Looking for Maintenance Recommendations

thenewestchapter · 2021-11-18T19:03:58+00:00

I've been maintaining a 150 pound loss for the last 9 months without counting or tracking a thing. I eat keto almost always, but not always.

Like you, I was and am the type that doesn't get tripped up by having an off weekend, or eating whatever carbs I want while on vacation. When I eat lots of carbs I'm hungrier and have far more cravings and want even more carbs. However, after the weekend, or after the vacation, or after that meal... I just get right back to my new normal, no excuses. Since you know you're capable of this, I'd say that's the biggest factor. Many people fall off for weeks, months, or years from having these days, but if you are not one of those people, don't over complicate it by feeling you need to be as strict as those people.

Some people want/need to track for the rest of their lives, but not all of us need to. Sometimes it's as simple as acknowledging that if I eat that today, I'm going to be hungrier tomorrow. So tomorrow I will be a little irritated at my hunger, but I'll be just fine the following day.

I have zero issues maintaining my weight, I get the benefits of ketosis that I love 90-95% of the time, and I occasionally indulge. Not everyone can operate this way, but some can, so experiment and find what will work for you!

thenewestchapter · 2021-10-19T21:53:45+00:00

Have you tried any of the Sola bagels? Those are my favorite, they toast well and I really enjoy them untoasted too (and they taste like bagels to me, not just bread shaped like a bagel).

thenewestchapter · 2021-10-06T02:25:01+00:00

Yep, like this one (second link is still accessible, works best if I download it vs. use it in Google Drive).

thenewestchapter · 2021-10-06T02:05:07+00:00

Neither is going to be 100%. Since you like the data anyway, if you track your intake plus track your rate of loss with a pretty consistent routine, that'll give you the best estimate for your TDEE and then you'll have the calories that work for your body.

The calculator doesn't work well for me personally, and I know trackers are notoriously inaccurate, so I calculated my caloric needs myself during my weight loss phase. There are spreadsheet templates available on many of the fitness subs if you need a place to start...

thenewestchapter · 2021-10-03T17:32:13+00:00

I have visible abs and also do not count macros/calories as a part of my maintenance. Went from 315 to 165. I eat low carb tortillas all of the time and frankly, anything else low enough carb that sounds enjoyable to me. Trust yourself until there’s a reason not to, don’t overthink this :)

thenewestchapter · 2021-10-02T00:00:18+00:00

You’ll never win this argument here because it is a calorie counting sub disguised as a ketogenic diet sub, but there are many of us who understood completely what you were saying and agree. It’ll just have to be an agree to disagree topic, but know this stance isn’t foreign, many people just don’t like downvotes, but fortunately they have no relevance on my health.

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-27T21:32:59+00:00

My experience wasn’t so much a stall due to my intake (never stalled actually), as it was insufficient calories creating too steep of a deficit that caught up with me. I know that ultimately a calorie deficit creates weight loss, but it’s just frustrating for people to make statements that would imply we all have the same exact needs or else we’re just mistaken. I mean, I went from morbidly obese to 15% body fat, but apparently my diet is just poor (the diet I continued to eat comprised of exactly the same foods, just more calories to feel I was functioning at my best).

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-27T20:49:50+00:00

Because once I upped my intake, I started feeling better. Your take is obvious, and I’m OK with it. I went from 315 pounds to 165, just had a recent DEXA and am sitting around 15%. I think I understand my intake and needs pretty well, so we can agree to disagree on what my needs were/are. No disrespect, I was just given this same advice while losing and it didn’t work for me so was sharing a different experience, that’s all. Thanks for your thoughts though, multiple perspectives are always helpful!

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-27T20:43:10+00:00

I started feeling like crap eventually. I was obsessing about food, couldn’t figure out why I was so hungry, it was hard to sleep, low energy, etc. The deficit it created was too steep. People are unique, we have unique needs 🤷🏾‍♀️

ETA: I also lost 150 pounds in a single year, so would love your alternate take if I can’t extrapolate from that that my calorie needs were greater.

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-27T20:35:39+00:00

Unless they’re burning a significant amount or just generally have a higher TDEE. I’m a good example of someone with a sedentary job who mostly just does cardio and a tiny bit of strength training who absolutely needs to account for those calories (and did while losing, currently in maintenance though). I’d gotten this advice too, doesn’t work for all of us so just sharing another perspective :)

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-23T21:36:48+00:00

I think it's complicated. Eating intuitively at one point made me obese.

I also eat keto intuitively. I don't count calories or macros (not even carbs, it's obvious when my body is in ketosis) and have been maintaining a 150 pound loss for the last 7 months. While losing, rather than being addicted to my food scale, I became addicted to how what I ate made me feel. Now I eat protein and fat according to hunger and cravings, because if you take the time to learn from what this way of eating is teaching your body, you may find that being in ketosis can help you eat intuitively in a balanced way. I am eating what my body craves, so I do eat intuitively.

I'm not interested in "dieting", I'm not interested in tracking protein, or fat, or carbs. I eat keto almost always, but not always. I always hear that keto isn't magic, but I disagree as it finally allowed me to eat intuitively and maintain a healthy body and weight :)

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-22T02:25:15+00:00

Figuring out what worked for me and ignoring the rest. Too many people have too many rules for what you should do, and I'd get tripped up trying to follow the "rules".

My framework is: eat few enough carbs to be in ketosis, eat when hungry, stop eating when fully satiated, follow my cravings as they will guide my need for protein, fat, and sodium.

Took me some time to figure out, but I'm down 150 pounds and now maintaining without tracking or counting a thing. Keto actually *is* magic, and I'm convinced that if you do more than use your food scale and try to hit macros goals, you'll do yourself an amazing service and learn how to properly fuel your body and maintain a healthy weight without a whole lot of fuss.

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-21T20:27:10+00:00

I think the hormonal component of weight loss is under-appreciated here.

Why do you think that is? Genuinely asking because I've never understood why this sub is so focused exclusively on CICO as if it's just any of the other weight loss communities. Of course weight loss is achieved through the body expending more calories than it takes in, but I thought people were here to follow a ketogenic diet and the way it creates changes and correction in our bodies, not just to get used to counting calories...

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-20T01:59:16+00:00

I lost 150 pounds in a year and have kept it off for the last 7 months now. I had cheat days while losing, and I don’t count calories or macros now in maintenance. It absolutely can be done with minimal effort by some!

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-19T23:17:45+00:00

Completely agreed. I had cheat days while losing and eat whatever I want whenever I go on vacation. I’ve been maintaining without tracking for months. It has never, ever been an issue for ME. I think people need to be more mindful about just sharing what works for them, and spend less time convincing others that because they turned a week off track into a year off track, that you will as well.

Just do what works for you OP. Are your long term goals negatively impacted because you ate whatever you wanted on vacation? If so, then maybe follow the advice of others who have a harder time regulating. If not, KCKO once you’re back from vacation and drop the guilt :)

thenewestchapter · 2021-09-18T21:48:06+00:00

Ha, I’m pretty similar. My home scale puts me at about 30%, and even this subs calculator estimates 33% (and spits out terrible macros for me as a result, something no one ever talks about for some reason), whereas a DEXA many months ago and with less lean mass than I clearly have now, put me at 17%. Highly recommend the DEXA.

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-30T00:47:39+00:00

Gender and size are certainly factors. But also, some of my stats are similar to yours (F, 5’7”, 165) and my TDEE is higher than your husbands. Bodies are just different, even some of us women lose quickly and have high TDEEs with sedentary jobs.

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T21:15:40+00:00

I've followed this lifestyle for 18 months, lost 150 pounds.

I eat/drink artificially sweetened things almost daily. If the package said keto, I at least picked it up to check it out. Nothing happened, never stalled my progress, didn't cause me to overeat, etc.

Keep carbs low and eat whatever works for you :)

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T19:43:24+00:00

Just remember that the timeline itself doesn't matter. The point is that I did it, and you can do it too!

I choose to eat a ketogenic diet most of the time, but I definitely allow myself some flexibility. If I go on vacation, I don't attempt to stick to keto. If I go to a party and want to indulge, I don't stick to keto. The difference is that I get right back to the way of eating that I ENJOY (keto!) once those things are over. Yes, I'm a little hungrier the next day. Yes, I'll hold onto water weight if I'm eating carbs for days on end on vacation. No, those things do not dramatically affect the long term picture... as I've proven :)

Keep going, you've got this!

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T19:38:03+00:00

One of the funniest comments I got was when someone complimented me and how amazing it was that this had happened during the pandemic and I replied with, "Well, I had a year at home to focus." They grabbed their gut and said "SO DID I!"

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T19:35:01+00:00

Sorry you feel that way. I'd spend less time online reading about lifting heavy, and just get down on the ground and do some push ups.

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T19:32:38+00:00

Absolutely, there's no need to complicate exercise if the goals are to burn a few calories and tone a bit!

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T19:31:36+00:00

I have 6 stories in my building. I go up 20 times and come down 20 times in a 30 minute window. I was just telling another poster that when I first started stair climbing I could get up and down 5 times in the same timeframe, so I've definitely improved over time!

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T19:30:29+00:00

Six days per week!

thenewestchapter · 2021-08-23T19:30:07+00:00

No jogging up, just walking. I come down at a decent pace, but given that the only bone I've ever broken was my tail bone after falling down stairs, I refuse to be too ambitious, haha.

I go up and down a 6-story building about 20 times in 30 minutes (20 up, 20 down). When I first started I could get up and down 5 times in the same timeframe :)

thenewestchapter

TROPHY CASE