Need to maintain, but afraid too try

I can probably help you. I lost 90 lbs, and when I hit goal, it was daunting at first. When I first added additional calories to my daily menu, it felt weird. It felt like I was doing something wrong. Eventually I added back enough for me to stop losing, and even then I ended up dropping 10 lbs below my initial goal. I now maintain on about 1900 calories a day, with a little extra on the weekend. I find this an easy lifestyle to keep, but I know if I quit tracking and went back to old habits, the weight would come back.

Everybody's calorie maintenance number is going to be different. You will have to play around with it - losing and gaining until you find your exact number. This can take up to six months or more. Don't be scared - as long as you continue to track your intake and keep an eye on your weight, you're not going to gain back what you've lost.

I'm sorry I don't speak from personal experience... but I can offer these words:

You didn't put on the weight overnight the first time around. What makes you think you will put on all of the weight this time around?

Have a buffer zone if you're worried. If you gain 5-8 pounds back "quickly" then do something different.

I can guarantee, though, that you will not wake up one morning, 80 pounds heavier, wondering what the hell went wrong. If you wake up 3 months later down the road 20 pounds heavier scratching your head... then you clearly weren't watching the scale or your measurements very closely at all. 2-3 pounds misstep is acceptable (TOM, water weight, etc.). There is no way you can let 10 pounds go right by you unnoticed.

But if you do let it go NOTICED... you will easily let 20, 40, 50+ pounds add on. Keep on practicing what you've been doing. MIstakes happen. But nip it in the bud before it gets out of control.

I wish you the best of luck in your journey to maintain your amazing weight loss adventure.