Can you please share your calories and macros for maintenance?

i am brand new to this maintenance business!  Actually want to drop a few more pounds for a cushion below my goal.  But I'm starting to plan and learn for maintenance.  I have an appointment in 2 weeks with the nutritionist for my program.  In the meantime would anyone tell me what they shoot for with food and exercise?  And any other tips??

Thanks so much in advance!!!

My goal is 1,500 calories per day - 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats along with 45-60 minutes of exercise at least 5 days per week, try for more.

I still focus on lean protein, low fat dairy and veggies and eat very little grains. I eat too many protein bars but it helps me get my protein in. Carbs come from those and fruit mostly. I do sometimes have a tortilla (usually corn but sometimes flour) and I do eat tortilla chips occasionally. Very rarely eat things like bread, pasta or rice.

Paula

You are wise to be thinking ahead about maintenance.  It took me a while to find a plan that works for me.

My meals are the same in weight loss and in maintenance.  In weight loss, I eat thee meals a day.  Each meal is about 300 to 400 calories and are comprised of 4 ounces of dense protein and lots of healthy low-carb veggies.  I cook lots of casseroles combining these. 

In maintenance, I eat an extra meal and/or allow myself some occasional cheats.  My daily calorie intake is about 1200 to 1400 calories, allowing some room for the cheats.

I stay low carb, but allow a few more higher-carb veggies like winter squash and sweet potatoes. 

best of luck,

Carol

Carol,

Can you share some of the recipes for your casseroles?

I'm not Carol but do know that she has many of them on the recipe board here on OH

Good for you !  I planned for maintenance well in advance too. So glad I did ! My approach is very similar to Paula and Carol. I have my fat set to 40, and my protein and carbs at 30 each. I find that healthy fats (nuts, nut butters, 2% or full fat dairy, coconut oil) satisfy me and I really have to keep my carbs as close to 100 as possible, or cravings begin to be impacted. My calorie intake averages 1450, with slight variations over and under.

I have gradually begun drinking right up until I eat, as it is a struggle to get all of my water in. I don't drink while I eat, and for an hour plus after I eat.

I still measure and log everything. I plan my meals the day before, so I know where/if I can make substitutions or fit in a "non fuel" item. (Based on an idea Linda shared, I created a "non-fuel" category in MFP. It makes me mindful that those choices are not providing fuel to sustain me, but enables me to avoid negative tags like cheating, treat, reward, bad... that make me feel like I'm doing something wrong.)

You've got this. It has been said that maintenance is harder than weight loss. I'd have to agree. As Carol said, it is just a modification of the lifestyle you adopted to lose the weight.

I continued to track my food in mfp for the first 18 months or so of maintenance, track now when I need to lose a few. I increased my protein to 100 grams, my carbs to 80-100 grams and ate a lot more fat to bring up my calories without adding a lot of volume. For calories, I immediately increased from 600 to 1000, then increased by 100 each time I saw a further loss on the scale. I stopped losing when I reached 1500 calories, which took about 6 months and ended up weighing (and still maintaining) more than 10 pounds under my initial goal weight. 

Sounds good Linda!  I like a nice concrete plan like that!!  What forms of fat do you consume?  Things such as nut butter?

Im inspired by your maintaining your loss for over 3 years...you're awesome!!

To be honest, I don't discriminate between types of fat. I eat full fat dairy, higher fat cuts of meat, nuts (usually almonds), full fat and high fat cheese (usually Brie), as well as high fat sauces/salad dressings and some fried foods. I focus on taste/satiety for adding calories as opposed to adding volume or frequency. I've found it works well for me because it's easy to cut back if I need to lose a few pounds once or twice a year.