My heaviest weight was 140lbs in early 2011. Lost 35 in just two months by running and calorie counting.

I thought maintaining will be easy since I already formed "healthier" habits. I was wrong. It was really easy to fall back to your old ways. And in early 2013, I found myself staring at the weighing scale wondering why I am 128lbs again.

Well, let me tell you why. After feeling good at achieving my goal weight, I relaxed a lot with pretty much everything. Fitness and Food. Biggest mistake ever. I wasn't "pigging" out, but because I restricted myself with calorie intake before, taking in a little more than what my body was used to, caused me to gain weight. THAT and the fact that I only ran when I felt like it.

So I made a commitment to myself again. This time, I am happier and feels like maintaining will be a lot easier because I am loving what I do. I dont calorie restrict myself anymore. I just watch what I eat.

I also go to hot yoga everyday and hit the gym with my husband every morning, 6 days a week, to do cardio and weights. Three times a week, I go to Zumba. I eat more, but healthier. And I do more. I keep myself active. At the moment, I am between 100-105lbs depending on the day, and I have muscles. I am not skinny, I am toned.

This lifestyle works for me. It also helps that my husband committed himself to be "healthy" as well. Its hard to "maintain" a healthy lifestyle if not everyone in the household is on the same page. The temptation to eat "unhealthy" food is less.

Good work!

Good job catching the weight creep! And I agree -- so much easier when your DH is on board! My DH is, too... which is wonderful.

Thanks for sharing your insights.
I find I'm giving maintenance a lot more regular thought this time around than I had previously. It's either weight loss or maintenance, for life.

And congratulations on your success!

Beloved-I'm voting for maintenance...I'm so tired of having to lose those same dang pounds...of course I have about 20 more to go, but I'm also trying to incorporate maintenance strategies as I'm losing, it's just so dang hard to lose, I don't think I have another round in me if I gain it back this time...and that is NOT going to happen!

Fatnomore-thanks for sharing your insights!

Honestly for me, maintenance is a lot harder than weight loss. Weight loss encourage you to keep going because you see progress and it keeps you motivated. But maintenance on the other hand, once you reached your goal and you start liking what you see in the mirror, (speaking for myself) I tend to relax and think that the weight i loss wont be coming back. Which is obviously wrong.

The first time I lost all the weight gain, I only wanted to be skinny. Well, skinnier than what I was but not skin and bones LOL. This time around, I want to build muscles. I've been maintaining my current weight for a few months now.

Now my goal is to look tone, firm and fit. And I am getting there. I keep checking my "guns" in the mirror, and I brag about it all the time to the hubby. I flex my muscles whenever I get the chance. LOL