Hi! It's been a while since I've just cruised the 3fatchick forums and now they have this one! How great! Let me introduce myself, I am Spryng. Mother of 3, wife of 1 (of course, lol) for 6 years now. I just hit my goal weight on the 16th of this month. I have been doing WW for the past 7 1/2 months and have never been happier with a diet plan. It's really my lifestyle now. I just posted my success story on the success forum page if you are interested.
But anyway, it's nice to see other's have hit their goal weight and have each other keep them going and to maintain that weight. Losing is only the beginning of the journey right?
I have a few questions for you all if I may...
1. What plan helped you achieve your goal weight?
2. How is maintanance different for you? (ie harder, easier than losing?)
3. What is your current weight? your height and your current size of clothes? (I love seeing how we are all different.

I am 5'4" and am now 129.5 lbs and a comfortable size 10. I would love to see a size 8 someday but that will take more exercise to tone up this poor body, lol. My personal goal is 125 lbs but I'm not in any hurry to get there. I am just enjoying being at my goal weight since it's been years since I've been a healthy weight.
can't wait to hear your responses and to meet you all!

Hi Spryng and CONGRATULATIONS on reaching your goal! We're glad you found us here!

We've all had to discover just what you did -- it has to become a lifestyle if we're going to have any hope in keeping the weight off forever. The diet is never "over", right? I used to have the idea that once I reached my goal weight, somehow I'd be immune from regaining the weight. I actually was convinced that I'd be able to go right back to my old eating habits! I'd even lie in bed at night and fantasize about all the forbidden foods I could eat once I reached my goal. I don't need to tell you how well that worked! (not at all) Maybe that's why I spent way too many years of my life watching my weight yo-yo up and down, up and down.

Well, earth to Meg: the only way to keep the weight off forever is to just keep doing what I did to lose the weight in the first place. And that's why I'd have to answer your question about whether maintenance is harder than losing as "yes". When you're losing, you've got the excitement and motivation of the scale going down, your clothes getting bigger, and compliments . Once you're at goal, you fight just to keep the scale in one place. You don't get too small for your clothes any more. And the compliments dry up. It's just the same old day-in, day-out drudgery: planning meals, weighing and measuring, tracking, exercising. Some days you just want to scream "screw it", toss your scale out the window, and throw yourself into the arms of Ben & Jerry.

But you don't!!! (and I know you won't). It's so worth every little bit of effort and planning that we have to put into maintenance. For me at least, the alternative is unthinkable. I'm NEVER going back to weighing 257 pounds -- there's nothing there but pain for me.

As for what plans we used to lose the weight, we had a thread a while back that talks about a bit about how we did it: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36691 and there's some more info in the Introductions thread (wish we had more introductions there, guys! )

Anyway, welcome to the world of maintenance. Feel free to start a thread about anything that interests or concerns you about maintenance. It's exciting to see how many 3FC members are reaching their goals and if we all stick together to encourage and support each other, we can keep the weight off for life.

ditto what Meg said. Congratulations! That bears saying twice

I'm sure that you can see smaller sizes at that weight if you are willing to to weight training. I outweigh you by about 7 pounds and am in tight size 4's and well fitting sixes. The fours fit real well until a few weeks of sloppy eating, but I'm getting back there again. I'm 5'3", and fairly heavily muscled. I think my story is in the thread that Meg posted unless it got wiped out in the great crash. I'll have to go check later, right now the dust bunnies are calling!

Glad you're joining us and again, congrats.

Mel

Spryng

Hi there, congrats on your wonderful LOSS...I am 26, mother of 3 wonderful kids, my sons are 4 and 22 months and my daughter is 8.5 months..when I was preg with her I was 204lbs...and when I came home from the hospital I was 190....I am 5'2 ....Anywho, I set a goal for myself of 125-130lbs...it took me 5 months to get to 130, but I was still not comfy with my weight...Today I am 120 and LOVING it...This puts me at about a size 5/6...But, I was 100, 000% committed to LOSING the weight, and now I have to be 1million % comitted to keeping it off....I watch what I eat, LOW cal, low carb, lots of veggies and I run 3-5 times a week, PLUS I have three little ones to chase after all day long! One thing that I think is VERY important in maintaining my weight is cravings...I always feel if I get the craving before it gets me, it doesnt get out of hand! and MODERATION....like for me "eat one brownie not the whole thing", chocolate is my weakness..

Leanne

Congratulations, Leanne! I love all these success stories!!

We've got a weekly thread in Maintainers and would love to have you pop in and give us some insights on how maintenance is working for you.