I would love to hear from someone who has lost a significant amount of weight on MRC and maintained the loss for a year or more. It would be very encouraging. I've lost weight many times over the years but have never been able to keep it off. I hope that this time is different.

Me too! I'm worried about maintaining. From the beginning I've had some doubts about the long term sustainability of MRC.

Me too!

I've especially been wondering how the re-introduction of some more carbs affects your ability to stabilize/maintain.

If you guys stay intelligent and dont freak out as you go into maintenance and add carbs, then you will be ok

Heres whats going to happen---
youre going to gain some of the weight backsorry. But its a fact-- ACCEPT it. you CANNOT continue to live your life in a caloric deficit of 1200 cals a day, everyday,. for the rest of your life.

Its really quite simple.
As soon as you re-introduce some carbs back, you are going to gain immediate WATER weight. This i OK. Its not fat i PROMISE, so dont go and freak out and give up, crying that youll never be able to eat a piece of bread again!
remember that big loss you prob had, the first week to 10 days on the yellow/blue menus? Thats the weight that is going to come back. Most of that was water weight, from depleting your glycogen stores (CARBS)in your muscle and body tissues. it HAS to come back. Be Prepared. Also, youre going to gain a little bit of weight from the actual weight of THE FOOD youre now eating. Expect a pound(ISH) for every 200-300 extra cals you add back in. ONce AGAIN-- NOT FAT. Expect it, and dont freak out. depending on how long you were on the program, and how much damage you did to your metabolism, and how much lean muscle mass you lost will affect alot of how sensitive you beome with water fluctuations. I would personally start making a concious choice to get in more sodium as you approach maintenance. Your body is going to go very out of whack over that as well, once you start eating a *normal* and healthy amount of sodium

Ever since i did MRC, (and ive been maintaining a year) My weight will literally fluctuate within a 10 POUND range, of water weight. Over night i can gain 8-10 pounds, IN WATER WEIGHT.

If the idea of putting back on 3-8 pounds frigthens you, then shoot for your gaol weight a little lower, Knowing and expecting that youll gain alittle back.

mkroyer, that makes so much sense, thank you!!! When you started adding in regular sodium did you just use table salt or something instead of sea salt?

Spryng-- i started using a low sodium table salt, its called Lite table salt or something