Did you regain a few pounds when you got to your goal weight?
Hello all!
I am getting close to the maintenance stage. I have 154 in my signature, but I am thinking 165 might be where I stop. Anywho, I have heard that people who lose as much as I will have can sometimes regain 5-15 pounds once they hit their goal weight. I am guessing this comes from switching from the diet stage to eating a little more in the maintain stage. Or maybe it happens if you lose too much weight for your frame.
Did any of you have a little bump? This will help me determine if I want to keep pushing to 154 or stop at 165.
Nope, I hit my goal weight and then lost 10 more lbs.
YMMV
The trick to maintenance is to slowly add calories while watching the scale. It isn't an exact science, but you can figure out the "sweet spot" where you don't gain/lose and try to stick to those calories. Unless you've picked a goal weight that is too small for your body/hard to maintain, there's no reason to think that maintenance = gaining 10 lbs. That's not maintenance.
There's nothing wrong with picking a higher goal weight and practicing maintenance there for a while. You can always go lower later if you choose. Better to aim too high than too low.
I think a weight range is a normal part of maintenance, but that's different from regaining 5 - 15 pounds. Most of us have a five pound (or so) range that we maintain in, so maintenance typically isn't a static number. It's not regaining weight per se, but it's recognizing that our weight will vary day-by-day depending on hormones, saltiness of food, and a myriad of other variables.
I don't think that reaching goal automatically means weight regain but in reality, most people who lose weight end up regaining it. It's very, very easy to lose focus once goal is reached and let the pounds creep back on. Too many people reach their goal weights and think that the hard work is over and that they can relax. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way! Keeping the weight off takes as much dedication, focus, and hard work as losing the weight does -- but that's not a message that we often hear.
I'm in my eighth year of maintenance and my weight is still within five pounds of my original goal weight that I reached in 2002. It bounces up and down in that five pound range but I am committed to always keeping it in that range. Whenever it starts getting perilously close to the top of the range, I immediately go back to the basics of WeightLoss 101 until the extra pounds are gone. That, I believe, is the essence of maintenance.
I did regain. I found a goal weight of 130 impossible and 135 very difficult to maintain. I did get down under 130, but there were other circumstances. I was definitely not taking good care of myself (full time job, physically intense internship, etc..)
I seem to maintain with the most ease at 140-145 and I've accepted that. That seems to be my happy weight. I had no way of knowing that when I picked an ambiguous number as my goal weight. I had to figure that out through trial and error.
Thanks all! Your help is appreciated! I think I will up my final goal and see what happens there. Although, I think I am just rushing it so I can get some new clothes. I originally said I would stop at size 12, so I bought a bunch of 12s. I got to 12 and said I could keep going. 165 should put me at an 8, so I'll see.
I think that is part of my issue too. I am very solid, but I still don't understand how I am a 10 at 180lbs. I keep saying to look at the size only, but it's hard when you are still close to 200 lbs at 5'6.
I never ever thought a day would come when I would complain my 12s are too big!!!
My goal was 120#, but I kept losing, till I got to 112# over a year ago. Stayed there for about 2 months, then my weight stabilized at about 115#. I have gained a few pounds since the holidays and now seem to be stuck at 119#. I'm pretty happy at that weight, but I do have some clothes that are tighter than I like them to be.
I haven't reached my goal scale number, but I wear size 8 and I have maintained in this range for about a year and a half. I think my body might be telling me this is where I should be. I'm not quite ready to listen to it yet, though. I don't think it is uncommon to bump up a little as you adjust your calories and get used to what your new body needs.
I reached my original goal of 170 back in October last year and since then I've been consistently under this number. I've been as much as 7lbs under but my 'sweet spot' seems to be settling out around 165. I'm still 'overweight' by BMI but that does not bother me. I'm in mainly small tops and 8/10 pants. I'd like to be 'comfortable' in more size 8's but know my pear-shaped figure goes against that. I'm currently not actively losing anymore weight but I'm trying to tone up my flabbier bits in the hope those size 8s will be mine.
After some thought and consideration and a lot of soul searching I decided to claim goal when my weight was within a normal BMI range. After I reached it I continued to lose and another 18 pounds came off...I stayed there for several months but somehow in the last 5 days I have magically gained 8 pounds. (Dontcha LOVE magic! ) So today I declared all out WAR against those 8 pounds. WAR....it's on baby. I will not be a gainer. I refuse to be the other 95%.
I so enjoy your posts. You have lived through and answer many questions that run through my mind
I chose 160 as goal as it was a round number as opposed to 158 which is from my WW days. 160 is 4# in the healthy range but I am seriously thinking about going to 150. But I so want to be in the maintainers forum. So your experience of claiming maintanence with 160 then continue to lose to 150 is something I am very much thinking about.
My original goal was 125lbs, when i got there,my goal was 115lbs, then 110lbs. Before I knew it I was at 104lbs.without really trying. I was too busy to eat too much at the time.( I'm small boned and 5'3) but found that my body couldn't stay there for long. I gained even though I was eating the same calories. I seem to stay between 106 and 109 now. But I really have to watch it, or before I know it I'll be 173lbs. again!!
My weight tends to bounce around a lot.
Sometimes from salt/water/waste issues,
and sometimes from food issues.
My goal weight number is 115 lbs,
but I have set myself a Weight Maintenance Range,
(which is shown in my signature)
and for the past 4 years I've been working very hard to stay inside it.
Sometimes I'm higher than my goal weight, and sometimes lower,
but I find that I'm seldom right on the number.
My lowest weight was a couple of years ago: 104 for 1 day
Did you regain a few pounds when you got to your goal weight?
I originally said I would stop at size 12, so I bought a bunch of 12s. I got to 12 and said I could keep going. 165 should put me at an 8, so I'll see. 
) So today I declared all out WAR against those 8 pounds. WAR....it's on baby. I will not be a gainer. I refuse to be the other 95%.
