Since being in maintenance mode I have started having some pretty bad binge eating sessions. It's all just mental though. You have to ask yourself this: "Am I hungry or is it a craving?". If it's just a craving, then you have to try to control it (easier said than done, trust me I know!!). Keep busy, go to the gym, be productive, get out of the house! Sitting on the couch watching tv or doing anything near the kitchen, or wherever it is you store food, will NOT help, lol.

If you keep it up day after day then it is inevetible that you will start to gain weight. I try to keep my diet healthy, clean and in check monday to friday and allow myself the weekends to eat more of the 'treats' that I like so much. I look at my weekly averages and make sure to save enough for my weekends.

I think the key is learning how to eat healthy foods as you lose weight. By eating well as you are getting to your goal weight, you are learning the skills you will use to maintain the loss.

I would encourage you to look back at how you lost the weight in the first place and then determine what is sustainable for you. Whatever you do to lose the weight must be what you are willing to do for the remainder of your life in order to keep it off.

I also feel that I'm sabotaging myself now that I've reached maintenance. I feel that I'm a lot more obsessed with snacks and all things sugar . I'm putting it down to maintenance adjustment but it really is quite scary after all the hard work I've put in. I just hope this lack of willpower fades soon!

Since I last posted I've managed to settle my eating habits a bit. I decided to 'reset' my eating by having 2 very low cal days and then starting again. This has worked so far. I'm also calorie cycling so I eat much less at the start of the week ready for the weekend! Good luck to everyone in maintenance!

I am also in the maintenance phase of weight loss. I still count my calories every day and never exceed 1600-1700 calories (even though I'm sure I should be consuming way more for maintenance) a day. I give myself one "Me" day each week where I eat whatever I want and I don't stress about it. After that, it's back to my counting again. I work out 5-6 days a week and lift 3-4 because I feel like if I keep that same pattern that I had when I was losing, I will maintain easier. I honestly think if I stopped counting calories, I would gain the weight back without a doubt! Good luck to you. I hope you find your groove that works for you!

** this! (Hey Mel!)
I figured out (much to my surprise) that the difference for me between losing and maintaining is only about 200-250 calories... Thats an extra yogurt, some more catsup, maybe an extra apple-- I can add in a few small extras a day but not just give up tracking or control. Thru this journey, I've learned how to eat very well, still maintain portion control and log while maintaining. Its about the same as dieting with a little (200 cal a day or so) more. Sure you can splurge every once in a while, but then get right back in the groove with counting. I've also gotten used to being hungry at times, and figuring out craving vs real hunger. One thing that helps me is to have a small snack and a glass of water when I'm really hungry, then wait a half hour- almost always I find myself satisfied and lose the urge to continue to snack.

I'm too compulsive to exceed my TDEE - not the best thing, I know! I look up menus for restaurants before going out and preplan what I'm eating (ask for a box right away and cut those salads in half first thing). I seldom get what I want. It's kinda sad, really, but it was so much work getting here! And I even plan out the rest of the day around the calories I'm going to have when I do go out.

On Saturday, I had my first treat since October. I was with a group of friends and we had lunch and then went to Sweet Frog. So I did have frozen yogurt - a measured amount of nonfat vanilla, only fruit and a few nuts on top - got a taste without feeling I had overindulged. And then I corrected for those calories for the rest of the day, so I still didn't go over.

I think it's healthier and more normal to overindulge sometimes - if you're "back to normal" in some sense, you might even eat more like you used to - adding calories makes you feel freer - and of course we all know that adding carbs introduces cravings back into our lives. But I have to tell you in all honesty that I would far rather be "normal" than obsessive-compulsive as I seem to be, still not enjoying my life even on maintenance, still being my own BIg Brother. Although learning to eat just for fueling and not as a pleasure/reward is probably a good thing!