There is no end point

mccindy72

People have a tendency to think that there is a destination or an end point to weight loss and fitness. If you think of it as an ongoing journey, it is possible to find success. There is this impression that when you set a goal of weight loss, you reach that goal and take a picture of your success, and you are done. Once the weight loss goal is reached, maintenance begins. Maintenance can often be more challenging than the weight loss, because you have to change your mind set from one of eating less calories to eating the right balance of calories. This is why so many of us talk about weight loss and maintenance as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. It's not a short term plan, it's a lifetime of work and dligence.

mamma_nee

You said it !

clarebear230786

Brilliant Post!!

lporter229

Very true. I often get comments, mostly from my family, like "Why do you worry about what you eat, you're not over weight." Umm...there you go. However, maintenance can be absolutely tricky. There is a fine line between discipline and obsession and it can be tricky to find it. I think this is the hardest thing for those in maintenance. That is why so many people say that setting the tone early for something that is sustainable is so important. You want to be able to enjoy yourself in all food related situations without ever feeling deprived.

charleyreedto175

that is just what I was thinking. I am almost at my goal and I feel lost.

mccindy72

that is just what I was thinking. I am almost at my goal and I feel lost.

So reset your goal to yourself. Your new goal is maintenance. That's where you find your success, in knowing you made it to your goal weight and are able to maintain it long-term. That way, every day, week, month and year becomes a successful mark along the way in your journey.

MB_Positif

Good point. I like this. I've been maintaining for two years now and it has it's own set of challenges for sure!

kdiamond

You are correct. I've been in "maintenance" for almost 10 years, I still focus on nutrition and fitness all of the time!!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

that is just what I was thinking. I am almost at my goal and I feel lost.

You just need to set new goals for yourself. Once I hit my goal weight I started focusing on fitness-- deadlifting and squatting my body weight, running 1 mile, then 2, etc. Maybe you want to take up hiking or learn to snorkel-- possibilities are endless.

twixlepennie

+1

lucyloutoo

I struggle with maintenance....I can do gaining weight and losing weight real easy.....but maintaining, nope.
Any amazing life changing tips...or just tips?

livingleanlivingclean

Since losing my weight, and keeping it off, I've never done "nothing". My goals continually change and I'm always doing "something" that requires focus on training and nutrition. After losing the weight I decided to compete in bodybuilding so since then I've either been growing, or prepping for comps!

Schtroumpfkin

I often get comments, mostly from my family, like "Why do you worry about what you eat, you're not over weight."

I'll add to that - I get comments saying things like "ooh - you're not getting obsessive are you?" as though I am on the brink of an eating disorder. It makes me SO mad. I am at the upper range of a healthy weight for my height and I ADORE food, cooking etc, so the very idea that I would stumble into an eating disorder just because I am trying to PAY ATTENTION to what I eat is incredibly irritating (not to mention demoralising - especially when maintenance can be hard). Of course, what makes it more irritating is that if I get mad at the person who said it, that makes them suspicious that I am "hiding something".

*sigh*.

Sorry to rant, but I thought some people on this post would understand my frustration!

pkw58

I agree. Learning how to maintain weight is a new adventure for me over the last 25 months. Losing was a definite exercise in discipline and well worth it. I carried over the habit of logging every bite I ate, even if I have to estimate.

I think that I have had to unlearn a lot of bad habits -- food is no longer my first thought for celebrations, or rewards.

Maintaining my weight and getting healthier has spilled into other areas of my life. I find that moderation and simplifying my life is very calming. I need a whole new wardrobe - I even lost 1/2 a shoe size when I lost the weight 18 months ago. I strive to maintain less so I have less to bother with.

It's a good thing.

edwardkim85

My dad lost about 20kg 15 years ago and have maintained it with little exercise/ and with a busy work lifestyle.

He goes out and drinks alcohol/ and eats out often due to work.

However, he just counters it by skipping dinner once in a while etc to maintain weight.

Measures every couple of weeks and if he's over by 2-3kg, then at that moment he diets to lose that 2-3kg.

That's the only way to maintain weight with an irregular life style.

Once you go over by 5kg, 6kg, 10kg, then it becomes harder and harder to lose weight. That's what happened to me.

2-3kg? Can lose that in 2 weeks.

edwardkim85

So no need to worry about maintaining.

Eat what you want within moderation and measure every week or two. If you 'gained' weight, don't think to yourself ' oh, it's just water weight, it'll go down'.

Immediately start your 'diet' the next day onwards.

It's a cycle. My mom's been skinny for life without measuring food but she keeps active all day with chores and when she eats(she eats wtv) she controls her portions well.

Never counted calories once in her life.

So yea, maintaining is not hard if you have a scale and you diet as soon as you gain weight.

ChrisM8971

So no need to worry about maintaining.

Eat what you want within moderation and measure every week or two. If you 'gained' weight, don't think to yourself ' oh, it's just water weight, it'll go down'.

Immediately start your 'diet' the next day onwards.

It's a cycle. My mom's been skinny for life without measuring food but she keeps active all day with chores and when she eats(she eats wtv) she controls her portions well.

Never counted calories once in her life.

So yea, maintaining is not hard if you have a scale and you diet as soon as you gain weight.

This is exactly what I was planning when I reach the point where I am happy to move to "maintenance" Yes initially I will continue to weigh and log everything, then slowly move to measuring my own weight once every week. The big change this time will also be that I will no longer ignore what I see in the mirror, did that for too long before.

Everyone who uses this site has a different goal, often they fall into similar groups but sometimes they don't

Many are here to "diet" and if that means they get themselves to a better place then that is no bad thing

Edited because my grammar sucks today

betrishy

This is a journey not a destination

Rebecca1552

I absolutely agree... I always think of this as a lifestyle change rather than a diet

cmeiron

that is just what I was thinking. I am almost at my goal and I feel lost.

You just need to set new goals for yourself. Once I hit my goal weight I started focusing on fitness-- deadlifting and squatting my body weight, running 1 mile, then 2, etc. Maybe you want to take up hiking or learn to snorkel-- possibilities are endless.

I was going to say something along these lines. When I joined MFP two years ago, my goal was "lose weight". I've had that goal in the past and never managed to keep the weight off once I lost it, because the goal was met and then...well, like you I felt there was nothing to focus on anymore. This time around, in addition to dropping fat, I've starting setting physical and fitness challenges for myself - lift a heavier weight, run a faster 5 km, add more muscle mass (bulk)...these new challenges are ongoing and give me new things to strive for. It keeps the long-term outlook more fun and motivating!

miclmiller

I hear that! I was at a steady weight then gained about 5 lbs, so that means I'm going to get back on here more. I know how a little slip can lead to a big fall off the wagon!

sun_fish

I am so grateful for this post and others like it. When I started using MFP to count calories almost 2 years ago, it was all about losing a set amount of weight. Then, all will be wonderful, right? And I'll keep it off like the other times. Oh wait, I didn't keep it off. So how will this time be different? Learning these kinds of things from people here who understand what it's like to keep it off, that it is still something I need to pay attention to, and learn how to maintain.

Jenn842512

Amen woman!
Once you get happy, why would you ever stop anyway?!

WendyGr8

that is just what I was thinking. I am almost at my goal and I feel lost.

You just need to set new goals for yourself. Once I hit my goal weight I started focusing on fitness-- deadlifting and squatting my body weight, running 1 mile, then 2, etc. Maybe you want to take up hiking or learn to snorkel-- possibilities are endless.

My latest goal, during maintenance is to do a perfect handstand...possibilities ARE endless

QuietBloom

So no need to worry about maintaining.

Eat what you want within moderation and measure every week or two. If you 'gained' weight, don't think to yourself ' oh, it's just water weight, it'll go down'.

Immediately start your 'diet' the next day onwards.

It's a cycle. My mom's been skinny for life without measuring food but she keeps active all day with chores and when she eats(she eats wtv) she controls her portions well.

Never counted calories once in her life.

So yea, maintaining is not hard if you have a scale and you diet as soon as you gain weight.

Well, as you can probably attest to, maintaining a healthy body weight is not 'easy'. In fact, it is the hardest part of weight loss. Why else do you think there is a thriving industry of weight loss supplements, doctors and gurus?

QuietBloom

I know for me, I will be weighing, measuring and logging for the rest of my life! I think there are few people (very few) who will be able to maintain without continuing to do what they did while losing. I know this irks some people, but since regaining lost weight happens to 95% of people who lose weight, an attitude adjustment towards continuing to put in the work after losing is in order!

themedalist

I consider eating a healthy diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight as the cornerstone of self care. Yes, there is no end point, but so what? We should never stop taking care of ourselves. We do a whole slew of things (hopefully!) to look after ourselves (regular check-ups, wearing a seat belt, flossing and brushing our teeth) and those things also have no expiration date.

But I have found maintenance is more interesting if I set regular monthly fitness and health goals. This month I'm targeting reducing my Fitbit reported December sedentary minutes by 5%. I want to sit a lot less!

Hbrennen

So accurate!!

GemmaRowlands

This is so true, and in my opinion it's why so many people fail. They assume that once the weight is lost they can go back to how they were eating before, which it totally not right at all.

I am maintaining now, and it's shocking just how different my diet is now in relation to how it was before I started. But I had a ridiculously poor relationship with food before, and I have no urge or desire to go back to that place.

mccindy72

I struggle with maintenance....I can do gaining weight and losing weight real easy.....but maintaining, nope.
Any amazing life changing tips...or just tips?

the real tip to maintenance is to get yourself thinking that your daily goal isn't to continue to lose. You need to meet those daily calorie goals, and think of your eating as part of your lifestyle. I see that there were a couple of comments earlier about people who "just diet again when they gain weight". That's not maintenenance. Maintenance is finding a balance. If you know you are going to splurge on a big meal at some point in the week, you cut down a bit a diffeerent day to keep your weekly calorie count in your maintenance range. As long as you do that, you shouldn't have to worry about regaining weight that you need to lose again. If you decide to skip a workout, cut the calories for that day to fit into the maintenance range without the workout calorie burn.

Sabine_Stroehm

Exactly. I've been in "maintenance" for about 12 years, and I have to keep focus on my goal of continued health an wellbeing. And even still, as I get older and the hormones shift, I have to shift back to weight loss mode from time to time when the scale creeps up a few pounds. Being mindful and careful, and weighing regularly means that it's never more than a few pounds.

It really is something one has to think about every day. And like weight loss, there are various ways to approach maintenance, but the end goal is the same.