Is maintaining suppose to feel this great?

Armywife04_21

Kind of boasting here a little, I know, but gosh I worked my butt and then some to get where I am today. 5’2, 120lbs, starting weight was 171lbs so I lost 51lbs in total. Now that I’m on maintenance it feels amazing, obviously because it is such a great accomplishment, but also great because of how freeing it feels. That freeing feeling almost makes me feel like something is wrong, like I’m eating too much (even though I am still within my calorie limit). I hope that makes sense. After being in a calorie deficit for so long, I was losing about 1lb a week, now MFP put me at 1720 to maintain it is like holy cow, I can eat this much? And not gain? And still maintain? Almost makes you wonder how you gained all the weight to begin with when your calorie limit now is more than enough. Ok, I’ll stop blabbing now lol

Need2Exerc1se

Yes, yes it is supposed to feel that great. Because you are doing exactly what your body needs. You are feeding it but not over-feeding it.

I've never wondered how I gained weight though. I like to overeat.

kommodevaran

Maintenance can be that easy, and it's wonderful, yes, it can feel unreal, too - three years in and I still have to pinch myself sometimes. But if I look closer, I can see that my habits and attitudes are very different from before - I portion my meals and stop eating when I'm done, I'm more active on the daily, I don't graze, I drink my coffee and tea black. Gaining weight is easy, but maintenance done right isn't very difficult.

apullum

It is supposed to be miserable, and if you aren't miserable, you're doing it wrong.

Just kidding! You should feel great about reaching your goal and learning how to take care of your body.

janejellyroll

Congratulations on meeting your goal!

Yes, your experience sounds a lot like what I felt when I began maintaining. And honestly, it never completely went away. I've been maintaining since fall of 2015 and I still feel really grateful and lucky to have found something that works so well for me.

DonM46

Good job on your lost weight!
Yes, it feels good.
I've been on maintenance since 2011.
When I overeat now, I don't need to log it to know I had too much -- I'm miserable for hours.
And, to think that was formerly the norm ....
The best part is, you can go over your calorie budget & not feel super-guilty.

BeccaLoves2lift

It is amazing!

vnb_208

I cant wait till maintenance 17 more lbs to go!

rainbow198

Your post made me smile! Congrats on losing 51 pounds! I say yes because you've found that balance of eating enough food to sustain your body and not gain or lose.

For me, when I first hit maintenance in 2013 I felt amazing. And summer was right around the corner. Sometimes I still can't believe that I did it and have maintained it all. I've worked so, so hard.

I struggled slightly at the beginning, but it was all mental and not wanting to go back to where I was. The statistics on weight re-gain are so grim, I know I needed to stay grounded and keep working hard.

So way to go and boast on. You've earned it!

femmaggie

congrats on your success!
I'm pretty excited to go on maintenance, I have 11 more pounds to go!

lporter229

If it feels great then you must be doing it right. Congrats on your weight loss!

Armywife04_21

Thank you everyone! And for those whom are close to their goals, you can do it! If I did it, you guys can too!!

When being on deficit you start off struggling and feeling deprived, but then getting those extra calories after so long- it feels as though it is a luxury. The work is so worth it! Now my body craves working out, not to say I always want to get up early to do so, but I still do because of how I feel afterwards.

nowine4me

Good for you. That’s a huge accomplishment. It sounds like you learned some lessons on good nutrition along the way.

SummerSkier

Congrats!!! 50# is a lot. Your happiness is shining through. Well done!!!

LivingtheLeanDream

Armywife04_21 wrote: »

Kind of boasting here a little, I know, but gosh I worked my butt and then some to get where I am today. 5’2, 120lbs, starting weight was 171lbs so I lost 51lbs in total. Now that I’m on maintenance it feels amazing, obviously because it is such a great accomplishment, but also great because of how freeing it feels. That freeing feeling almost makes me feel like something is wrong, like I’m eating too much (even though I am still within my calorie limit). I hope that makes sense. After being in a calorie deficit for so long, I was losing about 1lb a week, now MFP put me at 1720 to maintain it is like holy cow, I can eat this much? And not gain? And still maintain? Almost makes you wonder how you gained all the weight to begin with when your calorie limit now is more than enough. Ok, I’ll stop blabbing now lol

Congrats! its fabulous being at maintenance, so blab away as I agree