How not to put it all back on?

[snowdropsy]

I have been losing weight pretty solidly since September, and am over a stone down. Now, I know from my body composition scale (imprecise though it may be) that some of this is muscle, and my metabolism has dropped.

So now my fear is that come Christmas, the moment a chocolate log or a marzipan fruit touches my lips, I will pile on the fat.

I know I need to regain muscle. But how? Can I do it by Christmas? I’ve never worked on building muscle before. Will doing squats and crunches at home really be enough?

Your metabolism has dropped because you lost weight. There's less of you to feed, a lighter body to lug around. Muscle burns something like 8 extra calories at rest, so a few pounds of it won't have such a great impact on your weight short term.

Long term though you need muscle for heath, longevity and healthy aging, so I would definitely consider strength training.

Compound movements like squats, push ups, pull ups, etc are the best. They have to be challenging though. Doing 20 squats when you can easily do 50 won't cut the mustard, it will just become a cardio workout. You'll also need to make them harder over time, because as you get stronger, previous exercises will become easier, so you need to keep challenging your body.

Make sure you're also getting enough protein, and your calorie deficit is very small if you're not at your goal weight yet.

Good luck and well done on your weight loss!

It's also a good idea to your body a rest after dieting, so maintain for a bit. This sounds like a good time for it!

What did you do to lose weight? For maintenance you do need to have a plan, although if you've only just stopped you need to eat same things for a while, just a bit more of them, before you start adding in junk.

Thank you @OwlsDance that’s really helpful. I counted calories and tried to walk more, take the stairs at work, etc.
I still want to lose another 10lb, but I’ve hit a bit of a plateau for now. I will try to maintain for now and up my exercise in the new year.

You can't go back to eating how you were. You were eating at a level to fuel someone much heavier than you are.

Keep on counting most days. Learn how to work "treat" foods into your diet without regularly overindulging. Learn when to stop or else you will have this dilemma on every feast day /month.

You've come this far so you know what to do.

And yes, the odd period of maintenance is good for you. It give you time to mentally adjust and switch your focus.