Maintaining weight

[Lucy1117]

Hey

How do I keep off the weight I’ve lost? I’m not sure how to start eating the actual amount of calories I need to maintain my weight. If I eat the normal amount of calories, will I gain weight again?

Thanks

[TheAwfulToad Visitor]

Well, there's the rub.

If you're maintaining now, then the inescapable conclusion is that you have to keep eating whatever your current calorie limit is.

If you simply stop your diet and "eat normally", then yes, you will add fat again. In fact you may gain it very aggressively, because your body thinks you've just experienced a famine and some extra bodyfat would be good insurance against future problems. This is why people are generally advised against "dieting" and just eating healthily instead - and why most people fall into an endless trap of "yo-yoing".

Don't worry, all is not lost. The crux of the matter is that "normal" is very far from normal: that's why we get fat in the first place. If you eat proper, wholesome food, excessive weight gain is almost impossible.

The aim here is to start eating more calories (and bulk), but to eat them in a form that is less likely to result in unwanted metabolic adaptations. You may experience some transient weight gain when you do this, but it should drop off again. Simplistically, you need to be eating most of your meals as green vegetables, with some fat for energy (it's counterintuitive, but dietary fat does not trigger fat storage - instead, it simply "reassures" your metabolism that food is available again and that there's no need to panic). To your vegetables, add some (fatty) cuts of meat or fish, butter, cheese, Greek yoghurt, avocadoes, coconut oil, or eggs in whatever combination you enjoy. Avoid stacking up the potatoes/bread/pasta/rice and you'll be fine.

[Tiggerr]

Hi Lucy and welcome plus huge congratulations for making it to where you want to be. That's Brilliant!!

Good advice from TAT too.

Additionally, there is a Maintainers Club that meets on the first Sunday of every month. It helps with maintaining focus and in generally discussing how it's going and the usual peaks and troughs of our journeys.

You can find it under 'Pinned Posts' but here is this June's... healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Well done again and good luck!

[TeamAdmin Administrator]

Hi and welcome, Lucy1117

I have nothing to add to the good advice you've already received, except to offer my congratulations

Follow this link to our chat thread and a list of all the activities we run. We've found active participation to be key to success, especially with our weigh-ins and Daily Diary.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

To make navigating the forum easier, we've put all the information you'll need in a newbie pack and here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please take the time to read it carefully, so that you're able to enjoy everything that we have on offer.

We ask that you also read this important information about internet privacy and security.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Wishing you all the best

[S11m]

Hi, Lucy1117

Transition to maintenance can be as big a problem as losing the weight... so I lost weight the way I am now maintaining.

You need a lifetime healthy-eating lifestyle.

If you cut out Grains, Potatoes and Sugar... or eat something approximating to the Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat diet (LCHF, see the forum here on Health Unlocked) and Do Not Eat All Day you should be able to lose weight or maintain without counting calories. See:

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...