BigBallBellyGirl:
After a year of rapid gaining, I've reached a weight -- 507 lb. -- I'm quite happy with, and I've made in some cases costly accomodations to be comfortable. I've invested in clothing I can wear for occasions that call for professional attire, adapted our bathroom, and put in heavy duty grab bars in our home. I also have a recliner with a lift and recently traded my sedan for a van. In other words, my life is built for a person my size. That said, I can also feel I'd be on the cusp of losing a lot of independence if I got much heavier, and neither my partner nor I are ready to give up doing fun things
According to the Mayo Clinic 's calorie requirement calculator, an inactive, 5'3", 507lb. 29 year old woman needs 3,000 calories or so to maintain. I've currently cut back dramatically from my prior intake to about 5,000 calories a day, and I'm eating a lot of fiber to feel more full. I'm hopeful I don't have to cut back more than that, but we'll see.
Is there anybody out there in say, the 400 to 600 lb range (or who is close to someone that size) who is maintaining? I realize a lot of factors are involved, but where did your daily calorie count settle?
Munchies:
If you want to maintain but you are struggling not to eat more than 5K calories, you might want to throw in some exercise. Anything involving water is a great idea because it mitigates strain on the body. But low impact exercise in general is still good.
If you continue as you are, you'll still gain, but at a slower pace. That's not a big issue right now since you are still adjusting to maintaining. However, since you mentioned your preferred range is 500 - 550, and you are 29, your metabolism will start to slow down, making it easier to gain weight.
I wouldn't worry about things too much right now. As far as I can tell from your posts, you're fine. But trying to be active will go a long way in maintaining your weight and mobility.
Yes-- Even at 4 to 5,000 calories a day, I'm struggling with profound hunger and also just trying to change patterns and habits around food and snacks. I'm pretty good at diverting myself with other activities, like meditation, or reading. This past weekend, my fiance and I started taking short walks each day. I tire out very quickly, within about ten minutes, but I'm sure like anything else, I'll build endurance. My hope is to stay this size roughly, but also maintain my ability to move around as I get older.
As far as the cravings go, I like healthy food as well, and if I absolutely must snack, I'm trying to choose vegetables and low fat dips. That doesn't always work out of course, but I'm slowly replacing the carbs I usually reach for with fresh things.
