Did maintenance (reaching your goal) meet your expectations?
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...emotionally it hasn’t been easy to switch from hyper-focus on my weight and eating towards a more holistic approach to improving my life. I think one needs to be hyper-focused on weight loss to lose successfully, but this is ultimately unsustainable. When I was in the weight loss bubble, I felt pretty successful about my life and like I could achieve things that I set my mind to. Once I started coming out of this and tackling issues in other areas I lost some of that confidence and sense of purpose. I tried making new body improvement goals to keep me on track, but I haven't been successful sticking to those. I've mostly been working on other parts of my life, but trying not to gain in the meantime.
In the end, weight loss is important and it will absolutely improve your life if you get into a normal weight range, but it won’t solve all your issues
Same here! I just can't get into lifting and stick to it like I could with running.
To answer the OP: the actual day I reached goal was cool. I was pretty cheerful and people who I shared my success with were really pleased for me. It felt worth all the hard work. Slimmer than I have ever been as an adult, I now look great in most things (but not everything, as told by a few hastily purchased and quickly returned sale bargains!) and I am fit and getting fitter, strong and getting stronger.
All told though, it was a mixed blessing and perhaps another cautionary tale. When I was overweight, I was carefree about my body and what I ate. I accepted my round belly and wobbly thighs as part of my whole package. I wasn’t as physically healthy as I could be, but I felt mentally healthy. Now that I know I can lose 70 lbs, the urge to keep pushing hasn’t gone away since reaching goal. My new body and fitness goals are not unrealistic, but I think they have led me to feelings of inadequacy, even though my body is relatively ‘better’ than it has ever been. I have haven't shaken the obsession with calories that I developed when losing.
I’ve a few pounds to lose after Christmas delicious-ness, but after that, I resolve to take time to enjoy the new, improved me and consolidate, before I move on to something new. Which, I suppose is what maintenance means anyway!0 -
I've been maintaining for almost two years now. People say all the time, that losing weight (I lost over a 100 pounds) will not necessarily make you suddenly happy. I am MUCH happier now. Probably because I accomplished something I had never really thought I could do. And clothes shopping is so much fun now! One thing that has really surprised me, is how hard maintenance is. For me, at least, it takes constant vigilance because I know without that, I start to put the weight back on. I watch what I eat, every single day.0
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For me I'm keeping at it as if I'm still losing weight. I work on my body and make healthy choices/plan for treats every single day.
When I hit maintenance I had no idea what I weighed. It got to a point where I was very happy with my measurements and the way I looked so I decided to stop losing.
It feels so good to be in maintenance. I feel great and completely healthy, plus I love shopping for clothes and having a fit body - something I've never had before. It was a long road to get here and I'm working hard to stay put.
It will be three years in May since I've been maintaining officially and I'm very thankful for MFP. I've learned a lot over the years and made some truly wonderful friends here.0 -
Reaching your goal must be pretty rewarding in itself but I wonder, like you guys have stated, what the long term mental issues that come from an almost OCD calorie counting nature like I have will be like after reaching the goal weight? Right now I am pretty obsessed with watching my calories and trying to exercise. Granted it's not a herculean effort but the diet is pretty OCD. The way that I think I can handle it is once I hit goal weight, maybe to just eat normal again but be in constant flux making sure I exercise off the pounds once I gain a little. Does any of this sound like an issue to you guys who have hit your GW?
Thanks!
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thorsmom01 wrote: »Well for me once I reached my goal weight , I realized that weight on the scale was only a very small piece of the puzzle. Someone can be 110 lbs but look terrible, they could have loose hanging skin and look flabby. Then someone at 180 lbs could look great with a tight stomach and abs. So I realized that weight isn't as important as I thought .
I see many people on here that are only concerned with dropping weight , and they may be in for a rude awakening when they get to goal. So now instead of worrying about the scale, I focus on fitness. ( im 135lbs, 5'8 tall)
This was me. I reached my goal and realized that there was a lot more to looking how I want to look than a number on a scale. So now I have different goals and I started strength training to try and reach them.
I'm still not in a good mental space calorie wise, I probably eat too little but I'm terrified that if I eat more I'll put all the weight back on. I've been told to ditch the scale altogether and go by how clothes fit / measurements but I so far haven't been able to.0 -
I used to weight 207lbs (94kg) 5 years ago. I started making small changes in food and started doing workouts. Slowly I lost more and more and finally I went down to around 160lbs (73kg - around 3 years ago)... Since then I've kept my weight down, but haven't lost alot more since. It feels like my body is happy with this weight, although I'm now on a quest to get it down even further...
My new goal is to excercise more and eat healthier more evenly. My new goal weight is 149lbs or my danish meassures 68kg :-) You can easily keep your weight down, but only if you make SMALL changes along the way. Only of you make it a LIFESTYLE and not a punishment, where you go on explosive diets for 2-3 months, loose alot of weight and put it back on. I'm generally ALOT more healthy now. I workout, I go for long walks, I run, I eat good (generally) without starving myself...
GL with it
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Dreysander wrote: »thorsmom01 wrote: »Well for me once I reached my goal weight , I realized that weight on the scale was only a very small piece of the puzzle. Someone can be 110 lbs but look terrible, they could have loose hanging skin and look flabby. Then someone at 180 lbs could look great with a tight stomach and abs. So I realized that weight isn't as important as I thought .
I see many people on here that are only concerned with dropping weight , and they may be in for a rude awakening when they get to goal. So now instead of worrying about the scale, I focus on fitness. ( im 135lbs, 5'8 tall)
This was me. I reached my goal and realized that there was a lot more to looking how I want to look than a number on a scale. So now I have different goals and I started strength training to try and reach them.
I'm still not in a good mental space calorie wise, I probably eat too little but I'm terrified that if I eat more I'll put all the weight back on. I've been told to ditch the scale altogether and go by how clothes fit / measurements but I so far haven't been able to.
If I did that, I wouldn't have realized that I actually gained 3 pounds in the last 2 months... so I'm honestly not sure it's such good advice, honestly. Clothes still fit the same and measurements are similar (I honestly don't really trust measurements though because I've found that it's pretty hard to be 100% accurate unless you have help). So I could be in denial and thinking I can afford to eat more than I thought, and gain back more weight...
I mean, if you're actively bulking, sure, it won't mean much, but otherwise... I personally don't recommend it.0 -
Dreysander wrote: »thorsmom01 wrote: »Well for me once I reached my goal weight , I realized that weight on the scale was only a very small piece of the puzzle. Someone can be 110 lbs but look terrible, they could have loose hanging skin and look flabby. Then someone at 180 lbs could look great with a tight stomach and abs. So I realized that weight isn't as important as I thought .
I see many people on here that are only concerned with dropping weight , and they may be in for a rude awakening when they get to goal. So now instead of worrying about the scale, I focus on fitness. ( im 135lbs, 5'8 tall)
This was me. I reached my goal and realized that there was a lot more to looking how I want to look than a number on a scale. So now I have different goals and I started strength training to try and reach them.
I'm still not in a good mental space calorie wise, I probably eat too little but I'm terrified that if I eat more I'll put all the weight back on. I've been told to ditch the scale altogether and go by how clothes fit / measurements but I so far haven't been able to.
I use measurements with strength training. My weight will do all kinds of weird fluctuations. I will go up in pounds, but down in measurements. So we (my trainer and I) use weight as one of the measurements, but don't drop it entirely. We do weight, arms, thighs, waist, and hips.0 -
Ditching the scale is like stopping counting calories - Personal.
I am lucky that I hold my maintenance pretty steady even though I no longer count or weigh very often.
I did when I first hit maintenance, but 6 years on I eat and weigh myself like a person who has never counted calories- almost.
I think once one has counted calories and weighed and measured themselves for a year or more one can't forget.
I look at a piece of cheesecake and think 'hmm I will eat half of that, it is about 800 cals' ; not just wolf it down then feel over fed.
But isn't that the whole point of MFP? Training wheels for the rest of ones life.
To help one recognize correct portion sizes through weighing, and over time through sight.
To recognize that full feeling or better yet, comfortable feeling, and know that is when to stop.
To look at and recognize our bodies, feeling and seeing when extra pounds are creeping on, jumping on the scale to confirm, then having the means and knowledge to take action before we have a problem.
And to know that some movement or activity is better than none.
I know not everyone can stop counting and weighing, that is how they can control their intake. But isn't that great too. There is a simple to use tool that you can use daily and it will help you lead the life you want. Just like putting on your glasses in the morning!
Cheers, h.0 -
Maintenance was harder for me in the beginning, I was always very hungry and had a lot of cravings, it was like my body wanted to go back to it's state of being big, fortunately it got easier, I still go up and down here and there but for less than 10lbs, but my clothes still fit all the time
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@CorvusCorax77, @VeryKatie, @dopeysmelly, @PamOliva, @_0o0o0o_, @ilovesweeties, @mamadon, @rainbow198, @jarablue, @Dreysander, @MissSphinx, @Francl27, @lyttlewon, @middlehaitch, and @bunnypy, many thanks for your posts!
Your posts have all been incredibly helpful! I bookmarked. 0 -
I was a periodic yo yo dieter with long periods at a decent weight. When I started MFP I wanted to stop that. It's only been three years of maintaining, but I felt I'd changed my approach when I reached my goal. And with the lifestyle change, I ended up losing an additional 2 sizes at my maintenance weight.
So, yes, I'd say, it's what I wanted and I'm pleased to have gotten there. Probably the best part is being able to focus on the rest of my life. 0 -
Basically: Yes. Reaching my goal did indeed meet my expectations physically. This doesn’t mean that my body is perfect now, though, because I never expected perfection, just a certain level of improvement.
Maintenance has been surprisingly OK, but emotionally it hasn’t been easy to switch from hyper-focus on my weight and eating towards a more holistic approach to improving my life. I think one needs to be hyper-focused on weight loss to lose successfully, but this is ultimately unsustainable. When I was in the weight loss bubble, I felt pretty successful about my life and like I could achieve things that I set my mind to. Once I started coming out of this and tackling issues in other areas I lost some of that confidence and sense of purpose. I tried making new body improvement goals to keep me on track, but I haven't been successful sticking to those. I've mostly been working on other parts of my life, but trying not to gain in the meantime.
In the end, weight loss is important and it will absolutely improve your life if you get into a normal weight range, but it won’t solve all your issues, and you may have to face the music: your weight is/was not to blame for everything you are/were unsatisfied about.
Very well stated. Agree with this. I felt a little lost after reaching goal and started feeling a little disappointed in the rest of my life. That has evened out now and I've become more used to this "new normal." It helps to keep my food and fitness a high priority b/c it improves my mood. But sometimes I wonder if my focus here is a way to avoid working on other things too.
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GuitarJerry wrote: »For me, it never ends. Besides the cut and bulk cycles, there's the endless goal setting of athletic pursuits. And, my weight requirements might be different. So, it changes; ebbs and flows. So, I've never been able to sit back and take it easy. It's constant.
This. There is no maintenance for me. There's always a longer trail to run, higher hill to climb, or bigger weight to lift. My pursuit of health and fitness has truly become a part of my life. (I've kept it off for over 6 years.)0 -
When I first started losing, I thought: when I hit 'X' pounds, I'll be so happy and my life will be perfect! As I got smaller, I realized this wasn't going to be true. I had to work on my body and my mind... a huge task, but so worth it.
When I reached my goal weight, I realized I wasn't done losing. It's hard to set a goal weight when you have no idea what that will look like on you! I'm not disappointed, just still learning!0 -
Maintenance happened rather quickly for me. When I started logging 955 days ago, I didn't even think I needed to lose weight, but lost about 15lbs over a few months by analyzing my diet, becoming appalled at the volume of unbalanced calories, sodium, and sugar I was consuming, and making some changes. Since then, I've been roughly the same weight (168lbs), plus or minus 5lbs.0
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I guess so...I hit goal, stopped logging, maintained for a couple months, forgot what got me there and gained 15 of my 50 lost in 2 months...So guess what? Back to NON maintenance for a while and a different approach once I lose the 15lbs I put back on. I think I knew this was going to happen so I got what I expected! I guess there is a lesson in this message somewhere...lol0
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Maintenance has been an interesting journey in itself!! I am sitting about 7lbs below where I originally thought my maintenance number would be: low 160's was my guess weight. I continued to lose after starting maintenance while I figured out my true activity level with the help of my fitbit. Turns out I'm in a great caloric burn range most of the day at work and it's rewarding to see some muscle tone now that the flab is lifted from the majority of my body. I'm happy in this range of 153-157 and in a size 8/10 that looks healthy on my 42 year old self. It is very motivating to continue to move more and allow myself to eat more of what I like when I like. Best of luck to you, and don't forget to take your measurements!!0
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Work on your self esteem and self image seperate from your weight loss/matenance ideas! i lost over 70 pounds and was five to seven pounds over my goal weight. I exercised regularly, took my measurements (which could really be a lot easier on your mental health than weighing yourself alone) but still every time i looked in the mirror i still saw the over 70 pound person i once was regardless of what my scale, cloths and measurements where suggesting. Even though i did everything properly i still had self esteem issues and self imaging issues. I suggest work on "loving yourself" initiative while you work on loosing the weight or else your mental state could counteract the reality of your accomplishments which will lead to feelings of sadness and such. After you can "loosen up" on the strictest of your diet (within reason) while still keeping a close eye on your eating habits. And remember diets really aren't for loosing weight, its a help for healthier lifestyle choices which will be for LIFE or else you risk regaining.0
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In 2014 I reached goal weight after 4 months of hard work and 25 pounds lost. I was thrilled and gradually stopped logging since "I got this". I regained 20 pounds in 5 months. It took me another 8 months to restart.
Second time around I'm on month 7 with 4 pounds to go to 120 (5'2"). I'm adding calories to slow my weight loss from 3# a month to 2. Am I at maintenance? Pretty close. I'm trying to go slower. I like how my clothes fit. Since I've worked out my whole life it's hard to make workout goals. At 61, I just want to maintain and not yo-yo.
I'm happy in this weight range but with aging we can get complacent. I've fought to maintain my weight my whole life, but in the last decade, was losing that fight for the first time in my life. I want to show to myself, that it can be done. Getting older doesn't have to mean you are expected to have a wide middle and be out of shape . 0 -
Just reached my UGW (ultimate Goal Weight on Saturday). I've been at this for 10 months and have lost 80 lbs. I've switched from losing .5 lbs a week to maintaining a couple of weeks ago. Am I happy? Yes, but I now need to start a re-comp. I still have some belly that needs to be tightened up. Still, at 58, 5'10", male, and 170 lbs., I can't complain.0
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For me, it was more of a range I hoped to reach. And that is still somewhat overweight (150-170 range for 5'8" female). But I'm very happy here and now working hard to stay on track. I lost my footing quite a bit last Fall and didn't gain much, but have realized that at my current "maintenance" size, 5-8 lb is a LOT. In the past when I was close to (and once over) 300 lb, gaining or losing 10 lb or even 20 lb was barely noticeable at all. Now 5 lb can seriously be the difference between looking amazing (to myself) in a dress and looking (to myself) almost like I never even lost any weight at all because of the way it hugs the smallest bulge. It's a bit unsettling but I am 99% happy. I admit that a full year of logging my food and doing normal activities/exercise resulted in a loss of just a few pounds, I started to lose motivation. But I always seem to get it back. I want to be, and stay, where I feel great.
As for expectations...I really didn't expect to even reach my goal range. I never expected to achieve some "perfect" body or have zero loose skin and tight abs and so forth. So for me, the imperfections are not an issue or problem even. Instead I'm thrilled with unexpected plusses like loving my legs and being shocked at the narrowness of my natural waist...stuff like that. I think individual expectations have a lot to do with one's feelings of success or failure. I have friends who (like me) used to be a size 24+ and are now size 10 but still want to get to size 4-6. They constantly gripe about their flaws. In some ways I admire their goals - but mostly I just feel lucky that I'm so pleased with my body at this point.0 -
I liked being able to eat slightly more and meet my protein macros. However, because I'm so small, the difference between maintenance and eating at a deficit is not huge. Often, after a vacation or holiday, I have to go back into deficit eating before switching to maintenance. I was hoping for more muscle growth, toning, as one allegedly can't build muscle at a deficit, but despite doing more strength training, I haven't seen a huge difference yet either way.0
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