How to calm down after weight loss?

[inthepottershands]

@birdinmypalm the next thing is to go onto maintenance and focus on exercise. get plenty of protein, healthy fats, fiber.

maintaining is not very different from cutting, as u continue to do all the same things but just have more freedom when it comes to food. exercising now will not be for weight loss but rather to increase that budget even further so it is pretty rewarding. in my opinion u should take long maintenance break and focus on eating and training well, then if it will be needed, go on a cut whenever ur ready, mentally and physically.

i been in similar situation, so i want to warn u - u might get ravenous once u start eating more, especially if ur also gaining more muscle. it could take a while before ur appetite becomes normal - at least for me, i had to eat maintenance or slight surplus for another 3 or so months to finally stop feeling like bottomless pit. not saying it happens to everyone but it's definitely something to be aware of.

i was in deficit for about 6 months as well, with little to no results at the end, and that was the moment i did my research and found out about maintenance breaks (for every 3 or so months of deficit, it is recommended to take 1-2 weeks of maintenance to avoid plateauing). went on to maintain, and just couldn't bring myself to go on a cut again. it's been plenty of time now and my appetite is all good, so i'm getting ready to go on a shorter cut. no living in deficit anymore

 

[birdinmypalm]

@inthepottershands This is exactly what I needed to hear. I've seen such success with being in a deficit that I've been scared to not be in one. I haven't done any sort of maintenance breaks in the past year and 3 months so I'm well overdue!!

 

[roman101]

@birdinmypalm Strict dieting and then stopping tracking anything and going back to old habits is exactly why people regain weight after weight loss. They burn themselves out.

I've been there before, which is why I started incorporating healthy non counting habits from the beginning of this journey. I still have to count to stay on a deficit, but I am choosing food first, trying to use the non counting knowledge I have, and then determining the calories. This way I train my habits, instead of determining the calories first, and then the calories dictate everything I do.

You're already at the burn out stage. So it's going to be a little harder. But think about what non counting strategies have worked for you during weight loss. Anything, like drinking water? Putting more vegetables on your plate? Taking one scoop of something instead of two? Think about what's worked for you and keep doing those. What worked for you? Things that stress you out don't need to stay. Not every strategy will work for everyone.

Keep practicing these and pay less attention to calories. You could still count, but instead of determining calories first and giving yourself a budget, give yourself food first and count the calories just for a record of what you've done. Or, you could stop counting calories, and keep weighing/measuring yourself. Count for a few days only if those start going on the wrong direction.

Here are the things that determine lasting weight loss:

1. Physical activity (not so much workouts, but more steps, exercise breaks, and NEAT)
2. Regular self monitoring (weight, tracking, measurements, strength, etc. do what works for you, you don't need to do all)
3. Maintaining lean mass (lifting and protein)
4. Satiety promoting strategies (volume, chewing, water, fruits and veg, whole foods)
5. Positive and flexible relationship with food (not restricting too many foods, no "good" and "bad" foods)
6. Sustainable lifestyle changes (things that you can do for the rest of your life, habits you enjoy)

 

[birdinmypalm]

@roman101 This is amazing advice, and something I really needed to hear. I think my biggest concern about cutting back on counting calories is not having any set rules/factors to focus on, but the list you provided gives me a different way to assess my weight loss without being fully dependant on counting calories. Thank you!!

 

[elijah1933]

@birdinmypalm When you do decide to take a break, either don’t weigh yourself or just know you might go up a couple pounds just from more food in your system and a little more water retention from increased carbs. It’s not fat! Just weight.

 

[benaiah2015]

@birdinmypalm Nutritionist/coach here (and also petite/maintaining a 40+ lb weight loss nearly 8 years): it’s often very challenging to stop tracking cold turkey, for a variety of reasons.
In cases like this, I suggest a slow taper off of tracking…you pick 1 day a week to not track (but eat similarly to other days). You need to build trust in yourself, as you likely already have the skill set from a lot of tracking practice.
Do this about 2-4 weeks, monitor your weight, and then pick a second day. Repeat. Then a third day, etc until you stop all together, or if you find your weight creeping you can always track again for a bit. Congrats on your success so far!!

 

[birdinmypalm]

@benaiah2015 Omg, I LOVE this approach! You hit the nail on the head about my concerns regarding stopping tracking cold turkey. I am absolutely going to try this, thank you so much for the tip!

 

[benaiah2015]

@birdinmypalm You’re welcome!

 

[afrazier]

@birdinmypalm One thing that helps me is to give myself a weight range i want to stay in, for me it’s roughly plus or minus 5 pounds of my current weight. Start eating what you think is maintainence and keep watching your weight to see how it changes. If it goes down then increase your intake but if it goes up then that means you’re overestimating your calories. Do this for about a month or so and you’ll get a good idea of what maintainence looks like without stressing about tracking. It should help with intuitive eating too

 

[lgmmrm]

@birdinmypalm Plenty of great advice here already, so I'll just add that if you stop counting calories, I would make sure to weigh and measure regularly just to keep an eye on if your body is changing. I think it would be healthy to take a break from counting and hyperfixating, while also ensuring the weight doesn't sneak back up on you.

Madewell for petite jeans and pants (though sizing is kind of all over the place... read the reviews). I just got a few pairs of shorts of Abercrombie and omg they are perfect. Highly recommend!

 

[birdinmypalm]

@lgmmrm I've heard good things about Madewell and Abercrombie but have not pulled the trigger - will have to try them now!