Is this a sign that I should enter maintenance?

WL & Fitness - I'm a calorie counter. I exercise 5 days a week doing Zumba and 30 Day Shred.

I am a 46 year old mom of 1. My weight at 23 years old was 138. I think it was a decent weight for me even though at that time I thought I was too fat. A few years ago I got down to 135 and I think at that time I was too thin. Sometimes I think that for my age 10 pounds would be a reasonable weight difference. So that puts me at 145. I also have fibroids which my GYN estimate at 5 pounds) so that puts me at 150.

Goal 135
Age +10
Fibroids +5
= 150

I have been hovering around 152 and 155 for the last couple of months. I don't know if I should consider this a plateau or if based on my calorie intake I have been actively maintaining and I should just continue with maintenance and just add more exercise which will be easier now that Spring is springing.

If you have lost one pound and kept it off, you are a maintainer.Welcome ! Here is a little known secret of those of us who are maintainers, none of us maintain to perfection. There might be bumps is the road , but they can be overcome.

I wonder if you can maybe think of it as maintenance, but limit your calories just enough that you might lose a few more pounds? That's what i'm planning to do here shortly, and i wonder if anyone else has tried the same thing. I'm not entirely happy with my current weight, but i'm ok enough with it that i'm not willing to really diet to change it. So i'm going to eat about 100calories less than my maintenance level (which is really just a guesstimate anyway--who really knows what my exact maintenance is) and try to either maintain or lose weight very very slowly (like 5 pounds over 2 months). As long as my weight doesn't go up, i'm satisfied.

I thought about it and I'm taking your wise words and advice. If I do daily weigh-ins to monitor any jumps (and celebrate any losses) I should be okay moving to just a hundred or so below my maintenance calories. Slow is okay now.

Thank you both.

Sounds reasonable. I know what you mean about looking too thin after a certain age. I'm 135-137, 45 yo, and the same height as you are, and according to the charts that's perfectly normal. However, several people (my sister, my husband, my sister-in-law, and even a co-worker) mentioned that they think I look too thin (they're not being unkind; just frank). Since I'm satisfied with my size, I'm okay staying where I am, but I wouldn't want to lose more even though in my 20's, I would look okay even at 5 lbs. less.

I think we're all different, which is why the weight charts are just a general guideline. If you're satisfied with how you look and feel, then why not start maintenance?

My 2 cents is that there is no such thing as adding healthy weight with age. Most studies that have looked into weight gain with aging conclude that while it is very common, it is still detrimental- it makes diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure more likely. At 5'3, if you are not a weight lifter, you probably shouldn't weigh more than 135, plus your fibroids, for a goal weight of ~140. Having said that, there's no law saying you have to lose the last 15 pounds at the same rate you lost the first 15. If you aim for 100-150 cal below maintenance (and don't cut back on exercise), you should be 15 pounds lighter in a year.

Think about a slow loss if you are a bit diet fatigued. Like .5 pounds per month. I am 38 and 5'3.5 my current goal is 148..then I plan on a super slow loss of the last 5-8-10 pounds...In theory....however I also feel like maintenance is good too. I want to be able to maintain all of my loss and those extra pounds are gravy.

Good luck to you!

I guess I took the original post a bit differently. I took it that she thinks she looks better with a bit more weight on her now than at the same weight she was a few years ago.

While it may be possible after a certain age to get down to a certain size, my point is that oftentimes it doesn't look better. That's because, as we age, many of us automatically start losing fat in the face, which contributes to looking older. This is common, and it's the reason for that saying I've heard before: "After a certain age, you have to choose between your a*s or your face." In other words, many women look older when they lose weight in their 40s+ because it exacerbates that aforementioned fat loss in the face.

As for health, I do not believe that there would be a difference in health between someone who is 135 and someone who is 145-150. Again, the weight charts are a guideline, not a rigid rule. My bones might weigh more than someone else's---many factors come into play. That's why, I don't see the point of losing more weight if someone feels good and is satisfied with how she looks. I just think that far too many people chase some arbitrary ideal that can lead to unhappiness and, in some cases, a harder time maintaining (if one maintains).

I guess I'm not sure what "sometimes I think that for my age 10 pounds would be a reasonable weight difference" means exactly, but you're right- I took it to mean that ImImportant is going by that "rule of thumb" thrown around a decade or two ago that said it is ok/healthy to gain 10 pounds every 20 years, which was also reflected in the "healthy weight" tables, and has now been discredited. If anything, since most people lose muscle mass as they age, to avoid "body fat % creep" you would actually need to lose weight after 50, not gain.

I hear you about weight charts being a guideline only- as a weight lifter, I am definitely on the upper end of the healthy BMI range for my height. But your principle goes only so far until the "slippery slope" gets you into the unhealthy range. Your bones (or muscles) may weigh more than mine, but if your body fat is over 25% (and definitely if it's over 30%) you are at higher risk for diabetes and heart disease. I'm sure it's never an all-or-nothing process (e.g. normal risk up to 146 pounds, then increased risk starting with 147), but the increase in health risks has to start somewhere.

Well, again, I'm not so sure. I have ALWAYS had a higher body fat than other people, even people who weigh more than me. I am definitely an endomorph. For instance, in my 30's, I went to a health fair with a friend who was the same weight and maybe even a few pounds more than I. We both had our body fat tested (granted, it was on one of those "scales"---so who knows how accurate). She was 23 - 24% and I was 29%. At the time, I can't remember my exact weight, but it was definitely no more than 135, and I was in my 30's. I was exercising regularly, including lifting weights 2-3 times a week. I was in decent shape based on how I felt and looked. My resting hr was 59 (I remember that from getting a physical; I was happy it was that low).

Again, I just think that some people naturally have more fat than others, depending on our body type. I think it does more harm than good to start chasing some number if we're satisfied with how we are now. To me, at some point, the sacrifices start to outweigh the benefits, and then the risk is that we might give up altogether. Just my humble opinion, though. Different strokes