Maintaining without gaining weight or raising BG level advice please

[Jenny65]

Hi all

I am in a good place for once in my life, I have reached a nice healthy weight that I feel comfortable at and meets my BMI etc, my BG levels are now normal, I am considered in remission by my surgery, although I believe it needs to be 3 consecutive readings in this range before its considered genuine remission.

I currently follow a diet under 130g carbs a day and 1200 calories a day, but am starting to wonder what to eat in order to keep this weight rather than lose or gain, I am happy to fluctuate a few pounds up or down as long as healthy BMI range but have no idea how to calculate my calorie requirements to keep myself where I am. This morning I weighed in at 9 stone 3 and am 5ft 4. I have a large bust and thin legs and arms, but dont want to go too low as my neck is looking very old and like a turkey! I appreciate this is a good place to be though as has meant I am healthy with my food choices and mindful of everything I eat. Compared to 9 months ago, when I weighed 14 stone 4 this is something I am proud of and happy with.

What calories should I eat to keep myself at a maintenance level please or is it trial and error? I am happy to keep low carb (under 130g) but am finding I am a little fearful of food at the moment and my family get quite annoyed with me when I am reluctant to attend family functions that involve food. Oddly enough I am comfortable drinking wine and would happily consume a couple of glasses at night to top up my calories but this isnt a good habit and I would like advice from others who have reached their happy weight and maintained, particularly from others of a similar height and weight to myself. I am 58 and fairly sedentary but do take walks and dance (you tube workouts etc) Part of me thinks I should stick to 1200 cals a day but allow myself treats at the weekend, or on occassions, but I want to be in a healthy habit for the rest of my life and appreciate any guidance.

Today I have had full fat greek yoghurt with berries for breakfast and then a low carb roll from the seriously low carb food company with a slice of cathedral city cheese and beetroot for lunch. Then this afternoon I am having a low carb hot cross bun (177 cals and 5.5 carbs) from the same company with a coffee. My daughter is on a low carb eating plan and has said she is making me Fajitas for dinner with low carb wraps, but I can feel my anxiety already about eating something made by someone else, when in all honesty even if I ate too much in the way of calories, it would be balanced out tomorrow and going forward by eating my normal food.

Any advice please so I can calm my anxiety over this.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I eat a healthy Mediterranean style diet, (mostly) I don't count calories or carbs, I just keep the weight off with the scales and the mirror.
I find family and other functions no problem this way, I eat out, and just play catch up later.

 

[Jenny65]

I eat a healthy Mediterranean style diet, (mostly) I don't count calories or carbs, I just keep the weight off with the scales and the mirror.
I find family and other functions no problem this way, I eat out, and just play catch up later.

I like this idea, are there any carbs on the Mediterranean diet or is it mainly meat and vegs? It is when I go out and someone suggests an Italian, or an Indian I panic as lots of pasta and rice dishes which whilst I can say no to, makes me still feel a little like I am being over the top. My family on the whole have been really supportive but they said to me at the start that I should still eat carbs, the odd pasta dish etc, just be sensible, I decided to instead be more restrictive and I think that is what worked. My sons wife is a health professional too and when we went out to buy groceries when I was first diagnosed she took me on a shop, we played a game of her putting in brown rice, pasta and bread and me then removing them from the trolley, I think she thought I was taking it too far, she said (and she may have been right) that weight loss alone in my case would probably be enough. I did have 5 stone to lose by the way, but reading on here I took on board the comments about carbs and bought myself a meter, which showed things like bananas raised me very high, whereas porridge oats didnt, so I have learnt about my body. I guess what I am thinking is, as my weight has rapidly reduced, would my insulin sensitivity be improved now so could deal with a small amount of carbs like a 'normal' non diabetics would.

 

[Leadinglights]

I would keep on doing what you have been and see what your weight settles out at over the next few months. You may well find even if you order something with rice or pasta it will be hard to actually eat the portion you are given unless of course you go to a posh restaurant where you get nouvelle cuisine.

 

[Jenny65]

I would keep on doing what you have been and see what your weight settles out at over the next few months. You may well find even if you order something with rice or pasta it will be hard to actually eat the portion you are given unless of course you go to a posh restaurant where you get nouvelle cuisine.

OK, this is a good thing as well. I have had people tell me 1200 calories long term is too low but I am scared of going the other way. I know its within my control but its like if I open myself up to eating extra, I will end up back where I started, although I weigh in daily so would stop this I guess.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I like this idea, are there any carbs on the Mediterranean diet or is it mainly meat and vegs? It is when I go out and someone suggests an Italian, or an Indian I panic as lots of pasta and rice dishes which whilst I can say no to, makes me still feel a little like I am being over the top. My family on the whole have been really supportive but they said to me at the start that I should still eat carbs, the odd pasta dish etc, just be sensible, I decided to instead be more restrictive and I think that is what worked. My sons wife is a health professional too and when we went out to buy groceries when I was first diagnosed she took me on a shop, we played a game of her putting in brown rice, pasta and bread and me then removing them from the trolley, I think she thought I was taking it too far, she said (and she may have been right) that weight loss alone in my case would probably be enough. I did have 5 stone to lose by the way, but reading on here I took on board the comments about carbs and bought myself a meter, which showed things like bananas raised me very high, whereas porridge oats didnt, so I have learnt about my body. I guess what I am thinking is, as my weight has rapidly reduced, would my insulin sensitivity be improved now so could deal with a small amount of carbs like a 'normal' non diabetics would.

The Mediterranean diet

Basing your diet on the foods people eat in the Mediterranean is a great way to look after your heart. Find out what makes up a Mediterranean diet

www.heartuk.org.uk

It's not rigid, Sunday lunch was Steak and Ale pie, chunky chips, gravy and extra veg with a pint of beer with the family for example.

We had a tuna panini and salad out for lunch last week.


Tonight it's a chicken sausage casserole waiting for when we come back from aqua aerobics.
Sausages
mushrooms
onions
peppers
carrots
potato (haven't got any, so I'll be using turnip)
tomatoes
passata
garlic
herbs
stock

 

[AndBreathe]

@Jenny65 , at the end of the day, only you can decide how to move forward, now you have reached a place you would like to stay. Can I ask how long you have been at your desired weight? Depending on that, my next comments could differ.

 

[Jenny65]

@Jenny65 , at the end of the day, only you can decide how to move forward, now you have reached a place you would like to stay. Can I ask how long you have been at your desired weight? Depending on that, my next comments could differ.

Hi, I have been at a healthy weight (BMI ok etc) since the beginning of January, and kept on losing each week, although only a pound a week, so the top of my BMI weight is 10 stone 4, but I am now over a stone lighter than that. Originally I considered going lower to 8.7 stone but my neck is looking very scrawny and now that my BG is normal I feel I would be happy staying between 9 and 9 and a half stone. so only 3 months at a healthy weight but its still going down, but very slowly eating my current 1200 cals a day, I am guessing this will continue, should I carry on a bit longer do you think.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi, I have been at a healthy weight (BMI ok etc) since the beginning of January, and kept on losing each week, although only a pound a week, so the top of my BMI weight is 10 stone 4, but I am now over a stone lighter than that. Originally I considered going lower to 8.7 stone but my neck is looking very scrawny and now that my BG is normal I feel I would be happy staying between 9 and 9 and a half stone. so only 3 months at a healthy weight but its still going down, but very slowly eating my current 1200 cals a day, I am guessing this will continue, should I carry on a bit longer do you think.

So, have you managed to maintain yet at all? I don’t ask that in criticism of anything you have done, just trying to find out where in the process, because if you haven’t had any time at a stable weight, your first challenge is to stop losing, then to think about maintaining.

It took me a little while to stop losing (when I felt I was at a point to stop losing).