Maintenance Thread

[SingaporeSlinky]

Hello, I’ve been on a few other threads since January and managed to lose 19lbs (down from 10st 7 to 9st 2). Motivation was a holiday, which I’ve just returned from, but do want to carry on at least maintaining, if not losing more.

Anyone else in the same position? Thought I’d start this to chat specifically about how to maintain, because I feel like it’s slightly different now, rather than focussing on aiming for the big weekly losses, I need to refine my eating habits, and find the balance of how much exercise to do. Before holiday I was calorie counting on MFP aiming for 1200 cals or under, and was going to the gym 5 days a week - a 45 minute class (bodytone, spin, pump, legs/bums/tums) and then doing up to an hour on machines. But I know that’s not practical long term, so need to work out the best combination going forward.

Hoping to hear other successes and strategies if anyone wants to join me?

I maintain (for a couple of years now) my 3.5 stone weight loss by eating my tdee calories
tdeecalculator.net/
and continuing to track on MFP. I don’t add my exercise to MFP as the extra calories it gives me to eat back have resulted in weight gain in the past. I just exercise because I like feeling fit and flexible but use my calorie tracking for my weight.

@Wouldntitbenicetobeinyourshoes wow that’s a great loss, well done!
My BMR is 1236 cals and my TDEE based on exercising 5 times a week is 2070 cals but I’m almost certain I would gain weight at that level.
I think 1236 cals, although low, unfortunately is going to be my starting point to see how I get on. When my weight loss was slowing (I generally lost 2lbs a week) I had to go down to around 900 or 1000 cals for a few days to kick start it again.

either you need new scales or maybe, if you were choosing items already logged on MFP data base, they have calorie counts inputted incorrectly because you shouldn’t need to drop that low to kickstart weight loss. I have, when I’ve checked items in the database, come across things that have been inputted incorrectly before so an item was nearly 4 x the amount of calories it was logged as. I knew it was too good to be true but didn’t check for far too long.

are you sure you are logging correctly? I mean everything? Don’t add your exercise on there and see the difference in totals calorie wise.

I already don’t log exercise, so I’ve stuck to 1200 cals or less for basically 3 months. I’ve had maybe 5 days I’ve gone over the 1200. I’m being really careful with logging everything, including drinks, which is only water, and 1 coffee a day. I log salad dressings, gravy, weigh everything, check the packets match MFP.

I’m only 5’4” so I think I just can’t get away with a lot of calories.

I'm 4'11" and quite petite and I was losing on 1250 calories and am now maintaining on 1660 calories.
With a view to go higher to build muscle and so next time my cutting calories aren't so low.

You need to spend time at a decent maintenance to help repair you metabolism. You don't need to go so low because you think your body needs it, it's just that your body learns to adapt to such low calories and high exercise and then when you want to lose more weight there's nowhere to go except for even lower calories or even more exercise which is not sustainable.

Don't be afraid to eat more food 😊

I’ll join you @SingaporeSlinky 👋

I decided that I’ve had enough of trying to lose weight for now, after losing 27kg over the past 12 months. I reckon maintaining is going to be just as much of a challenge. At the moment I’m aiming for around 200 calories less than maintenance calories. I’ll do that for a few weeks and if I don’t gain anything, will increase it by 100 calories and see what happens.

Hmm, I just used the TDEE calculator linked up thread and according to that my maintenance calories are a lot higher than I thought 🤔 Oh well, I guess I can just keep increasing it if I find that I don’t gain if I eat more. I reckon that making small changes and allowing enough time to see if it makes a difference is the way to go for me.

Morning, and welcome @workworkworkugh and @Crazzzycat.
So I’ve just weighed myself and I’m 9st 2 3/4 so I’ve not even gained a pound in the 2 weeks! Pretty surprised, as although I walked over 10,000 steps every day (it was a massive resort, so just walking to and from the room to the restaurants or the pool, or beach), I ate quite a bit more than I had been at home. 3 meals instead of 2, plus dessert every day.

Pleased with that, at least I don’t have to get the weight off again before I carry on.

That’s a great result @SingaporeSlinky ! May be it shows that you can indeed eat more than you thought and still maintain, as some of the other posters suggested? Best to increase it gradually though and see what works and what doesn’t.

I also weighed myself this morning and am pleased to report that I weigh the same as I did at the start of the month. I did a huge amount of exercise in the first two weeks, but also ate a huge amount of white carbs to fuel it. So I’m really pleased that didn’t result in a gain!

My plan for maintenance involves a lot of exercise, but not to the extent that I feel I need to eat everything in sight. I have signed up to an intense 12 week exercise programme, which involves 5 sessions of at least an hour of rowing a week, so that covers the exercise part.

I’m also planning to take a critical look at my diet. I’ve come to realise, after my two week binge, that chocolate, biscuits and crisps just don’t have the same appeal that they used to have. I want to cut most of that out and replace it with “better stuff”.

I’m actually feeling really positive about this maintenance bit. I know it will be hard, but I feel optimistic that if I can continue to build good habits, it will all work out 😊

@Crazzzycat sounds like you have a really clear plan, and yes I think gradual changes and monitoring the weight will be key for me. I’m going to carry on weighing daily, because if I start to relax too much, old habits might kick in, so this way I can nip it in the bud if it starts to creep up.

Remind me, do you calorie count? I’m thinking I’ll carry on with MFP for a while at least, because it really keeps me accountable. It’s interesting that you’re ravenous after exercise as I actually go the opposite and lose my appetite.
I did a 45 minute Bodytone class at the gym this morning, then 20 minutes on the cross trainer. I’m having a coffee now and then will wait a while to eat. I’m actually looking forward to my granola, berries and yoghurt though!

I’m a calorie counter too @SingaporeSlinky and think I’m going to keep doing that until I have a reasonably good idea of what my maintenance calories are.

I’m not much of a morning exerciser, or a morning person full stop, but I’m trying to change that. Not today though! I’ve planned a long session on the cross-trainer for after work. This may sound odd, but I find the cross-trainer really meditative. There’s something so soothing about repeating the same motion over and over again. Great for de-stressing after work!

@SingaporeSlinky I'll join you too 👍🏻

Hello again to @Crazzzycat & hi to others I don't yet know 👋🏻🙂

I was always slim. Between 2004 & 2014 I lost the 2 stone I put on after my PhD & after each of my kids pretty effectively - I was very focused each time & just got the job done. I remained stable just under 9 stone between 2014-19. Then over the last 3 years I've yo-yo-ed for the first time in my life, I was up to 9s 11lb at the worst & I just didn't look & feel like me. I resolved to kick it for good in Jan & joined the Jan thread. I got very near to 9 stone by Jan/Feb & felt fine with it, didn't feel the need to be my username 😀 Currently at 9s 4lb after a few weeks of eating a bit more plus warmer weather, but don't look or feel any different.

If I lose a bit more that's good, if I maintain that's fine. I'm just determined to not put any more on again!

Hi again @8stone13
I’d like to get to your username too, but I’m quite happy where I am for now. For the first time, I need to learn how to maintain. When I started in January, my primary goal was to lose weight for holiday, and hoping for around 9st 7 so I was really pleased to get to 9st 2. Now I’m here, I’d still like to lose more weight from my tummy, with no overall weight goal, but any further loss would be a bonus. I enjoy my gym routine, instead of sitting on the sofa all day, and it’s obviously a much healthier way to live.

I also have our next few holidays booked, so it makes no sense to relax and let the weight creep up, then have to do a mad crash diet a few months before. Much healthier (and hopefully easier) to just keep up the changes and maintain.

Welcome to this thread @8stone13 . It’s starting to feel a bit like a “Lose It” splinter group 😂 In all seriousness though, I think it’s great that we have somewhere separate to discuss maintenance as it is a bit of a different thing than losing. In some ways I expect it to be a lot harder, because you don’t get the excitement of standing on the scales and realising your weight is dropping fast.

When’s your next holiday @SingaporeSlinky ? I have one coming up in a week’s time, but it’s a walking holiday in Yorkshire so not much pressure to look good for that. It will be all waterproofs, rather than bikinis 😁

@Crazzzycat Next holiday is for half term, we’ve booked a cottage on the Isle of Wight for a week. No bikinis needed there either 😂 but then going to Greece later in the year so would like to keep up with everything.
Yorkshire sounds nice, and at least you’ll be active.

I know what you mean about the maintaining being different, but actually I’m still excited when the scales stay the same. When I was losing 2lbs a week, every time there was a drop, I used to think “yes! It’s working” but now I’m grateful I haven’t put any back on. Of course there will be little fluctuations but I’m still pleased to see that low number I worked so hard to achieve.

9st 2 today and have just done a 45 minute spin class. Found it a little harder than usual but I only got 5 hours sleep last night (kids were awake for hours, I guess still adjusting to the time difference). Have another one tomorrow so hopefully I’ll be back on form, and might do some rowing to finish the week.

9st 1.5 today.
Had some Easter egg last night as we were away for Easter so it’s all still here - well it’s only 1 egg, the kids are working their way through all theirs.

Had a spin class this morning but had forgotten to take my phone so didn’t do any rowing afterwards - I find it really hard to go on the machines without music, and the music in the gym is too quiet.

Kids are off school Monday so will do 4 classes next week.

It’s never good to have chocolate lying around the house @SingaporeSlinky . Too much temptation!

What’s everyone doing when it comes to keeping track of their weight? I’m considering just weighing on the 1st of May and then again on the 1st of June, but that would mean I won’t know for a good few weeks if I’ve set the calorie limit too high. May be that’s a foolish approach 🤔

I had another good day yesterday. Even though I’ve only increased my calories by a little bit, I’m finding it so much easier to stick to than my previous limit. Cutting out all the crap no doubt has something to do with that as well! I’m surprised I haven’t even been tempted by crisps and chocolate yet. We’ll see if that lasts through the weekend...

@Crazzzycat how do you use your extra calories now you’ve increased them a little? Bigger portions for meals, or extra snacks?

I agree re chocolate, if it’s there, I am tempted until it’s gone. I feel like it’s the same as biting my nails, I’ve always bitten them, so even when I have a period of growing them, they look lovely, I paint them etc. But I still think of myself as a nail biter, and it’s just a matter of time. I wonder if I’ll always just be a snacker, and it will always be an effort to resist?

Personally I wouldn’t be able to go for a month without weighing. Why don’t you have one half way through the month just to make sure you’re on track?

I’m using my extra calories on “better” snacks. There are a lot more calories in a handful of nuts, or some whole grain crackers with cheese, than there are in a packet of crisps, so those extra calories don’t go very far. On the plus side, I’m much less likely to go back and have more. With crisps, resistance is futile! 😂

Yes, I can’t have one packet of crisps, I always go back for a second! Luckily I love quavers, which I have in for the kids, and it’s less than 100 cals, but obviously not healthy, so I only have them once in a while.

I had a very energetic start to the weekend and just rowed 16 very long and painful km! Apparently that’s burnt 800 calories. I won’t be eating those back, but I may allow myself an extra snack during the day. I’m probably going to need it anyway 😂

I’ve decided I’m going to use tomorrow’s weight as my maintenance starting point and will weigh weekly, at least for a while. I don’t want to end up feeling down about every tiny fluctuation, so will give myself a “zone” to aim for. So tomorrow’s weight +/- 1 kg. I think that should work 😀

I'm going to stick on the Lose It threads for a bit I think, as I probably would like to lose a couple more lbs. I've got around 2lb that has reappeared & won't bog off!

I am actually doing much better with chocolate - I'm not keeping it in the house so I'm having none through the week, then when I have it at weekends it's like nectar ☺️ I feel so much better for cutting it down, it's actually helping me resist as I far prefer how I feel when I'm not eating it daily.

And whilst I'm on the subject as a Yorkshirewoman by birth I would just like to say there's plenty of room for a bikini in the white rose county. Wait till you get there, you'll find we all look like Ursula Andress on the beach at Scarborough 😆

Wow @Crazzzycat that’s a lot of rowing! I’m knackered after my 2 x 1500m!

@8stone13 I’m not trying to poach anyone from the Lose It threads, I’m still on there myself, but this was just for (sometimes) separate chat and advice for maintenance which feels slightly different sometimes. When some people are struggling with weight loss, or just starting their journey, or non-weight related life issues, it feels insensitive somehow, or like I’m bragging, to just come on and say “I’m 9st 2 again, and I’ve done this, this and this at the gym” etc.

So feel free to keep posting wherever you prefer.

So I’m starting May at 9st 1 1/4

My goal for this month is to get to 8st 13, although I’d be happy to just maintain where I am.

I’m starting the month on 72.6 kg.

I’ve name changed btw, used to be a 🐈!

I’ve changed my calorie allowance in NutraCheck to maintenance calories and will see where that gets me this month.

There’s a slight spanner in the works as I’m going out for a meal today. I always find that tricky as I won’t know how many calories I’m having and will therefore be oblivious to how many more I can have during the day. That usually results in a bit of a f*ck-it attitude. Must try not to do that!