It's very interesting reading these posts, some VERY interesting observations form the OP. I'm slowly crusing towards maintanence, and still trying to figure out where I feel I belong here. I've headed towards featherweights, because I have at MOST 10 more pounds I want to lose.

I do feel pressure (totally self inflicted) to reach a 'number.' At 5'11" and 150 pounds, my BMI is around 20.8. I know in my head that I should be completely happy, and I do love the way I look, but there's still that little voice inside that wants to weigh in the 130's.

Currently this is the thinnest I've ever been and I'm scared to death of gaining it back. I think part of keeping this number is that I know it will take forever to even come close to the 130's and as long as I'm still trying to lose, I won't gain... (hopefully)

I'm not too sure what I'm getting at, but I do look at the goal weights of some of the ladies and I have to remind myself that I have 5 inches on most of them and stop myself from getting too unrealistic.

Thanks for all the thoughts and opinions (and more than a little relief at not getting some of you all mad at me!). Judging from the -rather unscientific- sample of you who responded, it is definitely the case that those who started out at "normal weight" BMI's to begin with have chosen low BMI goals compared to those of us who started out in the overweight BMI range. I guess that's only logical, both from the practical perspective (you can't diet downward from a normal BMI without going to a lower BMI- duh) and from the biological one.

What I would love to know is, does the choice of a particular goal BMI influence maintenance success? Clearly, a too-low BMI is unhealthy, as is a too-high (overweight) BMI. But is a BMI of 19 any harder to maintain than a BMI of 23? And for those who posted that you're not actually sure what you would be comfortable maintaining, why do you aim for a goal weight that is the lowest in your range, and "see if you can get there" rather than aiming for a higher one and seeing if you're comfortable there (and lowering it once you've gotten and stayed there for awhile)?

Neurodoc, in my own case, I don't pay as much attention to BMI as to what general weight range I feel comfortable at. So it's not about a high or low BMI to me, it's about returning to a weight I felt physically healthy at.

I'm old enough to remember a time before people even really talked in terms of BMI but just discussed vague notions of "healthy weight range."

I think there’s about a 300 calories difference between 130 pounds and 100 pounds. So at 130 I could eat 2300 calories a day, and at 100 I could eat 2000 calories a day if I exercised. A lower BMI would be a little harder to maintain, but not by much. For me, giving up 300 calories a day is totally worth being at a lower weight.

I didn't pay any attention to BMI when I was losing. I paid attention to my body.

But as to BMI, I started at 22.5 and ended at 18.8 and I have found it no harder to maintain at 18.8 for a year than I did at 22.5 for a ton of years. I'm even considering dropping a couple more pounds (which would still have me in the accepted BMI range at 18.5). I eat a lot of food, more than you would think. And before I honestly ate all kinds of things when I was already full. I didn't need that food, and I don't need it now. And, believe me, if I needed it I would eat it because I love food.