Question for those women at normal BMI on maintenance?........

[Chunky]

It's funny. I log what I eat in MFP, and yet, I agree 100% and see it as you do - that I am not dieting. It is just what I do and how I eat . I workout probably 6 days a week (sometimes even more than once). And love it now.

And I do occasionally eat a bite or two of something that would not be allowed if I was on a diet. But I still log each bite to be honest with myself. Plus the reason I started using MFP was to really see the protein. How much protein do you get a day?

Has your weight fluctuated a lot once you got to maintenance? Or is it relatively easy to maintain? What keys and tips do you have for me?

I assume the key will always be to eat protein first, move a lot, and listen to my sleeve (keeping portions small). I assume and hope if I do those things, I will be good to stay within a small weight range. I love this journey. It is the best!!!

I'm normal BMI and have never counted calories, my NUT said not to. I was told to count protein.

I eat protein first, but basically whatever I want to eat within reason. Like I'll have one taco or one piece of pizza sometimes, but typically it's chicken or fish. For snacks it's greek yogurt, protein bars, low-fat string cheese, nuts, or fruit. If I want a treat, I'll have it, like yesterday I had a Cadbury Egg. I never wanted to look at this journey as a diet, because all diets ever got me was obese.

I work out every day, been getting into running for the past months. I love to work out much more than I love to watch every bite I eat. Works for me!

My goal is to add weight training into the mix, I know that would help. My problem is I LOVE being outside so much more than being in a smelly gym. But when I get to the gym, I like it...

[bikrchk]

On calories...I ate 1000-1200 calories with 80-100g of protein while losing. When I decided to enter maintenance, I calculated my BMR added 200 calories and started with that. I continued to log religiously for about 5 months at which point I made a conscious decision to stop and see if I could maintain without it. So far turns out I can.

On exercise... I have hip displasia so I'm kind of restricted in what I can do. Even too much walking can cause pain the next day so I use a stationary bike at home typically 5 days per week for about 45 min. Several days per week I also throw in some push ups, plank and crunches or push around some free weights in my living room. I enjoyed the gym, just couldn't justify the cost with my limiting issues, plus, I find if I roll out of bed an hour early and do it then, it always gets done. After work, I can't seem to get out of my own way! I used to think that the exercise is THE KEY, but a couple of times this winter I've had to stop for health reasons, (4 weeks off with hip pain around Christmas and then about 3 weeks recently while I struggled with strep and a bad sinus infection\bronchitis). I didn't step outside goal either time. Missed my bike terribly though, (WTH?) Could it be that I've arrived at a place where I just LIKE the way exercise make me feel? *big grin*

On gains...I give myself a 10 pound wiggle range, (though I've yet to see the bottoms end). At 5'6" my goal range is 135-145 pounds. I typically hang around 141. I weight once per week and if I step even a pound outside, I go back to logging until I'm back in my range. Doesn't happen often. 5 pound gain right after vacay, (admittedly, I was HORRIBLE BAD with food and alcohol that week) and I'd returned to my goal range the next weekend with simple logging.

No PCOS here.

[jmw]

I have loved reading the replies here. Thank you for starting this thread, Chunky(that seem so wrong to type, given your current status!). It has been very interesting to read how everyone does things a bit differently to suit themselves and their needs- which is what we should do. I don't view myself as being on a diet at all. If I want it, I work it in and eat it. But, personally, for me, I have to have awareness of what I am eating. I was the 300 pound fat girl who was delusioned enough and thought that she looked damn fine thankyouverymuch. Until I saw a picture of myself anyhow. So, I am really good at convincing myself that I am eating well(healthfully) as a whole, and this Reese egg that I am putting in my mouth(not now, just an example ) is the exception, not the rule. Except, for me, it easily and quickly turns in to "the rule" and I am very good at convincing myself otherwise. So, basic food journaling is good for me. If I have a spurt of not journaling, it is because I didn't want to enter what I have been eating and face the reality that 6 Reese eggs, the bowl of salted caramel gelato, and the doritos over the course of the day really added up and I ate that instead of meals. Not that I would ever do that(but pre-sleeve, I would have). So, it keeps me honest with myself. If I want a Reese egg, or two, I have it. I just keep myself honest.

[jane_vsg_ayla]

Judie,

Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions. I am your age and it looks like we started at near the same weight too. Unlike you, I started lifting weights once I was a month and a half out from surgery and lift with a trainer 3x a week. Additionally I do yoga and some cardio on other days (or sometimes same day but later on). So it sounds like, based on your experiences, that I am setting myself up how you would in hindsight. My body fat at 7 months out was 29% I think and at that time I was around 138. I measure that every two months so I am not sure where it is today but maybe 28% at 134. I'd love to get to 130 or maybe even 125 as I am short - but we will see. More importantly I want to keep building muscle and ideally shed more body fat.

My body is mostly equally proportioned, which is good. The exception is my stomach which seems the fattest part on me. Hoping the weight comes here next since my legs are super solid (arms a bit flabby but muscular too)...

I am getting around 900-1000 calories most days, and while I really have to work hard to get there even, I do want to increase it so that I am able to eat more going forward, which will in turn help me build more muscle too.

Thanks again for your help.

Yes - you are light years ahead of where I was. I lost about 45-50 pounds and thought I looked "good" til I took progress pictures and wanted to die. I looked terrible. I looked anoretic from the chest up and the thigh down and had absolutely no butt (a muscle!), and still plenty of waist and back and hip fat. It was a horrible moment. That did not help the depression that was just sinking in, and led me to regain.

Keep lifting weights! Lift heavy, lift progressive, lift often. Do some accessory work too to keep everything balanced, and cardio as desired. I hit my current weight after about 6 months of training. I was about 130 pounds and about 26% body fat. 8 months later, I was 130 pounds and 17% body fat. Pretty impressive, but even more so was the food side of it. My trainer tried to treat me like his other clients and told me what food to eat (chicken, veggies, etc ) and portions. The first day I could not eat half what he wanted me to and it took the whole day and only totaled about 800 calories (he put 6 oz chicken plus 1 cup broccoli plus a sweet potato as dinner!!!!). After a few weeks he gave up and just gave me numbers (calories, protein, fat, carbs) to hit and let me do it however I wanted. We started at 1000 calories, and every month he insisted I increase by about 100 calories. Over the next few months my energy soared - I was walking all over the place, going for hikes for fun, twitching in my chair, dancing around my house and cleaning more, etc. I swear every time he upped my calories by 100, I burned at least that many more!. By the end of those 8 months, I was eating nearly 2000 calories a day. ANd my weight never changed, but my body fat dropped 9%.

Not just weight wise, but he fixed a 40 year old issue I had with my knees (muscle imbalance in legs!) and I stopped seeing the chiropractor (more muscle imbalances) and I have nearly perfect posture for the first time in my life (I am definitely the biggest slumper you have ever seen....)

Its worth every minute of weight training. Good for you!

[jane_vsg_ayla]

Picture4.jpgPicture5.jpg

Here are my pics from before surgery (2 years before - they were before pics from a diet that never happened!) to after my 45 pound loss from surgery when I thought I looked good.. . Then I gained 20 pounds, started training and lost 20 pounds - that is the third pic... Same weight as the second but look at the measurement difference! And finally after 8 mos of maintaining my weight (13 months of training total).

[Ann2]

What a fascinating thread this has become!