Successful Maintenance Phase w/o Tracking

[xylophoio]

This past year I've been on a steady weight loss jouney, starting at 5'0, 162lbs. I spent Jan and Feb working a lot on my diet, I'm a volume eater and was eating too much for my size. I spent six months practicing CICO, prioritizing protein, weightlifting, yoga, and engaging in anything else that kept me up and active.

By July, I had lost 10lbs @ 152lb. Due to my job, I was able to work remote and spend time out of my locality. I decided to take a break from the gym during this time, and didn't track my food and wasn't focused on weightloss.

I've been back in my usual routine (still not tracking) since late August. On top of my job, I started grad school and have been busier than usual. I was nervous about falling into my high volume diet, so I dusted off the Lose It app and stepped on the scale to see what the damage was.

151 - a successful maintenance! I'm so happy that I've been able to eat intuitivly the past three/four months. I'm most likely going to start working towards weight loss again and am glad I'm picking up where I left off.

Anyone else complete a maintenance phase that are transitioning to a weight loss routine? What are some of the things you've done to get (more) active again?

 

[wellsja]

@xylophoio I more or less was in a maintenance phase for about 6 weeks to take a mental and physical break from a few months of cutting. Like you, I ate mostly intuitively but was definitely more indulging than usual. The week I returned to a cut, I weight myself everyday and the average weight for the week was 1lb up from my pre-maintenance weight, so that was nice.

Whenever I return to a deficit, I give myself a week or two of a ramp to transition. That is - I don’t like to change everything all at once. I’ll usually start with a higher focus on protein for a few days, then cut down on the calories, then add in extra activity like more walks, HIIT, and Pilates.

I will say - intuitive eating has never worked for me to lose weight. I need to use a food scale for at least 80% of my meals for the week or I just won’t see progress. I’m OK with this but definitely end up missing the mental break of not having to do this (which is why maintenance breaks are important for me!).

 

[xylophoio]

@wellsja I agree that I have to be a diligent tracker to see progress. I'll definitely start slow, considering I've been eating bread, pasta, and veggies the past three months it wouldn't hurt spend the first week getting more protein in. Thanks for sharing your insight