I'm not at my maintenance weight yet, but I'm thinking a lot about how my weight loss has always gone in the past. I'd get to my goal, not be happy, tell myself I'll lose another five pounds and once I get there the cycle would just keep repeating. Eventually, I got depressed and gained a lot of weight back. So my question is, how to pick a goal weight, stick with it and be happy with maintaining? I really don't want to get stuck in that, "just a little more" mind set. Suggestions?

By accepting yourself, your body, stop comparing yourself to others, and just be. That's my strategy anyway. Some days it works, some days it doesn't. In then end it's really about you being comfortable in your own skin and only you can make that happen and only you'll know what weight that will be at.

My strategy is to set my goal at the low end of the normal range for my height, then build muscle on, so I will gain 5 - 10 pounds after I reach my goal. But they will be muscle, not fat.

After that, I plan to weigh myself only once a week to keep my weight in check. I plan to eat a low-carb maintenance diet, to continue to log my nutrition using FitDay, and to switch my goals from weight-related to fitness-related. So my goal might be to lift heavier weights than I did before, or up the difficulty on the elliptical trainer each week, to go longer on the rowing machine, to sign up for a new exercise class, to commit to a regular hiking group, or train to walk the 3-Day with a friend.

Then, fitness becomes an ongoing goal, replacing the scale. At least that's the plan...

Well, lets see...I've been trying to lose "5 more pounds" for the last 2+years...lol. But I keep failing at it. The bright side of it all, in the efforts to lose 5 more, I've managed to maintain a 190 pound weight loss, and I'm actually wearing clothes out, instead of outgrowing them! So, for me, that last 5 has been kind of a good thing.

If I ever do make it, I'll be happy for a few minutes and then probably celebrate, and start working on that "last 5" again. Maintenance is a tricky thing.

Sums up the last three months But like Lori Bell said, it helps me stay focussed and not regain. I will continue to strive for those elusive 5 !

You have to set an end point. There is just no end to the "5 more pounds" mentality. I see posters on 3FC who weigh what is clearly too low, still talking about 5 more pounds. It's as though that elusive 5 more pounds has become an endless point in the future at which their lives will magically work. It never happens.

At some point the fight to get lower becomes really hard. I'd say, set your maintenance weight at a number where you don't have to fight really hard every single day to stay there. Give yourself a range in both directions. And don't try to micromanage every half-pound up or down.

Jay

I guess this problem is like one I've had. Not that I've managed to solve it, but here are my current thoughts...

I think it would be great if we could learn to be happy with our bodies (and, in general, ourselves) at any healthy weight. But that is easier said than done. An alternative is to work on aspects of self-improvement other than weight. From the purely physical (makeup/hairstyle/wardrobe), to health-oriented (bf%, running time, weight limits, etc), to the spiritual and intellectual. While the physical/health goals might be an easier transition for those of us examining our bodies with critical eyes, I suspect that any effort at self-improvement will improve self-esteem and help cement weight loss.

I think it is hard to break out of the mindset that losing more => looking better. But the point of negative return certainly exists. If I were to lose more weight, I might be able to whittle my waist a little, but I would also lose the remainder of my boobage. At my age, I'd also pay a price in my face and neck (which are both a little saggier than they would be if I gained weight).

So, again, I can't speak from success. But I think it might be a good idea to realistically consider which investment is worth the effort. Would losing another five pounds really be worthwhile? Is it a lot of effort (or not) and would it result in a better figure? Is there some other way to direct that effort more productively (e.g. starting a new form of exercise or reaching a new goal in one you already enjoy)?

Sometimes the answer is "go ahead, loose another 5," and sometimes the answer is different.