Maintaining weight

I got to my target weight on 18 September by calorie counting. Since then I've lost another 7 lbs even though I've increased my calorie allowance. Having yo-yoed for years I really would like to be able to maintain at a healthy weight. Anyone else struggle?

[MichelleMasters]

Hi Evieliz

7lb's loss in one month when you are already at your target weight is a lot.

What was your calorie intake, and what have you increased it to?

Also how much exercise are you doing and what sort of exercise activities?

[Hidden in reply to MichelleMasters]

I'm on 2089 calories a day and burn around 700 during exercise which is low impact due to arthritic knees.

[MichelleMasters in reply to Hidden]

Hi Evieliz,

It is difficult to recommend anything specific without knowing your full statistics, height, weight, energy levels etc but I would almost certainly say for the amount of calories you are burning daily, your calorie intake is too low. This is obviously reflected in the continued level of high weight loss you are experiencing.

There are a couple of approaches you could take, but it depends what is going to suit you and you are going to feel comfortable with.

Either increase your calorie intake for a few weeks, keeping food choices healthy, focusing on protein & as 'Concerned' has already said, healthy fats & healthy carbs, and see at what point you start to level out, or reduce your exercise.

If you are concerned start with 100 calorie increase/exercise reduction and see what happens.

I would highly recommend you implement something straight away as the level of loss you are still experiencing definitely indicates a pretty high calorie deficit and as moreless has already said, you run the risk of making yourself ill.

Good luck, keep us posted

[Hidden in reply to MichelleMasters]

Thanks for your reply will try to up my calorie intake as I don't want to reduce my exercise it's difficult as I don't feel hungry and don't want to eat just for the sake of it.

[MichelleMasters in reply to Hidden]

Hi Evieliz I can completely understand that, only eating when you're hungry is an important weight maintenance behaviour to be well practised at and psychologically comfortable with.

So maybe it will help to slightly increase your portions at each meal? So you're not obviously eating extra snacks or anything like that, just slightly bigger portions of say your protein at each meal?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi Evieliz, I can't give you an informed answer, because I haven't got to maintenance yet, but your weightloss is more than most people achieve when loss is their aim, which suggests to me that you're still consuming too few calories.

I think you need to increase what you're eating, do it gradually if it feels a bit scary, but review it weekly. You can't continue to lose weight that rapidly, because you'll make yourself ill.

I'm sure somebody with more experience of your particular problem will come along and help out, but in the meantime, take care of yourself and good luck with finding the correct balance for you.

[Hidden in reply to moreless]

it is scary - I eat 3 meals a day and healthy snacks of fruit and nuts. I also have a chocolate treat every day - couldn't give that up!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Hidden]

Your previous reply, states you're burning 700 calories doing low impact exercises, that means, you're having just under 1400 calories/day. No wonder you're still losing weight. You need to increase that intake to about 2000 calories, or to where your body starts maintaining its weight.

The bonus is, you don't have to give up the chocolate treat

[Hidden in reply to moreless]

I feel like I'm already eating a lot but yes when you look at the numbers it does make sense. Thanks for your input 😀

[elliebath Maintainer]

Thats interesting, Im also in maintenance (six months now with only 2-3 lb fluctuation ) but I do sometimes get binge moods!! By natural fats do you just mean meat and dairy or anything Im missing?

[elliebath Maintainer]

Those first four items I do already eat, but probably not often enough .... will have to work out how to incorporate the goose fat ( apart from my christmas roasties!) . Thank you !

[Hidden]

Not sure about the goose and duck fat. Like elliebath, I only have goose fat at Christmas. I eat full fat Greek yoghurt which is so yummy!

[Carolee13]

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts. I'm also embarking on the whole maintaining thing, having reached my target weigh though I wouldn't be sorry to lose another 7lbs if that happened. I'll need to research what a sensible calorie level might be from now on. Your musings have been helpful 😃

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Carolee13]

Well done for maintaining Carolee ..Lke you, I wouldn't mind a few more pounds off if it happens , although Im not unhappy with my current BMI 23 . Maintaining is probably enough to think about for now . Im 5ft 5 and 63 and a low BMR, so I find Im still needing to keep to around 1500cals a day just to maintain !!. Hey ho.

[Carolee13]

Hi Ellie, I 'm trying out 1500 a day too. I lost an average of 0.5 kg a week while on 1400 a day plus exercise classes twice a week. So far it's going ok, but still logging calories to keep myself from going back to my old ways. Post menopause I find I can't get away with bad eating habits any more, the years are unforgiving!

I wasn't sure what my bmr was or how to calculate it but just found a diabetes site that calculated it at 1213, which seems reasonable.

[2bFabnfit]

I am also trying to work out what I can eat to maintain. I am never hungry have been averaging 1250 calories per day to lose. Now upped to 1450 average per day but still lost a kilo last week, though the week before I gained 0.2 kg on same intake. ... exercise been limited due to injury on both weeks.... not eating refined sugars but nothing else is banned. And since reaching goal have had mimimal refined sugar containing things ( a glass of prosecco on a couple of occasions )

I think trial and error will show the way. I have a maintenance band between 55 and 57 kg. I have always yoyyoed but am determined to weigh in weekly and not allow myself to put on alot before taking action again.

[Hidden]

Last week I'd put a pound on which was fine as I'm half as stone under my maintenance weight. This week I've lost 2 pounds 🙄 Which is bizarre as I've eaten a lot. It is such a struggle. Anyway I've upped my calories by 100 a day to 2189.