Hi. I hit my maintenance goal 10 days ago. Has anyone else had a problem with being a little afraid to increase their calories, carbs, fat grams or whatever plan you were using after first getting to maintenance? Did it result in further weight loss? I lost 2 more lbs. this past 10 days although I wasn't trying to lose more. I am sure it is a little of a juggling act to find the correct maintenance level. I increased my carbs by 10 grams for a few days and then noticed that I was eating as few of carbs again as while trying to lose. I keep a daily journal at home and am trying to get the numbers right. Any help is appreciated. I did notice that a lot of the maintainers are actually at a lower weight than their goals. I am getting 1400 -1500 calories a day.
Hi. I hit my maintenance goal 10 days ago. Has anyone else had a problem with being a little afraid to increase their calories, carbs, fat grams or whatever plan you were using after first getting to maintenance? Did it result in further weight loss? I lost 2 more lbs. this past 10 days although I wasn't trying to lose more. I am sure it is a little of a juggling act to find the correct maintenance level. I increased my carbs by 10 grams for a few days and then noticed that I was eating as few of carbs again as while trying to lose. I keep a daily journal at home and am trying to get the numbers right. Any help is appreciated. I did notice that a lot of the maintainers are actually at a lower weight than their goals. I am getting 1400 -1500 calories a day.
I was absolutely terrified to increase calories. Took me about 2 months to slowly increase from 1600 to 1800-2000. I went very very slowly. You can read my "upping" journal from last year over on Shape if you want to see the paranoia.
I increased my calories in late April of last year at 140. Except for one freakish weigh-in of 142, I never had any increase on the scale. Upping calories did not make me gain weight. In fact, I eventually lost more weight!
Thanks Glory, it is scary to change my calories or carbs but I am trying to do it very slowly. I read your link and thanks for sharing. I am getting exercise every day after being very sedentary for the last several years. It may be that I could eat a little more. I read about the Super Foods and I am getting plenty of these every day, esp. fruits and veggies. I am now having Oats for breakfast and I love them. I had a baked yam last night and it was great. I haven't tried the soy milk but is it good or does it take some getting used to. I use the low-carb whole wheat bread. I also use walnuts and almonds for a snack. I try to make sure that whatever I eat is healthy for me. I don't eat a lot of fats. I do eat lean proteins, chicken and baked fish.
Lilly, soy does take some getting used to, but once you get used to it I bet you'll like it. I've been vegetarian for years so I'm very familiar with soy; the best tasting ones are the kind you find right next to the milk, i.e. Silk and 8th Continent. They cost a little more, but it's worth it, IMO. Try the unsweetened for less calories, if you're still worried about that, and expect a nutty, sort of sweet taste. I still don't drink it straight because milk of any kind has never been my thing, but on cereal or in oatmeal it's really good.
I use vanilla soymilk on my cold cereal, in oatmeal, or anything that is on the sweet side. I never could get used to the taste of regular soymilk, but the vanilla is nice enough that I actually quit using sweetners in oatmeal. I'll use skim cow's milk if I make mashed potatoes or something like that.
Thanks, I have seen the Silk where I shop and I will try some. I usually sweeten my Oats with sugar-free syrup. The rest of my family thinks this is gross but it tastes good to me.
I like Silk soymilk. The vanilla is too sweet for me so we buy the one in the red carton. There is now another Silk soymilk that has even less sugar than the red. But I'm not used to the taste so we stick with the red.
My point... buy small cartons of a few different types and have a taste test. Don't forget to shake the containers slightly before pouring.
When I firts started with soy milk I used the full fat version for a while till I got used to the taste then when to the no fat type. I don't like the vanilla flavour either because of the sugar, I add vanilla though to my cereal and it's good that way...
Question. Once hitting maintenance, has anyone had anybody to make them feel they were larger than they really are? This happened to me today and it made me feel a little disheartened. I have been proud of my weight loss and felt that I looked my size. I was at yard sales and was a eyeing a pair of light green capris. The lady there said "those are a size 12, and would probably be a little big on you". Then she added "you look like a size 10 to me". I just smiled and said "yes, they would be a little big". It really did make me think I look larger and I debated on trying to lose more. Then, I figured this is rediculous to second judge myself based on what a stranger said. I wanted to tell her that the baggy capris that I had on were much smaller than a ten, but I kept my mouth shut. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 10 and I was darn proud when I hit that size and rightly so. It just made me think, do others think the same thing? I don't mean to be petty, I think if I were a size 14 and someone guessed me a size 20 that I'd feel the same way.
How could that not hurt? You worked hard to be that size, and someone guesses big. It is hurtful. But you look great, your picture is just awesome. It really isn't that much different from somebody guessing you're older than you are, or that you're the secretary instead of the boss because a woman answered the phone, or telling you that this hairstyle is so much better than your last one. While these are all respectable places to be in life, if you've worked for a different image, it is extremely disappointing. If you want to lose more weight for yourself, go for it, but if you're planning to lose some more weight everytime somebody says something stupid and hurtful, well, you'll waste away in no time. You are fabulous!
Thanks for that insight, it made me feel better. I didn't think of it that way , but I have had people guess me as older than I am. Not lately, but it happened quite often in the past. I have also had people ask "when is your baby due" when I wasn't pregnant. That has to be the worst. Thanks again. Also, I am not planning to try to lose more weight, just trying to maintain.
A silly question, but what do I do about bras? Since losing weight, the top of my breasts are flat and the bottom are round. I now wear a 36C, down from a 42DD. I have bought a couple padded bras and they crunch up on the top, where the cup is empty. I need some support and am now wearing these underwires. I am always self-conscious that someone can tell that I don't fill them out. Any ideas on what would be a good type of bra for me? Also, where do I get some padded undies? I am constantly told that my butt is as flat as an airplane runway.
Hey Lilly ... You look fantastic BTW so keep it up and the heck with what that rude person said! As for the bras, well, I don't fill mine either People must wonder about me when I go to the gym wearing my sports bra I am really really flat and then when I dress up I have boobs ... Maybe going to a bra fitting clinic would help, I'd like to do that myself someday. As for the flat butt, well, you could get padded undies but how about doing some lunges and squats to round out your now flat butt... I wish I had the flat butt problem sometimes ...
Thanks, I guess I could do some lunges and squats, I never thought about that. I usually only walk on treadmill or outside due to many problems with abdominal surgeries. I would like to go get properly fitted for a bra.
Lily, try walking on the treadmill on a steep incline slowly to simulate lunges. Hold onto the side rails Lunges and heavy squats will eventually give you a high "bubble butt".
I have the same problems with bras, made even more exasperating because I deliberately lift to widen my back. Very heavy chest presses have given me big pectoral muscles (what your boobs hangs from) so that fills a little. What worked best was spending several hours in Victorias Secret with a sympathetic (not 19 yr old) saleswoman who had me try on just about every style without rhinestones or leopard print We eventually found two or three styles that fit, felt good, and I felt good wearing them. Expensive, but I did manage to find some of then on sale during their July sales. Hurry!
A question for maintainers
... You look fantastic BTW so keep it up and the heck with what that rude person said! As for the bras, well, I don't fill mine either 
People must wonder about me when I go to the gym wearing my sports bra I am really really flat and then when I dress up I have boobs 
Lunges and heavy squats will eventually give you a high "bubble butt". 
We eventually found two or three styles that fit, felt good, and I felt good wearing them. Expensive, but I did manage to find some of then on sale during their July sales. Hurry! 