I've been a devoted calorie counter for quite sometime now. I've had food journals where I wrote everything that I ate as the day passed, began getting more organized and in control by planning out exactly what I was going to eat for a week straight.
This has been a big contributor to my weight loss, but also a crazed obsession. For example, I'm too scared to include good fats like avocados or a handful of almonds into my diet because I felt the calories weren't worth it.
So, I've decided I'm going to stop. Stop writing things down and stop planning everything to a T ahead of time. I know I'm going to be calculating in my head, but I figure that's a good thing. I'm at 126 lbs and its time to start maintaining and focus on developing just a healthy way of eating without making it an obsession. I'm not going to start eating junk or anything like that, but start to include things like avocados here and there because the fatty acids are good and necessary.
I'm a bit nervous that I'll gain weight, but as long as I keep up my exercise and portion control I should be fine right? Being a calorie counter I've got a great idea of what portions should be for almost everything.
Its time to stop being scared of 'higher' calorie-nutrient rich foods!

Wish me luck.

I'm also on my TOM so I don't know how much I can trust the scale over the next few days. :/ But here goes nothin..

on reaching goal!! As for not tracking any more- hey you'll never know if you can if you don't try. As long as you keep checking in with the scale or the pants'o'meter to verify that you aren't gaining...I say RAWK ON!

Good luck to you in maintenance!

Congratulations on your weight loss and transition to maintenance!!!

I'm a calorie counter and I used to fret about higher-calorie foods too. I used to avoid nuts, salmon, and other sources of healthy fats. But I now focus on making sure my diet cycles through all the types of foods I want to eat (veggies, NF dairy, fruit, whole grains, fatty fish, etc) and I make an effort to incorporate superfoods. I reserve some calories for daily a treat too.

I hope your new strategy works for you. Just wanted to let you know that even a veteran calorie counter can move their focus from only low-calorie foods to a healthy mix.

Congratulations on reaching your weight loss goal!

Thank you everyone! I know maintenance is going to be a lot of hard work! But I am definitely in the mind set to keep fit and focus on getting more toned.

I'll still be here everyday reading threads for motivation & inspiration and also say what I can to help others out too!

Woo!

Hey tater!

Be sure to visit the Maintainers forum on 3FC!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=170

If you're worried about eating too much, you can increase what you eat gradually. I think you'll find that maintenance is a lot like weight loss, but with more calories! In other words, your good habits will still apply.

Jay

Congratulations on making it to goal, tater tash, and best wishes on the next chapter of your journey!