Maintaining your Goal Weight Within 5-8lbs

Beautifulbridgittlee7

What are some great ways to maintain your weight within a certain range, rather than by a specific number? Your weight does fluctuate during the day. Otherwise, it not getting out of control and turning into 20lbs + I would say by going by how your clothes fit?

boatsie77

Since weight 'is' a number and you want to maintain it within 5-8 pounds, using the scale is the only way to do that.

Other ways to measure maintenance is by measuring your waist/hip ratio with a measuring tape. You can also go by measuring body fat.

Personally, I've been in maintenance for a year (in a couple weeks) and I have an upper-lower weight range. I still log my food & exercise and jump on the scale every morning to make sure I'm within the range. The secret is to get over spazzing out about mere numbers on a scale...I find the scale is the easiest, most accessible tool to keep me on track.

AHack3

I get on the scale once a week. I haven't been maintaining very long, but so far so good. I'm trying to maintain a 5 pd area so far I've been still losing, working on raising my calories a little bit at a time to find my balance. I will continue to weigh once a week to watch it and make corrections as needed.

jenilla1

I've been on maintenance for almost three years now. My weight doesn't change by more than a couple of pounds. The biggest fluctuation I had was 3 pounds lost after a hardcore backpacking trip. The only thing I do is continue to log food and exercise. I only check my weight once or twice a week.

It's seems like magic how stable my weight is. It took a couple of months at first to find that maintenance sweet spot. My body kept wanting to keep losing so I just kept adding calories until it evened out. So now I'm here looking at three years. MFP is genius. I love it!

brandiegirl16

I have been maintaining for 5 years. My initial loss was 60 lbs (my "ideal" weight), over the 5 years of maintenance i have lost an additional 10 lbs to get to my "happy" weight. I like to give myself a little wiggle room of up 5 lbs or down 5 lbs at any given time. I still stay accountable with journal entries of my food/exercise pretty regularly.

Beginning the maintenance process was hard. I had the mindset of "i got this" and the truth was, i didn't. I became comfortable and lazy.. and my clothes became a bit tight and i felt sluggish and lazy. Accountability was key for me in success. Trial and error to find what works for you. Just as you had to do in order to lose the weight in the first place, you need to find your own routine.. it isn't a one size fits all. Food and exercise is a package deal... and finding the balance is key.

My clothing is my indicator, if things are snug at any point.. it is time to get on the scale, reach for the measuring tape and assess where i am and how i feel. This is an ongoing lifestyle one i have committed to for my lifetime.

Hope this was helpful. Best of luck on your journey.

auntiebabs

I've been maintaining for 3 years... and still feel like I'm hanging on by my fingernails.

There always seems to be an office b'day or a friend's party or a family event.
So my latest strategy is simply giving myself a daily deficit of about 100 - 150 calories...
That way when something unexpected pops up I have extra calories built in so I don't have to stress out over it.

This is to improve my life... I don't want to spend all of my time, counting and measuring and stressing over every mouthful I take. I don't want to be as obsessed with dieting as I was with over eating.

I want to create room in my life for other wonderful things.
But I want to do those wonderful things in a healthier pain-free body...
When opportunities come up to go kayaking or hiking I want to be capable of doing it and the more capable I am the more I'll enjoy it.

airangel59

In to hear how others are doing this. The most I'd lost in the past (half a lifetime ago) was 63 lbs and I yo yo'ed it back and then some in no time it seems. Definitely NOT going that route this time.

I just got to my "goal range" and know I'm going to have to log for the rest of my life, lol. I'm fine with it and pre plan/pre log my meals/snacks in advance.

Blokeypoo

I've been maintaining for a year and it is a whole new ball game lol.

I cope by eating in 250 deficit M-F then relax at w/e. I can cope with 15-1700 in week if allowed more wen I need to eat out etc. I still weigh everything and still log my food accurately (less so at w/e as harder to quantify if eating out but I enter a random big number!). I gain at Xmas and hols but address it immediately and it's generally gone in a week or so.

My Fitbit is probably the main reasons I am succeeding so far. I enter food on MFP the night before and watch my Fitbit through the following day to make sure I've earned it, if I'm more active than needed then the bonus is I get something extra to eat. Win/win!

brenn24179

I cant go by my clothes, I could gain 20 and be in most of my clothes. I weigh religiously, at least every 2-3 days. I allow myself up 5 lbs and then I get serious. I log even on vacation, maybe one day I wont have to but I doubt it, I get complacent and then trouble begins.