Is this a good maintenance plan?
 

I've just reached my goal weight (110 lbs, if that matters) and I am starting maintenance now. I ate around 1300 to 1600 cals a day and exercised 5 times a week during my weight loss period. Will I be able to maintain my current weight by cutting all my exercise and eating the same amount of calories? Thank you so much :)

Time will tell, maintenance , like losing takes a little of trial and error to find what works for you. Everybody is different what works for one may not work for someone else.

For me, the interplay between eating sensibly and exercising hard is critical for me to keep my health at the level where I want & need it to be. If I don't watch one or the other, I have problems.

Then again, I'm not much of a mathematician & never counted calories, so I'm probably not your best source, as you ought to consult with someone who's followed a plan & way of eating similar to yours. I always feel my ability to help people who query about calorie counts is very limited, as I cannot offer any equation to them in return.

But as Bargoo says, everyone here handles maintenance differently, just as we all handled weight loss differently, and there is a lot of trial-and-error and "fail better" happening among us at all times, even those of us who are years off from our initial loss.

Why would you cut out all of your exercise? It's important to keep/stay healthy. I would suggest slightly higher calories and slightly less exercise and see what happens. I wouldn't drastically change anything.

There is such a thing as being "skinny fat" which is thin but lacking in any muscle and tone. No exercise, for me, would result in a look I don't like at all. And I enjoy doing physical things (my job is almost all physical) and seeing how strong and resilient I am.

But everyone is different and you have to find out what works for you. I think Michele's suggestion is a good one.

Dagmar :dizzy:

Thank you so much for the replies!
I will try out this plan for a week or two and see what happens. Hoping for something positive!

I have been in maintainence since 3 lbs ago and highered my cals and decided to do less cardio. I enjoy the fitness I get from exercising so want to do it forever just not the 45 min a day but anywhere from 10-20 everyday or 45 every other or third day. Why stop it keeps u healthy and u can enjoy more calories. I am also lifting now cause a tone body burns more cals and looked more slender and can have more protein. I keep losing very slowly by doing that stuff. I am eating anywhere from 1400-1900 cals a day but have 1200 cal days to.

If you're asking if this is a good maintenance plan - I'd have to say no. I have no idea if you'll gain weight or not. But regular moderate exercise is as important to health as avoiding Ho-Hos.

congratulations on reaching your goal! :cheer2:

My advice is to keep working out (cardio, strength, flexibility) for the rest of your life :eek:

Functional fitness helps you every day...when a friend asks you to help them move and you spend all day lifting, carrying, going up and down stairs, and the next day you aren't sore at all? that's functional fitness. Go for a bicycle ride, and some dumb cager knocks you off your bike, and all you have are bruises? Your regular exercise kept your ligaments strong and no bones broke.

My .02 ;)

Can't help you with the calories, but I can't emphasize enough how important it is for me to exercise in order to remain in maintenance. Whenever I stopped exercising for an extended period of time, my weight went up.