Linda – I had a lot of thoughts as I read your posts, so let me ramble and hopefully it will make a bit of sense.
I completely understand about wanting to get to a certain weight for your own personal comfort. I’m the same way – I know where my weight feels good.
And you’re also right that it’s no one’s decision but yours!
Goal just kind of ‘happened’ to me. 160 was my original goal, then 150, then lower. 135 was my temporary goal but for quite a while I wanted to get to 128.5 because then I would have lost exactly half of myself – silly, I know!
But it just wouldn’t happen. In the six months after I reached 135, I worked out HARD and did a ton of cardio and ate perfectly. My weight only dropped to 132.5 at its lowest BUT my body fat dropped to 12.5% and my size 4 pants were so big that they had to be taken in. I lost inches and body fat but not pounds.
I finally gave up on 128.5 because I could see that it just wasn’t going to happen for me given my lean body mass and bone structure. And I really couldn’t complain about where I was!
My point is that sometimes our bodies simply won’t let go of any more weight, no matter what we do. Goal just ends up being where our bodies stop losing. I don’t know if you’re at that point yet, but it’s something to consider.
But let’s say your body still has another seven or eight pounds that it’s willing to let go. How to make it happen? You’re not going to like this answer, but I think exercise is going to be your new best friend.
You’re at 1200 calories now and can’t really go any lower on the ‘eating less’ side of the equation. So exercise – the ‘moving more’ part - is going to be the only way to create that necessary calorie deficit.
I’m not sure what all you’re doing now, but you said that you ‘loathed’ exercise (hey, you’re honest!) so I’m guessing it’s not a whole lot? Is there any exercise that you enjoy? Are you lifting weights as well as doing cardio?
Mel once said something that’s oh so true about exercise – if you love the result, you have to learn to love the process. Perhaps there’s something you can find that isn’t quite so loathsome to you? Or at least a way to make it more tolerable? I’m not a fan of cardio but must do it every day and the only thing that gets me through is music. Plus I love the results!
A bunch of stuff about maintenance – you say your maintenance calories are 1700. I hate to say (but have to) -- don’t count on it. I’m assuming that the number is based on a metabolic calculator? If so, many maintainers find them to be wildly inaccurate, often grossly overestimating the number of calories that we can eat and maintain. I think that’s due to the metabolic changes that happen to us after large weight losses – see this thread for more discussion:
Some Answers About Genes, Environment, Obesity, and Maintenance.
But the good news is that you don’t have to
learn how to maintain – you already know how to do it! Keep doing exactly what you did to lose the weight and you’ll keep it off. It’s that simple.
Of course you’d like to be able to eat more once you’re at goal and you should be able to, though it’s really not a heck of a lot more for most of us – just a few hundred calories per day. But this is where exercise is going to help you out again. Let’s say that you burn off 400 calories per day by exercising – then you get to eat 400 more calories than you would if you didn’t exercise and you’ll still maintain. Pretty cool!
If you’re not exhausted from reading all this yet, I have one more thought … about just being weary of the whole thing. If I’m remembering right, one of the other maintainers – I think it’s Lucky? – took a much-needed 'maintenance break' and then recently has geared up to lose her last few pounds (if I’ve got the wrong person, please correct me! maybe whoever it is can add some insight?) Would you consider a maintenance break to give yourself a little breather before you gear up for the last seven or eight pounds? Just focus on staying where you are and not stressing about the scale going down? Kind of a little vacation? Your body has been through a LOT of changes and maybe you just mentally and physically need a little break?
Whatever you decide to do, Linda, be sure to stick around and know that you're sure not alone in dealing with the last few pounds.