I *just* started maintenance last week. I kind of had a feeling that it was going to be very different; after all, I've spent the past fourteen months actively trying to lose weight, and I've gotten really comfortable doing that. And now I have to switch over to staying the same weight? It's just tough to figure everything out, especially since now I'm trying to concentrate on losing fat without losing any weight.

It's hard, too, getting used to the idea of suddenly being able to eat more food (okay, not a whole lot more, but still!) and figuring out what to do with my activity points now. I never used them before, because after all, I was trying to create a calorie deficit adequate for losing weight. Now, though, since I'm exercising the same amount (or maybe even a little more), I figure I need to dip into my APs because otherwise, I'm not getting enough calories to maintain.

It's just kind of messing with my head a little. And I know that I'll get used to it (it's not even been a week yet, after all) but I do wonder how long it's going to take to wrap my head around the whole thing.

Can anyone offer me any advice? I know you've all probably been where I am, so any words of wisdom you can offer would be appreciated.

My big question for you: Are you **truly done** with losing weight?

I mean, really done. Like no hedging, "Oh, maybe two pounds more ... well, I'd be happier if I got five pounds lower ... this is all right, but I always wanted to be a lower weight."

Otherwise you start out ambivalent and it's a little harder psychologically. And you want a clear head. Because this thing is largely psychological. It's easy to forget that because it's so very physical and has to do with the body.

Get the mental completely settled. I mean, over & done with, no regrets. Having a really clear goal -- "I will maintain in THIS RANGE and no other" -- will help you STOP with the losing, losing, losing.

It's a very tough switch to throw.

Because it will be just a little easier if you're not in conflict with yourself, doubting your decision.

As someone whose eating disorder issues started because she couldn't stop losing and was enchanted by the dangerous glamor of it, I always hope others avoid that trap.

I had a very difficult time during the first several months of maintenance. When I discovered (through trial and error) that I could eat 2200 per day to maintain, I went a little wild. I cycle calories, and I was hitting some 3000 calorie days regularly for a while! During the last couple of weeks, though, I feel saner about the whole process. I don't feel the need to reach some calorie goal each day. If I exceed my goal by a couple hundred calories or go under by a couple of hundred, I don't sweat it. I'm hoping this means I've gotten into the groove. I've been trying to maintain since Nov. 2011, so you can see that it may take a few months.

I know exactly how you feel. I have been maintaining now for about a month. I have lost additional 4 pounds. I am adding bout 200 calories more at a time to try and stabilize my weight. Adding the right things is also problematic- I want to add in healthy things but right now i am satisfied with the volume of food i am getting. I have added in more yogurt, nuts, and bananas. i do not want to add in more meat, starch, fired food or junk.
Hang in their eventually we will get our weight to stabilize. ;
Steve

Think of this as your transition to maintenance- this is the time to figure out your maintenance plan. It won't be simple and it will take awhile. There will prob be a lot of trial and error.

I can't really offer much advice, but I can sympathize with you. Maintenance is much, much more difficult than losing and I found (and still find) the transition quite difficult.

I think I finally found the forumla, but it took me four or five months to get there. Hopefully your transition will be a lot smoother than mine!

Congrats on reaching your goal

Maintenance is tricky for many reasons-- I found that I still wanted to see lower numbers on the scale. It took me awhile to accept the fact that it is okay to go up and down a bit.......

I have a question for you though. If you are 5'0 and 140, aren't you still overweight? I hate to sound rude (it's hard to sound nice over the internet), but I'm wondering if you are still wanting to lose a few more pounds? If so, you might add just a little bit back, like a few of your AP, and see how you do. You may still keep losing, just at a slower rate.

Hope to see you more in the maintainer's forum!

....I am sort of tired of being asked this question, and I'm tired of explaining this over and over. So you'll get the Reader's Digest version: Yes, I am still "overweight" by the BMI standard (and I won't get into my feelings about *that* particular standard, but let's just say I don't believe it's a truly accurate indicator of health.)

My waist-to-hip ratio is in the healthy range. My body fat is in the healthy range (although, yes, I would like it to be a little lower). I do not *look* as though I weigh 140 pounds, and, as a matter of fact, I *did* go as low as 130 pounds, and I began to not only *look* ill, I *became* ill, because in order to get to that weight I was having to nearly wear myself out in the gym.

At this point, I am happy where I am ("overweight" or not.) And I don't particularly like having to explain myself to people constantly, especially people who don't know me and, more importantly, have never *seen* me. The people who know me, the people who see me on a daily basis, know that I look good right as I am. And my doctor (whose opinion I trust more than those of internet strangers) agrees with me.

Yeah, sure, I might (at some point in the future) decide to drop a few more pounds....but if I don't, why should I feel pressured to just because 125 is a lower number than 140? If all my health indicators are positive, why tear myself to pieces just to be able to see that number on a damn scale?

I'm sorry if I sound brusque or rude, but honestly. What about the idea that "the number on the scale doesn't matter"? Is that just lip service, that is only trotted out when someone's actively trying to lose weight? Does it not apply to someone who might *gasp* be happy where they are, even if the number on the scale is a little higher than it *should* be?

Snoofie, if I weren't a regular browser of the other threads, I wouldn't have seen you explain your situation (four times comes to mind). And as someone who's hung around with really serious athletes, I agree the BMI should never be referenced in the same breath as an individual, only populations.

Still ... This is a new forum to you, and you're now surrounded by new Internet strangers who don't usually read the other forums, specifically because we're out living it up and doing other things besides surfing weight loss threads - been there did that, with the exception of revised goals or removing regains.

If your history bears repeating because you're a bit of an anomaly, simply copy the post and save it. Had you introduced yourself with it, it would have avoided the whole issue.

Frankly, I didn't copy and save the post because I didn't think my goal weight has anything to do with the fact that I am now maintaining. Does it really matter if my goal weight is ten or fifteen pounds heavier than the "norm"? In any case, I think I've learned that from now on, I'll simply ignore any posts that question my goal weight, because it's *really* no one's business but my own.

Don't worry, I won't be posting on this particular part of the forum anymore. I've had enough already, I think, and I don't need advice quite that badly.

This is why I hesitated to even ask. Things come across the wrong way so often on the internet. I only asked because you said that maintenance was new and you were asking advice from experienced maintainers. Many maintainers (myself included), started maintaining and then continued to lose (for me about another 15 pounds or more).

I am very sorry if I offended you. That was not my intention. I hope you stick around. We are a nice bunch!

Looking at just text it's hard to determine tone (I got slammed for using the word "normal" in one situation). I don't thing Michele meant any offense when she asked you about your goal weight being high. But yes, you're right, your goal weight is your own business. Congratualtions on reaching it!

And I'm in agreement with you - I find a lot of the height/weights people are at seem on the skinny side to me.

Dagmar

Yes, maintenance is new to me, and I asked advice about it for that reason. But I didn't ask for advice about my goal weight; I didn't ask for any input at all on that score, because I don't *want* any advice on that score. I already have all the advice I need regarding my goal weight, and I got it from someone whose opinion matters to me -- my doctor.

IF I decide, in the future, to lose a bit more, then that, again, is MY decision, and all that matters right now is that I have decided to stop for the foreseeable future right where I am.

As for "offending" me -- well, you didn't offend me. I've gotten questioned about my goal weight so many times at this point that I've moved beyond offense. It just pisses me off at this point. But I will accept your apology because I know you probably didn't mean anything negative by it. Maybe, though, in the future, you might think twice about questioning *anyone* on their goal weight, because it's their business and no one else's (except maybe their doctor.)

As I said before on another forum there are 140 thousand 3fc members with 140 thousand opinions. No one means to offend you. Anything I post is strictly from my own experience.I am your exact same height and 140 pounds is definitely overweight for me and my BMI would be too high and this is verified by my doctor, she is in fact very happy that I have lost weight and am at an approiate weight for a short, small boned person.

....Thank you for proving my point, actually. The point being, just because two people might be the exact same height, that does not mean that they should necessarily be at the same weight. I see that you are 120 pounds right now, and having been at that weight in the past, I can tell you that 120 pounds would not be a healthy weight for me. Way too many bones sticking out, and having my ribs protrude that much doesn't do much for me. Obviously, though, your shape is totally different from mine (I am not small-boned by any means) so we're different even though we are the same height. I'm glad you and your doctor determined a healthy weight for you, just as I'm glad my doctor and I determined a healthy weight for me.

I'm not going to debate this any more. Like you, I am happy where I am, regardless of what any random internet stranger thinks.