How many calories and carbs are you consuming if you have met, or close to meeting your goal? I am maintaining my weight and calorie intake at about 1200-1300 but I cannot seem to go under 150g of carbs a day. Others post that they try to keep carbs to under 50g a day. That seems really low to me. What do you think?

I've got another 25 lbs to go (15 to my personal goal, 25 for a normal BMI) and I am trying to keep my calories under 1000, protein 79 grams (which I never meet), carbs under 79. Once I get to around 150 carbs I start stalling in my weight loss. Anything over 200 carbs and I start gaining. I'm 5'2 started at 260lbs and currently weigh 164.

I'm close to goal and I eat 1500 cal and around 60-80 carbs usually.

Maintaining at 1400 cals, 80 + grams protein, less than 100 grams of carbs. I try to shoot for a calorie mix of 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carb

I don't count.

I just avoid carb centric foods as part of my daily diet. I am not perfect, and I do go out with friends and eat stuff that is not the best sometimes, but I keep portions small.

I guess that isn't very helpful and I am new to this maintenance thing so maybe i will need to start counting. I didn't count during the later part of the weight loss journey either.

I don't count calories, but I have a general idea.

I shoot for:

2 oz. of Protein, 1 serving fruit, and 1 serving non-fat dairy or soy milk for Breakfast

1 starch, 2 servings veggies, 2-3 oz. protein and 1 fruit for lunch

3 oz. protein, 2 servings veggies, 1 starch at dinner

1 serving non-fat dairy or soy milk after dinner.

Under 200 calories for an after dinner snack.

Several times a week I have an afternoon snack of under 200 calories. At least twice a week I have two cocktails or a bigger snack. For example, on Monday I had two lemondrop cocktails and yesterday I had buttered popcorn after dinner.

I also exercise at least three days per week unless I am sick.

I've been maintaining a year in March.

Lynda

How many calories and carbs are you consuming if you have met, or close to meeting your goal? I am maintaining my weight and calorie intake at about 1200-1300 but I cannot seem to go under 150g of carbs a day. Others post that they try to keep carbs to under 50g a day. That seems really low to me. What do you think?

I've been maintaining for 2.5 years. I log all my food, but don't keep track of carbs, my physician didn't require it unless a patient isn't losing. To maintain I need 1300 calories a day; 1200 and I lose, much over 1300 and I'll gain a little. I keep track of calories and protein.

Anything over 1300 calories and u gain? That is just not right ! I am in maintainence now and Sparks said I should eat over 1500 calories to maintain. Humm I will stay under 1300.

You can compare but there's really no telling where you'll wind up. I was stuck between 700-900 in loss and if I ate more than 1,000 calories a day I couldn't lose at all and might gain. In maintenance I expected to be really limited but my body accepted a window anywhere from 1,200-1,600 calories a day without much movement on the scale.

In pregnancy I ate a consistent 1,400-1,700 a day or thereabouts.

And in loss again I'm stuck with 700-900 or the scale won't budge at all.

Carbs are different for everyone. Some folks are super sensitive to them and others aren't. I was super low at first and eventually between 70-90 a day (I think) in loss. Closer to 100-120 in maintenance, maybe more on occasion. If you exercise, you need more carbs for sure. But your body is going to tell you where you should be, and a constant feeling of deprivation is a sure sign that you're not eating the right balance for your individual needs.

Maintenance is more about finding a combination of foods you can eat and feel satisfied with, both physically and mentally, while not seeing a bounce on the scale. Leave the figuring of calories to something you do at the end of the day - log your food AFTER the day in maintenance for a few weeks and you'll see your window and how you're doing. If the scale's not moving, there's no need to limit yourself to less and continue restricting.

Good luck,

~Cheri