Sept. 2022 Maintenance


(KCKO, KCFO) #1

Time for a new thread.
This is for anyone who is at maintenance or close enough to be concerned about maintaining.

I hope everyone is doing well. I’d love to hear about your successes and current struggles.

I am still struggling to keep of the 4 lbs. I lost recently. I had gone over my goal weight and I really want to get back to it again. I think alot of the gain is from stress and the hormonal changes that go with that. I eat pretty much the same as I have been for the last 6 yrs. Only real difference, the stress of the pandemic has caused. I still fit in my clothes ok, but I really would like to get back to my goal weight before this year ends.

I’ll be doing more OMAD and ADFasting to do that.


August 2022 Maintenance
#2

Morning @collaroygal
Thanks for starting this new September thread.

I hear you with the hormone stress; I’m a year in and still amazed that this ‘challenge’ was a total surprise and definitely not factored for in my life plan! I’m hanging onto the hope that it exits as quick as it appeared!

I’m 4lbs away from goal and would love to reach goal before the year ends. I’m trying not to weigh too often but failing dismally!

Have a lovely day☀️


#3

I weighed myself a few days ago. 75kg, again. My plan is actually going lower this month. If I can do it with lunch skipping and my strictest carni ever, I am probably doomed!
But I will be elated with getting some proper energy, actually.


(Pete A) #4

Sept 1, 2017: 220 pounds
Sept 1, 2022: 144.8

Happy 5 years keto-versary to me! It’s been a long 5 years.

Carry on.


#5

Happy 5th anniversary and Well Done! That’s brilliant!


(Pete A) #6

Thank you. It never really ends!


(Robin) #7

Thanks for this @Pete_A!
Keeps us all motivated.


(Eric) #8

These days it does seem I am more in maintenance than still losing. I have been hovering around the same 5lbs with a slight trend down for the last 2 months. I started on 6/12/20221 (corrected the start date) @342.1lbs and these days I have been around 204.1 so no complaints on losing 138lbs.

The biggest challenge these days is that I am a lot hungrier than I was when I started. I suspect that this goes back to that graph I have seen posted where calorie consumption goes up when there is less fat reserves to augment any calorie deficit. I find that many days I am having 3000 calories+. My carbs are where I want them most days so I have to just be happy that I can keep things stable with my current routine. I don’t really have a goal weight at this point since my results went far beyond what I expected or thought I could achieve in a bit over a year.


(Diana) #9

Wow. That is amazing. Congrats!


(KCKO, KCFO) #10

fireworks_1%20(2017_08_30%2018_22_20%20UTC) Happy Ketoverary


(KCKO, KCFO) #11

Is that the correct date? That is a lot of loss in just a couple of months.

Congrats on the masisve loss…


(Robin) #12

Awesome!


(Eric) #13

Yeah I suck at dates sometimes. I corrected in the initial post lol I started in 2021


#14

That’s amazing Eric, well done!


#15

I’m at my goal size (I don’t weigh. Scales make me a crazy person.) I also had my body fat % checked by calipers last week, after asking around town who does it accurately, and so know I know that is what feels “right” and healthy for me, and I’ll get it re-tested in 2023 around 1 year into this, out of curiosity. I do lift and walk and now run again, bike, and do yoga, so maybe it’ll shift down slowly. Maybe not. Either is okay.

Everything in my closet fits and the larger sizes are in a box in long-term storage or they got tossed. I celebrated by buying myself two new bras in vivid colors. I have plenty of jeans, shorts, and t-shirts that fit, one dress, and that’s all I need for my casual lifestyle. I wouldn’t mind taking another inch or two off my belly, but I suspect that will happen slowly without my doing anything but staying the course for the next year.

I’m eating almost carnivore. Vegetables have never bothered me, I never had IBS or immune disorders, and I do enjoy a nice homegrown tomato, so I eat one twice a week. I find I love the simplicity of shopping and cooking with carnivore. I often eat the same meals all week long. I thought I’d be bored. I’m not! I’m not even sure it’s possible to get bored with bacon, but I’ll let you know if it ever happens. I bought extra beef fat at a butcher and am adding an ounce or two to my steak every night, as they cut too danged much fat off them these days! I shop the meat sales and it’s not at all expensive. I do eat dairy; it doesn’t trigger me or puff me up or anything. Without it, I’d have a hard time eating enough calories to avoid further lowering of metabolic rate. I prefer semi-soft cheeses, mozzarella or asadero from the Mexican grocer.

I was worried about maintenance, and I was worried about the six month mark, which is historically a point when I can slide away from my plan. But I’m six weeks away from that, and I honestly don’t think it will be a problem if I’m not 1) eating fruits or any nut flours and 2) limiting veg to what I can grow, and only two servings per week. I’m no longer interested in adding back more “healthy” carbs and eating whole 30, which I’ve done in the past, because it always seems to lead to a slow spiral up to too many carbs and fat regain. To repeat the same action over and over and expect a different result… Right?

I’ve cycled up and down the same two sizes for 25 years, since I first found low carb, and this time, my skin did not come with me. It may tighten up over the next year, but it may not. So peeps, GET THIS DONE and figure out how to maintain before the age of 65! This time, nope. My own fault. The best I can say of my last 25 years is: I never let it get too far out of control (could have been cycling four sizes, not two!), and I was low-carb enough of that time that my blood work is always exemplary. So I give myself a C+ average over 25 years.

But I’m A+ now, which is nice. And feeling I can eat this way forever, which is nicer.


#16

i thought I’d add my maintenance meals (US measurements) I eat three meals a day. I am awake from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.

AM after exercise: half a pound of bacon usually. If I run out of bacon, 4-5 eggs with cheese or sour cream instead.

Noonish: 1 c homemade bone broth with 2 ounces beef and 1 T butter. Rarely 2-3 ounces of semi-soft cheese instead.

Four-ish: 10-12 ounces steak with 1-2 ounces (weighed cooked) of added beef fat. Either 4 ounces cream cheese or 4 fluid ounces of heavy cream with a couple of drops of vanilla extract.

1900-2200 calories, 100 g minimum protein, 135 g minimum fat, carbs less than 5 total g most days.

A homegrown tomato twice a week. Probably in winter, it’ll be a cup of homegrown lettuce twice a week.

I don’t need to record food every day or check macros because that’s really all I eat.


(Pete A) #17

It will.


#18

thanks. I hope so. I’m eating a lot of healthy fat, so I’m giving it its best chance.


#19

On it! I’m 45 but after a long period of neglect, was feeling like I had one foot in the grave already. Working hard now to extend my health span as long as possible ; )


#20

you can do it! But figuring out how to maintain and avoid carb creep has been a long journey for me. The losing is relatively easy. Staying there has been a challenge. KCKO.