How do I keep the weight off?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, if you're fine at 150-155 and you can maintain that, then ignore your doctor. There's no reason you have to get to 145-150 just because the doctor would prefer it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was a big cheat meal OP. In all honesty most women of your age who want to be thin eat much less.

Eat much less than 1300 calories with a larger meal every couple of months? Really?

OP, you are coming across as a not reliable narrator. 1300 calories minus a glass of wine is 1000-1100 calories. Very few 5’6” woman can regularly eat this and work out hard and be at 155. I suspect you have more frequent “cheats” than your OP claims.

This is OP. I eat more than 1300 calories when I am trying to maintain weight loss. That is what I eat when I am trying to lose weight. But if seems like I can’t eat more than 1300 calories ever if I want to maintain because the weight just creeps back up. I don’t know how many calories I am eating when not in diet mode since I don’t want to log food for the rest of my life if I don’t have to.

I empathize with this a lot. I think the reason you might be "gaining weight" when you go above 1300 calories is because you're eating more, specifically more carbs and salt (from eating more food general which is seasoned). Thus, you gain water weight as water is attracted to these molecules. In addition, when you're in a deficit, your body will use up the glucose you have in your muscles first, which will decrease water weight as now there's less sugars for water to stick onto. So that first weight gain you see from increasing calories is a double whammy: more water weight from more food and no more loss of water weight from less food.

I think you should just try to eat normally and see how much "weight gain" happens. Then when you diet, you know that seeing 145 on the scale will really translate to 145 + x weight when you get off the diet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 44 and 5’6” and my body wants to weigh between 155-160. My doctor wants to see me under 150 since my BMI is on the upper end. I can lose the weight in 6-8 weeks by doing intermittent fasting and not eating more than 1300 calories per day, but the problem is that then it just creeps back up to 155-160 over the next 6-8 weeks.

I already work out 4 days per week and eat very healthy most of the time - lean protein, not many carbs, little sugar, tons of vegetables and some fruit. I drink maybe 2 glasses of wine per week total. Don’t drink any beverages with sugar. Don’t eat a ton of processed foods. I just don’t want to count calories for the rest of my life.

After being so good for a couple months I was down to 148. Last night went to a BBQ where I ate BBq chicken, salad, grilled veggies, plus maybe 10 chips with some guacamole and a small piece of pie. This morning the scale says 153!!! I know there are normal fluctuations but did I really gain 5 lbs overnight with one cheat meal?

Anyone have advice for maintaining weight loss?

Get a new doctor. A good doctor knows that bmi is BS, especially for people who workout regularly. You workout 4 days/week, eat healthy food, and barely drink. Your body is the weight it wants to be. Keep up with your healthy living lifestyle and you’re good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if you're fine at 150-155 and you can maintain that, then ignore your doctor. There's no reason you have to get to 145-150 just because the doctor would prefer it.

This. You are fine. I am 5 ft 7 and would love to be at 150-155 again: it is my goal weight. I am 180. I was at 150 before Covid. I was 130 before kids. I don’t eat poorly and I exercise. I truly think it is my cortisol levels. You should not stress this much at 150-154.

[Anonymous]

Stop obsessing with the number on the scale. Get rice of if.

[Anonymous]

If you can maintain 155-160 easily just do that and focus on cardio fitness, eating enough fruits and vegetables, drinking water, keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure within normal range, and all the various other markers of health. If you really want to lose and be down to the 140s though, I would look at something like Weight Watchers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was a big cheat meal OP. In all honesty most women of your age who want to be thin eat much less.

Eat much less than 1300 calories with a larger meal every couple of months? Really?

OP, you are coming across as a not reliable narrator. 1300 calories minus a glass of wine is 1000-1100 calories. Very few 5’6” woman can regularly eat this and work out hard and be at 155. I suspect you have more frequent “cheats” than your OP claims.

This is OP. I eat more than 1300 calories when I am trying to maintain weight loss. That is what I eat when I am trying to lose weight. But if seems like I can’t eat more than 1300 calories ever if I want to maintain because the weight just creeps back up. I don’t know how many calories I am eating when not in diet mode since I don’t want to log food for the rest of my life if I don’t have to.

Eat normally and cut out just one thing- fried food, 1 daily snack (or cut your portion in half or replace it with something healthier), 1.5 glass of wine instead of 2, 12 ounces of smoothie instead of 16, medium Starbucks instead of large (add an extra shot if you need the caffeine), add a salad instead of large lunch 3 days a week or add a cup of soup and split your daily lunch portion in half, no snacks after 7pm-whatever it is you know you will cut a few calories from your regular that you can maintain. Do it for 3 months before you weigh in next. In 3 months if you haven’t lost or maintained then cut/replace something else.

Don’t beat yourself up over 5 pounds, it’s not that serious.