You're right. Because I'm so conscious of it now, I know that if I see that scale starting to creep back upwards, back down the calories will go.

It's just I feel like I should be sitting at a meeting saying, "Hi. My name is Linda. And I'm a calorie-aholic."

Although instead of needing to back OFF the calories, I need to increase them.

lol

It's separate. I don't count the free Sunday meal. Never have. I've been doing that free Sunday meal since I began

However, I still watch what I eat all day Sunday up until that point.

Counting the Sunday meal would be rather hard. So maybe keep my Saturday's as a low calorie day to sort of 'make up' for the calories I'll be eating Sunday?

Sunday, even though I watch what I eat all day until dinner, is a 'break' day for me. I take a break from logging everything. So I'd kinda like to leave it that way.

As far as weights, I've got 6-pound hand weights. Is that good? Sometimes I lay on the floor (or stand) and use the weights to work my arms, but I don't work anything else. Are just the arms okay? Or would I have to do total body?

Oh, and I'm not going to use the extra calories as 'junk' calories. I don't want to get into the mindset of, "Hey, I can eat more food! Gimme that bag of potato chips!"

I want to eat HEALTHY food. I'll take a big fat piece of fish over potato chips anyday.

But I agree, along with upping my calories, I've GOT to increase my activity, just for the sake of metabolism issues. I'm so stuck in a routine that my body probably doesn't even know what metabolism is.

Gack! The last thing I want is for you to have to count more calories!

But your body is counting those calories, even when you aren't. Your weekly calorie total could possibly be a lot higher than you think if those calories were included - maybe your daily average is really higher than 1200 - 1300? I'd never advocate that you fix what isn't broken and the free meal has sure worked for you so far, but it's just something to think about when you worry about maintaining at 1200 calories. You possibly could be higher than you realize ...

As for muscle building, you want to be working all your muscle groups - back, chest, biceps, triceps, abs, legs, calves, and shoulders. Your legs are your biggest muscles and exercise really can pays off there by firming up and slimming down any leftover flabby areas. Do you belong to a gym? Are you a video lover? Have you ever worked out with weights or machines before?

I didn't start a weekly treat meal until I was maintaining (my two treat meals for the entire time I was actively losing weight were my birthday dinner and Christmas dinner). Now that I'm maintaining, I don't count my treat meal at all. In Fitday, I use the journal to say I ate it, but I don't even try to Fitday it.

I was pretty scared to increase calories, it was actually a RELIEF to eat more. An extra 300 calories felt like ultimate decadence - I could eat peanut butter toast freely, I could add a little low fat cheese to my tacos, I could cook with more olive oil, go for the low fat dressing not the fat free dressing. It made me a much happier person! When I was trying to lose a few lbs after Singapore, it was TOUGH to go back to 1400, I like to eat!

Well, that's true, but it's something I've done for 2 years now and I've lost 83 pounds doing it, so.... but I see what you're saying. Now that my calories are so low, I'm probably eating more than I need.

As for weights, no, the only thing I've done is working my arms.

Me either. It would be nearly impossible to track it.

I suppose what I could do is just back off the food a little at Sunday dinner. But that treat meal is what's kept me sane through all of this. When I want to eat stuff I shouldn't during the week, I remind myself that nope, not yet, I can do that Sunday. But again, it's not the whole day, just the one meal. I NEED that one meal to keep me from breaking the rest of the week. I even allow myself dessert.

But if I need to back off the calories a little even at Sunday dinner, I can sacrifice the dessert. I just don't want to sacrifice the meal itself. It's not that I totally pig out and stuff myself silly. It's just I eat whatever we're in the mood for and if I want seconds, I go back for them. Something I don't allow myself to do any other time.

Don't get me wrong, Linda - I definitely DO NOT think you should change a thing about your free meal!! You enjoy it and it obviously works for you ... My point was just that your overall calorie picture may not be quite as dire as you think if you're maintaining on 1200 - 1300 calories and a once a week free meal. That's probably about what maintenance is for me too.

True. However there are some days I don't even make 1200 calories. I frequently go through phases where I just don't feel like eating and have to literally force myself for the sake of getting nutrition.

I think I'm going to try upping to 1500 for a while and see what happens. Like you said, it might be time to do some experimenting to see what my body will handle. I'll do it for a week, starting tomorrow, and then weigh myself. If I'm still the same, I'll continue. If I'm going up, I'll have to back off again. Also, I'm going to try and cut Sunday dessert. I don't eat much for dessert, really (even my desserts are usually low fat and sugar-free and nobody even notices! lol) but I'll try and back off a little on those.

Only thing is, everybody expects it. See, my MIL comes over every Sunday for dinner. We all look forward to Sunday dinner. And dessert is sort of a traditional part of it. And I know how I am. If everyone else is eating cake, I'm gonna eat it too.

I maintain on about 1400 calories...and I do about an hour of HEAVY weightlifting 4-5 days per week and 45-60 minutes of cardio 4-5 days per week. I didn't really count when I was losing but I probably ate around 1000 plus a free meal maybe once a month.

What you can eat to maintain is so indivualized...so many factors come into play that I think the calculators are generalized guestimators. Age, muscle mass, % of body weight that you have lost, current body fat%, activity level, hormones, genetics, etc, all play a part.

You really won't know how your body reacts until you try. I know that mine gets fatter, even on 100% chicken breast, vegetables, and sweet potato if I eat more.

Good luck!

Mel

Yep, calories calories

Thanks and I think I'll start working out more with my weights.