Maintenance began today

GabinkaP

Yesterday, I think exactly 6 months from when I started, I reached my goal weight of 125 from 147.4. So today, I start maintenance. Here's my plan: Keep doing what I was doing for the last 6 months. I found that my calorie budget of 1500 wasn't a starvation diet. It works just fine for me most days. So I may lose more weight. But I'll not feel I'm cheating as much if I go over a day or three here and there in a month (November, for example, with 3 nephew birthdays and Thanksgiving). I will still keep aiming to be less than 126. Today, I'm 125.4. Had a half a brownie for a celebration last night (after desert). Not worried about .4. Still counting my calories today and still trying to get my 10K steps and will try to do some arm exercises with weights and my back exercises like every other work day. I've already been out for one walk break.

I feel lighter and thinner. I've gotten to shop in my closet and wear things I couldn't wear for a couple of years. People have noticed. I now weight less than my teenage daughter (she is bigger boned so she's not fat---yet). I am proud of myself and the relative ease at which I've lost this 22 pounds. Eat less (count it) and move more really does work.

PinkyPan1

Applause and congrats! Do not be surprised if you lose a few more pounds while adjusting to maintenance. I too lost 22 pounds and then an additional 8 pounds. I have been maintaining my weight for 14 months now and I have never felt better. I log everything still today but I do not eat back my exercise calories. I bank them for special occasions and holidays. Good for you!!

GabinkaP

Thanks. That's what I'm thinking. It's okay to lose a bit more and not a panic to gain a few back as long as I stay under or within my goal.

RaspberryTickleChicken

Congrats!

Liftng4Lis

Way to get it!

GabinkaP

I'm 122 today and liking it better than 125. I'm rather enjoying this.

JeanCricket

Congrats on reaching Maintenance

Over this past year in Maintenance, I added calories until I stopped losing - for me 1600 works great! Like you, I continued losing a few pounds. I started Maintenance at 130 with idea of 128-132 as my Maintenance range. But 13.5months into Maintenance I am now bouncing around in a range of 124-128 and am pretty comfy and happy here

cwolfman13

keep in mind that maintenance is not a static number, you have fluctuations and people tend to flip out over them.

GabinkaP

I haven't panicked about fluctuations even when I was losing. I learned that last time around. It's not a straight line down. Hormones, etc., will cause fluctuations, especially in us women. Sometimes they're drastic. Other times not. When I was losing, I'd look at the 9 month or 1 year graph. Let's you see the long view, the general downward trend. Still seeing that. It's very cool.

WinoGelato

Your stats sound very similar to mine - I started at about 150 with a goal of 125 which I reached in about a year with a very modest deficit and not freaking out about fluctuations, allowing for special events, holidays, etc. Then I sort of really slacked off and gained some of it back over the next 6 months, edging closer to 130 again. I tightened up my logging and started making sure I was getting in plenty of steps and got back down to my goal weight of 125 and kept on going... lowest I got was about 121. So I sort of relaxed again, and that's when I found my natural maintenance range (121-125) and my maintenance calorie level (right about 2000 +/- 200 cals depending on my activity levels).

Good luck!

GabinkaP

I'm getting behind in logging but not because of maintenance or fatigue. I'm writing a story. And that's my drug and I don't want to do anything else. I have to make myself get up and do my walks. Or make myself catch up on that TV show I love that I've been neglecting. I'm really putting a lot of things off to write this story. But I catch up on the logging and do the walking anyway.

krithsai

GabinkaP wrote: »

I'm getting behind in logging but not because of maintenance or fatigue. I'm writing a story. And that's my drug and I don't want to do anything else. I have to make myself get up and do my walks. Or make myself catch up on that TV show I love that I've been neglecting. I'm really putting a lot of things off to write this story. But I catch up on the logging and do the walking anyway.

Set alarms on your phone for once every hour to remind yourself to get up and walk.

MissJay75

Congratulations - well done!