I have been reading and reading and reading some more on maintaining. I have found an array of information. Today, my goal was for 1500 calories. I was using 1200 to lose. But, I am hungry! Maybe just a head hunger? I dunno.

I know I normally budget my calories/points really well..... but today I have THREE (or 150 calories) for supper! Ouch!

Any advise would be appreciated. I have found every range from 1500-3000 (that would be great..... but we know not realistic)!

Tammy

Hi Tammy, check out this thread from the maintainers main forum, it might have some good info: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/livi...intenance.html

The general wisdom is that the only way to find your maintenance calories is trial and error.

Hey Tammy! Sorry, I just saw this post this morning. Jessica pointed you to a great thread.

I would think at your height and weight that you would be able to eat more than 1500 to maintain. Also like Jessica said, it is all about trial and error. I started out my weight loss process at 1200ish, moved up gradually to about 1500 and was still losing. Met goal and moved up, continued to lose until I hit an average of about 1900. Now, realistically, I know I was looser with the tracking, so my 1900 average was probably a little higher than that. Honestly, I'm still learning too, even after more than a year.

Increase gradually, a little at a time and see what happens.

It is trial and error, and some days you will eat more than others. Just play with it a little bit. Don't be afraid of eating enough so that the scale blips up a hair to find out where your top is. I think we tend to be too afraid to eat when at maintenance for fear of regaining, and end up eating too little.