I QUIT, how to transition to maintenance and still lose a little more?

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  • So I think I'm done. My loss has slowed way down and I'm just getting frustrated and I don't think I have what it takes to be so preoccupied with weight loss for 8 or more weeks. Part of me feels like my body is telling me it's at the weight it's happy at, but the other part of me knows that can't be true because there is still a good amount of pudge around my middle. However, with the strength training I've incorporated I'm still losing inches and things seem to be continuing to tighten up but I'm not really losing anymore weight. I'll probably give my plan a few more weeks in hopes that I'll get one more whoosh that might send me into the 140s, but I think come first week of July, I'm done. I feel a bit like a failure, not reaching my goal and not being completely satisfied with my body or weight, but I think I'm going to change my focus to strength training, toning and maintenance, but deep down I know I want to lose more lbs. So how can I pick a maintenance plan that will allow more weight loss if my body decides it wants that? I mean since I'm not losing now how do I add cals until I stop losing? I really don't want to add cals until I start gaining...I'm getting confused and I can't stay at my current cal level, but I don't think I'd need to add more than 200-300 cals/day to be happier (I'm zig zagging too and will continue to do that into maintenance). Any advice? Am I quitting? I know that 8 weeks doesn't sound like a long time to just stick it out, but I've been doing this for 4 years and the last 6 months it's just been completely consuming and I'm just tired and hungry A small part of me is wondering if the strength training is making things go wonky. I eat a very balance diet and my cals are on the high side and always have been and I've always lost so why am I so tired and hungry lately? I've been strength training for 8 weeks or so, and wasn't that tired or hungry when I started...ugh...I know that this will upset some people, but losing 10lbs is so much harder than losing 100lbs No, I'm kidding, but it really feels that way sometimes. Ok, thanks for listening.
  • I can't speak to how to maintain/continue to lose a bit more, but I needed to write and say that to "feel a bit like a failure" needed to be addressed! ACK - you are ANYTHING but a failure - to set your mind and your actions to do what you've done is superb and admirable - to feel anything but pride and successful is to unintentionally, I'm sure, belittle yourself and your efforts. Don't be modest - my goodness - you've done GREAT. And, as you said, with the strength training, your body shape is still adjusting and as you continue to gain a bit more muscle, that will help offset a few calories as well. Strength training seems to increase hunger, too - at least I think so.

    You're NOT quitting - you're sliding into the next phase! You are a role model to many! Congratulations!
  • Thanks. Failure was completely the wrong term. I know what I've done has been a complete success...I think quitter is what I really feel like.
  • Well if you're current food plan has you NOT losing anything and you are looking to MAINTAIN, I would say keep on doing EXACTLY what you've been doing. Because in actuality, what you HAVE been doing IS maintaining, correct? So if you were to ADD in calories, chances are, you will gain weight. But only trial and error can tell you that.

    The thing that bothers me a bit though, is that you mentioned you are hungry and you say that you're already at a high level. Perhaps you can shift around your calories, not necessarily the quality (but maybe), but the times and the sizes of your meals. Maybe stretch them out, eat smaller amounts more frequently. Of course keep in mind, I haven't a clue as to what your food plan looks like.

    The strength training could possibly be a factor here, weight wise, time will tell.

    And no, you're no failure here missy. Not by a long short. Look what you've accomplished. Just look!

    The good thing about this is, is that you can change your mind further down the road. You can stay this way for a while and after a bit, if you want you can try your hand at weight loss again - or not - it's up to you. It's not written in stone and can be changed at any time.

    In the meantime, revel in that new, wonderful you you've created.
  • I really don't think that "quitter" is the right word either. You have done wonderfully, you have lost a lot of weight, your body may just be ready for a rest.

    So now you will be maintaining, or maybe losing a few more lbs. And that is difficult, it really is. That's where I am, so I am speaking from experience.

    OK, I recommend that you weigh yourself every day. This will help keep you from slipping back into old habits. Those lost lbs. can rejoin you mighty quickly.

    By all means, continue with the strength training, it will help tone your body.

    Continue to watch the calorie intake. As you add a few more calories, you do need to be careful that you are not adding too many.

    IMHO the maintenance stage is more difficult than the losing weight ever was. You will need to be careful for the rest of your life. I'm sorry, but it is true for most of us who have lost weight. It is a 'balancing act' for sure. Just think of all the people who have successfully lost weight, and then were totally unsuccessful at maintaining that weight loss.

    Again, you have done a wonderful job losing that weight. You should be very proud of yourself. Smile when you look in that mirror at the totally new you.

    And now it is on to another chapter of your life. Best of luck to you.
  • I have no advice re: maintaining, because I'm just getting there myself... but something in your post made me think... overtraining?

    I found this website that discusses some of the symptoms of overtraining -- some of which I'm feeling myself unfortunately...

    It might be worth researching a bit to see if that could be part of it. It could be that after weight training for 8 weeks it is time to take a "deload" week (there was a post on 3FC SOMEWHERE about a deload week but search as I might I just can't find it!). I think it has been shown that the exhaustion of overtraining can make your bod go into lockdown -- that may be why the scale refuses to budge downward, only upward.

    It just seems that if you are feeling as you are, it might be best to ease off for a bit, take a break, maintain for a while, and then see how you feel.

    Congratulations on your incredible success. You have done something incredible, something people dream about doing every day, but rarely do...
  • Increase your caloric intake. That's what Jillian Michael's says! I can't give you the scientific reasoning, but I can only assume your body is hanging on to those pounds and the remaining pudge because it doesn't feel properly and abundantly (not OVER abundantly) nourished. I read one of Jillian's articles on this recently. Good luck!
  • You know, increasing my cals has always worked, but it just seems too good to be true at this point and the only calculator I can find to justify it requires I claim 5xs/week of intense exercise. I generally do some form of exercise everyday, but I highly doubt any of the days are intense.
  • If you are losing inches, then I would try to not get too caught up in what the scale says at this point. Give your body a chance to adjust to it all - the 115 lbs gone and the strength training.

    For calories, I think you will have to bite the bullet and experiment to see. I don't think you should be going hungry, but I would also do what Robin suggested and play around with what and when you eat, and not just how much.

    And a final word, please don't EVER consider yourself a failure or a quitter. You have accomplished so much and been a huge inspiration for both the journey you've taken, and your honesty about all the thoughts and feelings you are dealing with.
  • I really, REALLy agree with Robin. Sounds like you might be already eating at your maintaince calories. If you raise them you will probably gain weight. Since you are already "zig-zagging" (or whatever you guys call it), I don't think more calories is the ticket. Less yes, more...I really seriously doubt it.

    I see it recommended on 3FC all the time, and I can't quite wrap my head around the idea, though I'm sure there is a great concept attached. I hear, "Eat more, eat more, you're not eating enough for a person your size...eat more, (and my personal favorite...lol) you'll go into starvation mode", so a person raises their calories to the maximum amount they can eat so that they lose VERY, very slowly...Which is fine and dandy, but then about every weight decade the weight stalls and the person has to take away calories, the patterns repeats itself for months and then walla they get close (or to) goal and they want to add more calories. It just doesn't work that way with the "highest calorie possible plan". You basically end up eating your maintaince calories by the time you reach goal. That's the end...the max you can have.

    I've been lectured and made fun of and told I was doing this all wrong, but when I reached goal, because I was eating basically the Doctor recommended minimum amount, I did get to add calories back once I hit goal. (And it was GREAT )

    The thing is this. I didn't want to keep reducing calories. I didn't want to get used to a high calorie amount only to have to keep taking more away the smaller I got. I guess I was looking for a reward at the end...to actually get to eat more. I guess it all depends on the person and how they want to reach their goal.
  • Quote: I've been lectured and made fun of and told I was doing this all wrong, but when I reached goal, because I was eating basically the the Doctor recommended minimum amount, I did get to add calories back once I hit goal.

    The thing is this. I didn't want to keep reducing calories. I didn't want to get used to a high calorie amount only to have to keep taking more away the smaller I got. I guess I was looking for a reward at the end...to actually get to eat more. I guess it all depends on the person and how they want to reach their goal.
    This is my take as well. Once I got past the fear of my hair falling out, my nails going brittle, not maintaining long term, etc, I set it to lose 1.5#/wk which is about what I do. Sometimes a bit more, a couple of times less.

    Now I don't know about adding calories in straight up or if it matters the type of calories they are. I suspect I will be able to add in more unprocessed carbs and less sugar type foods. I also don't know if I want the sugar demon stirred up again. I really like not having that pull to eat it. I had yellow & red bell pepper strips with my salad and they were so sweet. I saved them for the end because they were so delicious. I like that my sweet tooth appreciates sweetness from a veggie!
  • Quote:
    Sounds like you might be already eating at your maintaince calories. If you raise them you will probably gain weight. Since you are already "zig-zagging" (or whatever you guys call it), I don't think more calories is the ticket. Less yes, more...I really seriously doubt it.
    Dear lord, please don't let this be the case, I don't think I could sustain this being my maintenance cals...This stuff is tricky business, we're all so different...I guess all I can do is experiment...I tried going a little lower but I was so ravenous it just wasn't worth it and I didn't lose anything. I'm going to try increasing my intensity and duration on my strength training days in hopes that shaking that up will get the weight loss going again...as far as what to do with my cals...I just don't know...
  • I am hoping that it works out that I'm eating my maintenance calories now, which is a range of 1200-1500 a day. I will go up to 1600 and still consider myself on plan if those extras are because I'm truly hungry and it's coming from fruit or veggies. I am very happy with what and how much I eat, and can see myself eating this amount for the rest of my life. If by chance I should get to my goal and find that I'm still losing on that amount of calories, I would add in extra calorie via not being quite so careful as I am now if I go out to eat, etc, and figure that since it's still are occurrence, one high cal meal each month or so would make up any difference.

    I could stick closer to the 1200 number, but for me, this whole journey is about making changes and creating habits that I can sustain for the rest of my life. So rather than being really strict and rewarding myself in the end, I'm taking a middle road and being strict enough to lose weight but not so strict that I can't comfortably and happily stay on plan for the long term. My 1200 days don't feel like a hardship right now, but I would miss the added variety I can have when I play around with those additional 300 calories. Depending on the month, I average about 1350-1400 a day, so I know I'm having a good mix of high and low days within my range.
  • ncuneo, you mentioned that you're eating at a fairly high calorie level now, you of course don't have to answer this question, I understand perfectly if you'd rather not, but here goes - just how many calories are you consuming? I think I may also be hearing that you're not so satisfied with the amount, so another question (again feel free to not answer), just what does a typical food day look like for you? Maybe that can be adjusted (or not, I'd have no way of knowing this), maybe we can make some suggestions.
  • Hon, are you REALLY stalling, or are you just so anxious to be done that 1 lb. every week or so seems like stalling? I think you've been moving your ticker down pretty regularly . . . Believe me, I've gone through times where I had myself convinced I was completely stalled, but checking my weigh-ins quickly proved me wrong.

    That being said, I work out pretty intensely 5 days a week (some days harder than others--just depends), and I actually lose about the same on 1500 calories as I do on 1700. I fully expect to be able to maintain at 2100-2200 with my current activity level (6-10 miles of jogging weekly plus 60 min of strength training, 50 min spin class, and 50 min yoga/pilates).