[recidivist]

My goal on my new healthy eating plan is to try to stay at least 500 calories (more when I can) under my daily maintenance level of calories. I would have a limit for exercise too, if I could, but some days I really cannot move.

This means the more I exercise, the more calorie indulgence I am allowed. But, everyone needs a break now and then, so some days I do splurge.

So far, in sixty five days, I've only gone over my maintenance calories once, and that was only by 233 calories (and many days have been 1000 +/- under maintenance). So...my limit is to try to never splurge more than my maintenance calories per the charts. So far I've been doing pretty good.

According to may weigh-in today, I've lost 25+ lbs in 65 days. So, it's working, in spite of a few days of splurging when I just needed to let loose a little...and without the splurging, life just seems a bit too inflexible, doesn't it? Plus, according to the charts, based on my calorie intake, I should have only lost 16 lbs by now...so I think I'm staying well within reasonable splurge limits.


So...what is your limit you will not allow yourself to exceed...if possible?

[Glory87]

I've been maintaining for 4 years now, so I don't count that carefully anymore. To be honest, I eat a lot of the same foods every day. I have 2-3 favorite breakfasts, I eat the same thing for lunch/snacks and about 10 favorite dinners I cycle through. If I eat what I've planned, I hit my calorie range every day and I get a "treat" meal in a restaurant once a week. I don't consider it a cheat, it's just living my life.

I do have a redline on the scale for maintenance. 135. If my weight hits the redline, I try to start tracking more closely and cutting back a little until I get back to goal. The way my pants fit is also a really good guideline.

[Tristesse]

Yes, how your clothes fit is definitely a good guideline. If my 'period jeans' fit any other time than during my period, there's a problem. Thankfully this hasn't happened in a looooooooong time, I'm doing okay.