[tuende]

I just posted about this very topic in another thread! So it's nice to hear that others can relate! I've never EVER thought about maintaining my weight- if I wasn't actively trying to lose weight, I just stopped thinking about it all together and for me, this means gaining weight. I'm still a few months out from goal, but getting there is pretty scary. As tough as weight loss is, at least I know how to do it! Better the devil you know .

[carter]

Originally Posted by SunnyJee

Carter and Bargoo: I'm so confused! So even if I am actively still trying to lose more weight, the fact that I haven't gained means that I'm in "maintenance"?

I can't speak for Bargoo, but that is not what I meant.

I was responding specifically to your statement that when you see your weight starting to go up, you clamp down on your eating habits until it goes back down.

When I said that is maintenance, that's what I meant. I was not saying "merely not having gained means you are in maintenance by definition." I was saying "when people say they are in maintenance, what they are doing is exactly what you are doing." They keep an eye on their weight and tighten up their eating when it starts to go above the range they want to be in.

[runningfromfat]

I've only been in maitence mode once in my life and that was throughout high school! After that I was always trying to lose weight (although some of those attempts were pretty lazy ) or gaining (i.e. just ignoring my weight entirely).

Right before high school I lost some weight and I maintained it by do two things: 1. I was extremely active and would run up to 10 miles/day at times and 2. I ate like my skinny friends. We went out to eat often and I would watch exactly how much food they put into their mouths and then do the same.

I was young then so it never occured to me to weigh myself often, take measurements, restrict my food choices etc. I wish I had been more conscious about such things then, sigh...

Anyways, one thing I plan on doing for the rest of my life is daily weighing. When I weigh often I lose weight/maintain my weight, when I don't I gain. I figure it's the simplest thing I can do to make myself conscious of my weight and what I'm putting into my mouth. We'll see how that works when I get there. I won't be in maitence mode for awhile, though, because we're hoping to TTC once I reach a healthy BMI so this is more for something down the road.

[April Snow]

I agree with Carter that on a practical level, maintenance means that while you understand there is some normal fluctuation in weight and you aren't going to weigh the exact same amount every single day, you do have a pre-defined range that you can live with, and if you ever go above that range, then you shift over into actively trying to lose some weight. I think a lot of people use about 5 lbs, but when you are smaller, I could see going with 2-3 lbs as your range.

I also understand the question on the emotional level. I'm a long way away from whatever my final goal turns out to be but I'm already a little bit nervous about shifting gears from actively trying to lose weight to anything else. I think in your case, you have a HUGE advantage over many people in that you have haven't regained along the way and have always been able to keep off what you have lost. Like many people, I haven't done that - as soon as I get track for losing weight, I drift (or run! lol!) back into all my old habits and put all that weight back on. So you are clearly doing something right already.

You've also said that you lose weight slowly and that at times, you "stall" but maintain. So it seems like for you, the change will be very subtle in terms of your eating and activity, and it will be more of a mental shift to where the "stall" is the desired end, although of course, it will be in a positive sense, rather than a negative one.