Living Maintenance - When I hit goal will I just *know*?

I feel like I've lowered my goal SO many times. Frankly, that's okay by me because I don't want to sell myself short. I know that I can do it and I don't want to half-*ss it.

I realize that I will never look "perfect" and I really do have my GOOD (:D) days and bad (:() days. It's a process lol. Anyway, my question is, will I just one day look in the mirror and know that I should stop losing? Did you??!?

I'm not even concerned with the number on the scale anymore because I'm somewhere in the middle of the normal range. However, I thought for sure that at this weight I'd be thrilled. Looking in the mirror, I know that I could never let myself stop here. I'm not truly happy here and I know that I can do so much better for myself.

I'm just honestly worried that I'll never stop. Will my stomach NEVER be flat-ish? I've looked at websites of other people at my height and for me to have the body I want I feel like I have to be under 120 pounds. I don't know if that's possible and I don't think it's healthy (?)

Basically, I'm very happy with my progress so far but I know that I'm not done. Maybe the last ten pounds will make all of the difference, maybe not. I think that I always thought of myself as large framed but perhaps I'm medium framed or even small, therefore the body I want can only be achieved at a relatively low weight (lower than I had planned on, anyway.) I know that I have a lot of muscle; I work out nearly everyday, cardio and strength training, but ughh there's still so much fat covering my hard work (ie muscle)

Anywayyyy I'm sure no one has read this far and I certainly don't blame you. I guess I'm just wondering if the last few pounds made that much of a difference for you, or are we talking about another 25-30 pounds to go for me??

*Edit: Perhaps I should have put this in the maintainers body image section? Sorry if it's in the wrong place, guys.

My stomach didn't start to look flatter until I put in some strength training, actually after I reached goal. And I weigh a little more now than I did at my lowest point because of it, but look a lot better. You say you already do a lot of strength training though, so maybe some HIIT to burn some of the fat? Dunno, there are better people than me to speak on that.

I did have to accept that my stomach was never going to be as flat as I would like it to be and let it go there, I was making myself a little crazy. :)

Congrats on your loss!

I'd also recommend looking into Theresa tapp (TTapp), she's a physical therapist turned personal trainer who has a lot of really neat ways to get your body to work WITH you.....the big thing about her, she doesn't care WHAT you way, and says that inches is what most people want to lose.

I know you're already exercising but she has an awesome lower body (abdomen down) video that I really like.

I realize that I will never look "perfect"
will I just one day look in the mirror and know that I should stop losing? Did you??!?

I thought for sure that at this weight I'd be thrilled.
Looking in the mirror, I know that I could never let myself stop here.

Will my stomach NEVER be flat-ish?
I'm very happy with my progress so far but I know that I'm not done.
Maybe the last ten pounds will make all of the difference, maybe not. I think that I always thought of myself as large framed but perhaps I'm medium framed or even small, therefore the body I want can only be achieved at a relatively low weight

I'm just wondering if the last few pounds made that much of a difference for you,
or are we talking about another 25-30 pounds to go for me??
It is the image in the mind that is the real problem,
not the image in the mirror.
Through popular culture we have been sold an image
that is totally unrealistic for most of us.

I'm not giving you a label of having an "Eating Disorder",
although I think becoming "obese" pretty much indicates one has "disordered" eating. :^:
However, I frequently see that exact same thinking
when I visit online pro-ana sites.

We all have different fat deposits in different places.
These fat deposits are unique to our own body types.
There are anexoric girls who've died of heart failure,
whose pictures show they still have fat in their hips and thighs,
and some still have relatively round faces and heavy upper arms.
I've also seen quite a few videos of anexorics in treatment
showing that some of them who are hospitalized actually look a wee bit stocky.

I picked a goal weight range, and continually work to get there and stay there,
no matter HOW I think I look in the mirror. http://precisionnutrition.com/members/images/smilies/msn/heart.gif

MY stomach use to always be flat to like 5 years ago and I'm 51.....people use to say God your stomach is flatter than most teenagers....I to would love to have that back..I got belly button pierced at 45 and it looked great....not so much now

I picked my number right in the middle of my healthy weight range. I will maintain that number regardless of what my body does. I had picked 160 because when I was 192 I thought that awesome and it satisfied my criteria with WW as a life time member. I was also suffering from some poor thinking with regards to weight loss so the 145 became clearer as my knowledge and confidence grew.

Best wishes to you.

The last 10 pounds made a huge difference on me. A whole dress size. (From an 8 to a 6.) I might have kept going if it were not for comments from EVERYONE in real life about how I was getting too thin...yada yada. (As if a size 6 is anorexic as some people were calling me. ;)) I'm 5'7" a little bottom heavy and hover between 139-143 usually. 140 is the magic number I strive to stick at.

I'll never have a flat stomach unless I get a tuck because of some extra skin. So that isn't something I agonize over. I guess you could say I just settled into what was comfortable. I do remember stressing over a goal weight for many months. My Chickie friends here at 3FC were probably getting sick of me worrying about it...lol ;) (But they were very patient with me! :))