and need some advice from the maintainers. When I reached my goal of 145 just a little over 3 months ago, I was ecstatic. Now it doesn't seem "good enough" and I don't know why. Yesterday, I weighed 138 and thought, I'd secretly like to see 135. I weighed this morning and was back to 140 and found it very depressing. I am starting to think this is dangerous thinking for me. Did anyone else have this type of thinking when they hit their goal? Should I weigh less often? I worry that if I ever did reach 135 that the same thing might happen and I'd think "what's another 10lbs to take off". After all, after 15 months, losing seems easier than maintaining. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

As my weight was going down, I did worry about this a little. I never had a goal weight, so what often happened was I was happy when I got to 140, but when it happened that the scale went to the high 130s, I thought that was kind of cool, so I didn't try to gain weight back. Then this happened over and over again at the 135, 130, 125 mark. I lost my weight very, very slowly (over about 2 years). I felt my body looked better at each mark. Now I'm at 122-123 pretty consistently (I'm a bit shorter than you) and I'm happy with how I look now. I don't want to lose any more of my butt, and I don't want to look any skinnier. At this point, I'm eating to maintain and not to lose. I think I'd be less happy with my appearance if I got less than 120. If you don't have a distorted body image, I think you eventually know where to stop. I know I definitely don't want to get lower than 120 now, but I never started out with 120-125 as a goal...it just happened along the way as I took note of how I looked and felt (healthwise).

Hmmm - I thought I replied, maybe I forgot to press submit.
Just wanted to say I am going through the same trials in WL and maintenance.
Had an original goal of 145 - now it is 135 - and I'm not sure I will be satisfied at that.
We seem to be close in stats - I am 5'8" and 143 (this AM)
Maybe we should keep ea other in check - not dipping too low or getting too high.
Sound like a plan?

-Susan

sznn, sounds like a great plan to me. I need to be happy with where I'm at. I was totally thrilled when I met my goal. I don't need to go lower. I sure don't need to feel disappointed and feel like I've had a setback when I'm already at goal. I need to feel positive about what I have accomplished healthwise and not try to lose more. I have given this a lot of thought and 135 is just a number on the scale and I don't think it would make me any happier or any healthier than I am right now. BTW, last night when I told my husband that I was trying to reach 135 he had a very worried look on his face and said that I "don't need to lose anymore weight".

There you go - you look great and have done an amazing job taking off the lbs!
It is such a mind game - I too am happy where the scale is.
I am striving to be a little below 140 and maintain that (no higher than 140)... but it is just a #!

Won't really make a hill O' beans of difference in the big picture.


Have a great day!

-S

I thought I was done at 140 and my body had other ideas. As long as you're eating sufficient amounts, just relax and let your body stabalize at the weight it wants to be. In my experience, dieting really puts the whammy on the metabolism. Returning calories to near-maintenance levels had a really positive effect on my long term weight loss.

I lost around 50+ lbs eating 1400-1600 calories, then I lost another 15 lbs veerrry slowly eating around 1700-2000 calories - without TRYING to lose weight. I've been very very very stable at 127-130 for nearly a year now. I think I have finally found where my body is happy

I set my goal at 135, not just as an arbitrary number, but because 10 years ago, I kind of stabilized at around 135 (after going down to 128). I am having a hard time reaching 135, but still think it is attainable for me at this point.

One thing that you mentioned is that you found it depressing to find yourself at 140. You have to realize that you will fluctuate. If you pick 138 as your optimal weight, you should have a few days under 138 as well as a few days over 138. If you find that you are consistently over 138, you might need to dig your heels in for a few days to get back to 138. I think my problem 10 years ago was that I rationalized my little 2-3 pound gains and didn't do anything to get back to the goal weight. 2-3 pounds doesn't sound like a big gain, but if you don't get it off again, then you'll eventually see another 2-3 pound gain, and so on. That's why it is (IMO) important to keep an eye on the scale so you don't let the pounds creep on. I am a daily weigher. And yes, there are day when things are a bit more depressing (like staying at 139 for 3 days and with no change in diet, the next day I was 141.5!), but if I didn't see it, I might not have realized the small gain, and perhaps I wouldn't have tried right then and there to try to get rid of it.

As for trying to get to 135, I don't know. When I got to 128, I thought it would be a kick to get to 125, but after several months of trying, I couldn't do it. You might be able to get there, and you might not. But like you said, it is just a number on the scale.

I hope to be calling myself a maintainer by the end of November. You all give me so much support in all the other forums! I am so happy I found this site!!!

Personally, if I went by my body's "happy point" I'd be right back at 185 in about a month. My mind has no happy point and always want to see a smaller number on the scale- so I don't use the scale as a maintenance tool any more. I have a goal body, not a goal number. There are landmarks on my body that I want to see: defined abs, quad cuts, defined calves, certain veins visible, and specific clothing that should fit perfectly. If all that is happening, I don't want to know what the scale says because it doesn't matter. If I'm on plan- it happens.

Mel

Mel, thanks. That makes sense. I need to learn to like the way my body looks and pay attention to how my clothes fit and worry less about the number on the scale.

Thank you to everyone that has responded. I went shopping last night and saw myself in some of the full-length mirrors which I don't have at home. I thought, "OMG, I look skinny". I am going to try to maintain where I'm at. I had dropped a shirt size from 10-12 to 8-10. I had to try everything on. Some of the ones i took to the dressing room were a 16-18 and when I held them up, I thought they looked as if they'd fit. I must still have a distorted body image. I am 5'7 and wearing a size 4 in jeans, so this much I think of as "skinny" but I am now happy with the upper half too. My DD chest is down to barely a C and I know that is why the smaller shirts are fitting me now. I always complain about my fat tummy, but it is looking pretty flat now. I have decided to stay off the scale for a while and go by if I can wear these smaller jeans and shirts comfortably then my weight is A-OK with me.

That sounds like a great plan. You seem to have your head on straight, and should be commended for all that you have achieved, both physically and mentally.

Thanks so much, Tara.