Moving to maintenance

Macy0161

I hit my target weight a couple of weeks ago, but after the guts of two years running at deficit, I am struggling with the transition to maintenance (I've actually carried on losing weight).

Has anyone any tips? I am trying to avoid the temptation of throwing back in treats but I am finding it hard as my general eating to the deficit was and is generally filling me up!

Should I be increasing portion sizes of my now relatively healthy diet? Should I wipe the 500 calorie deficit immediately, or gradually reduce it over a few weeks?

Would it be a bad option as part of the move to switch from my chicken salad, to the chicken salad in a wrap for my lunch? Similarly up the portion size of rice/ pasta/ potatoes?

Or should I be concentrating on upping the protein intake? For what it's worth, I generally hit my protein target (I aim for 140g which is a bit above 0.7g per lb) with just a scoop of supplement in my overnight oats, with the rest (most days at least) from whole foods.

Exercise wise I'm running generally 3 days a week, cycling a couple of days a week, and (not really productively) swimming 4 days a week.

syklops

Why don't you just eat what you feel like eating amount wise.

Would it be a bad option as part of the move to switch from my chicken salad, to the chicken salad in a wrap for my lunch?

If it was me I'd just eat a bigger salad. Aside from calories the wrap adds very little nutritional value.

I hit my target weight a couple of weeks ago, but after the guts of two years running at deficit, I am struggling with the transition to maintenance (I've actually carried on losing weight).

If you've been dieting for two years now you presumeably now have a diet you enjoy and which works for you, which makes you the envy of many on this forum. I really wouldn't force yourself to change a diet which works for you.

Alf Veedersane

Macy0161 wrote: »

Should I wipe the 500 calorie deficit immediately, or gradually reduce it over a few weeks?

Gradually bring your intake back to maintenance. Your body has adapted to operating on a deficit and won't burn extra calories as readily as it once did.