Once in maintenance mode, do you still count calories?

I'm still in the weight loss phase (10 lbs remaining) but I was curious as I was weighing and counting my breakfast calories as I do every morning and for anything that I eat.  I also get on the scale daily.

Now that you're maintaining, do you still count calories religiously like you did when you were trying to lose weight (that is IF you were counting calories then)?  

I didn't count for the first 6 or 8 months after I reached my goal. Did some half hearted counting when I felt like I was going a little over my goal. Lately been counting, to make sure I'm eating at maintenance.

I never weighed food, but I still measure my cereal. I also weigh daily.

I still count, just to keep myself honest.  After a lifetime of overeating, I'm still learning what the cutoff point is.  I could easily eat too much food, even granted that it's all healthy choices, just because it tastes good.

I haven't been logging calories for 6+ months now and have maintained my 50+ pound weight loss.  I occasionally do a little mental calculating in my head.  And some things I always weigh out/measure ......for example I am now just in the habit of using a measuring spoon for my coffee creamer.  But many things I just know the appropriate serving size now, like cereal where I know what a 3/4 c. serving looks like in the bowl.  And chips, pretzels, etc (snack stuff) I look at the serving size and count it into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.  Works for me, and in hind-sight I wonder how I used to have the time to log and count everything, even though I did it religiously for a year.

It depends on what your eating regime is like. I always eat variations on the same theme for breakfast and dinner, and I always use the same bowls/glasses, so by now I am used to eyeballing the amounts.

I also know roughly how big a serving of meat, whole grains or fruit is, so lunch is usually a guestimation. With veggies I don`t bother, the more I can fit in, the better!

What I do still measure out most of the time is calorie-dense foods: oil for cooking, nuts, cheeses, the very occasional sweet treat. Pretty much whatever is high cal that I don`t eat often enough to be able to eyeball.

I have maintained my goal weight for 15 months now. I still count calories on most days and I also weigh myself daily. I need to do this to keep myself honest. My tendency to slowly eat larger portions and to deceive myself into believing that I am only eating within my calorie range has not changed. I am like the alcoholic who wants to believe she can have just one glass of wine, but really drinks a couple bottles. 

I took a break this weekend from counting every calorie and actually didn't record anything for three days. Today I am back to it though. I get nervous when my conversations with myself start questioning whether I really need to do this anymore. "Perhaps I am really fine now and I can just eat what feels comfortable and I will keep the weight off" was the chatter yesterday after the Father's Day lunch out. I was having this conversation after eating a full rack of baby back ribs, while my belly was aching and I was not wanting to get on the treadmill to work off the extra calories that my regular exercise for the day were not going to cover. 

If you are like me and you really want to avoid self sabotage of your hard work to get the weight off, you will probably need to count calories at least some of the time and continue to weigh yourself daily. I have given myself three pounds of fluctuation room over my goal weight. When I hit the plus three pound mark on the scale I know I have to restrict my calories and really watch closely for usually about a week to get back on track at my goal weight. 

It is a bit scary to go onto maintenance and try to find the balance of calories and exercise that is comfortable for you to live with and stay at your goal weight. It is all part of the healthy living process though and like the rest of us I am sure you will find your way!

I like to check in here now and again for support as well. Sometimes just reading a few posts helps me get my focus back.

Terry

Because I have almost made my weight-window goal of 165-170 (losing 45 pounds), it is very important for me to now be able to MAINTAIN my window permanently.  Many of you have found the way to success, just as smokers who quit smoking permanently.  Because my weight loss was too rapid (a 1/2 pound a day for 90 days, approximately), I know that research is not on my side, since most people who lose weight too fast, gain it back and often more than what they lost. 

I have done a lot of research using Search Engines; plus, I talked with a Health Wellness doctor.  I have come up with these conclusions: 

1) I will weigh every day (I have learned that many experts--once a weight goal has been realized--recommend weighing daily [but only weighing once or twice a week while one is losing weight].  However, although most people say to weigh first thing in the morning, only once a day, I have decided to also weigh just before I go to bed.  I will then average the two; that will be the weight I go by as far as staying in my "window." 

2) According to something I read on the Internet, written by a doctor from a book he wrote, and according to the Health Wellness expert I talked with, people who accurately keep a log of the calories they consume each day, will eventually fall into a groove of having a much better chance of maintaining their desired weight.

I will read with interest the techniques all of you use to maintain your desired weights!!!!!!!!

Pilgrimdude,

It took me a long time to loose my weight. I still was fearful of gaining it back. The odds are not in our favor even when we loose it slowly. I think the key is that you have proven you are committed to being healthy. You just need to develop a program of exercise that you can maintain. I don't know what your eating habits are like now but you might have to modify them somewhat when you lighten up on the exercise to fit your lifestyle.

I have maintained my goal range for 14 months now. It is not something that will ever be done for me. I work at maintaining my fitness everyday. I started out slower because I knew I couldn't commit to an exercise program as strenuous as what you have been doing. I applaude you though for doing it! Now you just need to find a comfortable sustainable exercise regimen.

The thing that was hardest for me once I hit maintenance was to relax and know that indeed I could do it. I had days when my weight would jump up 4 pounds for whatever reason and I would panic. Then I began to focus on how far I had come and that the 70 pounds I lost would not come back over night. Since I was weighing myself daily and I had set a range of acceptable variance from my goal weight, I learned to relax and know that I already knew how to make adjustments if I had to loose a couple pounds after going on vacation or even sustaining an injury. At Christmas of 2008 I fell and badly sprained my ankle. I went into panic mode again thinking I would gain the weight back. I couldn't do my usual exercise routine of walking. I did actually gain a couple(two) pounds during the six weeks I spent healing. In addition I think the holidays contributed to the weight gain as well. At any rate I continued to monitor it daily and adjusted my food intake. It was hard to know how much to cut back with the lack of exercise but in the end I worked it out and was back to what is now my "normal" weight by mid-January.

After 14 months I finally see this body as my normal body and not some strange aberration. I looked at old pictures of me the other day and didn't even recognize myself at first. I think I need to post one of the old photos somewhere where I can remind myself occassionally that I have come a long way and that I don't wish to turn back. Forward in life through whatever comes my way as a healthy fit individual is my path now.

You have done the hard part now it is just a matter of continuing down the same road though perhaps a little more slowly but still one step at a time.

"True freedom is simply the ability to be fully present in this moment" 

Terry2fish

Terry:

Thanks for the excellent reply.  You definitely have shown how one can maintain AFTER losing considerable weight.  I think you have done an amazing thing of maintaining for 14 months; I surely hope I can do that too. I sort of fell into a panic, too, when I gave myself a nasty blister on my heel and had to give up walking for two weeks.  Luckily, I used the exercise bike to make up for some of the calories I would have burned walking.  My lifestyle used to be that I ate a lot of ribs, steaks, french fried foods, fried chicken, duckling, cheese and crackers, buttered popcorn, mixed nuts, pastries, and chocolates.  Now, I don't eat those things, or very little of them.  And I don't drink high calorie, high alcohol Imperial stouts and porters, although they were my all-time favorite thing to drink in the history of the universe.  I occasionally drink (once or twice a month) rot-gut light beer or inexpensive red wine. 

So you are very astute when you mention my lifestyle, because when I cut back from my exercising, I may not be very willing to cut down any more on my calorie intake.  I am always hungry, so anything I make, even just warmed up red beans with flax seed tastes great. 

Thank you everyone.  I'm happy to see that you're successful in the maintaining phase whether you're still counting calories or not.  Even though I'm still 10 lbs away, I'm already worried about maintaining my goal weight.  I've heard that it's harder to maintain than to lose (although it hasn't been easy for me at all....snacking the bad food is my downfall).  I think that I'll have to keep on counting calories until I'm comfortable knowing my limits (portions).

"I've heard that it's harder to maintain than to lose"

Yes, I am finding this out.  However, I know that as long as I don't lie to myself about my weight (so I do weigh 2-3 times a day), I can hopefully fall into a life-long pattern of maintenance.  What a challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I, as the cliche goes, just take one day at a time--I certainly have to avoid thinking, "Oh, crap!  I have to exercise tomorrow and the next day and the next day."  I just hook the earphones up to the TV and spin away, wearing my wrist/chest monitor; I play rockandroll music as I beat the heavy bag; I wear my Mp3 player as I walk around the track, etc.  It's not that much fun, but I know after I am done, I surely feel great!

I have been writing everything down for 1 1/2 years now.  I have been maintaining since this past February.  I figure it this way....I'd rather write down my calories for the rest of my life then take a bunch of meds (blood pressure, chlosterol, etc) which is what I'd be doing if I had continued to be fat.

"I'd rather write down my calories for the rest of my life then take a bunch of meds (blood pressure, chlosterol, etc)"

Absolutely!  I, too, have lowered my bp, triglyerieds, and cholesterol.  I surely hope that I can keep it going as well as you have.

No one should weigh every day especially not two times a day! Once a week is sufficient and a good idea. Just my opinion. 

jjcakes:  We definitely disagree on this one.  I sincerely respect your opinion and am not saying that I have the right opinion.  I know it's about 50-50 for what people think.  This is what I have come up with after doing a lot of Net research and talking with a Health-Wellness doctor:

1) People who are intelligently losing weight, often are better off just weighing once a week, or they tend to put too much emphasis on a small daily gain and get discouraged.

2) People who have reached their weight goal should weigh once every day at the same time of day--it is too easy to gain several pounds in a week, and if a person waits until a week later to weigh, it puts a lot of pressure on a person to take those pounds back off, or give up and fall off the wagon.  I have found several diet experts, heatlh wellness experts, and doctors who believe this.

I agree that my weighing myself anywhere from 3 to 8 times a day is absolutely not necessary; I do it because I like making spreadsheets on my exercise, my calories, my weight, my iron, my protein, my body fat, etc.  I do it as a hobby; and, yes, it is sort of a silly hobby.