Is this maintenance? Can I celebrate yet?

mtaratoot

I just looked at what turns out to be about ten years of data. It made me feel a little bit better. Like most of us, I sometimes get a little frustrated when only looking at recent data. In my case, I had lost about 30 pounds to what I thought was an ideal weight. I maintained in a healthy range around that weight for almost three years, and then everyone's life changed when COVID-19 arrived. Less activity. More bread baking. Less frequent bike commute to work as I was working at home part of the time.

Then I retired. That definitely changed things. Right before I retired, I got almost back to that "ideal" weight I had been maintaining before COVID. After I retired, I slowly gained a bit for a few months, then dropped back down a bit, then fall came and I got bigger again. Oops. Just as I was moving back towards that lower weight range, I got sick myself and lost a BUNCH. I got back down to my goal weight, but it came screaming back when I got healthy again. Then there was an injury that also had me dump a whole bunch. Then I went on the Grand Canyon and ate like a rafter. Poof. I'm bigger again! I kept gaining a month after I got back because I was still eating like I was on the river. I finally put a stop to that and am slowly getting back to that goal weight. I'm pretty much there now with little fluctuations.

Those last pounds are tough. That's for sure. We have to just keep after it or we'll never succeed. It's so easy to feel frustrated when things move so slow. They sure go up much faster than they go down. For me at least.

Anyway - I looked at that graph that goes back ten years and that made me realize I really CAN celebrate. Those higher weights during the two or three years of COVID response, post-retirement, and Canyon trip are all well below where I started. Since January 2018, I have only had one scale reading with a BMI outside the "healthy" range. That's something to celebrate. I got really close a number of times, but there was just one single day where the scale was over BMI of 24.9.

I will try to allow myself to accept the fact that I've been successful even when I haven't been quite AS successful as I'd like. If I can do it, you can too!

pony4us

I think you can celebrate. I'm in my 70s so my case may be a bit different. I picked a goal based on the calories that were predicted to maintain. We snowbird to Florida for a good bit of the winter and when we migrated I was less than 5 pounds from"goal". At that point i set my calories to maintain at goal and when we got home I was at goal, after two months of not weighing and roughly tracking food by eyeballing (and yes sunset wine was involved). According to my doctor my goal weight (its 5 pounds overweight on BMI) is oerfect and healthy.
If you feel great, are happy with what it takes to maintain and are healthy and active...the yes celebrate!!!
This is a weight that I maintained for years before some health stuff had me fall off the wagon, I love wearing clothes I have had for so many years they are now vintage.

SummerSkier

Congratulations for putting your journey in perspective! 👏👏👏 I think in maintenance we tend to be way too hard on ourselves and always trying for more. I have found stepping away from the scale for months at a time can be very freeing - even tho I log and watch my measurements and clothes fit. After a few months I sometimes get a nagging worry that maybe things are creeping back up but typically I am still in my range. I might do a "cut" for a few weeks to get to the lower end but I really enjoy the months where I just let myself be.

As I get older I have stepped away from the "be thin" thoughts significantly and really want to be STRONGER and more energetic. So hard to keep muscle mass much less gain fitness or strength.

I do think one of the ways we can be successful at maintenance is by hanging around and logging. I also like some of the community challenges and monthly forums. Others find success in different forms. I like the monthly maintainers thread and if I weighed more frequently I would definitely join it.

After being here a long time now I sometimes wonder how folks are doing who I know longer see. And hope that I won't see them posting again and starting over but that they are just living life and staying healthy.