life after goal...

jasonweinberg

i hit goal around three weeks ago. i switched to a maintenance calorie goal and admittedly have dabbled in some foods i hadn't eaten in a long time. i continue to be very active and get tons of exercise. in the week after hitting goal i actually dropped two more pounds. since then i have drifted back up a little and am currently about 2 lbs. over goal. now i know from my journey that these kinds of fluctuations are perfectly normal and nothing to get worked up about. my dr. says i'm healthy as hell and i feel great and i look great. however, there definitely is a major change emotionally without that "GOAL' to focus on. i also find that despite the fact that i am eating somewhat more i am hungry all the time now. was i always this hungry and just suppressed it better? i am a little confused about all this. i'm not panicking, i know making goal is a good thing, but life after goal has been a little confusing for me...comments?

sbilyeu75

Maybe you need just rethink goals. You could have a fitness goal rather than a weight goal. For example, I have a goal to run a 5k, I've signed up for the Warrior Dash in June and after that I think I'll set my goal to a mini triathlon. Physically, some people try to get a lower body fat percentage rather than a number on the scale.

foxxybrown

Set new goals...not scale related. Maybe focus on body fat %, a six pack, etc.

rileamoyer

Getting close to my goal, will be interested in how you make the transition. Congratulations - you worked hard!

Sarahr73

First of all, congratulations on reaching your goal. Second, I agree with making new non weight related goals. I like the idea of a 5K, but I want to become a runner so my opinion might be biased. But, definitely reach for new goals. It will probably help you keep focused as you try to switch from a weight loss journey to a living life and being healthy journey. Again, congrats! It's nice to know people are still doing MFP after goal, I know I will.

edorice

If you're feeling hungry is it possible that you're eating more carbs these days? I try to reach 100 grams of protein each day and that curbs cravings. Also, as stated above you should create new goals. Do you want to be tighter, faster, or/and stronger? One of my goals this year is to complete 5-6 5K races. I'd like to do a half marathon in December, Vegas baby.

jasonweinberg

i am definitely not a runner. i did have a another goal which i reached pretty much simultaneously which was 100 days of skiing and snowboarding this winter and i'm now at around 110 and still riding hard. there's actually still a few weeks left of the season and then i'll switch to bike riding and when the water warrms up enough (mid-june). i'll start swimming. as for proteins if anything with increased calorie intake my protein consumption is up all that much more (definitely hitting 100 and above pretty much daily). i am allowing myself to eat more carbs and wondering if that is effecting my appetite level. i mean my food diaries look fine, i just feel like i could eat a horse half the time and just emotionally feel a little lost without the focus of that weight-loss goal. certainly i can (and do) set bike riding and swimming distance goals. between now and then i definitely plan on continuing to snowboard like my life depends on it as the snow melts around me. just feel like somthing is missing or something now that i have hit goal.

Tree72

Maybe you could find a goal that has nothing to do with fitness but is emotionally satisfying. Is there a particular cause in which you believe? There are often volunteer opportunities to help children, the elderly, animals, the environment, and many other causes. Our public radio station has great listings of opportunities on their website. Maybe yours will also. For example, one of my friends regularly volunteers at our local food bank and gets a great workout lifting boxes and moving pallets while helping the community. It can be very rewarding to see tangible results from your efforts.

Another idea is to see if there is a club or organization for activities in which you are interested. Maybe there is a local cycling club that has activities or at least social gatherings of people with similar interests. Now that you have reached your goal hopefully you will have more time to devote to your other passions in life.

Congratulations again on reaching your goal. That is a tremendous success and shows that you can do anything you decide to do. Best wishes for finding a good way to maintain for the future. I'm looking forward to that adventure sometime later this year.

EricJonrosh

Set new goals...not scale related. Maybe focus on body fat %, a six pack, etc.

Agreed. It's like you built an engine - call it "goal achieving" and it's not meant to be just shut off. You can reach higher goals now. I will never stop setting new goals for myself, especially with two annoying brothers with six packs (one's a seven).

damonmath

I hit my goal over a month ago and also am in maintenance mode. I choose to focus on how I look, and now I have new goals to increase the size of some muscles and sculp others. So far it's going great!

alexbowser

You lost 122lbs, it sounds like you can do anything. I totally agree with everyone else, set some new goals, try out some new hobbies, things you couldn't do before. My mom became a hiking fanatic after she lost all her weight.

lilmissy2

Congratulations on meeting your goal. What you are experiencing - the hunger etc is a very normal part of increasing your calories. Unfortunately, our bodies aren't designed to maintain calorie deficits and lose weight so when we start eating again, all your body wants to do is reverse this starvation. There is an interesting theory named 'set point' which basically implies that there is a weight our body was supposed to be (not always your highest weight) and your body will fight to get back there. That's what make maintenance such hard work. Hang in there Jason - one of the main things that maintainers (and statistically there aren't too many of them) have in common is that they kept up their activity level so you are on the right track!

EmmieSu

I'm just guessing that you were probably an emotional eater to begin with, then when you started losing weight there was an emotion connected with the goal of losing weight, and now you don't know where to place your focus. I agree, I think you should find another goal in your journey to better health. Congratulations on reaching your goal!!

jasonweinberg

thanks lilmiisy2 very helpful feedback. and yes i am staying active...

dlaplume2

Congrats on reaching goal. It is a huge accomplishment and well deserved success. I am not close to goal yet, but I do know that once I reached my goal of running a 5k I felt like I needed to set a new one so I have something to focus on and work toward. I cant work and focus on a number, becuase I can't control that, so I would drive me crazy. That being said I was reading a book and the woman said the same thing. She felt lost not focusing on the number on the scale. Like she reached a goal and then what. Well I think you need to set a new goal. Maybe a workout goal, or number of miles run, what ever gets you going in the morning. The other thing is you can set a goal to maintain that weight within say 5lbs for a full year. That is the harder thing to accomplish.

Best wishes to you,

jasonweinberg

just wanted to revisit this although i know these threads kind of die off. i have had a lot of things going on above and beyond just making goal that were effecting my mood. i still have a lot of things up in the air in my life right now but i do feel like the adjustment to life after goal has settled down some. i am still staying active and staying hungry but realizing that my maintenance calorie goals really do allow me to eat quite a bit without going over. i think i was actually dealing with guilt for eating more even though i was within my goal and also feeling frustrated by the fact that even though i was eating more i seemed to still be hungry all the time. that all does seem to have settled down some and even though i am still a couple of lbs. over goal at this point i am far enough in to realize its still just that same old up and down oscillation i experienced throughout my journey. so, life goes on after goal and hopefully before long i'll drop down below goal again and maybe even a little further...

dlaplume2

Thanks for the update. Keep on journaling and stick with it.

Best wishes

BriefTales

Nothing at all having to do with the question/issue you posed. Just a HUGE congratulations on your weight loss and thanks for sharing. Your post shows me it's possible and that I just need to stick with it. Normally, I'm starved all of the time. I'm trying now to find foods that are filling and keep that feeling of satiation. Wondering, do you have any tips? Thanks again for your post.

BriefTales

Thanks for your post. I too, have the same goal as you've reached. My heaviest is 225. I'm currently at 207 so 37 more to go. What was your motivation and how did you stick with it. Would love you to share.... Congratulations to you also.

Domestica

I agree with everyone who suggests setting a fitness goal rather than weight goal. I've been my goal weight for a few years now and to be honest, staying here is super easy now...I just don't even have a desire to eat the crap I used to eat! But that said, I do have fitness goals (like running a half marathon).

SolidGoaled

I just want to say thank you for writing this heart-felt post of yours - I am only 1/3 of the way to my goal, but am already afraid of what will happen when I get there.

I hope you will keep this thread updated as you continue your journey - I would love to be somewhat "prepared" for the maintanance phase when I finally get there.

catcrazy

Firstly congratulation, well done on reaching goal


When you reached goal and upped your calories did that mean bigger meals...the more your stomach is stretch during a meal the more you will feel it shrinking in the way of hunger pangs, it might be better to up the amount of meals instead of eating bigger portions.

jasonweinberg

catcrazy no not bigger meals just more snacking pretty much. try to stay healthy with the snacks. to brief tales as far as food recommendations my focus was def high protein, moderate carbs, low cal. al fresco chicken sausages, nonfat cheese, eggbeaters, spring mix, nonfat/lowfat dressings, salad bars, atkins snack bars, special k20 pink lemonade mixes, yoplait fiber one yogurts, protein shakes....these were a lot of my staples. i practiced a tremendous amount of repetition although i know over the long haul variety is the healthiest choice. i just found repetition helped me with staying disciplined. i watched my sugars very carefully and laid off even natural sugars for the most part so ate very little fruit while on my weight loss regimen. no fruit juices or sodas, sugary drinks at all ever. exercise exercise and more exercise. my motivation? i had felt defeated for years by my weiht, my appearance and my declining health. once i made up my mind that i could in fact change my life and started doing it, it all just came naturally. looking at pictures of myself now and liking what i see is such a change for me. and as far as anything medical i am like a new man. i have beaten back so many different medical maladies and am in such good health right now it is completely mind-blowing. next week is my one year anniversary from when i started.

carterdjohnson

Maybe you could find a goal that has nothing to do with fitness but is emotionally satisfying.

I agree, and am thinking this is something you should think about. I think your posting is very honest and VERY interesting, one of the more interesting things I've read on this site. You should be proud you're able to be so honest and forthright.

But first, I have to say that I'm amazed at anyone who can stay with this for nearly a year; second, it's amazing that you lost so much weight; and third i think feeling a little lost and sad and empty is the most natural thing when ending something as important as this in your life. First you had your weight issue, then you had your weight-LOSS issue, and now what? How you deal with that loss will be another real measure of you as a person.

As they say in 12-step programs, take it one day at a time. I don't think everything in life has to be goal-oriented, just listening to your body and your heart, and learning how to do that better and better, can be a real challenge. I'd love to know how you progress. Good Luck!

jasonweinberg

today i realized there is something else afoot....i've been laid off for two weeks or so and able to snowboard for whole days everytime i've gone out. its also spring conditions so the snow is soft and heavy and requires a lot of strength. so some of my hunger has come from the heavy workouts my legs and lower back have been getting because i've realized those muscles have been growing in leaps and bounds. and yes, i've been putting the protein to it to help them replenish, recover and strengthen...

jasonweinberg

i just made a big decision: why not lose more weight? spring is in the air, i'm back on my bike and while i set 199 as a weight goal (and made it) why not lose ten more or so? my "healthy weight" according to the charts is around 167 which to me is way skiinny...but why not 190? i am going for it!