Maintaining...

I am extremely jealous that you are almost to maintance. Anyway, obviously this isn't from personal experiance but I have heard then in maintance mode, you should weigh yourself everyday. Obviously you are going to falucuated a little but that way if you start noticing an upward trend for a few days in a row you can crack down before you gain your weight back.

I've basically been on maintenance for 5 years. I don't weigh everyday, I weigh once a week to keep on track. And yes, your weight will fluctuate to some degree...for me it is +/- 3 pounds (depending on the time of year, my workout schedule, etc.). It takes adjustment for sure. Sometimes it is almost easier to be in "diet" mode, because you have a clear cut plan - now you are on your own, so to speak.

What happened to me, and what you should strive for, is realizing that eating healthy and working out are parts of your life, not tools to get you somewhere. I love eating healthy and working out 5x a week, so I don't look at it like a chore and something I have to do, it is just a normal part of life like brushing my teeth. And of course I have indulgences, like weekend BBQs with friends and vacations, but since I am eating healthy 95% of the time and working out 5x a week, these are mere blips in my life and they don't affect me negatively...I'm living my life. However I still track calories (loosely and not every day) because I like to, I like to keep on track and I like to make sure I am still on the right track. I also change up my workouts quite frequently, so I need to make sure I am eating enough to support it, or I'll start losing weight and get too skinny and I'm afraid of losing the muscle I have built up.

So, good luck, change your goals slightly and live your life!

I agree with kdiamond, you have to look at everything you've done and everything you're doing as a permanent change. I've been on maintenance for the last 3 months, tracking calories and still have my levels as if I'm looking to lose a little (1/2 lb) every week. I do this because I too am allowing extra room to be able to maintain (weekend bbq, etc). I was on maintenance before and let myself slip by ignoring everything I did to get there the first time, and came within 20 lbs of where I was when I started. Annoying, I know, but I worked myself back to where I am, and yeah there are things that can and can't change in order to stay where I am. My overall diet is still healthy (fruits, veggies, oatmeal), but I do allow room for other foods that I would otherwise "cheat" to have. It's all about finding the right balance once you get there, and yes it is more difficult to maintain than lose the weight when you don't know how.....that's why I still log calories and am here every day, so I don't forget or slip again. Also, I do weigh myself every other day....and know that my weight will fluctuate 3-5 lbs, but anything beyond that means serious adjustment. Anyway, congrats on getting so far :-)