[Aiesline]

I think I've hit a wall. It's my own fault. I've been unintentionally maintaining for about 3 months. I'm doing wonderful about 80% of the time.. it's the other 20 that's the problem. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that maintaining is something I can do but I need to be losing.

I think I've gotten to my "acceptable level of fat" now. I don't get on the scale and think "Oh MY GOD. How did I let myself get here?" It's just "Man it could be better but I look GOOD for a fat chick" I keep giving into temptation and I feel stupid for it. I want that size 6. I want to be that healthy 140-150. But I pass the kitchen and the pizza the kids ordered last night is right there and it's just SO much easier to grab a slice than to cook something healthy.

I know I have to eat a strict 1300 calories of clean calories a day to lose. ANY deviation from that plan and I stall. I just keep giving in that "one meal" here and there. It may just be one a week but it's enough to keep me from losing. I have got to find some motivation to get back on track. I guess this is a way for accountability. Who knows.

Anyhow.. thanks for letting me ramble.

[Priscatip]

I understand where you're coming from. And you've lost so much! You've done so well! If it helps - I zigzag my calories so that on weekends, I can eat a bit more with the boys. Might be worth a try. Or upping your exercise - doing that made me not only break out of the 3 month plateau I was at, but made it easier to eat healthier (I only burned 200 calories on the treadmill? I'm sure not going to eat them back with a fun size snickers!)

[sotypical]

I totally completely 150% know exactly what you are saying. Just change your 3 months to 3 years and I could of written your exact post. We can do this together and get to our goals!

[Lori Bell]

My first question is, What are you doing about clothes? Are you buying new things? Since this has been going on for 3 months now, you probably are now buying summer clothes in your current size now. So you have winter and spring and now summer clothes in your current size?

My next question is are you willing to do that for each size until you reach that size 6 you talked about?

My point is, maybe you are at goal. If you are happy replacing your wardrobe now, maybe you are where you need to be.

I'm a tight-wad, a true blue cheap scape. I just couldn't bring myself to keep buying clothes in all the sizes I didn't want to stay at. Even with my thrift shop and bargain basement shopping, every dime I spent on new clothes in a size I didn't really want to stay at was taking away from the new awesome clothes I dreamed of buying when I hit my goal. I think that is one of the main reasons I kept on trucking and stayed on plan 99.9% of the time. It killed me to spend money on clothes I didn't love. Know what I mean? I just wanted to get it over with so I could buy "nice" clothes that would last for years to come.

[Aiesline]

I currantly have 2 pairs of pants that fit. Everything else I cinch up with a belt. I'm not buying cloths. The cloths I have bought are for work. I don't want to stay here at this size I want to lose more and have a normal BMI. I don't want to have a "nice body for a big girl" I just want to have a nice body. I don't want there to be qualifiers on compliments. I don't want to have to wonder "do sizes in this shop run small? Are they going to have my size?"

It's 30 more pounds. I'm halfway there. I know I can do it. I just have to clean up my act. Pizza and cheeseburgers aren't good choices and no matter if they fit into my calories or not they stop me from losing. I can make them a part of my life again when I'm maintaining.

[Kristi78]

I am in the same boat! I lost 20 lbs since last January and in the last month or so I've been maintaining. I do pretty good during the day, but once the evening hits I eat my deficit back. Not gaining, just maintaining. I guess it could be worst. At least I still keep track of my food and exercise when I can, but I don't want to get lazy now!

Very frustrating...

[Vladadog]

One thing that has worked for me is to make "grab-and-go" foods ahead of time that I can safely substitute for the easy but bad foods that are leftover in the fridge. Sometimes I am just too exhausted to even boil water (and no, I am not exaggerating) so I have to have healthy options in the fridge - otherwise I won't eat anything (great calorie-wise but really not so great for the long term) or I'll eat something easy but not very good for me.

And I journal every mouthful so I can't lie to myself about just how bad a choice I am really making. If I hold myself accountable on "myplate" then I find I hold myself more accountable in general.