. I am 5 lbs. over my original goal, maintaining for 3 years, happy, as you said, with current size and fitness. I struggled to go back and get those 5 lbs. off, but I…

Almost 3 years here. Log daily. Weigh daily. Same breakfast and lunch almost daily, when not traveling. Wear a Fitbit but just for tracking steps. Workout 5x/week, including Pilates weekly and probably a long walk or bike ride in there, too. Staying on track has become as much of a habit as things like brushing my teeth,…