Question for CC who are in maintenance!
 

I'm still a ways away from goal, but I'm interested in knowing how you all upped your calories once you hit goal. Did you just start eating your maintenance calories for your new weight or did you slowly start adding back in more calories each day/week?

I'm thinking of going the slowly-adding-calories-back-in route. That seems like the safest bet in not seeing any big fluctuations on the scale. :)

Good question, sandcar. I am currently at 1400 calories a day. When I get to 145 pounds, I plan to increase to 1500 calories for two weeks, then 1600 for two weeks, then 1700 for two weeks, then see what weight I maintain at 1750. I'm curious to hear what other CC maintainers do/did.

Good question...I've been wondering that myself! If you don't get any responses here, you might also want to try posting in the maintainers forum?

Oboegal, you've done amazingly well, and that sounds like an outstanding maintenance plan.

NorthernExposure, great idea about posting in the maintenance board. I know there are still some CC on maintenance who still visit this board, so I hope to get a few responses here soon.

I actually started eating the maintenance cals for my dream weight of 135 in hopes that I would get there eventually, but found those cals to be too much flexibility for me and I ended up binging on the weekends but I was maintaining 148-153 for about 6 weeks. I pulled in the reins and stuck to those dream goal maintenace cals as cals I'd only use if needed and lowered myself to 1600-1800 per day with a 2000-2500 cal day once a week because I'm training for a half marathon and am now losing again. I'm hoping I'll hit 135 and level out on my own and maintain between 135-140 continuing to eat 1600-1800 with one higher day.

Slowly added them back in over the course of 4-6 weeks (and still tweaking!).

Thank you both for your replies!

I kept the calories the same for about a year, I just had 1 day a week that I ate what I wanted. Well, after my over eating day of course I gained 3 -5lbs. in water weight. It took me the 5 to 6 days to take off the water. Then I gradually upped calories every few days. I was losing weight at 900-1100 calories a day, now I'm at 1100 to 1300 a day, sometimes higher, but never go over 1600. It depends on what the scale shows. I'm still struggling with it, can't get it right yet, even after 16mo.