How did you decide?

shammathews
shammathews Posts: 56 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
How did everyone decide they wanted to switch from losing weight to just maintaining? I'm trying to figure it out for myself. Thanks!

Replies

  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
    I think most people look in the mirror and say "Yay, I like how I look." Or they look at if they are in a normal BMI.

    Personally I'm going for the former. Can't wait!
  • DucklingtoSwan
    DucklingtoSwan Posts: 169 Member
    I'm not nearly there yet, but the first time I hear "skinny *****" will probably be a clue :smokin:
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I couldn't find pants that I liked. I remember the day when I went to my usual stores and they didn't carry sizes smaller unless I wanted to wear Juniors that were blingy and obscene for a woman in her fifties. That was enough, I decided. Now my goal is to weigh more and wear the same size.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'm wondering that myself... I actually like how I look now, but I still have all that loose skin, with some fat stuck in there, and I'm still sticking to the delusion that I can lose some of it... and maybe lose a little bit at the hips/lower back too... but honestly I'm going over my goal so much because I'm hungry, I've been pretty much eating at maintenance for 3 weeks (scale hasn't moved from 134.9 lbs the whole time either, but I didn't get a period this month so it didn't help).

    I think I'm more in the 'don't stress it out, keep a small deficit, don't worry if you go over a bit, you'll lose it when you lose it' camp right now.
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    For me it was combination...I am in maintenance now (although another 10 pound loss would be amazing) I can't complain though going from a size 20 to a size 4/6. Only YOU can decide when you are in maintenance and YOU will know when that happens.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I chose a weight...hit it didn't like what I saw...chose another weight 10lbs less...I am almost there...

    But that is not my goal...it's a BF% so when I hit my goal weight I will go to maintenance and see how I can work on that bf% because according to calculations my current GW is about 3-4lbs from the BF% I am aiming for...
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    I chose a weight...hit it didn't like what I saw...chose another weight 10lbs less...I am almost there...

    But that is not my goal...it's a BF% so when I hit my goal weight I will go to maintenance and see how I can work on that bf% because according to calculations my current GW is about 3-4lbs from the BF% I am aiming for...

    I've decided after hitting my original goal and then going several pounds below it and still not liking what I saw in the mirror that BMI is the way for me to go as well. It means being a much lower weight than I thought I would ever strive for. Technically I shouldn't even be in the maintaining forum anymore, but oh well.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    When I first thought about losing weight I want to the NIH weight calculator and they told me I should be the weight I was when I graduated from college. I said 'no way'. But it said that if I lost a pound a week it would take 8 months so I figured I start and be happy if I got half way there. I'd never been on a diet.

    Got to that 5 pound goal range (150-155) and I had really, really slowed. I went from losing a pound a week to a pound a month. And suddenly I was there and - like others said - looked in the mirror and I really was there. Some blubber around the belly, but there. I upped 250 calories and didn't gain weight and here I am 9 months later.

    My weight has been within 3 pounds since then, but I've lost the flab and 2" on my waist and hips (I don't know why - sitting on a pilates ball all day at work?).

    It took my a while to decide to up and trust I wouldn't gain. Since I wasn't really losing very fast where I was, it didn't make sense to me that I wouldn't gain if I ate more. But I haven't. It's possible I could up another 250 calories and still not gain, but I'm not hungry and it's quite possible that those 250 calories are tiny things I'm not logging.

    I DO recommend getting a fitbit or other 'device' to add in your daily calories and eat those back. What I eat and what I net are two different things.
  • Tracey_B_72
    Tracey_B_72 Posts: 1,021 Member
    My original goal was 154 lbs (11st) and when I got there I decided I could do another 7 lbs (1/2 st) so I got to 147lbs (10 1/2 st) tat I liked but I hadn't planned for maintenance at all and went to 142 lbs (almost 10 st) but I looked ill, not people telling me but what I saw in the mirror, maybe I should just add here I'm 5ft 6in for a bit of perspective.

    I just stopped using MFP but weigh once a month still and I just aime to stay in a weight bracket of 147-151 lbs. After a very wet few months and shorter dog walks I noticed clothes were feeling tight and I was back up to 155 lbs over 11 st so I was back on MFP and have lost 1lb a week and I'm back in my bracket.

    I also had people saying don't lose anymore way before I found my goal but I took that as jealousy as I had done something and they were still eating all the pies, who wee they to tell me!

    I truly believe you do know in yourself that magic moment.
  • 5pmsomewherenow
    5pmsomewherenow Posts: 163 Member
    Many years ago I lost a lot of weight, but then returned to an unhealthy lifestyle and gain it all back plus some.
    So... I knew going into this lifestyle change that if you don't maintain the mindful eye on what you're eating/drinking and don't maintain the exercise that will keep you healthy, then you will gain.

    Many things change in a person's life -- mainly the amount of time and money we can expend to live a healthy life. If a schedule or work changes, and we lose the amount of time or money we spend on healthy foods, preparation of meals, exercising, etc -- then these changes along with stress can turn the tide to unhealthy choices.

    I started maintaining two years ago, when I reached a healthy BMI, and felt I could maintain the time, energy and money to live THIS lifestyle. We have to go with what we can sustain.

    MFP is a great resource and tool for this, because it allows me to track daily, where I am on calories and exercise, and stay on plan.
  • nicolen160
    nicolen160 Posts: 197 Member
    I'm not nearly there yet, but the first time I hear "skinny *****" will probably be a clue :smokin:

    people tell me I'm skinny all the time, I think they are nuts.... They just say that cuz they were use to seeing me at 302lbs and now that I have lost 125 they see "skinner" but to me I am far from skinny! Even at my goal I won't consider myself skinny but just right for me :)
  • nicolen160
    nicolen160 Posts: 197 Member
    I'm wondering that myself... I actually like how I look now, but I still have all that loose skin, with some fat stuck in there, and I'm still sticking to the delusion that I can lose some of it... and maybe lose a little bit at the hips/lower back too... but honestly I'm going over my goal so much because I'm hungry, I've been pretty much eating at maintenance for 3 weeks (scale hasn't moved from 134.9 lbs the whole time either, but I didn't get a period this month so it didn't help).

    I think I'm more in the 'don't stress it out, keep a small deficit, don't worry if you go over a bit, you'll lose it when you lose it' camp right now.

    This is me right now!
  • sarrah_n
    sarrah_n Posts: 192 Member
    When I could start seeing muscle definition and clothes started to fit the way I thought they should... and looked in the mirror and thought "damn, I look pretty good!" It's been a few months of maintaining now and I am still incredibly pleased with how I have done in losing, toning, and maintaining Not to toot my own horn or anything ;)

    To those trying to decide, I had issues with flabby skin that I am still working on. When I switched to maintenance I added strength training it did wonders for my shape. Something to consider if you are getting close to your goal.

    Don't be afraid of maintenance. Weight will fluctuate but as long as you are continuing a healthy lifestyle, there isn't too much to worry about.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I went into maintenance when I reached a healthy BF%. I've been maintaining for about 11 months and just recently started into a small cut to get down to around 12-15%...which will be about 10 lbs or so. I knew that I ultimately wanted to get to around 15% but I was tired of restricting calories when I hit my original goal and needed a break...maintaining for these last 11 months has been a great exercise, particularly as I've done so without logging save for a spot check here and there and I've blown up a lot of fitness goals that I otherwise probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish in a deficit of energy.

    I went into this whole thing with the understanding that I didn't need to be in a hurry for anything and that ultimately, these goals will be ones that I'm working on for a lifetime...even if I hit that 12-15%, I will set new goals for myself...likely not weight loss ones, but fitness goals abound as do general health and nutritional goals.
  • bciloveme2014
    bciloveme2014 Posts: 213 Member
    I think you will know when to stop loosing weight, was maintaining my weight between 153-155 for years, but last year I gained 20 pound, so my SW 173, and my SG was 145, my CW is 154, and I change my goal to 150 because I feel that if I loose more than that I am going to lose my curvs.

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