Did you ladies find yourself running scared when you got close to goal? It's almost like I don't want to reach my goal because then my journey will be over. I know(from reading this forum ) that maintenance is a journey all in itself but I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that I've almost succeeded where I had failed so many times before. After all my hard work I can't believe I'm scared of reaching goal. Am I crazy or what??

I wasn't exactly scared about reaching goal, but I was very worried about being able to keep the weight off once I got there. By the time I was closing in on goal, I was a pro at weight loss but was concerned that I didn't have a clue about maintenance. Who ever talks or writes about maintenance?

What I quickly discovered was that maintenance looks just like losing. I reached goal - hooray - and got up the next morning, ate the same breakfast, and went to the gym as usual. It was quite anti-climatic! It wasn't like all of a sudden there was a shift in how I was eating and exercising. In reality, nothing changed.

Do you think that you might be scared of goal because, as you say, you see it as the end of the journey? And perhaps the next part - maintenance - is a big unknown to you? Honestly, goal isn't an end at all; it's more like the conclusion of Chapter One in a book -- the other chapters are all the many years left in your life. It's really just one big journey that has no destination and no end.

Since you obviously know how to lose weight successfully, you'll be just fine once you reach goal if you just keep on doing what you're already doing so well. Stick around and keep posting and we'll help you ease into maintenance. There's nothing to be afraid of -- it's the best place in the world to be!

Oh, I totally agree with Meg! I have been there! I maintained a 62lb weight loss for 2 years and believe me it IS a journey of it's own! And YES it's scary and YES it's anti-climatic... you no longer see the scale going downwards and you STILL have to work to stay where you are!

You have done SO well, congratulations!! Maintenance is definitely worth going for and looking forward to!

Thanks so much for repling! I think maybe it is the unknown. Thanks again!

I have the exact same fear. I'm an expert on losing it, and really unsure about keeping it off - even though I know in my heart that I have done it the healthy way from day one. You're definately not crazy (thankfully, neither am I).

I think I'm going to stick around here for a while. This place has the most reassuring and supportive people I've even met, plus the recipe section ROCKS!

Jane, please do stick around! The amazing thing about this place is -- when we feel like we're all alone and no one can possibly understand the issues we deal with ... here's a whole group of people who have the same feelings and struggles that we do. It's a support system that could never exist in Real Life and I, for one, could never make it on my own.

AMEN to that!!!