Me too. Sigh. Getting old sucks. :lol:

Pookie, I'm not SuperWoman!! Good heavens, I mess up All The Freaking Time! (but I pick myself up and keep on going ;) ) Yes, I definitely plan special treats and nice dinners at restaurants. I don't take cheat days off, but PLAN in special meals. Restaurants work out really well for me because it's portion-controlled (only ONE dessert instead of three :p ) AND there's no leftovers sitting around the house calling my name. I enjoy my meal, leave the restaurant and then I'm done and back on plan. Sometimes there's gotta to be more to life than oatmeal and egg whites! :D

Ditto on what Meg said above. ;)

I've said this before, but I firmly believe (judging from my own personal experience AND the study from NWCR which I quoted on another thread) that as time passes - and you've been not-fat longer than fat - your body gets 'used' to being not-fat and isn't trying so hard to be fat AGAIN. (that setpoint thing...) Of course that doesn't mean I'm going to chow down on a large pizza or anything - that thought makes me GAG these days!

But I think that it's true that the more you had to lose, the longer you have to keep the calories really ramped down and the exercise up - unfortunately, IMO, there are not really any exact answers or equations. It's pretty much a 'trial and error' type of experimentation we all need to do as individuals.

And yup...a couple hundred calories can make a BIG difference!

Good post, Well said MrsJim << unfortunately, IMO, there are not really any exact answers or equations. It's pretty much a 'trial and error' type of experimentation we all need to do as individuals.
And yup...a couple hundred calories can make a BIG difference>>


Not everyone is alike. 200 calories may seem to be an average here, but its only an average. Which means there are people with numbers both higher as well as lower. This is not false hope, this is fact.

As I mentioned in another post, I have carry lots of muscle tissue and because of this have a higher than average metabolic rate. Even after menopause, I lose about a pound/week on 1800+ cals/day. As I continue to lose, this number will decrease of course, but my maintaining number will probably be higher than most people's. The downside of a higher metabolism is that one feels physically hungry more often because the body uses and asks for more food so in the end its a wash -- there is no free ride for anyone.

As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, large weight gains are ususally not the result of anyone's metabolic rate, be it high or low, but rather underlying emotional issues that drive people to attempt to self medicate with food regardless of physical hunger levels. Binge eating a whole pie has very little to do with physiological needs. Of course this in no way applies to everyone.

No matter what ones met rate is, it still takes 3500 calories/pound. 100 calories extra each day means about 10 pounds extra over a year. 200 extra each day is 20 added pounds in a year. Over 2 years, that's 40 pounds, so it does matter.

Maintaining a weight loss requires personal responsibility. No one can assume what works for one will work for another, though hearing others stories can give hints as to what direction to go as well as suspecting how difficult it will be. As usual, the bottom line is, if you are gaining weight, you are eating more than your body is metabolizing. Its up to you to make the adjustments, no one else can do it for you.

Life is not always fair.

Jan

I just thought of two other variables that makes it impossible to assume everybody will be the same with respect to maintance calorie levels, and, in addition, that it might vary further at different times of the year.

First, not everyone lives in the same climate. Most of our calories are used to keep our body at +/- 98.6 degrees, plus other cellular activities and whatever else we use in movement. Our base number of calories can vary more if our seasons are extreme from one to the other. Or how much you heat or air-condition your home. If you turn on the heat at night, or not. How much bedding you use. If you exercise outdoors or indoors in the winter. How many layers of clothes you wear. Here in so california, the winters are mild, but I also do not heat my home so my indoor winter temps are in the 60's. The greater the difference between the surrounding air temp and our bodies, the more calories we will require to keep our body temp constant. This will vary from season to season.

Another variable is how we count our calories. In the wonderful library we have here, there is an aritcle someplace about how 'off' most peoples calculations are. I dont remember the exact numbers but if I recall, many people are off regularily by about 40% in their calorie amounts. And usually in the low direction. Meaning many (not all) people eat more than they think they are. Of course old hands at counting, esp successful losers, are more likely to be accurate, but I would bet from one person to another, even counting the identicle food array, there would be differences among us. Of course this doesnt really matter because its only our own personal calories that count, and as long as we are consistent with ourselves, that's all that counts.

I dislike the time change, I'd rather be outside. Jan