Maintenance Challenge

[elliebath]

How are others coping with maintenance? Ive continued to log everything I eat cuz Im not yet sure of my maintenace level. Different calculators say I can maintain on c 1700cals. So for 2 weeks Ive been ranging between 1400-1900 depending on my social activity, but have just gained 2lbs. Any ideas why?

[Anna999]

Hey, I still have a long way to go to reach my goal, but I just wanted to congratulate you on reaching yours! ☺🎉

Maybe you could try increasing gradually by 50-100 a week until you get to a point where you stay the same? As I said I'm not there yet but just a thought☺ good luck 🌸

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Anna999]

Thanks Anna, you're probably right. Someone posted on MFP that it took her a year to maintain her weight and she lives alone!

But I know its not good to be erratic, trouble is once you reach goal, its difficult if you're seen to still be watching what you eat .... Ive already had comments from family like " why on earth are you still dieting?" or " havent you got a bit obsessive " .....

Good luck with your journey, hope you reach this point soon 😊

[Anna999 in reply to elliebath]

Oh dear, family and friends often just don't understand do they. Thank you very much, I hope do too, it's a long road ahead but I'm feeling positive, and hearing people like you who have got there is very motivating! 🌸

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Anna999]

Just take it a day at a time... i took nearly a year to lose my excess 30 lbs, several weeks nothing lost at all . My one big advice is keep recording what you eat , and always allow yourself a little of what you fancy , but count it in ! At first I was so disciplined cuz I thought it would work faster (it didnt). Then I realised, this has to be a new way of life and real life involves holidays, parties, the pub etc . So I learnt to accommodate these but made sure my weekly average stayed more or less on balance. Slowly, steadily I lost my spare 30 lbs . You will too, whatever the goal the principle is the same, but remember to adjust your maximum as you get smaller. Best of luck.

[Anna999 in reply to elliebath]

That's where I am at the mo, I haven't been indulging in anything really, so that's good advice! I'm not in a rush to lose it, I've done lots of crash diets and I always regain so want this time to be different. I was thinking it would probably take about a year to reach my ultimate goal but it's a little more than yours. Thank very much☺ I'm sure you'll find your maintainance level, you've got this far! 🌸

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Anna999]

Thanks for your vote of confidence Anna. You'll get there too !

[fibronfedup]

Well done on reaching your goals, i agree with anna trial and error til you find the correct calorie level for you, everybody is different. But basically the maths is if your calories in and your calories out are equal you should maintain. Good luck with finding what works for you, and again well done on reaching your goal

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to fibronfedup]

Many thanks , I'll see how it goes for a month and report back.

[fibronfedup in reply to elliebath]

That would be great, maintaining is the ultimate goal for most of us i think, so will be good to hear tips on how to do so when we get there

[catch]

I'm eating around 1900 calories a day, and am eating some of my exercise calories back now. I keep putting on and losing one or two pounds each week so am still getting to grips with it. I am still recording everything on mfp but am trying to be a bit more relaxed about it, but just try to stick to 3 sensible meals a day and limit the snacks (some days easier than others!).

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to catch]

That's about all we can do I guess. Lets hope we BOTH keep it off :¥

[Folliegirl]

👏👏 well done for reaching your goal and good luck with finding your maintenance balance 😉

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Folliegirl]

Thank you, folliegirl

[gingernut49]

I lost my three stone on the 5:2 Diet, so now I simply 'fast' (up to 500 calories) one day a week. I don't count calories on the other days. I weigh myself every Saturday morning to keep myself on track as then I know whether I need to have an extra fast day to get rid of a rogue pound.

With any other diet I'd have piled it all back on again, and more, but I've been the same weight now since April 2013. And it did't cost me anything to do!

[elliebath Maintainer]

Thanks for that suggestion. You've been an excellent ambassador for the 5:2 , with great results. So maybe 6:1 is definitely worth a try going forward ....my initial stumbling block is not onky the fasting day, but getting used to eating more on the six days (without resorting to junk), as I have spent a year calorie counting , so psychologically its a big change plus my general appetite is quite low.

[OlsBean]

I'm into my 3rd year of maintenance now, all I can say is that it's a journey in itself and has been a massive learning curve. I don't think a week goes by where I don't learn something new about either myself and/or Health and Nutrition.

I've changed my maintenance plan several times and I think that's important to note, you need to stay flexible and be willing to keep trying new things and persevere to you find something that works for you personally.

I realised early on that I could not count calories for the rest of my life or at least I felt I did not want to, which has kind of lead me to what I am doing now, which works for me, though this week I am introducing a 24 hours fast once a week for a little while but not so much for weight control more as a personal experiment into health, but that's because I now throw all my efforts and passion into eating for health, rather than weight control, it has become a kind of hobby and has gone some way to replace the "Reward System" you get with losing weight each week, which you lose when you hit maintenance.

Good Luck with your endeavours.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to OlsBean]

Thank you for that helpful advice. I'd rather not count calories either, but its only been a while, so Im still scared of "letting go" .

Thats an interesting point about reward .... will have to think about that one!

[OlsBean in reply to elliebath]

I've yet to meet anyone who weighs the same week in week out so it stands to reason some weigh ins you'll gain on the previous weigh in, its to be expected but at first it can be hard and the immediate reaction can be to diet to compensate, it's things like this that you learn to cope with over time.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to OlsBean]

Oh, many thanks to you. I don't actually know anyone personally who has got this far (or needed to) so your experience is very helpful. I've been advised to think of my goal weight as a "weight range" ... say 4 lbs either way that I can live with without undue stress !

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to OlsBean]

Several months on, how is your maintenance plan going and did the 24hr fast work for you?

[OlsBean in reply to elliebath]

I did not continue with the fasting for 24 hours, I found it of no personal benefit.

I do indirectly fast daily because I don't eat routinely after about 7pm in the evening until about midday the next day when I have breakfast/brunch, which gives me a daily 17 hour fast.

Like I said this is not so much by design, it's more to do with my lifestyle. I have never eaten in the evening since starting my Weight Loss Journey 6 years ago and because I have now followed a quite strict LCHF regime for a couple of years this means I usually now have things like Salmon and Eggs for breakfast which I found was not appetising at at 7am so I just moved breakfast to later in the day which now I am used to it, seems to work for me

I've still managed to maintain my weight loss for several years now I am pleased to say.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to OlsBean]

That's excellent news, congratulations on your sustained loss and healthy eating habits. Im now retired so don't "need" to eat an early breakfast, although not as late as you, probably around 1030 / 1100 on five out of seven days. But I do confess to sonetimes having a small snack with a cuppa around 9pm... so not much of a fast and could do better!

Thanks for taking time to reply,

[HRHGaby]

Good advice from the people who answered the post, I hope you find your way to keep the weight down!

[elliebath Maintainer]

Thanks HRH !

[elliebath Maintainer]

Well, an update.... some weeks have been up, some down. I looked again at my TDEE /BMR and decided on an average 1500-1600 cals and see what happened. I am never hungry. I also realise there are many reasons for fluctuation, not just calories, and am happy that so far (including a week of super hotel food ) and Ive kept within 3lbs of my lowest weight. 😊

[K1972]

This has been a fabulous thread to find and read.

I am moving towards that point where I will start maintaining for the first time in my life. Previous weight loss has failed because once I have met my target I haven't exactly become silly but I have not kept up a check on self.

I think for me, the biggest change will be my relationship with my scales! I do need to see them as my ally and not my enemy. I will also keep my food and mood diary.

Obviously this forum is a place to drop in, particularly when loved ones mention words like 'obsessive' and 'why?'

Thank you Ellie 😊

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to K1972]

Earlier this year , one of my so-called friends verbally attacked me about being obsessed, all because we met for lunch on a dreary, wet day and I ordered a salad (not, like her , pie + chips ) . Worth mentioning that she 'diets' every few weeks , loses 3pounds and then gains 5 more!! Needless to say, I dont see ao much of her nowadays.

I have been on holiday since my last post, gained 3lbs, lost it again over the following 3 weeks, so Im still keeping a pound or so under my permitted maximum ( 10st / size 12 ) so I am happy with that. But I still log most days to keep an eye on things, but allow myself to eat socially anything I fancy.

Good luck with your progress too!

[K1972 in reply to elliebath]

Good to hear that there is balance and harmony

It isn't rocket science to see where some comments come from eh...

All the very best

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to K1972]

So... do tell, how is it going?

[elliebath Maintainer]

Ok, so here we are several months on and for me that is nearly a year at maintenance. All is fine, still manage to hover within 4 lbs of my lowest weight, although I do srill keep a rough eye on my total calories over the week....not always very accurately! What Ive had to get used to is that sometimes I just "feel" a bit heavier, and usually that's because I am, but that does not mean it is a gain in body fat! Mostly I now go by how my clothes fit .... and that's still all ok! 😊