Hey everyone! I don't think I've logged in since Sept. I never reached my goal weight of I think 128. I stopped at 9 lbs shy and I was/am pretty happy there. I did gain like a lb over Thanksgiving, but it's nothing I can't control.

Ok, so I said I was pretty happy. Not completely. I would still like to know what just 9 lbs lighter would look and feel like but I am not sure my body wants it that way. I was SOOOO surprised at how easily I was able to maintain. If I overdid it one meal, I got it back on track the next. Sometimes I did/still do have a pig out day, but again the next day I go back on track.

How do I know when/where my body wants to stop? 'Cause it sure seems happy here. I guess I am not emotionally accepting it. I am in sizes ranging from 2-6 in womens and 5-9 in juniors. Just depends on what it is. The norm seems a 4 in womens and 7 in juniors. Now before you guys freak out and say stop at 4, I am very petite with a small frame so any extra weight I carry tends to show.

wow, I know you have a small frame. At 135. I could only fit a size 8. So...are you happy there. Maybe stop losing, and start focus on toning. Good job on your hard work!

I agree that maybe you should focus on toning. It seems that we may have similar body types and I was stuck around 135 for the longest time. I switched from mostly cardio workouts to mostly weights and I've lost about 8 more pounds without really trying. Good luck!!

I'm in a similar situation. I'm at goal (135) but I haven't settled into my maintenance range yet, and some days I'm down in the low 130s and the 120s seem so close I just want to know what it would feel like to lose another 5-10lbs. I feel guilty for wanting to lose more weight, and I'm happy with my size now (anywhere from a 2 on top to a 10 on bottom in straight sizes)...maybe I'll take Tiffany's advice and focus more on strength training. I've actually upped the strength training since reaching goal and my main goal right now is to get stronger...and yet, the 120s are so tantalizing!

As you get smaller, it gets harder and harder to lose, and it doesn't necessarily mean that your body is telling you to stop here and maintain - you might find it just as easy to maintain when you're 9 lb lighter. And if you get down there and you think you're looking TOO skinny, you can always regain some (healthily, of course).

I've been 120 lb and a size 4 in the past, but wasn't really happy with my weight. I've since regained, and this time around I've got a lot more muscle, so I think I already look better than I did at goal before, even though I'm in a size 6-10 range. Strength training does make a big difference. Even so, I've set my goal for 115 this time around... I've got a small frame, too, so I can relate to every little extra pound showing.

Check out the Featherweights support forum - it's not the most active, but there are some awesome ladies there.

How did you pick your goal weight? If you're like most 3FC members (I assume), it was kind of arbitrary, wasn't it? It might have been somewhere in the "normal BMI" range, or it might have been your weight in high school, or whatever--the point is, it was just a number.

So, that being the case, who says you "have" to get to that number or else? If you're happy at your current weight, there's nothing wrong with staying there. You're in the normal BMI range now.

Jay

Wow, thanks everyone for the replies. You have all given me something to chew on. I can make those jokes about myself now and not feel all personal about it, lol.

I am seriously going to give the weight training a try. I haven't picked up those weights in a while. I think back when I was actively trying to lose, the weight training plus cardio was so much together. I am pretty sure I can handle it now that I have down-sized the amount of cardio.

I was surprised at the clothing sizes as well. Once I got into the low 140's I was in a 6 and all it took was losing an extra 5 lbs to put me in the 4's. I kept trying on 6's thinking what is going on because everything felt too big. So I though, ok maybe I am smaller than I think and swapped everything for 4's and sure enough they fit.

I still have those days where I avoid the scale like the plague because I am scared of what I might see and then I am always shocked that it is the same.