Hiya!

My time is coming soon! For maintenance that is.

My plan is to maintain within a range of weight, seems to work for many of you. My question is pretty simple - what amount do you allow for normal fluctuating? A few pounds isn't very forgiving and ten seems like too much. I've lost pretty steadily throughout this adventure - so I haven't much experience with a 'flat line', as if that really happens .

Thanks so much for your time.

I have a body that holds freakish amounts of water (PCOS-related)...so I allow myself a 7 lb window. That way I can gain 5 lbs of water overnight, and lose it again without panicking. I freak if I get over 172, OR if I sit at the higher end (170 or above) for more than a week.

I set a five pound window, with a one pound over and above it as my redline numbers. I can also 'gain' two-four pounds of water pretty quickly. I also know that if I get a little low my tendency is to try to go lower, so I had to set a redline down there as well. That gives me basically a five pound swing, with a pound on either end as the buffer zones. Haven't been maintaining long, but it has worked so far. I may tweak it as time goes on.

My "red line" is 5lbs above my goal weight. Let's not talk about the fact that I'm currently 10lbs above my red line.

My red line is 140. Course, it would be nice to actually get all the way to 135 LOL!

If I let myself get off course by more than 140, then that means I am not paying attention. But fluctuations happen for me, normally not more than a couple pounds - but I don't worry if the scale blips up a couple in a day as long as I'm on track.

And FB, you may as well be posting here anyway! You are trying to maintain 140+ pounds gone!

Congrats on the maintenance level FB, way to go! Wow, incredible loss!

Mine is 6 lbs.
3 lbs above goal, 3 lbs below goal.
Anything in between is GOOD!

Excellent question FB , I've been thinking about that too. I never used to weigh daily (when I was previously 130 and stable), so I don't know how much I fluctuate when I'm "stable." But it's also another area where we're all different. Unlike Amanda, I rarely fluctuate more than 2-3 pounds, so I might have a narrower maintenance range. Then again, it might just be that ongoing losses (small as they are!) moderate the upward fluctuations. They might be bigger once I'm truly maintaining. But so far I'm thinking I'll only allow maybe 4 pounds up for a red line.

My red line is 140 and I seem to stay between 136 -138 most days.

fiberlover I feel your pain. My goal was 135 and I have actually seen it twice, briefly Now I'm just happy staying under 140.

My goal weight is 135.
My range is 135-140.
My red line weight is anything over 141.
My DEAD weigh is anything over 145. DEAD means "DROP EVERYTHING AND DIET." Unfortunately, that's where I am right now. :sigh:

Thanks everyone for your input! This helps my perspective quite a bit.

Now, just to reach goal. I will be there soon enough. I'm currently playing with calorie numbers to see where I'll land with eating/exercising. This last bit is the most challenging and educating for sure. 3 pounds to go, 3 pounds!!!

That's the way I was thinking it happens - BUT - I obviously have no idea yet.

When I was at my original goal (132) many, many moons ago, my red line was 135, tops. That's because I don't retain much water. Even during TOM. Then I regained 10-12 pounds and, since I could never manage to get back to goal, I tried to at least stay under 143 (140 being my new "goal"). Never mind the fact that I've gotten up to 146 repeatedly lately... working on my way down again.

I like it best when I am 122 lbs. Have NOT been there in a while. I've been hovering (due to my own fault) around 126 - 127. But very often I go up to 129 which is always after a weekend of overindulging and it quickly (in a day or 2) goes back down to the 126 - 127 range. So I don't sweat it - at all.

So, I guess 127 is my red line. If I buckle down for long enough, make that WHEN I buckle down for long enough, I intend on getting back down to that 122. Thing is if I want to stay there, and I DO, I know I've got to get BELOW that number.

I'm a shorty, so a 10lb swing is really out of the question for me, as it will really make my clothing ill fitting. Now that I think of it, my clothes would be quite ill fitting (but LARGE) if (when? haha), I get below that 122. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.

I think having a "range" is the only way to go. It would be impossible to keep to a certain number. FB, you've done so well with your weight loss, I'm positive you'll do the same with your weight maintenance and figure out just what the "correct" range is for you.

Oh thanks so much everyone, for your kind words and encouragement.

Here's another question or appeal for advice...

I'm toying with the idea of my goal weight being redline, with another redline 4-5 pounds down. My goal weight isn't a magic number truly, just half of my former self - and with my tall, muscular and small frame I do have the weight to play with - it wouldn't mean emaciation for me.

I'm admittedly petty and because my goal weight falls at the upper end of a 'decade', it would be disheartening and mentally exhausting to swing back and forth between those numbers. It's trivial, yes, but 14- and 15- are a big difference to me. That, in addition to temporarily 'losing' goal would play a mind game with this new maintainer.

As more time passes, I'm sure the numbers won't mean so much, it will all be old hat - but at this point it's shiny, new and fresh - so in all honesty, the numbers do matter right now. A LOT.

Is it unreasonable right now, in your opinion to make goal the redline? Until I get a better grasp on this? Or should I just give my poor self a break? Losing weight, as we all know very well is so much work.

.................
Bottom line question, does it bother you much - long term maintainer or brand new - to swing up a bit over goal? Is it as bothersome as I imagine?
.................

I know, I know, this really is trivial. But with nearing the end of the weight loss line every little pound makes such a difference.

I wanted to make goal my red line, but it never happened for me. I wanted to be "no more than 132", but I was 132 on a good day. It was usually more like 133-134. I did get to 127-128 twice, but I binged my way up again . But you never know, some people here lost WAY past their goals, so it might happen for you. As with everything else concerning weight loss and maintenance, you will find what works best for YOU. And yes, numbers totally matter to me too.

Sigh... yeah, for me too. I gained those 10 pounds and trust me, I'm nowhere near what I looked like 10 pounds ago. Even a 5-pound range is too much for me (but like I said above, I don't usually retain water).