Lose More or Maintain?

I'm not where I want to be yet and plan to lose more at some point.  But I've lost about 20% of my weight already and my body is starting to fight me.  I know that after losing 10% it is recommended that you maintain for 6 months (to allow your body to reset) and then continue.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Should I keep fighting to lose that last 10-20 pounds now, or take a break and allow my body to reset?  Will it be harder to maintain my weight if I do not take a break?  Will it be harder to lose if I don't take a break?  Has anyone taken a PLANNED break?  If so, was it as difficult, less difficult, or more difficult to get back to eating less again?

l don't know anything about 'resetting', what do you mean your body is fighting you? l haven't lost that much weight, so l can't relate but l am curious and want to learn all l can about this. BTW how much have you lost? and congratulations on your weightloss.

Thanks.  I went from 185 to 146, a little more quickly than I expected/planned to.  It took about 3 1/2 months, but the first bit fell off REALLY quickly.  The last few weeks its slowed way down.  I'm not losing as much as my calorie deficit says I should be.  This last week, I have been bouncing around the same number, no real loss, just fluctuations.  I also just feel worn down.  I read about the resetting on here in the ask mary tab.

are you feeling worn down from dieting? what kinds of foods have you been eating, are you taking any vitamin supplements? do you exercise? did you lose with the aid of an appetite suppressant or pill to help your metabolism increase? too many questions, inquiry minds wanna know....lol

I find for me that once I "give in" the scales start going the other way.  But if you are feeling worn down there may be a reason.  That is a lot of weight to lose in a very short time!  Maybe a doctor's visit would be appropriate.  I find that staying on a calorie correct diet and exercise makes me feel good but I have lost only 22 pounds since Aug.28th.  Had I lost your amount I would be ectatic!  You have done very well , don't let it slip away.  But most importantly don't ignore those "down" feelings, sometimes our body is telling us things.

Congrats on your weigh loss... BUT that is a really large amount to loose over such a short period of time.   I would suggest you re-evaluate your plan right now.   Is it something you see yourself being able to maintain for the rest of your life.  If not you might be taking too "drastic" measures.  Beleive me I know... I also suggest that if you feel down or afraid that you might gain it all back that you should consult a doctor or nutritionist on a really solid weight loss and maintenance plan.   Good luck!

I have been eating enough, most days.  The first few weeks I had a few days where I didn't eat enough, but since then I've been doing 1300-1600 calories a day.  I do exercise everyday.  I do strength training and cardio.  I used to take a "cheat day" on Saturdays, but can't afford to go out to eat on weekends now, and am almost scared to eat to much at home, for fear of that "never ending binge."  I really don't think I would go too far, but the fear is there.  I lost the first bit of weight VERY quickly, but did not plan to.  I was taking prenatal vitamins while I got my diet figured out.  Now that I can get what I need each day from the amount of food I'm eating, I don't take them.  I do sometimes (when I remember) take cinnamon supplements b/c they are supposed to help with belly fat in insulin resistant people....I think I may fall into that group, but I'm not sure.  Couldn't hurt is my theory on that.  I'm feeling mentally worn down.  Physically, I feel great!  I'm just sick to death of counting everything that goes into my mouth.  Before CC, I did fine at maintaining.  I gained all my extra weight at two stressful times of my life.  I don't worry so much about being able to eat a normal amount for the rest of my life, but that my metabolism will or has slowed down making me maintain on the "diet" lvl of calories.  I do worry a bit that now that I'm so much thinner that I may have a harder time getting back on the wagon after taking a break to let my metabolism kick back up.  I do figure I will gain just a bit while my metabolism is fixing itself, a bit of fat, some water weight, and the extra grams of food sitting there. 

I lost from 165 lbs to 136 lbs within 8 months. I was super happy cause I was finally at a healthy weight for my wedding :) YAY that was back in 2006 btw I did continue to lose and I encountered way too many plateaus. Since last Winter (roughly Jan-Feb) I've been between 122 (lowest) and 132 lbs (highest)...More than once I asked myself If i should stop at 127 lbs or so (I'm 5'2") and let my body ajust than aim to lose the rest of 7-8 lbs...I kept plugging and my body totally hates me! No matter what I do I am stuck around 130 lbs for the past month...

Maybe you are more determined than I am but I think taking a "planned break" would only benefit your body. It will get used to the new weight and then it will be more willing to let go of the rest of the weight. Of course taking a break doesn't mean getting back to eating crap, you know that :) Just eat healthy, exercise and stay at your maintanence calories.

After 3 weeks in a hotel wt little control over food choices It was really hard to get back to my "diet" range..I still struggle to stay at 1500 cal (and I lose at 1200-1300 cal!!!) and we've been home since Nov 14...

Congrats to you!  Thank you for your story.  I like how you say "get used to" my new weight.  That makes perfect sense to me.  I guess you body is designed to fight weight loss and if you push it too far, it adjusts.  So if you allow it time to think "whatever was causing me to not get enough food is over" maybe you can trick it into giving up more weight a little later on, once the highest weight is not what it "thinks" of as normal.  Right?

I don't plan on eating like I used to at all!  I ate way too much saturated fat and sodium, and not near enough unsaturated fat or vitamin A.  I know much more about balance now...and I'm not sure I could quit the gym if I wanted to.  I love having my adult time before the kidos get up!  They gym is mommy's quite place.

You didn't compare how hard getting back to dieting was to starting.  Did you have a hard time getting started as well?  Which was easier?

Original Post by imolde_nuf:

Congrats to you!  Thank you for your story.  I like how you say "get used to" my new weight.  That makes perfect sense to me.  I guess you body is designed to fight weight loss and if you push it too far, it adjusts.  So if you allow it time to think "whatever was causing me to not get enough food is over" maybe you can trick it into giving up more weight a little later on, once the highest weight is not what it "thinks" of as normal.  Right?

I don't plan on eating like I used to at all!  I ate way too much saturated fat and sodium, and not near enough unsaturated fat or vitamin A.  I know much more about balance now...and I'm not sure I could quit the gym if I wanted to.  I love having my adult time before the kidos get up!  They gym is mommy's quite place.

You didn't compare how hard getting back to dieting was to starting.  Did you have a hard time getting started as well?  Which was easier?

I NEVER starved myself. When I was losing in full force I ate 1200-1300 cal which for my 5'2" frame is normal. I DIDN'T have any problem getting started either. I WAS OBESE, looked and felt like whale and I was getting married! We have been living together way before our wedding but that was not an excuse for me to look horrible. Not to mention that at one point back in 1999  I was way closer to a normal weight (140s)

Anyway, I went cold turkey on all "bad" stuff on Apr 16, 2006; that was exactly one Week before Easter. I stopped eating fried foods, I stopped eating white bread, rice or pasta and switched to whole wheat foods. I also started eating way more veggies and fruits. I completely changed my lifestyle.

Currently I am a semi-vegetarian; I only eat chicken and fish; I eat mostly vegetarian meals. I am eating clean, fresh and usually locally (not during winter though ugh)

There's the theory of the "set point" which basically says each of us have a set weight which we cannot beat but which we CAN alter. That's exactly what "taking a break to adjust to the new weight" should do. Allow your body to get a new set point.

Plus, if you continue to work out, you can still alter the body composition; shrink the fat cells (no, we cannot lose them, we are genetically set to have a certain no, we can only shrink them) and BUILD more muscle (yes, strength training).

Oh and thank you :) And no, I didn't use CC to lose weight. I use another free site.

Right now I'm staying within 1200-1550 cal and burn only 900 cal from cardio a week. Hopefully I can lose a little before spring and then I can start full force wt playing tennis on an open air court again :)