I've been maintaining for four months or so, and the way it's unfolded has surprised me. I gave myself a maintenance zone of eight pounds and fully expected it to be difficult not to exceed it. I imagined I'd have to go on mini diets now and then to stay in the zone. In fact, it's turned out the other way, and a couple of times I've even slipped below my planned lowest weight.

It took some time to sink in with me that I could eat more than I thought I'd be able to. What really took me aback recently was to compare present food intakes with equivalent ones from during my weight loss phase. There's no doubt about it, the same food and same amount of it has less calorific effect now. I can only think my metabolism has changed. Has this happened to anyone else?

I'm particularly confused because I had braced myself for the reported phenomenon that metabolism slows after weight loss. I have even read scientific studies documenting this; and, to be fair, it would make sense. I hope it's not famous last words, but with me it seems the other way so far.

Am I going mad? What have other maintainers found on this?

I find that as long as I stay within my own parameters of how I lost my weight, I can eat a fairly good amount of food and still maintain it.
I've also realized that not getting on the scale regularly will put me back into a gaining scenario.
So having new habits in place to be able to maintain is another key for me.

But being at, and staying at a healthy weight for my body has helped my metabolism, as you are experiencing also.

Well, there is the set point theory to weight loss in which bodies have a set point weight and will tend to maintain this weight regardless of whether the calorie intake is too high or too low. There was a study where they took men of average weight and made them overeat for sometime. Some of the men even with all the overeating never gained weight.

That's interesting--maybe I do have to believe what seems the impossible. I agree about weighing. I like keeping records, and so I still log everything, eating in the same units (but more of them) that I did losing weight.



Before I went on the diet, it seemed as if I would never stop gaining weight; whatever set point I'd had seemed to have been blown to pieces. One of my dietary changes was to give up all processed food. I'm coming round to the idea that the body can maintain a sensible weight so long as you don't subject it to over-nutrition in the form of industrial, fibre-depleted concentrates.

My understanding is that (this is for me)- I was insulin resistant and when I ate LC I allowd my body to heal and become insuin sensitive again. As long as I eat LC and maintain I'm okay. This is management, but not cure.

The great thing about low-carb is that it's enjoyable to eat, so we don't feel deprived. On maintainance I've moved from a low-carb diet to a low-carb/high-fibre diet. It may seem a contradiction, as it raises the carbs, but they're the best carbs. I'm not paleo, but I'm sensing that (for someone without health issues) eating the things man used to eat before agriculture and the industrialization of food--ie., a diet of unprocessed animal and plant food--restores weight homeostasis. I think we ex-fatties have a chance of being able to eat fairly freely if we stick to these foods--but it is early days for me, and I'm fully prepared for my present good fortune to suddenly go up in smoke.

Congrats on meeting your goal!
You can take meaures to be sure that your good fortune, and all your hard work, doesn't go up in smoke. You are welcome to join our weekly maintenance weighin as one measure.

I'm on my 8th month of maintenance, so I am new to it as well. I have been very surprised with the amount of carbs I am able to eat and still maintain and even lose more than I expected. It's been exciting to experiment with foods I never thought I'd be able to eat (I'm insulin sensitive too and was hypoglycemic before managing it with lc).

As Judy said, thank goodness I have hung on to my habit of getting on the scale because I am on an upswing in weight right now and taking corrective action. You should def join us in the weekly weigh-in thread for the accountability.

Thanks, Judy and Freckles--I've joined the weigh-in thread.

This is the first time I've ever kept weight off for more than a day after the end of a diet. I'm the same weight I was when I was 17, for the first time since then. I'm middle of the BMI normal range. Not a week goes by without someone failing to recognise me. It's new territory, and I feel somewhat a fraud, as if this isn't really me and I will put it all on again at any moment. It's not all good: I feel the cold much more, and my ribs or hip can get uncomfortable leaning on the bed mattress without their old padding.

I have moments where I feel like that too...but they have gotten fewer and further between. And yeah....I never knew I even had a tail bone! It's weird. I've lost to goal three times now and this is the first time my tailbone is uncomfortable.

It's also the first time I've consciously tried to maintain! I appreciate the accountability of the weekly weigh-in ~ and just hanging out here in general. Keeps me focused. I think it will help you do the same, so I am glad you're here and that you joined the weigh-in.

So glad that you joined us there!

On your ribs and hip bones hurting....I hear ya! I have a firm foam mattress and a memory foam topper for it. Perhpas you should consider a new mattress for your new (slim) body.
YOU are not a fraud!!

Plinge, congrats on making goal, and glad you have joined the weekly weigh-in, it really helps to have accountability when you're maintaining!

Thanks for the congratulations, but I feel flat about the loss itself because in the past I always regained. What I'm ecstatic about is keeping the weight off for several months, though I know it's early days. How long have you kept it off?

Oh, it's no big deal--it's the oddity of it that bemuses me, not any real discomfort (just a matter of shifting position). I like a hard mattress and a thin pillow--that's what comes of going to boarding school, I suppose, which is very similar to prison.

My wittering will drive you mad before long, I'm sure.