A few years ago I finally managed to make weight loss work and went from almost 200 pounds to around 155. I felt absolutely amazing and thought I looked fabulous, but it only lasted about 2 weeks (it was around the holidays). I went back up to around 165, but still felt really good physically and body-image-wise so I decided 165 was fine.

In March I realized I had gotten up to 175, so I decided to start losing again with the goal of 160-- after all, I'd felt great there before. Well, I'm at 160 now and feel like a total blob. I actually feel bigger now than I did at 175! I don't know what the difference is: maybe last time I had lost so much that it was a big difference, but this time with only a 15 pound loss it's not as noticable? I pushed my goal weight down to 150, but I'm so afraid that I'll get there and still won't be happy with myself. Has anyone else had similar problems after reaching their goal?

I haven't reached my goal yet, but I can tell already that I won't be happy when I get there... I look at my body now and say "no way I only need to lose another 18 pounds. There's at least 30 that need to go!"

Do whatever feels right for you and your body. Only you know this!

I struggle with the same feelings. I am at a comfortable and sustainable weight for myself and my body. But, there is a little voice that says I should go lower--- or at least try for lower. I "secretly" feel that if I could just get to 122 then, then, I would be satisfied.

Also, this might be because maintainance is such a difficult concept. I mean, we spend so much time losing and focusing on trying to reduce our eating/increasing our physical output, and when we are just supposed to be trying to "stay put" it can be difficult.

I don't know when or if there is some magical click in one's brain sometime somewhere into maintainence that just lets one know that "I'm fine. My body likes this weight. I am healthy. I am satisfied." I imagine it takes alot to get to that point of acceptance. I know that I am not there yet, but I hope to be one day, no matter what weight I end up settleing at.

Unlike you, I don't have a previous experience when I was thinner and happy at a certain weight. I had always been overweight and unhappy about it, so I don't have that reference point.

I think that your reference point is proving to be maybe more of a curse than a blessing. We grow, we change, we age, our minds change. Maybe the reason you feel bigger has nothing to do with the weight. Maybe you are less happy now for whatever life reason, maybe you have dealt with the whole weight yo-yo deal and that has messed with your mind's eye's vision of what a healthy maegdaeien looks like.

Just some thoughts. Correct me if I am totally off base.

ok trust me here, this can be a never-ending cycle. when your body is at a healthy weight that it wants to maintain, then you've got to work on other aspects of your self-image. i'm slim now, but when i feel bad about myself i translate it into feeling fat and in my head go up about three dress sizes without gaining an ounce. here's a little tip: sometimes, we get distorted images of ourselves in our home mirrors or the mirrors we use all the time. try to catch sight of yourself when your out an about, say in a reflective surface on a shopping street. i bet you'll be surprised how small you are! one day not long after i first lost weight, i caught sight of myself unexpectedly in a shop window, and i did a double take because i couldn't believe that silhoutte was mine! try it x

I lost 70, gained 30, and lost another 20, and I felt/feel the same way.