How long have you been at your goal weight?

PunkyRachel

My goal was 130, I was losing weight to be able to conceive and carry. I have PCOS, a history of poor health and many miscarries. Well I got down to 135, and then found out I'm pregnant (8 weeks now). I never made it, was very close though lol I'm gonna try and not gain more than 30 lbs, so it will be easier to drop in 7ish months from now. :happy:

jenilla1

I've been maintaining at my goal weight of 130 pounds (give or take a pound or two depending on time of the month) for over 3 years now. - I'm 5'7" - I find it's very easy for me. Once you find your maintenance calories, all you have to do it stick to them. Logging calories is just another quick and easy habit like brushing my teeth, so it's only a minor hassle and totally worth keeping up.

I follow my calories most of the time but don't even stress if I take a day off now and then. I haven't been exercising as much as I usually do (hot weather) but I try to make sure I get some in just for health reasons. Exercise doesn't affect my weight much, other than to give me extra calories for dessert. With the weather cooling down, I'll probably be outside hiking and running again soon. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

jenilla1

My goal was 130, I was losing weight to be able to conceive and carry. I have PCOS, a history of poor health and many miscarries. Well I got down to 135, and then found out I'm pregnant (8 weeks now). I never made it, was very close though lol I'm gonna try and not gain more than 30 lbs, so it will be easier to drop in 7ish months from now. :happy:

Wow! Congratulations!

WalterWhitey

I'm a guy but I don't care because the numbers are kind of fun. I've maintained between 140-145 as a 5'10 male for 10 years (I'm 28); I was smaller as a teen. I eat 3000-3500 calories a day, and my exercise is just doing 65 minutes on my stationary bike at 265-280 watts, and walking 4.5 miles every day. I sometimes lift but nothing hectic. Some of these low numbers of calories scare me .

steff274

Lol loving how the guy's are getting there knickers in a twist about not being included!! I am 35 been maintaining since Christmas I am a shorty 5ft 2.. My weight is anything between 104 and 110.. I find it easy I excersize loads and I eat loads too my diary is open feel free to nose yesterday I did a 5 and a half hour climb with my otherhalf and consumed nearly 3000 calories!! I have a physical job I work with horses without excersize my maintenance is 1830.. I go to the gym 4 to 5 times a week on 2 of those days I do 2 hours

Patttience

Thanks to all the women who replied. I want to befriend you all. And congratulations on your achievements.

Yes, i need to find the right maintenance calories, although i don't consider myself in maintenance quite yet. But close.

Re exercise. I want to avoid the need for doing a lot of it. Past experience has shown, I can't sustain it beyond a few months. Hence i like to make everything as easy as possible. I will be going on a cycling journey early next year. When i come back and stop cycling will be very tricky period for me. Again past experience shows this.

These days I only do exercise for health so i try to do what seems to be a paleo-type exercise regime - plenty of walking about during the course of my day and recently started a minimal HIIT skipping program (I was going to do running but i couldn't get it together to start). I like skipping because its all over pretty quick, i don't have to leave home, it costs nothing and getting ready is as easy as changing my shoes, putting on a bra and then a quick shower to freshen up afterwards. I aim to do it about 3 times a week, more when i feel like it.

I think my calories averaging below 1200 may be the issue here. I am going to increase them.

I started 5:2 fasting because when i came off my short experiment (6 weeks) with low carb it was a struggle to readjust back to normal macros without going over my calories. I decided to do a one day water fast as i'd done at the beginning of the year. It failed by lunch time. Some forum friends were doing 5:2 and i decided now might be the time to give it a shot.

I do 2 days of consecutive 500 calorie fasting. I don't usually find it difficult. And if i screw up one day, i have another go next day or wait until the week later. Usually after two days of fasting, by day 3 my appetite is low from low carbing. As all the successful fasters maintain, the keys are good food choices (protein and vegies mainly), keeping busy, not staying up late at nights, keeping hydrated. Most people find two meals later in the day better than starting off with breakfast and or eating smaller meals throughout the day. Some of the successful fasters even eat less than 500 but that would be tempting fate for me. I want to eat as much as i can get away with.

Sometimes i feel that my diet difficulties are caused by drops in seratonin levels. I've been well below my current weight in the past. Been as low as 55kg and maybe even more. At my current weight (165cm/5'5" and 60.8kg/134) i've still got about 27% body fat - most of it on my lower body.

Today's a fast day.

auddii

Sometimes i feel that my diet difficulties are caused by drops in seratonin levels. I've been well below my current weight in the past. Been as low as 55kg and maybe even more. At my current weight (165cm/5'5" and 60.8kg/134) i've still got about 27% body fat - most of it on my lower body.

Today's a fast day.

If you're still doing low carb, that may affect your seratonin levels as carbs naturally increase seratonin release. It's one of the reasons people tend to binge on bread products when they emotionally eat. I know I could go through an entire loaf of bread, and it was so much harder when I was depressed. You may want to try only doing low carb on your fast days (it would be hard to include carbs and still eat a reasonable amount of food on those days) and see if you can incorporate more carbs on your "normal" days. And upping your calorie goal in general may help as well.

Good luck with finding the maintenance that works for you!

Patttience

Thanks audio - I didn't read this link completely but what i did read supports my inclination which is that increasing carbs as a means to dealing with low mood is not a great idea, especially when on a diet.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201203/do-carbs-keep-you-sane

It may be true that one craves refined carbs when in a low mood but i have always found that eating a ton of carbs only keeps me bogged down in the mire. Any lift i might get is short term and shallow usually followed by more low mood because of all the damage i've just done to my diet. On the other hand, eating vegies and healthy foods makes me feel a lot better and/or reflects an improvement in my mood.

My diet isn't seriously low carb though. Its just moderate low carb and very low in refined carbs.

pkw58

Here goes:

55 soon to be 56 years old 5'8" Female 125-135 pound target weight range, Today I weighed 126, but I ran in 5k charity event yesterday, so I will eat to get back to my narrow target range of 128 to 131 over the next month. My weight flucuates between 126 and 131, but my height allows that to be manageable and I wear my clothes fitted, not tight. The 126 is first thing in the morning, and if I chose to weigh my self every night, it is generally 3-5 pounds heavier depending on how much I exercise and keep my self hydrated... so I don't. When I buy clothes I always allow for swelling as I live in the sweltering south with drastic temperature changes and it is just a fact of life.

How Long have you been at your goal weight? I have been at this range since June of 2012.

Side bar on my weight range: The charts and original on line coaching program set my healthy goal weight at 139. This is pretty consistent with a few prior attempts to maintain with WW, Jenny Craig, etc. When I overshot that goal and continued to lose weight, I went to performing arts doctor, he set my range at the 125 to 135 range. I have solid dense bones, but they are long and thin. I just started weight lifting training with a PT, He believes 135 would be a good weight to maintain.

I have effectively eliminated stress eating from my life. Just say no. If I focus on what I need to, and get my steps and barre3 and training in, it all comes together. but it is a daily discipline of logging. I eliminate obsessing about it by wearing a Nike Fuel band and I use that calorie burn. I log my food intake as well. it takes less than 15 minutes a day and it is my safety blanket.

dorothy2512

Patttience wrote: »

This question is for the girls only. I figure whatever is going on for guys has not so much relevance to my situation.

And First up let me clarify: The goal weights i'm interested in are pretty low goal weights, say somewhere in the mid range of your healthy weight range for your height or less.

How long have you been able to maintain this weight? How much exercise are you doing to maintain it? And what are your daily calories, height age and weight. (sorry i sort of need all that info to make sense of anything you might report if you are going to offer any info at all about yourself).

But mainly are you finding it hard? Do you ever get surges in appetite that seem difficult to manage over a period of time. and that you can't really pin down to stress, overwork, poor diet, and the only explanation seems to be your body's resistance to being a low weight?

I've just about hit goal but i'm also just starting to struggle with my appetite. My food is really healthy. My macros are pretty good. I ve been doing the 5:2 fasting diet for about 8 weeks i guess. I feel like my body is starting to fight back.

My weight is… was 60.8kg/133-134 pounds at lowest, my height 165cm/5'5", my daily calories are 1400 and 500 on 2 fast days. I don't do much exercise but i have just started doing HIIT skipping which is only a few minutes a few times a week and trying but not always succeeding to do 10000 steps a day. i'm not quite 51 and female.

Thanks for any advice or insights.

You sound just like me !!
I am 51, 5 FT 5"tall, I started my weight loss journey about 2 years ago at a starting weight of 215 lbs, I lost weight at say, 30 lbs, then stopped and maintained that for a month or two, then started again and lost the same until I got to the top end of what I should be for my height (120 lbs - 150 lbs ) I stuck at the 150 lbs for a while, then my dad died suddenly, and I lost 10 lbs, and found I liked myself better at a lower weight, so I carried on, and as of today, I am 135 lbs and even though I am happy with being a uk size 8, ( I started off at an 18) I would still like to reach 124 lbs, but family and friends are stressing at me, not to lose any more weight.

nxd10

I hit my original goals weight - middle of the healthy BMI range - almost two years ago. I hit my goal range (BMI of 20) 15 months ago. I dropped 4 pounds lower than that (without doing anything different) 5 months ago and upped my calories. I haven't put anything back on.

It has gotten easier over time, not harder. I use a fitbit and try to walk 10,000 steps (I walk for exercise at least an hour maybe 5 days a week).

I just do what I did. I hit my calorie goals. I try to be active. I log everything. I eat back my exercise calories. It isn't rocket science and it doesn't have to be fancy. I love to eat and eat food I love. Always 3 meals a day. Usually a dessert snack around 9.

I do find it helpful to keep my carbs under 40% over the course of a week. But that's still a reasonably high amount of carbs. It just pushes me to up my protein.

JeanCricket

I'm 5'7" at my GW of 130 for 6 weeks, so I'm at the beginning of maintenance and loving it! I keep to a goal range of 128-132. Over these past 6 weeks I've been in the 128-130 range...

I'm at 1520 cals/day and often eat back exercise calories. Cardio 30 min 5x/wk. Just starting a muscle toning program...

I log on here on MFP daily and intend to continue :-)

Good luck and enjoy maintenance!

Jean

PS. Just turned 54 - feeling GREAT!

runny111

5"2" - Current weigh 117. Goal weight is 112-115. So a little up after a summer of fun (some of it is time of month water retention).

I don't have a problem trimming up for a few weeks, after a bit of indulgence.
Generally, I workout 1 hour a day to maintain. I eat 1700-1800 a day on average. Light days 1400, going out days 2000-2500. I also took 1 year to lose 50lbs and have maintained it for 18month. Never getting more than 3lbs of fat above goal (sometimes an additional 2lbs of water retention adds to that). But I haven't seen 120's in 15months. I also eat lean and green for the times I am not going out. 2/3rd of my meals contain no grains. I get my carbs via vegetables and fruits. Then save the wheat for eating out. I am 41.

runny111

And I though intermittent fasting was 6:1 to maintain?

Lysander666

I've been maintaining for about 18 months or so. I honestly don't find it that hard at all, I suppose I'm lucky because I just don't like any kind of junk food or drink and I don't tend to eat big. If I do eat big, it's healthy stuff that my wife makes a lot of the time.

Like yesterday I was in a shop and I was really hungry and wanted a snack. I looked around at everything, crisps, crackers, chocolate, cereal bars. There was literally nothing I wanted so I just went outside and bought a banana. There is literally so much junk food out there I don't think that people notice.

So as for how many calories I eat a day, I don't know because I don't tend to count. But it's in the region of about 2500-3000 I would say. I don't go to the gym (I should) but I do walk everywhere or use public transport which probably helps a bit.

beccadaniixox

My goal was between 120-130 pounds. I've maintained 125-130 for 2-3 years now.
I was regularly working out 3 times a week up until this past summer. Now honestly, I haven't worked out in about a month and this is probably going to keep up until January. My weight has been steady at 128lbs now since this stressful period.

I eat around 1300-1900 calories a day. I'm 5'2''. I'm 22 years old. I'm in a stressful period of finishing up my B.A. Degree and my professors this semester are horrible men who don't care about people... so that stresses me out more.

I haven't found it too difficult, but since I've stopped working out I have struggled with eating less food since I'm not working out. I want to keep eating even though I don't have those calories to spare like I used to.

saphin

Female, 48 years old, office worker
Height - 5'6
Weight - 57.1 kg
Exersise - cycling about 250 to 300 km a week (10 to 12 hours) plus 10,000 steps a day and 2 hours dragon boat a week. I also try any other sports offered and do the odd light weight/high rep workout (when I have time so normally a couple of times a week)
Daily calories - average about 2,500 to 3,000
Maintenance of current weight for two or three years but haven't dieted for 10 years
Note: I live in Singapore so have a lower daily calorie requirement than when I was living in a colder climate but need to drink 5 to 6 litres of water a day due to high level of perspiration in exersise

If you are struggling to maintain, load one of the "map my fitness" applications, log all your workouts, install a pedometer such as "pacer" on your phone and carry it with you all the time, link both apps to my fitness pal, reset your calorie goal to match your day job and life should become simpler.

Exersise is vital to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. Make sure you do some cardio exersise that makes you slightly breathless (but still able to talk) for AT LEAST 150 minutes a week total. Brisk walking (minimum 4mph) is a great start.

Remember to increase your water consumption to match the extra water used by your body and you'll be fine.

Patttience

Beccca said, "I haven't found it too difficult, but since I've stopped working out I have struggled with eating less food since I'm not working out. I want to keep eating even though I don't have those calories to spare like I used to."

Yes that is my experience too, that's why i'm not even trying to do a lot of exercise anymore. I mean i know now that i can't maintain a heavy exercise load for more than a few months at a time.

Next year i'm going to Japan for a couple of months. I will have to eat more when i'm there because i will be cycling around everywhere. When i get home, its going to be very tricky making the adjustment back to eating less.

schulersam

55 year, 5'6', 150 When I hit 50ish everything changed for me. Hormones messed up my metabolism and I started gaining where I have never had to be too careful. Now at 55, things are settling out (still have crazy hot flashes) and have been able to lose the 10 lbs that snuck on. I eat very little 1000-1200 and work out, but you have to find the right combination that will work for you, fit into your lifestyle, and be sustainable. There are days that I open the cupboard and will want to eat anything I can see. But overall, it is about living a healthy lifestyle. Remember that stress also screws with your metabolism, so I don't know what is going on in your life, but grown children, aging parents and retirement looming can certainly add to the mix. Keep healthy. Good luck.

Beckilovespizza

Patttience wrote: »

I've just about hit goal but i'm also just starting to struggle with my appetite. My food is really healthy. My macros are pretty good. I ve been doing the 5:2 fasting diet for about 8 weeks i guess. I feel like my body is starting to fight back.

I managed to hit goal doing the 5:2 and when I got to maintenance I started the 6:1 as recommend by Dr Michael Mosely. It may help to do this to stop the urges of hunger? Saying that I'm in no place to dish out advice as I managed to regain some weight back after a holiday blow out.

toolzz

51, 5'6, 139lbs - maintaining for about 7 years - give or take 5/10 lbs. the difference in weights made no difference in clothing...it was just changing body shape and work outs. I have mfp set to 1500 cals a day but that's just a number I plucked out of my mind based on TDEE calculations. I probably average around 1700-2k. I don't really worry about my calories as I love food and offset it by working out (which I also love). I guess I am not providing anything helpful here....I think my point is, I know how it all works for me now and don't really think about it because it's how I operate on a daily basis....I just use mfp to track macros and because I like tracking.

Crawflowr

I'm 49, 5'7", 140-144lb (was 177 when I started on MFP August 2011 reached goal April 2012 and have maintained steady since then. I net around 1650 calories a day (eating my exercise calories), I go to the gym twice a week running/cycling 3km/2km each session, I walk 6 miles on saturdays (Rambler's Association) and swim on sundays. Well that's the usual patterns. I try to walk at least 30mins a day on other days. I am comfortable with my eating patterns, can have cookies, fried breakfasts, chips, sweets, biscuits, chinese and pizza. Somedays a bit up, somedays down but balance over the week. I find I can go over by 500 or so each week without sweating it. My diary is open. I couldn't even run 10 yards when I started in 2011 now I've done several 5k races and managed my first 10k in June. I'm in a good place thanks to MFP.