Two year maintenance anniversary

1longroad

Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!!! I am so glad I got to read your story!!

ereck44

Congratulations! I love success stories. I think that maintaining a weight loss (or gain if you are at the other end of the spectrum) is way harder than gaining or losing. I hope and aspire to be there some day.

neandermagnon

This is fantastic and a true measure of success.

95% of diets fail in the long term. People starting out will do well to look to the long term maintainers for inspiration and to see how they did it, rather than looking to see what diet is going to make them lose weight the quickest.

I think you should post every 3 months, not just every year, so more people can be inspired by your success and realise that true success is long term maintenance.

Luthien007

I loved reading your story. CHEERS! So much of your story resonates with me.

AnitraSoto

Thanks for sharing, and congrats! You look fantastic!

NovemberJune

Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!! Doing great!

TravelDog14

As a newbie to maintenance I love to read and see long term success at maintaining so thanks for sharing.

And of course, congratulations.

DVaughan1975

Thanks for sharing!!! You look wonderful. Congrats!

rwstoneman1

Well done! this is amazing - I still have a lot of weight to lose and sometimes I worry about what it's going to be like after I've lost it all. You're an inspiration!!

Sassyallday

Wow! I love your philosophical approach to weight loss and maintenance. I, too, believe in enjoying my life as I am every day. And I do a pretty good job of dressing for my current size and not delaying dreams for "some day when I am thinner".

But, I do, sometimes, get impatient with my progress and judge myself for the times I fall off in my efforts. Reading posts from others who really understand the perseverance and patience helps me a lot. Your post reminded me that someone else really understands my journey.

And your reminder that life happens whether you are big or small is an important one (although I will admit that, even though I know heartbreak is heartbreak, it seems like it wouldn't hurt quite so badly if you are thin and fabulous). I know it's not true! It just looks that way on TV.

Anyway, thanks for sharing. It's nice not to feel alone in the struggle.

armadillolabrat

Thanks for posting. Great advice which I will be implementing.

QuietBloom

Wow, congratulations!! I think you are statistically in the clear, aren't you? Keep it off for 2 years and your set point changes, isn't that what they say?

What an inspiration you are!

Dang, my ticker is wrong. Need to fix. My goal is NOT 112.

retiree2006

Congratulations on the success you've had at maintenance. That's the slippery slope for many. My goal is to also be within a 3-5 lb. range when I reach my 1 year anniversary...then repledge each year...and it inspires me that you're really doing it!

JeanneTops

Wow, congratulations!! I think you are statistically in the clear, aren't you? Keep it off for 2 years and your set point changes, isn't that what they say?

What an inspiration you are!

Dang, my ticker is wrong. Need to fix. My goal is NOT 112.

Hm, maybe. But that's just biological. The bigger problem is psychological - I was overweight for 40 years. That's a lot of time with poor eating habits and bingeing behaviours to overcome. No, I still have a lot of changes to make in how I see myself before I feel comfortable at maintenance. I don't mean "not seeing myself as still fat." That's a very important self-image to change and I've really spent the last two years working at it and I'm pretty comfortable that I have changed that self-image.

Now I'm working on not seeing special occasions - vacation, weekend trips, visits to my mother, and so on - as times I can let go and eat as I please. When I think that way, what I'm really doing is seeing my "natural" behaviour as eating a lot of food and any kind of food. I'm trying to reverse that thinking and see my natural behavior as eating carefully and thoughtfully.

The first year of maintenance I thought that I had conquered my poor eating habits. And then my Mom got sick, I spent three weeks with her in another state and it was a very stressful time. By the end of the three weeks, I was bingeing on food like crazy. I couldn't believe how my old eating habits came back so quickly. Thankfully, I was able to stop when I got back to my own home. But I've had several similar episodes since.

Enough to make me realize that maintenance is all about learning how to eat through all the tough times. It's only when you've successfully been through some tough times that you can really say you're being successful at maintenance. I may have kept my weight down but I haven't fully changed my eating habits yet.

Jeanne

cinrueshershae

Wow! Congrats! You look fantastic!:flowerforyou: I have 20 more pounds to be at goal, and I am already getting anxious about the switch to maintenance. You are very encouraging, Thanks.
Cinrueshershae

Cclye

Congratulations! I m trying to maintain my weight.I keep going up & down. Nvr maintain it for more than 1 year.
My aim starting this month to get to my ideal weight than maintain it for 1 year...

basschick

Kudos to you! I just recently celebrated my 2 year anniversary on maintenance too (and have recently decided to lose 10 more lbs.). Maintaining is hard over the long haul, but you've done it -- congrats!!

RetiredAndLovingIt

bump

mpf1

tagging, great job!

phyllisgehrke

Thank you for Posting.

I joined MFP May 1st.
I started at 170 Pounds, then I lost the weight and got down to 148 pounds, my goal weight.

Now I have lost another 4 pounds, I weigh 144 pounds.
Did you have any trouble figuring out your calorie goal

I have gone to a couple of sites to figure Bmr and TDEE

I am 66 years old and I keep losing.
Would like to find my calorie Goal to stay at 144 pounds.

You look Fantastic!!!!!!!