Hi All,

I have been doing "ok" with my diet, eating plan, etc. I have been exercising regularly. But, it definitely feels like I have been just trying not to gain lately. I haven't been very strict with food, and I have been a "good enough" dieter. I haven't been hardcore, but I have been trying to give myself permission to just hang steady for a while.

Is that normal? Is that a slippery slope? Am I doing the right thing or should I be kicking my butt back into gear? Am I being too easy on myself?

I have gained or lost less than 1 lb at each of my weekly weigh-ins for the past 6 weeks. When I weighed myself this morning, I am exactly the same weight than I was on March 30th.

What do you think?

I think it all depends on you. Are you happy with where you are currently?

If you're not, then vamp up your plan again. Maintaining isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think if you are able to do it now, it shows that you'll be able to maintain once you do reach your final goal weight. Good luck!

Once you've lost a pound and kept it off, you are maintaining that loss. Just because you continue to lose, it doesn't mean you're not maintaining--because you're still maintaining all previous losses AND continuing to lose.

Then there are those of us who WERE maintaining and ended up gaining, so now we're on the path of re-losing! LOL

Absolutely, you can be at maintenance and be at just about any weight. It just means you're eating and burning calories at a rate that doesn't produce a loss or a gain. Just ask yourself if you're happy and healthy at this weight. If not, then perhaps you can get back to striving towards your goal. Also, keep in mind that there may be times when you won't have as much time to dedicate yourself in this way, so perhaps this is the time to take advantage of your ability.

Absolutely! I plan on "backing off" a little bit when I reach 139. I will be eating more than my "dieting calories" but not enough to where I'll be gaining. I'm going to regroup for about a month and then start my journey again to reach my goal weight. I feel I am close to burning out. Plus, I want to get a taste (figuratively speaking, of course) as to what maintenance is going to feel like!

I think you are fine as long as you keep your planned break in check and you don't lose sight of your ultimate goal. You haven't come this far to only go half way - or wherever you are in your journey! We all know how easy it can be to become TOO complancent!

Maintaining sounds exactly like what you're doing. And I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea, as long as you stay focused enough not to gain. Gives your body time to adjust to it's new weight, really settle in. Gives yourself time to regather the energy it takes to focus on losing. If you start to creep up, then worry.

honestly, i lost like 20lbs last summer then this whole year ive pretty much been maintaining...i was pretty happy with my size and just wasnt as motivated as i was last summer and it was fine...ive decided i want to finally lose the 2nd 20lbs so ive been starting up again, keeping track of what im eating and pushing myself to work out more days a week. do whatever feels right for your body, i actually really like how slow ive taken it, hopefully im not wrong when i say it gives me confidence that i wont regain this time...ive kept 20lbs off for almost a year!

I lost 10 lbs 2 summers in a row and maintained that loss over the year until I was ready to tackle it again after grad school. Worked fine for me! Now I've reached a less stressful time in my life and have finally hit goal and it was easy for me to do it in chunks like that.

I think even being on weight loss plan 1 week out of the month and at maintenece level the rest could even work. Even if it's 1 lb a month/every other month, if you can stick to it, it all adds up!

This is exactly what the book The Step Diet by James O. Hill et. al. recommends. As I recall, they suggest losing for 12 weeks and then sustaining that loss for at least that long before reassessing and deciding if you want to lose more.

Well I consider myself mostly in maintenance, but I am within a few pounds of my goal. I've upped my calories slowly, but am still losing...but losing at a slower rate. I've likened it in my mind to slowing the car down before stopping. I considered maintenance at higher weights but ultimately decided that continuing to lose was what I really wanted. For some people, maintenance breaks are a great idea - it's all whatever works for you.

Thanks everyone... Your responses have been really helpful! I am totally prone to black and white thinking when it comes to dieting/weight loss... So, I appreciate you helping me see the shades of gray.

I work for a university, so I am in my last few stressful weeks before summer "vacation". Although I still have to work, the demands are much less intense. I'm hoping that when work becomes less overwhelming, I'll have more energy to get super serious about weight loss. I am trying not to let my weight creep up again, while I take a little break from intense calorie/points counting.