THINKING ABOUT MAINTENANCE

Weight Loss is Fun.  Weight Loss is Exciting.  Weight Loss is Exhilarating.
I suppose Maintenance is a little less fun, exciting or exhilarating.
I wouldn't know from experience - I have never been involved in a successful maintenance program.
THAT CHANGES NOW.
When I approached this challenge I vowed to myself, that I would be successful in dropping at least 100 lbs and that I would manage to maintain my new physique once it arrived.
I am not completely at the end of the weight loss part of this trip - but I can see it the end of this phase on the horizon.

It is time to consider how I will keep this weight off - once my goal ceases to be weekly weight loss.

I was 57 years old when this journey began on December 24th, 2014.
I am anticipating that I will be closer to 58 years old when my goals switch from weight loss to maintenance.

I have plugged in some numbers to see how many calories (allegedly) that a 58 year old man, 6' 1/2" who exercises at least 5 times per week needs to consume to maintain a weight of 195 lbs.  That screen shot form my calculator.net application appears below.

calculator.net application which calculates calories needed to lose, maintain or gain weight

If I am reading this correctly, and honestly it does not seem too complicated - all I need to do to maintain of weight of 195 lbs is to 'LIMIT' myself to 2407 CALORIES PER DAY.   This now seems almost too good to be true.   Now I am aware that the way that I ballooned up to 309 lbs was by eating perhaps up to 6000 calories per day.   I believe that I have cured myself of this disgusting habit.   I have been surviving and thriving on a diet of 1000 calories per day for the past four (4) months.   HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO LIMIT MYSELF TO 2400 CALORIES PER DAY?

I am aware that this charts are imperfect and are meant to provide guidelines.   Before I jump in head first and start consuming 2400 calories, my plan will be to increase my calorie count to something far short of that number and carefully monitor my weight.   I will take it very seriously if my weight fluctuates up a two or three pounds.   I will not let that type of increase go unchecked.  

However, if I keep up my exercise and don't go crazy and start personal all-you-can-eat contests - I have to believe that I will be successful with my maintenance.  I am getting a little bit ahead of myself - I still have about 25 pounds to drop to get to 195.   I just no longer need the HUBBLE TELESCOPE to see my destination - I can see my destination with the naked eye!

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MONDAY MENU

breakfast  two eggs, oatmeal w/prune two slices turkey 'bacon'                               355 calories
lunch        spinach salad, w/three crab legs, hard boiled egg, 8 cherry tomatoes
                 Campbell's Homestyle Italian Wedding Soup                                         330 calories
dinner      Jimmy John's Bootlegger UNWICH w/xtra cucumber, tomato, Dijon
                Baby Spinach Salad w/8 cherry tomatoes, large honey crisp apple, pickle 433 calories

TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION 1118 CALORIES

calories burned
6:30AM elliptical 32 minutes   460 calories

MONDAY NET CALORIES  658 CALORIES

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SPINACH SALAD w/crab legs, hard-boiled egg, 8 cherry tomatoes   210 CALORIES