Hmmmm .... is it just me??

Ok so for about a week i've been playing with the idea of maintaining and finnishing getting rid of the fat slowely.

I've been dieting for about 4 months and i've gone from 26% body fat to about 18% and im very happy with what i've done even though the scales have not budged.

Ideally i'd alike eventually to get to about 15-16% body fat but i figure that will come off on it's own if i keep up the exercise as my metabalisom is pretty fired up from wieght lifting etc most of the time.

For the passed few months i've been eating bettween 1400 - 1600 per day and i figure my maintaince to be around 1900-2000 ish and my plan was to slowely raise it a 100cals a day, every week ... so this week it has been my aim to eat the set 1,600 every day and next week i plan to try and eat 1,700 every day etc.

Does this sound reasonable?? i'm terrified of gaining and i figured by doing this and watching the scale i could better work out my true needs for "maintaining"

Anyhoooo...

I really dunno whats wrong with me .. i keep setting my options to "maintain" setting my intake to 1900 (not planning to eat it all right now but thinking that at this point it doens't matter if i go over as long as it stays below this number as that is apprently my maintance level)

Anyway things are fine ... untill suddenly i notice ive Re-set my options ... i dunno whats wrong with me ... but i keep knocking my 1900 maintaince level down by 100cals... and then i need to kick myself and raise it again.

Logically i know im a healthy wieght size and body fat and because of my wieght training etc the last 2% will come off on its own .... i've spoken to the guys on the fitness boards they think im ready to maintain, my personal trainer insists im ready to maintain... and rationally i know they are right ..

but no no darm reason i keep resting my intake to 100cals less than maintain, or worse i don't eat all on my 1600 calories i "save" some ... and when i do it i think "oh well i'll just lose the last 2% quicker this way".... GAH!!

Last night i had enough calories left for a glass of wine with my hubby and i sat there and still said no because i couldn't stand the thought of taking my quote over 1600 .... it would have taken it exactly 4 caloires over ... rationally i know in the cold light of day i should have just had the glass of wine and enjoyed it ... but i just can't seem to get my head out of this "trying to save calories" mentality i have and accept that i can eat more now im maintaining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same exact thing was happening to me "trying to save calories" ..."couldn't stand the thought of taking my quote over 1600".  That is why I stopped counting calories and eating by the food pyramid guidelines.  Counting calories is an excellent tool for weight loss.  Maintaining, it can cause more harm than good, as you stated "thought of taking my quote over 1600", even though you have all your tools set to maintenance.  You are active and healthy ( assuming healthy ), you have lost all the wieght you need, so, you need to increase intake of a variety of foods/beverages.  It is okay.  Really.  It is okay.  Sooner or later you are going to HAVE to increase  your intake,or you will keep losig weight beyond healthy.   Congrats on the weight loss!  Now, you can eat more!

maybe you just need time to get used to the fact you do not need to lose now?

Awesome job on getting your body fat down to 18%!  I've been maintaining now for a few months, and I never did do the raise the calories slowly thing.  I just kinda started eating pretty close to my burn (within 100 calories or so) and what happened was I still lost an additional 10 pounds over the next six weeks.  So now I've been maintaining at that new weight, around 145 or so, since about February.  Also keeping up with weight lifting, which is pretty awesome for keeping the metabolism alive!

I agree, it's really OK to raise your calories.  You have all the tools you need to keep track of things, if you gain a pound or two more than what your normal fluctuation is, then it's a real simple matter of moving the cals back down for a week or so.

well you've had some great results, & from what ive read along the way these last months, you really worked for them. sounds natural that you would be afraid to undo that all. maybe start to slowly add more calories. or eat the calories you need with foods where you are missing some extra protein or vitamins or something. that way in your mind you are not eating the calories just to eat them. i dont know im new to this maintaining thing myself.

Yeha i know your all right i've just worked so hard to get where i amn and because i still do want to tone up a fair bit and i don't see my body transformation as compleate yet, i find it hard to accept 1,900 cals.

Yesterday was the first day i managed to eat my planned amount and that was only because it was evil saturday night with friends so as usual my control slipped.

I entered al my caloires for yesterday and i managed to shovel 2,100 yesterday granted it was mostly junk, but i guess bieng 100 over quota isn't so bad when i've been no-where near hitting it all week.

Today is sunday morning, the start of my diet week all i track my diet sunday to saturday ... so this morning im setting my goal to 1,700 per day and i am determind TO EAT IT!!!!!!! EVERY DAY!!!

Ok so it's offical i OFFICALLY SUCK at maintaining.

Ok so i raised my calories at the begining of this week to my maintance levels, having finnished dieting after 4 long months.

Im 115lb 5ft 3 but reasonably active .... apparently my maintainence is about 1900 is but because im a big fat cowards i've only raised my cals to 1800 for the moment my plan is to see what my wiehgt does if it stabailses great, if i continue to lose ill add 100cals till i stop losing.

but i have no idea whats going on .... it's like im possessed.

ok so i set my calories at 1800 .. and monday and yesterday i ate them like a good girl.... THEN I BLEW IT....  dunno whats up with me.

I did my normal exercise in the gym in the afternoon which is what i base my intake on... great you say...

THEN ... i decided to go swimming in the evening... ok still no problem but did i increase my cals to make up for the extra exercise??? nope of course not... because mentally i was telling myself i was maintaining while using the extra exercise as a way of still creating a deficit and trying to con myself.

THEN... to make things worse .. i got up bright and early this morning and when BACK to the gym !!!! and then i went again this afternoon ... AM I INSANE!!!!  let's not even gointo the fact that im sure my body isn't gonig to be able to keep up this pace for very long before it keels over.

but seriously ... i need to stop .. i know i still want to lose a few % body fat but THEY WILL GO on maintaince because i work out really hard 5 days a week as it is.. right?? i mean as long as ieat healthy, eat my burn and keep working out my body composistion can only improve ?? yea...

i've finally manage to convince myself it's ok to up my caloires to maintaince... only to add extra exercise in some weird twisted attempt to convince myself "im still just maintaining... HONEST" GAH ... im gonna kill myself or go insane ....

Someone please tell me it's ok to eat 1800 and that everything is gonig to be just fine because i think  need someone elses opinion  because im not listening to myself anymore.

 

 

 

 

i think you just need to take a deep breath. say to yourself this is a normal transition. if you make it bigger than it should be in your head, it will stay that way.  i think maybe you need to treat this like you did when you started to lose weight. one small step at a time. not to pry but when is your audition? that may have something to do with this.

It's in two weeks ... EEEEKkk!!!!

im not t bad though i feel better about the way i look i should be good for it i think i need to get alittle extra practice this week which means i really should increase my cal's to compensate.. thats why i want to maintain now im not sure trying to perform on a deficit and less energy is a good plan... i wanna make sure in 100%.

maybe once your audition is over & things settle a bit you'll start to feel normal again, you'll be able to listen to yourself. im sure im going to start freaking a couple of weeks before we leave to get married. just hang in there AND eat.